Clear Lake bass fishermen are having to dress warmly to fight off the cold weather. In the morning the temperatures have been dipping down to below freezing. The good news is that late afternoon the sunny weather has been pushing the temps up to over the 50 degree mark and the fish have been biting. The bass are holding out in the deeper water. Live jumbo minnows have been the top fish catcher. All the local tackle shops have the jumbo minnows.
There are no major bass tournaments scheduled for the weekend. In fact, there are no bass tournaments scheduled for the month of December.
Cold weather continues to plague fishermen at Clear Lake. This past week the temperatures have been at freezing temperatures just about every morning at the boat ramps. That and a lack of fishermen makes Clear Lake a lonely place.
The good news is that a few fishermen continue to have success casting an Alabama Rig. One fisherman reporting catching six bass earlier this week and he used the A Rig exclusively. The fishermen using the A Rig are concentrating in the deeper water in the south end of the lake. They are making a super slow retrieve and are letting their lure bump the bottom. Fishermen are reminded that legally only three lures with hooks can be attached to the Alabama Rig. All other lures must be hookless.
A number of fishermen are wondering which brand of the Alabama Rig they should buy. There are dozens on the market and new types are being manufactured daily. A lot of fishermen prefer the three-branch rig over the five-branch setup. In fact, some fishermen are making their own. Several fishermen said they like the two-branch rig. One suggestion is to use a striped bass trolling spreader and modify it by attaching two swivels. The wire in the spreaders is the same type that is used in making spinnerbaits. Instead of attaching the expensive swimbaits you can use Flukes or curly-tailed grubs. In fact, you can even use small crankbaits. In other words, let your imagination guide you.
As expected, the fishermen using live minnows are having the most success. An average day using minnows should produce 3-5 bass. The best action has been in the deeper water in the south end of the lake. Areas such as Konocti Bay, Jago Point and the rockpiles around Rattlesnake Island have been fair to good for the minnow dunkers. Bass are also being caught along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline. In the Lakeport area, the best action has been in the deeper water off Rocky Point and the rock ledge near the Pit Stop.
There are no bass tournaments scheduled for the weekend although there are several club tournaments scheduled. The catfish action remains vey good with most of the catfishermen catching up to 7-8 fish a day. The crappie action has been very slow. The other good news is massive amount of baitfish being seen. The last few days has seen the baitfish balled up on the Fifth Street ramp in Lakeport. The pelicans have been schooling up and chasing the baitfish right up on the ramp. This is an excellent chance to take the youngsters sightseeing. The pelicans are schooling all along the shoreline. In addition, there are scores of other waterfowl feeding on the minnows.
Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked with trout next week. The trout action has been good to date. Shore anglers have been catching most of the trout.
December is the ideal month to go hiking in the woods. The Mendocino Nation Forest has hundreds of excellent hiking trails and is a safe place to plan a hiking trip.
