In This Issue:
Clear Lake Conditions
Activity This Month
January Fishing Recap
February Fishing
BASS Elite Ride Alongs
Spring Booking Dates
Quagga Reminder
Volume 4, Issue 2
February, 2010

February Special!

Each Wednesday in February two anglers for the price of one, a savings of $100.

Only fish as a single?  How about a savings of $50!  That is a 6 hour trip for just $250!  Let’s get you hooked up right now!  This offer is good on trips booked by February 2, 2010, 6 p.m.

Bass Fishing

Clear Lake Conditions

Hallelujah!!  We have been getting some real solid rain this past week or so and the lake is on the rise!  During the past week we have seen two days that the lake level came up a full half foot a day.  It has been steadily rising at the rate of about a quarter foot a day.  On the 19th of January the lake level was 1.2 feet Rumsey, it is at 3.83 today and will be over 4 feet Rumsey by the time you read this.  That is almost two and half feet higher than last year, whoa…finally get to post a number that is higher than last year!  Dam releases have been pretty steady over the past week at 5 to 6 CFS (Cubic Feet per Second), although last night there was a short term release of almost 500 CFS.  As a reminder, you can check out current lake level and dam releases shown on an hourly graph with the links available on our web site (clearlakeguideservice.com).

Water clarity is typical for a period of storms, stained muddy around the major in flows such as Rodman, Lakeport, Nice, Kelsey Creek, and the area around Redbud.  Clarity is pretty good in the mid lake area.

The water temperature is still running in the mid to high 40’s.  This is a bit of a drop from the prestorm temperatures that had slowly worked back up to almost 50.
 
While Clear Lake does not have the debris volume as most or our reservoirs, boaters should still be aware because I can assure you that I have seen stuff floating past the house here on Kelsey Creek that I would not want to hit with the boat.

Bass Fishing

Activity This Month

Welcome to the new year of tournament activity.  The easiest way for me to do this section is to say that according to the DFG list of permits we review, tournament activity is scheduled for every Saturday and Sunday during the month of February.  If you are looking ahead to March, it is the same with activity scheduled for every weekend day of the month.  Weekdays are looking real good.
 
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.

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January Fishing Recap

Not much to report.  Most anglers had a tough time finding and staying on fish.  The little time we spent on the water we were able to put together pretty decent days.  Without working too hard we caught between 10 and 12 fish that averaged 3 pounds each day we fished.  As many of you know, when the conditions present tough fishing we go to plastics.  Most fish were caught on a shakey head worm in 12 to 15 feet of water in the mid section of the lake.  The fish weren’t really sitting on anything in particular, just using that depth.

Our other method of finding some fish was using a selection of smaller rip baits.  Staysee 65 and pointers in the same size range caught fish when we covered a lot of water.
bass fishing clear lake, California

February Fishing

This month’s tactics are totally predicated on the weather.  In between storms, look for clear water, during storms work on your tackle and get ready for March.  Seriously, this month can produce some of the bigger fish of the year under the right conditions.  Those conditions are usually present during the second half of the month as the days get longer, the water is rising, and the fish really start the annual process of preparing for the spawn.

In a normal year, the rip bait becomes the tool of choice in the low to mid 50 degree water temperature.  It will not only produce numbers on the right day, it can produce quality.  Think of the places you know fish are going to use for spawning and start your search on the outside deeper edge for some of the first fish to show up and potentially some of the best fish that will show up early.

This month can also provide some quality fish for the angler who doesn’t search for numbers.  On the right days, the swim bait has produced some monster fish here this month.  The good news about February is that the weather is still not good enough for the crowds that will swarm the lake in March so you have a real good chance of working the prime swim bait areas of the lake without being the 13th boat to stop on a spot that day.  Don’t know those areas?  We do, book a day and learn.

This will be a weird year as there will be much less submerged tule lines for some of these early fish to move up on.  These areas are good targets for a jig fished slowly, picked through the stubble.

Finally, it is a good month to prospect some of the in flow areas with a spinnerbait or chatterbait.  This is especially true when the in flow has slowed and begun to clear.

 

8 lb bass



A nice early season 8 pound fish

that fell for a swim bait.  There are still a few of these left in the lake just waiting for someone to come play.  This was one of those days when the numbers were low but the quality was good, a possibility in February.  Also, note the crowds in the background!




…from the Feb 2009 newsletter

….each spot I pulled up to fish I fished shallow first then turned around and fired out deep second and that second pass produced all of the fish.

The lesson is when you are not getting bit in an area you know fish are using, don’t just pick another lure or color of lure, change the direction or your presentation with the lure you already selected.

bass fishing clear lake, California

BASS Elite Ride Alongs

The Saturday and Sunday ride alongs for the Elites series Clear Lake event in March are already taken.  I still have the Thursday (March 18) and Friday (March 19) ride alongs available.  The good news about the Thursday and Friday dates is that they are full field days.  Reese, Van Dam, Klein, Biffle, Ike, Monroe, Swindle, you know the names, they are going to be here pounding it out.  We still have space available for a day of following the stars of the sport with me as your boat driver.  Lunch will be provided for up to two riders per day so hurry up and call me or email me to get the rest of the details and to secure your spot.

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Spring Booking Dates

Last year we booked almost all of the dates in March and April that we wanted.  A number of you have called or emailed me asking for dates in March or April.  As of today, there is only one weekend date in March that is not booked.  Any one interested in fishing in March and/or April should firm up plans soon.  I can tell you that I have at least a dozen people researching and attempting to firm up dates on their end who have not yet confirmed with me.  The easiest way to see if a date is available is via the booking calendar on the web site.  Thanks to all of you who have already set up your trips, I appreciate it.

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Quagga Reminder

The newly revised inspection program is now in place.  The changes only impact boaters who have a boat registered outside of Lake County.  Out of county boaters now must have their boat inspected monthly.  Each month upon a successful inspection, the boat owner will be issued a set of colored ribbons, one goes on the boat and the other on the trailer.  The paperwork is the same and the same places are handling the process.  The fee is $10.  What this means is those of you bringing a boat here on a regular basis from outside the area are now required to follow through with the inspection process on your first trip of each new month, and pay the $10 fee, each inspection.  Each month the color of the ribbons will change.

A lot has been said about the inspection process but here it is in a nutshell.  Show up for inspection with the bilge plug out, the bilge dry, the live wells dry, the ice chest dry and the inspection is a breeze.  It is not meant to be difficult because you are signing a declaration that says you have not had your boat in an infected body of water.  One angler told me that he keeps a towel in each inspection area so the inspector can tell by the dry towel that the area is good to go.
 
If you want to make sure you are not “carrying” in your boat, keep a gallon of bleach around and dump a cup full into your bilge and live wells.  Also put a light solution of bleach in a standard garden sprayer and spray the parts of your boat trailer that get wet when launching your boat.

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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.

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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.

bass fishing clear lake, California

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!

Bass Fishing 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!

bass fishing clear lake, California
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5020 Steelhead Drive,
Kelseyville, CA 95451
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