Clear Lake Conditions

Water level today is documented at 3.75 feet Rumsey. Last year on this date it was 5.6 feet. Yolo County has begun to pull out the approximate ¾ of a foot of water that it can. Dam releases have been increased from a consistent 50 cubic feet per second to 350 cubic feet per second. As a reminder, you can check out lake level and dam releases shown on an hourly graph with the links available on our web site (clearlakeguideservice.com).

Water clarity is still very good around most of the lake ranging from 10 to 11 feet in some areas to 4 to 5 feet as an average around the lake to as little as a couple of feet in some locations. I have to say though that there is a definite green line that runs across the lake below Monitor Point that has me turned off to fishing in that area.

Water temperature this afternoon was 74 in the center of the Western Basin. The weather this week may knock a few degrees off of that as not much sun is predicted and the evenings have cooled a bit. It was reported to me that one angler found 80 degree water in Rodman this week (a pretty reliable source, Mr. Dee Thomas).

Weeds are beginning to top out at the surface in some areas. We have seen the return of the Sago grass that makes such nice little mats in the tules and the weeds are close to hitting the surface in many areas around the lake.

Activity This Month

Tournament activity during the month of June kicks off with an Angler’s Choice Pro/Am out of Konocti Vista Casino…look for 90+ boats in this event. Official practice days are this Thursday and Friday preceding the Saturday (6th) and Sunday (7th) competition days. The following weekend is scheduled for Won Bass to hold a two day event that is a big bass competition if it still holds. It is unknown at this time how many boats that event might field.

The 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th all have permits for team tournament events that should have fields in the mid 30 boats to mid 40 boats. One thing is certain, this poor lake never gets a break.

As always, if you are planning a trip to Clear Lake and don’t know if your dates are going to be shared with a competitive event, drop me a line and I will let you know what I see listed on the calendar maintained by DFG. Just another service we offer.

May Fishing Recap

The results of May were disappointing with respect to big fish, a 5 pounder was a good one and they were few and far between. Towards the end of the month we have been able to take advantage of sight fishing and while not producing size we are definitely bumping up the quantity.

The last 5 trips we have been in the 24 to 34 fish range. Most of the fish are two and a half pounders with a hand full of 3 pounders, maybe a 4 or two and on a good day, a 5. On the days when the conditions were good and water clarity remained high, we produced our better results. A big part of those improved results came from being able to concentrate on areas where we could see fish. On the windy days, the numbers take a bit of a dip but we are still catching fish. The average fish is still running right at 3 pounds.

The totals for May include a small percentage of live bait trips and most were artificials trips. The numbers for May include 8-four pounders and 3-five pounders.

June Fishing

The spawn is underway and has been for several weeks, actually since the middle of April. It will continue through this month and well into next month, July. One key to being successful in June is fishing around spawning fish.

This is a month when the Senko really comes into its own. Whether fished Texas rigged, wacky rigged, or drop shotted, this bait will pad your numbers during the month of June. There are and will be quite a few fish stationed in and around isolated groups of weeds where you can find them. The Senko is appealing to post spawn fish as it presents an easy target for fish to track down and hit. Best colors are watermelons and green pumpkins, although PBJ and baby bass work well too.

We should start to see a more consistent reaction bite on top. Frogs, spooks, buzz baits, and Ricos will start to produce on fish that have completed their individual spawning routines and now are turning their attention to feeding. Add to that mix the wake bait family of MS Slammers and Wakebait Jr. and soon you will be able to make a day of top water action.

June also signals a time of mid to deep diving crankbait action. Craw, bass, and bluegill patterns can produce some good action around docks and steeper areas of rock.

Best bet is probably the 5 inch Senko for consistent action.

The Art of Seeing Bass

The following is an excerpt from my Guide Perspective column for BassWest Magazine. After years of pointing to fish and trying to get clients to see them I have come to the following conclusions.

