Clear Lake Conditions

Lake level stands today at 4.3 Rumsey, down almost 2 feet from last month as water continues to be pulled. Last year on this date the lake was measured at 2.3 and the historical average for the date is 3.9. Dam releases have been running around 700 CFS (Cubic Feet per Second) as Yolo Country pulls more of its allotment for irrigation. At this volume of pull it takes about a week to pull half a foot of water out of the lake. 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).

Not much of a change in water clarity, pretty much like last year at this time. In the center of the lake the water remains pretty clear. Around the shoreline on the upper end of the lake it remains clear until you hit the outside weed line where in many areas it stains up from carp activity. As you move through the weedline to the shoreline, some areas are very clear and others not so clear. Some areas of the lake are really covered with algae, others not so bad, and both the not so bad areas and bad areas are subject to movement by wind. Surface temperature is pretty much in the mid 80‘s at this point.

Weed growth is substantial and appears worse in some areas due to the falling water. Overall the weed growth seems to be about the same as last year.

Activity This Month

Tournament activity steps up a notch this month from last month. According to the event calendar the 12th and 13th, 14th, 15th, 27th-28th-29th are dates of tournaments. The California Bass Championship final is being held on the 12th and 13th. Their field is set at 40 boats and it will have a field of very talented anglers. The 13th and 14th are slotted for Anglers Choice team events that will have small fields of 25 to 30 boats. Finally, the biggest mess of the month is being put on by Angler’s Choice on the 27th, 28th, and 29th. It is being called the USAC Bass West USA Open. It is unknown who big of a field it will attract as this is the inaugural event at a $1,500 entry fee per pro. I am guessing 50 boats max but don’t really know. The event has one official practice day the 26th, the 27th is a morning event, the 28th is an afternoon event, and the 29th is a morning event again. Locations for these tournaments still appear to be up in the air at this time. Of course, there are always other tournaments going on that don’t show up as it seems there are almost always two to four clubs here on any given weekend. We are also at that point of the year where all tournaments are limited to a 6 hour day.

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.

July Fishing Recap

July was an absolute struggle. An average day saw 6 or 7 fish caught...and anglers worked hard to catch those fish. We actually did better than many of the anglers we ran into on the water who were reporting 1 or 2 bites for up to 3 days of fishing. On one day though, I did run into one or our clients and buddies Doc on the water and he had managed a dozen fish that day, he was on fire!

Most of the fish we caught were on drop shot worms, shakey head worms, and a few top water fish in the mix. Our catches came from 4 feet of water out to 25 feet of water depending on the day. The good news is that there were only a few trips when we didn’t have a 5 pound plus fish.

The biggest struggle for the month was that we could not get on a consistent topwater bite. The fish we did catch on top came on a frog, Rico, or spook and the most we had in one day was 3.

Regarding our fish count, we caught 6 four pounders, 4 five pounders, and 2 six pounders (last year for the month it was 6 four pounders and 3 five pounders). This year we continue to see more fish of better size each month even with the overall fish count down.

August Prediction

This coming month is hard to envision results. Each month this year has been different from not only the month prior but in comparison to 2009. One thing is very apparent this year, we are not going to be catching the numbers we have in the past. The lake is fishing very small right now, meaning that if there is a little patch of fish somewhere, others have found them and are fishing them too.

The best that I can offer is a strategy for this month and here it is. Based on our numbers this year it is clear that we are on to many more 5 and 6 pound fish than last year, which is a positive. My goal for this month is to trade the number of bites for the size. Our strategy is going to be to throw baits that increase our odds of attracting a larger fish even though the trade off will be fewer bites. What the heck, even if you are fishing for the numbers you are getting fewer bites anyway so why not?

How do you target those bites? Topwater baits, crank baits, and probably a jig.

Lessons from this Year

Being on the water as much as I am I run into a lot of anglers obviously. One of the most common stories on the water starts with...”man, what is going on? We were here last year and the bite was off the hook! We were catching ___ fish a day and this year we can’t get bite!?”

Firstly, one man’s version of “whacking them” and another’s version are usually quite different. I have run into anglers this year who are having a “whackfest” and after you drill down a bit through some questions you find out they have caught 5 or 6 fish, that is not a “whackfest” to me. Terms and phrases I have heard this year include “finally got on them”, “getting a lot of bites”, “tore them up”. I have spoken with very few over the past several months who can put some objective numbers out for consideration.

Secondly, let’s start out by being honest. Your having a good day may have a different definition than my having a good day. That is o.k., in fact, regardless of how others are doing if you are having a good day then enjoy it! If you aren’t though, quit doing what you are doing, quit fishing last year’s stuff, and quit fishing how you did last time you were here if it isn’t working, that is called nostalgia fishing and when bites turn tough it can ruin your day.

There are areas of the lake that I have not fished in three years and they are spots that we have won a lot of money on! The fish were there then and they aren’t now and I don’t know when and if they will ever come back to those spots. I will check them when I think the time is right but it usually takes 15 minutes to check one and I will check them at the expense of an hour over a day on my own, not a whole day.

This lake is not an easy lake to fish and it never has been. Yes, there was a time when the fish population was so extensive that you could catch fish almost any where and almost any way and every competitive angler went through multiple limits of fish as they culled through the day, but the number of years that has happened against the number of years that it didn’t is very small. I remember all to well the years when only a handful of anglers caught a limit of fish to have an opportunity to cull.

The best advice I can give you is to stop and think when your bite isn’t there. Where might those fish have moved to if they did move? If they won’t hit a __, what might be a better choice. Once in a while it might be a color change but more often than not it is a bait type change. If you are not getting any bites, then cover more water until you do get bit and then slow down to try to get a couple of extra bites out of the area. If you have been fishing docks unsuccessfully then move to rocks. If you have been fishing tules without any action then move out to the weeds. The absolute worst thing that can happen is you don’t get bit when you move either, but at least you have put some thought into your day.

Availability in August

August still has some prime dates available so pick up the phone or drop me an email, or just book a date on-line. 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.

We are going to be working on our kayak bass fishing skills which right now is learning the ins and outs of staying on top of a sit on top kayak. It was easier than I thought. Once we get a better feel for the game we plan on offering trips to Pillsbury and Indian Valley as another option. We will keep you posted.

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.

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!