Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 29 1999 This is a very short report since there is so little to report. The weather warmed up a little but the wind changed to a westerly direction and kept blowing until Sunday morning. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake (707-995-9668) gave a summary of the West Coast Bass Pro-Am Tournament held out of Konocti Harbor Resort this weekend. The winning weight was a little over 48 pounds for 10 fish. The big fish for the tournament was a 11 pound 11 ouncer. The pros had a tough time on Saturday with the heavy winds making the south end of the lake practically unfishable. Al reports jumbo minnows are still the way to go if you want to be assured of getting some bass action. Catfish anglers fishing minnows in Cache Creek are catching a lot more bass than catfish.   Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 26 1999 It's the same old story with heavy rain and wind making for tough conditions. The weather improved yesterday and it's sunny and breezy this morning. The prediction for the weekend is for sunny and warming temperatures. This should improve the bite tremendously. The West Coast Bass Pro Am Tournament is being held this weekend out of Konocti Harbor Resort. The pros should do really well with the improving weather. Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707-998-1006) says his regulars are having a tough time finding quality fish. Bob rates the fishing in his area as fair using plastics and jigs around docks and flooded brush. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle confirms the tough bite. Al reports crankbaits are still the top producers in the Clearlake arm. Live jumbo minnows are still accounting for a few quality fish. I have been catching a lot of small bass from 1 to 2 pounds on 4 inch black/blue grubs and brown Hula Grubs fishing docks and brush in Nice. A 10 pound bass was taken by a camper in Holiday Harbor RV Park in Nice at the mouth of the channel across from my house with a live crawdad.   Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 19 1999 Overall, the bass fishing has toughened up quite a bit due to the continuing unstable weather. Tuesday and Wednesday produced decent weather and fair fishing, especially in the north end of the lake. The strong south/southeast winds returned Wednesday evening and are still with us at this writing. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake (707-995-9668) reports tough fishing for lure tossers. A lot of boats are pre-fishing for this weekend's Chamber of Commerce Team Tournament and therefore are not talking. The majority of fish that have been reported are hitting crankbaits. Al says the live minnow bite is still pretty decent if you put in the time to locate the fish. Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee reports good fishing in the north end of the lake when the south wind isn't blowing. Most of the fish are hitting plastics and blades in flooded brush and tight to seawalls.   Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 12 1999 The bass fishing is still very good in spite of the drastic changes in water temperature. We had snow all the way down to lake level earlier this week which brought the water temperature down to a chilling 44 degrees. The weather improved dramatically yesterday and the sun is shining as I write this today. This improvement in the weather should really help the bass fishing. Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707-998-1006) reports 2 to 3 bass for a days effort on crankbaits and large plastic baits. RC Stephens nailed a 10 pound 5 ounce bass on a hand poured plastic called a "Wedge". Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake (707-995-9668) says the jumbo minnow bite is still very good. Al adds that the bass are starting to stage in the shallows for the spawn and therefore are easier to find. Crankbaits are producing around the rocky areas and blades and plastics are the ticket for the shallow fish. Bob Thein of Clearlake caught a 10 pound 7 ounce hog with a Excaliber Shad near a tule line somewhere in the mid lake area. Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee reports the fish are still holding in flooded brush and tight to seawalls in the north end of the lake. Terry says jigs, plastic worms and crankbaits have been the best bets for bass to 5 pounds.   Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 8 1999 The weekend brought halfway decent weather and lots of fishermen. Most areas around the lake produced good fishing with some real monsters taken in the south end of the lake. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake (707-995-9668) had 5 bass over ten pounds weighed in this weekend. All five fish were taken on live jumbo minnows in the Clearlake area. Al says the bass are still schooled and moving around. It requires a little effort to locate them but once you do the action is great. The prime spots are the mouths of creeks and boat canals. Knowledgeable lure tossers are averaging 5 fish a day with crankbaits and plastics. Shore fishermen are doing real well with jumbo minnows, nightcrawlers and plastic worms in that order. Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee reports mixed results in the north end of the lake. Terry says some bassers had excellent results while others drew a blank. The problem is locating a school of active fish. The water temperature has been holding at 50 to 53 degrees which keeps the fish schooled up and not too active. The successful anglers have been taking most of their fish from sea walls and flooded trees and brush piles with plastics and pig-n-jigs.   Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 5 1999 Despite the return of colder weather, the bass fishing is still rated fair to good in most areas around the lake. The water temperature has varied from a high of 54 degrees to the mid 40's. Bob Higgins of Limit Out Bait and Tackle in Clearlake Oaks (707-998-1006) reports quite a few fish falling for slow twitched crankbaits and several good fish, including a 10 pound 2 ounce hog, being taken with ripbaits in the Clearlake Oaks Keys. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake (707-995-9668) still rates jumbo minnows as the top producer. Jago Bay and No Name Reef are the top spots for minnow fishermen. The shore fishermen in the Clearlake area are still doing well with minnows and nightcrawlers. Al says the bass pros are using Husky Jerk crankbaits and also spinnerbaits with good results. Terry Knight, Outdoor Columnist for the Lake County Record Bee, reports good results by shaking a 6 inch plastic worm tight to the sea walls in the north end of the lake. There are a few fish being caught flipping a Brush Hog or Yamamoto Hula Grub in the flooded brush.   Clear Lake Bass Fishing Report-March 1 1999 The bass fishing remains tough for the lure tossers. Those who are willing to use minnows and or nightcrawlers are doing real well. We had a warm rain over the weekend which increased the water temperature to over 50 degrees. This should improve the fishing considerably. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake (707-995-9668) reports lots of bass being taken with jumbo minnows and nightcrawlers, especially by shore fishermen in the area near Al's shop. Al weighed in two bass over 8 pounds caught off shore near the shop. Al says the crank and ripbait bite has slowed to a crawl. Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee reports a few bass being taken by lure tossers in the north end of the lake. The average over the weekend was only 2 to 4 fish per outing. Most of the fish fell for crankbaits or slow moving plastics such as Brush Hogs. Back to Old Reports