More rain, cooler temps at Clear Lake
Opening-round cuts Thursday
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The field of 272 pros and co-anglers took off promptly at first light from Redbud Park Thursday morning for day-two action of EverStart Series Western Division competition, but there’s no doubt that many of them didn’t want to go. Miserable weather continues to plague the hills of Northern California, and that will make fishing at Clear Lake today another cold, wet affair.
The Weather Service issued an area snow advisory for elevations above 3,000 feet Thursday, and that’s an unpleasant prospect for the anglers. While snow probably won’t reach the 43,000 acres of Clear Lake, which sits at 1,320 feet, it should have just enough room to melt into a driving, cold drizzle for most of the day.
The water temperature has dropped slightly overnight as well, reading 53 degrees at Redbud Park takeoff ramp, and the wind has picked up. For some anglers hoping to go bed-fishing, that’s bad news. But for those like Wednesday’s pro leader Gary Dobyns, who were catching enormous staging bass, the conditions are just right. Many of the day-one leaders are focusing on fish not yet spawning; for them, the cold and rain can’t hang on long enough.
“Let it rain and blow,” Dobyns said. “I’m ready.”
Both divisions will be cut to the top 20 anglers apiece based on a two-day combined weight following today’s fishing action. Look for the pros to need 30 pounds or so to make the cut – and, because it’s Clear Lake, that’s an extremely rough estimate – and the co-anglers 20 pounds.
Thursday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. at Redbud Park in Clearlake.
Thursday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:22 a.m.
Air temperature at takeoff: 43 degrees
Water temperature at the ramp: 53 degrees
Expected high temperature: 57 degrees
Wind: from the south-southwest at 15 mph
Relative humidity: 100 percent
Day’s outlook: rain
Day-two links: