fishermen need to be patient Clear Lake
Fog and cold weather played havoc with the bass fishermen at Clear Lake for most of the week. The good news is the weather cleared on Thursday and a few fishermen got out on the lake.
Despite the cold conditions, a few fishermen have been catching bass. Gary Hill of Kelseyville is managing to catch three or four bass per outing by using minnows and fishing near the State Park. Fred Williams, also of Kelseyville, has been boating a few bass by using nightcrawlers and fishing near Shag Rock. Both anglers said the fish are biting very softly and you have to allow them to chew on the bait for a few seconds before setting the hook.
The water temperatures has been a chilly 44 degrees in the mornings and only rising to 46 degrees by late afternoon. The lake level continues to slowly rise. As of Thursday morning the lake level was 5.38 feet on the Rumsey Gauge, which is way above normal. The result is that most of the tules are flooded and there is plenty of water around the docks.
There is no question that winter bass fishing can be a challenge. When the water temperature dips down into the 45-degree range, the bass become very lethargic and you have to be extremely patient to get a bite.
R.C. Stephens of Clearlake Oaks is considered one of the better fishermen on the lake. He recently purchased an underwater camera and the footage hasastounded even him. He said he has been seeing a lot of large bass in some areas, but they just won't bite. In one instance he actually
dragged a plastic worm right over the back of a large bass and it didn't even move. Other times the bass will actually come up and nose the camera. He watched it all on his monitor. Most tournament circuits don't allow the use of an underwater camera during the actual tournament but they can be used while prefishing. An underwater camera system can be purchased for about $150.
Look for fishing pressure to increase this weekend as the first of the year's bass tournaments get under way. The Clear Lake Bassmasters hold a club tournament Saturday and the weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. at the Lakeside County Park. On Sunday, American Bass will hold its first team tournament of the year on the lake. Sign-ups take place at Tackle It tackle Shop in Lakeport starting at 5 a.m. and the weigh-in begins 3 p.m. at Konocti Vista Casino.
The results of the tournaments should be a good indicator on how good, or poor, the fishing is.
Early sign-ups for the Holder Ford-Mercury tournament begin at 8 a.m. on Jan. 15 at the Holder Ford Dealership in Lakeport. The tournament is co-sponsored by Konocti Vista Casino. The tournament is scheduled for March 12-13 and the blast-off order for the first day of the tournament will be in the order the fishermen sign up. Only one member of the team needs to bring in the completed entry form.
Sign-ups for the first Konocti Vista Casino team bass tournament also start Jan. 15 at the casino. The tournament is scheduled for April 16-17 and the field is limited to 100 teams. The entry fee is $160 per team and includes big-fish money each day.
The cold weather has also slowed the catfish action. There is an occasional catfish being caught by the guides using live jumbo minnows and the action should improve as we go into the late winter months. There is no crappie action whatsoever. Last fall there were plenty of juvenile crappie seen in the shallow water and most of those should survive the winter. That means by next summer many of them will be large enough to keep.
Upper Blue Lake hasn't been stocked with trout for a couple of weeks and the fishing has slowed to a standstill. The cold weather also has kept the fishermen off this lake.
The recent snow in the mountains in the Mendocino National Forest has drawn a few people out to not only see the snow but also for skiing and sledding. Don't go up in the mountains without leaving a detailed plan on where you are going and when you plan on returning. Leave the information with a close friend or relative. Also carry some food and plenty of warm clothing. It's easy to get stuck in the snow and if no one knows where you are it can be fatal. Every winter people have to be rescued from the mountains.
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