1. All sunglasses are not created equally, get away from the cheap ones and invest in a good, major brand pair (Ocean Waves, Costa del Mar, Eye Surrender to name a few) with polarization and all the UV spectrum protection. Your eyes will appreciate the comfort daily and you will avoid the long-term damage to which we anglers expose our precious vision.

2. If I can get you to believe you need a better pair of glasses, here comes the real sale point, you actually need two pair. I use three different lens color combinations because I have found that one color is not always the best due to differing light conditions. When my partner and I are looking for fish we will wear two different lens colors as experience has shown to us at times, one works better than the other.

3. Looking for bass is relatively easy when they are suspended under a dock or lazily cruising just under the surface. The game changes when you are peering into 4 to 10 feet of water or cover. Sometimes you will see the whole fish (bonus), sometimes a part of the fish is moving, or maybe just the shadow of the fish on the bottom. Last but not least is you may just see a dark spot or a light spot, not a fish, but a spot on the bottom that is a different color than the rest of the bottom. You will be surprised by how many times a cast to a spot produces a fish that you did not see. sunglasses

Good sunglasses are not cheap but in reality, what is your vision worth to you? Once we get beyond the UVA, UVB, and quality of polarization, many days on the water have shown me that all glasses are not created equal. If you really want to improve your ability to see fish underwater, get a good pair of shades.

Mercury Update

The results of a several year research project on Mercury in the lake were recently summarized in the local paper, the Record Bee. The short on layman explanation is that yes, Clear Lake has naturally occurring Mercury in the lake and food chain. The Mercury that is here though is bonded with sulphur. How Mercury gets into the food chain is by settling into the lake sediment and a small micro organism or bacteria breaks it down and this is the first step into entering the food chain. The study suggests that when bonded with sulphur, it is less likely to be broken down successfully by the little critters which means the bulk of the Mercury remains in the lake sediment.

You cannot jump to the conclusion that the fish in Clear Lake have gotten a clean bill of health, they have not. The results of the survey simply suggest that the bulk of the Mercury remains on the bottom and will so for a long, long, time.

The Bass and It’s Aggressive Nature

Take note of this picture sent in by our buddy David Kemp. What was this bass thinking? Thank goodness they don’t get to 50 pounds! little fish

June Dates

At the time of this writing, I do have some Tuesdays and Thursdays available in June, just not that many.

Quagga Reminder

Just a friendly reminder that when you make your first trip to the lake this year with your own boat, make the time to get it inspected and put your 2009 sticker on your hull. Citations have been were issued by officials patrolling the lake and the fine runs a little over $400. All of the tackle shops around the lake will take care of the inspection and the sticker is $10.

The Bass Class

It looks like we are going to get our September Bass Class off the ground, which is really exciting for us. To find more information on this special event check out the tab on our web page at clearlakeguideservice.com. I am really jacked up to get this one running as I have planned a ton of information and skill sessions to provide a value for the price. Check it out and get signed up soon as September’s date looks to be almost full.

A Real Reading on the Front Depthfinder

This pic was sent in to us from a good friend and successful tournament angler Tommy Cardoza. When you see this, you are on fish! Location not to be disclosed but you can tell by the water temperature that it was not last month.

depth finder

Gift Certificates

Just a reminder that we do offer gift certificates that can be for a complete trip or can be used against the price of a complete trip. If you are interested, just drop us a line or give me a call.

Closing

Thank you for your continued interest and support of Clear Lake Guide Service! Our business continues to grow with the help of you and your spreading the word and my wife Deb and I both thank you. Good fishing and keep a tight line.

Miss an Issue of the Clear Lake Report?

We have archived all of our past Clear Lake Report Issues on our Clear Lake Fishing Guide Service website! Go to our Clear Lake Fishing Report Index!

There is a lot of useful information available on the Clear Lake Website. Even insights into the best times to fish the lake and other fishing tips. Local lodging, weather, and even lake level reporting is available through the links we have set up.

Good fishing, and I look forward to seeing you soon!