Bitter cold mornings have greeted fishermen at Clear Lake where the temperatures have been dipping down into the low 40s. There also has been some wind. Between that and a slow bass bite has made a fishing trip more of a sightseeing trip of late.
As always, a few anglers have been doing well and catching five to six bass per outing. Most of the action is taking place in the deeper water in the south end of the lake from the Narrows south. The bass have been holding in 8-10 feet of water. The top lures continue to be the LV500 and the square-billed crankbait. Underspins also have been effective. A few years ago the primary bait for bass in the winter was live jumbo minnows, but for some reason they aren’t as popular this year. One reason could be the cost, which is approximately $22 a dozen.
There are a number of theories as to why the fishing has been so tough. The main one is that because there are literally millions of baitfish in the lake right now the bass don’t have to go after a lure. The other mystery deals with the lack of trophy bass being caught. A 5-pounder is considered a trophy nowadays while an 8-pounder is considered a monster.
There is no need to be out on the lake at first daylight. Just about all the fishermen report the best action is coming between the hours of noon and 4 p.m.
The other factor is the lack of fishermen. The only public ramp open is Fifth Street in Lakeport. Typically there have been less than 20 boats launched on any given day. That means that there are fewer boats out on the lake. One reason for the drop in fishermen is because there are no bass tournaments scheduled for October and that includes club tournaments. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) pulled the permits for October because of drought conditions, including a dropping lake level.
The other major factor is the high price of gasoline. It takes nearly $300 to fill the tank on a bass boat. When you add in the cost to fill up the truck to get here it can run as high as a $1,000 just to spend a day on the lake. The result is fishermen are fishing at lakes closer to home.
Lake level
As of Thursday morning the lake level stood at a minus-2.6 feet on the Rumsey Gauge. The low lake level has resulted in a few boats getting stuck at the Fifth Street ramp. On Tuesday, a fisherman backed his trailer too far down the ramp and it went off the end and got stuck. He finally managed to get it loose but only after the trailer sustained major damage. There is a line painted on the dock and the trailer’s wheels shouldn’t go past that line because of the drop-off.
Good news
The good news is the catfish action has been nothing short of spectacular. Just about all the bass fishermen report catching catfish on crankbaits and jigs in deeper water. There have been a number of catfish between 15-20 pounds caught and they fight like crazy.
The crappie action remains slow although it should start to improve in the coming weeks. Crappie are considered a winter fish and typically the best action is during the winter months.
Duck season
The duck season opener on Clear Lake drew a number of hunters but only a few ducks were taken. The hunters reported seeing plenty of birds but they wouldn’t respond to their decoys and calls. The low lake level also had an impact on the hunting.
