In This Issue:
Activity This Month
December Fishing Recap
January Fishing
Fish of the Month
January Dates
Gift Certificates
New for 2009
Volume 3, Issue 1
January, 2009

Clear Lake Conditions

Water level today is documented at 1.1 feet Rumsey, virtually unchanged from this time last month.  We have experienced some nasty weather including a few shots of snow but it has not translated into any lake rise.  Dam releases are negligible.

The water temperature has really dropped since last month.  Low 40’s are the norm right now.  Usually, this time of year we see a 4 to 5 degree difference between the upper end and lower end of the lake but that is not the case right now.  There have been a number of mornings in the mid 20’s with some hard frosts, you know, the kind where it is hard to get the door of the truck open in the morning.
 
Water clarity during the past month is good, especially considering that by now we have seen enough rain to stain the water on the North end fairly well.  Most of the areas we have been fishing are still showing between two and four feet of clarity.
 
Weeds are pretty much gone from the water surface around the lake.  The weed beds are really thinning out underwater.
 

Bass Fishing

Activity This Month

Tournament activity will begin to resume this month.  We will see some club tournaments and a few organized events.

There is a total of two permits current for the month of January.  Both are sanctioned team tournaments taking place on the 4th and 18th.  These events will have fields of 25 to 40, not a big deal.   

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.

Bass Fishing

December Fishing Recap

December presented some great live bait fishing and some fair fishing with artificials.  It was the busiest December I have had so far thanks to those of you who took advantage of the hot bite updates.  As in the month of November, we were pretty much the only ones fishing in the area we wanted to fish.
 
Obviously, the numbers are low due to the lower number of days on the water but none the less, we had some good fish this past month.  The numbers for December include 14-four pounders, 6-five pounders, 1-six pounder,  and 2-seven pounders.

For the year of 2008,  we boated 158-four pounders, 84-five pounders, 29-six pounders, 16- seven pounders, 11-eight pounders, 6-nine pounders, 4-ten pounders, and one eleven pounder.  How does that match up to your numbers?  Hopefully you are counting.

The majority of the count fish in December came on live bait, though we did get several count fish on swim baits and rattle baits.
 
During early December the live bait bite was very, very good.  I think we made some converts to December fishing for next year.

bass fishing clear lake, California

January Fishing

The bad thing about our current water temperature is that the threadfin shad just cannot tolerate water temperature under 43 degrees.  The gains we saw late in the year for the shad probably took another hit over the past week.  The other part of water temperature this cold is that the bass are slow to respond.  Having said that, we still look for a rip bait bite to get going here at some point and I expect the live bait bite to hold up, maybe not the 50 fish days but 15 to 25 fish days are definitely doable.
 
Traditionally, most anglers move to the lower ends of the lake during the winter looking for warmer water, clearer water, and deeper water.  I too will spend some time down there but I spend a lot of time on the upper end of the lake too.  There are always bass in shallow water and we can catch them even if it sometimes is harder than we might think it should be.

The cold water and air temperature of January dictate a slower approach to fishing.  While it seems a little bit of a contradiction, the key to being successful during the winter is learning how to fish slowly, fast.  A slow retrieve is what it takes during cold water times but you need to keep moving looking for an active patch of fish because somewhere, there is one.

Shaky head worms, drop shot worms, and hopefully a rip bait or two will do the trick right now.

bass fishing clear lake, California

Fish of the Month

 

bass fish

Jim Burrow from Blythe, CA shows off a 6 caught on live bait.  He and his buddy Rory responded to the Hot Bite Report and had two pretty good days of fishing and as you can see in the background…the weather wasn’t too bad either.

7 lb bass fish

Rory Watkins from Blythe, CA shows off their best fish of the trip, a beautiful 7+ pounder.

bass fishing clear lake, California

January Dates

Anyone interested in fishing this month just give me a call and let’s get you on the water. 

bass fishing clear lake, California

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.

 
bass fishing clear lake, California

New for 2009

Again, I am pleased to announce the creation of our first special event.  The creation of a class that provides some basic information has been a thought for quite some time.  The first offering is designed to deliver a ton of basic information about bass, the equipment, and the chase.  The delivery will be a combination of stand up presentation, hands on practice on the dock, and a short session on the water.  The class size will be small, a maximum of 8 and the two instructors will be myself and my partner Jim Dowdy.

All attendees will come away with a better understanding of how to set up and use your equipment, the secret of finding bass, and tips that most tournament fishermen don’t want you to know.  I promise that you will be a better bass angler after attending this event.

The first events have been scheduled for the following four weekends:  March 28 & 29, 2009, May 16 & 17, 2009, September 26 & 27, 2009, and November 7 & 8, 2009. All of these events will take place at the Ferndale Resort, on the lake in Kelseyville.  The events are delivered over the course of two days between the hours of 8 and 5.  We will have lots of surprises for those who attend.  Price of the March and November events per person is $500 class only, or $650 including two nights lodging.  Price of the May and September events per person is $500 class only, or $800 including two nights lodging.

The folks who own and operate the Ferndale Resort have been very helpful and are a very fisherman friendly bunch.  As we explained to them what we wanted to do, they were excited and willing to let us use all of their facility.

I am excited to offer these events and looking forward to setting up more in the future.  Remember, you will go away from this event a better angler and we have kept the class small to accommodate all of the questions that will come up.  Sign up quickly as you are getting the first opportunity for being a newsletter subscriber.  Don’t be afraid to share this new with anyone you know who may want to learn more about our favorite sport.  I anticipate these dates filling quickly as dads and sons and fishing partners will be taking spaces two at a time.  The deadline for sign ups with a room is 30 days prior to the event.  For more information, email me.  Thanks to those of you who have already signed up!

Check out the classes on the Website.

bass fishing clear lake, California

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.  This month, look for some changes and updates of our web site as well as some new services that will be available the first of the year.  Good fishing and keep a tight line.   Happy New Year!

 

two bass fish

big bass fish

Wow bass fish

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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Clear Lake Guide Service
5020 Steelhead Drive
Kelseyville, CA 95451
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