Local Bass Fishing Report--Updated January 25 1999 The bass fishing toughened up a bit this past weekend especially in the north end of the lake. Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee reports a few hardy bassers taking up to 5 fish an outing with Rattletraps and Brush Hogs. The size and quality of the fish remains excellent. Several fish over 5 pounds were taken. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake reports that the live minnow bite is still very good. A couple of local Clearlake fishermen bought some minnows from Al and reported back with a score of 15 nice bass that they caught and released. Al reports a few bassers having moderate success with small plastic baits. The key word is small according to Al. The favorite bait types have been reapers, zipper worms and an unnamed plastic replica of a sculpin. Al believes that small tube baits such as gitzits would be a good bet also. Local Bass Fishing Report--Updated January 15 1999 The bass fishing continues to be very good in most areas of the lake. Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee reports the Nice/Lucerne and Lakeport areas are producing a lot of nice fish up to 8 pounds. The most popular lures are still Brush Hogs, plastic worms and grubs and lipless crankbaits such as Rattletraps. Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in Clearlake reports red hot action with live minnows in the extra large size. To quote Al, "There are some tremendous schools of bass in the south end of the lake and fishermen drifting live minnows are cleaning up on bass to 10 pounds". Brad Morsei and Doug Ashmore of Clearlake nailed a 10 pounder, two 9 pounders and five bass that weighed more than 7 pounds each earlier this week. All the fish were taken on minnows. Al Frietas fished with Dave Majestic of Kelseyville on Friday and they caught and released 25 bass that weighed up to 7 pounds. They caught 11 fish near one dock and all were taken on live minnows. Local Bass Fishing Report--Updated January 6 1999 The bass fishing at Clear Lake has been very good when you locate a school. I talked to Al Frietas of Don's Bait and Tackle in the city of Clearlake ( 707-995-9668 /14531 Lakeshore Dr. Clearlake ). He reports lots of bass being taken with jumbo and extra large minnows. Some fishermen have been catching and releasing as many as 20 fish per outing. One lucky angler by the name of Bob Lang caught a 13 pound 11 ounce bass with a jumbo minnow. The trick is to locate a school of fish and then stick with them. All areas of the lake have been producing fish. The best spots for live bait fishing have been in rocky areas in 5 to 10 feet of water. The north end of the lake has been producing some fish around dock pilings and tule lines with Brush Hogs and lipless crank baits. Good Luck...Catfish Ed. Back to Old Reports