Clear Lake Thurs and Friday

Took a couple days off after “tax season” ended and fished Clear Lake. Unfortunately, not much happening in the walleye world. We did take home a mess of yellow bass for my buddy the meat hunter. I think the front moving through Wednesday night had a lot to do with it. Surface temp was 53 degrees. High winds drove us off the lake Friday. The bait shop guy said his brother did well Wednesday, so it must have been my timing. That’s what I’m sticking with anyway, timing not fishing skill. Please post your reports, if you’ve got something to share. Thanks all you on-line neighbors and fellow fishermen.

Was 53 the main lake, or Ventura bay? The bay warms faster, but with all the rain and cold lately, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a drop like that.

I’ll be going back in two weeks with a crew from work. We’ll be heading up Friday and fishing through Sunday afternoon probably. There’s a tourney on Sunday, so it is always interesting going that weekend. If anyone’s going to be in the area, stop by McIntosh Woods campground and we should be around. Red F150/Blue & White Bayliner Capri Bass boat.

It’s downright hillarious to me how paranoid those tourney guys are. Most of them refused to answer questions for the DNR officer who was doing creel survey on Saturday afternoon when we were coming off the water.

Last year all the big fish for the tourney came out of 3′ of water, trolling thundersticks in Ventura bay right at the inlet. I ran this pattern for about a half hour earlier this week and came up empty-handed. That was Tuesday night, and the rain was just starting to come through – the fish wanted something slower than a stickbait.

Hey Gianni,

53 was the temp in the main lake. I think I was there just a couple days after your post. I too tried trolling the bay with my new toy, a planer board, to no success. Worked the SW shore of the bay with minnows under bobbers and small jigs. Picked up 2 small eyes doing that. Also tried the grade area to no success. Tough conditions Post-front. Fish should still be in post-spawn for a while longer. Good luck with the work crew.

I’m suspecting that the bigger ‘eyes are probably back in the main lake basin. I’m planning on rock hunting when we head back in a couple weeks, and hopefully we can put together a few fish.

This series of cold fronts is going to have the fish doing flips. I figured when I was there Monday in 80° weather the fish might be in a summer pattern by the time May rolled around. Now it looks like they won’t get to miss out on the rainy season after all.