Clear Lake Conditions

Water level today is documented at 3.08 feet Rumsey. Last year on this date it was 4.63. Dam releases are 93 c.f.s.

Water clarity is absolutely the pits in most of the Redbud and Rattlesnake arm with a distinct line of color that runs completely across the lake, one side looking pretty good and the other looking like pea soup. There are some areas on the north end of the lake that we can still see bottom at about 9 feet. The algae blooms have finally made their appearances in Horseshoe Bay.

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).

The summer like weather of the past few days has kicked the water temperature up in to the high 70's and even low 80's.

Weed growth is very unusual this July. In many areas the weeds already appear to be dying back. This month last year, weed beds had topped out and navigation was extremely tough to get to the bank in many areas.

Activity This Month

According to the permit list, there are only two tournaments this month. They are both team tournaments and are scheduled for the 18th and 19th. Through the summer, tournaments are limited to 6 hour maximums.

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.

June Fishing Recap

The good news is that fishing this past month bumped up a little number wise to about 10 to 15 fish per person. The average fish was still running around 2.25 to 2.5 pounds. Fishing pressure was relatively light, especially during the week.

The early part of June was pretty good for sight fishing though the cooler than normal temperatures brought wind, which makes it hard to see. While the sight fishing was good during a couple of trips, it faded pretty fast as the areas where the fish were available were small.

Senkos, jigs, flukes, drop shot worms, and flick shake worms accounted for a lot of fish. June's numbers reflect the low numbers of better fish being found around the lake this year. The numbers for June include 4-four pounders and 1-five pounder.

July Fishing

The big thing I am looking for this month is the top water action starting to pick up. Spawning has just about finished with the exception of a few stragglers. All of those fish that have been protecting the nests, have moved to protecting the fry and then will move to eating the fry. This opens the opportunity for consistent action on top.

Secondly, we will be looking for a crank bait bite this month, primarily in the deeper mid lake section on the rock banks and some of the deeper docks.

Finally, the frog bite should start being a little more consistent on the mats that are along the tules and off shore.

Mercury Follow-Up

As a follow-up to the overview I provided in last month's newsletter, here is the article from the Lake County Record Bee, written by staff writer Tiffany Revelle.

"A 15 year study of the mercury levels in Clear Lake and the effects on the lake's ecosystem made its official debut Tuesday.

The University of California, Davis study, titled "Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation" in Clear Lake, appeared in Ecological Applications, a publication of the ecological Society of America. United States Geological Survey Lead Scientist Tom Suchanek, who co-authored the study, presented it to the Lake County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning, and then held a reception at the Lake County Museum.

The study began in 1992. It details mercury levels in Clear Lake during a 3,000 year period and compares them to levels surrounding mercury mining at the Sulfur Bank Mine. Suchanek said it was the first study of the effects of a mercury mine on a lake and its ecosystem, specifically having to do with the production of methylmercury.

Suchanek said methylmercury, as opposed to elemental mercury, is dangerous to humans and animals, and accumulates in the muscle tissues of fish.

"In comparison with all sites around the world and with lakes all over the world, Clear Lake, even though it has higher concentrations of mercury in the water - total mercury in the water - the methylmercury is much lower," Suchanek.

Methylmercury is produced when elemental mercury interacts with bacteria in the lake's sediment. Suchanek said one of the reasons there is less of the toxic material in Clear Lake is that the mercury that leeches into Clear Lake from the mine is bonded with sulfur, making it difficult for bacteria to break down.

Other reasons include Clear Lake's shallowness and resulting warmth, according to Suchanek. He said methylmercury production is prolific in cold, low-oxygen layers that form at the bottoms of lakes that are 50 feet deep or more.

"During the time that we were working, there were some indications that people wanted to dredge the lake to make it a better habitat for trout or other kinds of fish. We believe that would be a real mistake," Suchanek said.

Methylmercury accumulates in plankton, insects, and fish, and (is) becomes more concentrated the higher it gets in the food chain. Suchanek said the highest accumulations were found in largemouth bass, which are at the top of the lake's food chain, found in the Clearlake Oakes arm of the lake."

The study can be downloaded free of charge at www.esajournals.org/toc/ecap/18/sp8.

Special Wacky Hook

I have been looking for a better, more consistent hook for wacky rigging the senko and think I have found one. While I have experienced pretty good success with the Gamakatsu finesse weedless hook, the hook up to bite ratio still was not as high as I feel it should be.

Falcon makes a specialty hook called the K Wacky that is built along the line of a Kahle design that incorporates a wire weed guard. Good things about this design include a larger gap, the wire weed guard is durable, it is a strong hook, and it comes in a red version. It comes in a number of sizes and also some of the versions are available with a weight built into the hook to sink a bait faster. So far this season, I am getting what I want which is an increased hook up percentage.

If you wacky rig a senko very much you might want to check out this hook.

Tis the Season

Frogs, grass, and bass...mmmmmm good cracker!

Tungsten Sinker Advantage

We are all watching our pennies, or dollars that are becoming pennies. Here is a little technical tip that you should consider if you have avoided the high dollar tungsten sinker. Tungsten weights are extremely hard, and since most are painted, they are also pretty slick. Tungsten is also a very dense material which means of two weights that weigh the same, one lead and one tungsten, the tungsten is much smaller in size.

The advantage that this gives you is when fishing a worm weight through a rocky area you will be surprised at how well it comes through the rock. They hang up less than lead, wedge less than lead, and seem to pop free easier than lead. The feel of the bottom is outstanding with the tungsten weight too. Bottom line, they may not be as expensive in the long run due to losing them much less frequently than the lead versions. Obviously, each time you lose a lead sinker, you lose a hook and a bait so the true cost difference between the two materials is not just in comparing the weights themselves.

This picture shows the Tru Tungsten on the left, xcalibur in the middle, and standard lead on the right, all in 3/8 ounce size. The Tru Tungsten version is almost half the size of the lead one. Also notice the different shape of the Tru Tungsten weight, I can tell you it flat comes through rock.

July Dates

Dates are still available for July so check out the calendar on the web page or drop me a line or give me a call to get out on the water.

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. During the past month, citations were issued by the sherriff's boat patrol and the fine runs a little over $100. All of the tackle shops around the lake will take care of the inspection and the sticker is $10.

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!

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Kelseyville, CA 95451
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