Author Topic: Clear Lake (Read 431493 times)

641cfrank · « **Reply #1590 on:** Jan 16, 2012, 06:19 PM »

Quote from: CrappieBuster on Jan 16, 2012, 05:48 PM

I didnt measure it the other day but it was probably around 8-9 inches. Pretty good crack out there yet that hasnt seemed to heal up the best. Are you gonna drive it out with a vehicle or atv?

Ha, it's a 19' camper so I will have to wait til I can use a truck. I pull it with a 2007 ford ranger so I figured combined weight will be a little more then a half ton truck, but still... Definitely not the year I was expecting when i bought the camper last fall

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #1591 on:** Jan 16, 2012, 06:23 PM »

Wish I had my old dakota it was quite a bit lighter than the 6600lbs im at now $:-\$

MidnightRambler · « **Reply #1592 on:** Jan 16, 2012, 06:29 PM »

Quote from: Wally Lindner on Jan 16, 2012, 06:13 PM

Lets say the DNR never introduced yellow bass to Clear Lake. How would the ice fishin be? Would there be more crappies and perch? From what I read Clear Lake was all walleyes in the past and now its all yellows. East Okoboji is full of them and West will follow. Scary!

Did the DNR introduce yellow bass to Clear Lake, was it some bucket biologist, or are they native?

I ask because above and beyond yellow bass, Clear Lake is not a healthy lake. Carp, shoreline development, and generally poor water quality are all issues.

If there was not intensive walleye stocking, there would be no walleye in Clear Lake, because the walleye spawning success rate is pretty much zero. The shortage of weed growth (due to cloudy water, carp, and shoreline development) has to hurt the ability of perch, crappie and bluegill to establish strong populations in there as well.

If Clear Lake had better water quality and weed growth (never gonna happen), I have to wonder if stronger populations of perch, crappie, bluegill, largemouth, and naturally-reproducing walleye, Northern, and muskie (they're all stocked) might not keep the yellow bass, whether they are native there or not, in check. It may be the yellows, like carp and bullhead, simply have the ability to thrive and take the place of other fish species in poor water conditions.

Take out the walleye, Northern, channel cat, and muskie, all of which are stocked in Clear Lake, and what do you have left?

Like I said, this is all a moot point, because no one is ever going be able to restore Clear Lake's shoreline, or curb the agricultural runoff going in there.

From what I know of the IGLs, they have far better water quality and weed growth than does Clear Lake; it may be that yellow bass will not be anything more than a minor nuisance in those lakes.

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #1593 on:** Jan 16, 2012, 06:48 PM »

Yellow bass were introduced through a bucket biologist. If the dnr has stocked any yellow bass in Iowa they should be tarred and feathered. The water quality has been getting better every year since the dredging. Once the marsh is restored it will get even better. Weeds have just started making a comeback on the lake. Also have started noticing some decent year classes of perch. Its slowly getting better. Slllloooooowwwwlllly is the key word. Definetly no longer on the list of top 10 Iowa fishing destinations tho.

MelroseHawkins · « **Reply #1594 on:** Jan 16, 2012, 06:52 PM »

They have & are taking measures by recently dredging out the little lake & making it deeper. I believe the goal is to provide clearer water & promote weed growth. Actually, I've heard of more crappie being caught the last few yrs more than in past years. I actually caught some off the grade this past fall. Last year, my old man & I were over yanking some yellows & actually caught a heck of a bluegill & one of the more larger jumbo perch I've seen in a long time. Actually, we caught quite a few perch but the one jumbo pushed 13-14 inches.

So, in summary, I think the health of Clear Lake & future of it look a lot better now than in the past years. Still have to keep the yellow population in check. So, pull em & fry em.

iowaicer · « **Reply #1595 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 09:16 AM »

Was up there over the weekend and fished friday, saturday, and sunday on farmers. Didnt slay them by any means, but didnt go home empty handed. Staying mobile is the key, but as cold as it was, it was tough. Caught them on waxies, live minows, and berkley shiners. Even got into a few walleyes at night, no keepers. Our group had fun. Did speak to several people going on and off that didnt catch anything or only caught one or two. It happens. I will go back for sure.

SpoonieLuv · « **Reply #1596 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 11:24 AM »

Fishing yellows on Clear Lake is not for the guy who wants to just sit in his shanty. You have to be mobile and punch a bunch of holes to keep on them. Somedays it's a lot of work, but when you figure it out it sure is FUN!

icyclone · « **Reply #1597 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 01:17 PM »

i know staying mobile is key, and i have no problem with that, but is there any specific fow that anybody has been having luck at? maybe 8?

iowaicer · « **Reply #1598 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 01:45 PM »

Quote from: icyclone on Jan 17, 2012, 01:17 PM

i know staying mobile is key, and i have no problem with that, but is there any specific fow that anybody has been having luck at? maybe 8?

didn't matter for us, they were always on the bottom. I just dropped to the bottom and back up and they would chase. A LOT of lookers. Never got into a big school like the others, but caught them often enough to not get bored.

goosehntr69 · « **Reply #1599 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 05:05 PM »

Perch fishing went down hill when they put the stupid musky in there. I've been hearing about how the yellows were going to take the lake over for the better part of 20 years now.

IAEYE · « **Reply #1600 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 06:28 PM »

Perch are on there way back along with the Crappies. The Perch will have a place to lay there eggs now that there is some vegetation. Amen for the Water Project.

641cfrank · « **Reply #1601 on:** Jan 17, 2012, 07:11 PM »

Quote from: IAEYE on Jan 17, 2012, 06:28 PM

Perch are on there way back along with the Crappies. The Perch will have a place to lay there eggs now that there is some vegetation. Amen for the Water Project.

X2

If I'm not in a school of yellows I seen to catch more crappie then anything else, and that's fine with me! I also love eating yellows so I really don't see a need to complain about them.

MidnightRambler · « **Reply #1602 on:** Jan 18, 2012, 09:20 AM »

And just like that, with some good ice in southern Iowa the Clear Lake thread drops way down the page.

cyclone · « **Reply #1603 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 10:48 AM »

Thats OK, the pressure Clear Lake was getting (as it was the only lake of its size withing 2 hours frozen with a good 7 inches of ice) was pretty high.

Now on to the east side of the lake

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #1604 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 11:45 AM »

Yeh it was getting kinda hard to access the ice beings everyone was crammed onto 1 spot on the lake. Unload gear at ramp drive a 1/4 mile to the top of the hill park truck. Walk back to gear and hopefully everythings still there kinda sketchy leaving close to 2000$ in gear sitting by the boat ramp. People with them lighter trucks could probably start parkin them close to shore off the ramp. Shes definetly froze to the bottom first 15 yards out at least. That would help relieve the parking congestion a little bit.

Should have a good 10+ inches now. Any verification on that?
-4 at noon yet

goosehntr69 · « **Reply #1605 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 08:11 PM »

Fished farmers for a couple of hours tonight. Measured 12" of ice. Caught a lot of dinks,no keepers, didn't feel like moving around due to the temperature.

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #1606 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 08:56 PM »

Gonna be tempting to drive out when I get back from up north monday. Anyone else gonna take out their wheelhouse?

IAEYE · « **Reply #1607 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 09:32 PM »

I'm going to try tomorrow. I hope the snow helps with the entrance at Farmers. Im not sure my house will make it over the heave.

MelroseHawkins · « **Reply #1608 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 10:44 PM »

Quote from: CrappieBuster on Jan 19, 2012, 08:56 PM

Gonna be tempting to drive out when I get back from up north monday. Anyone else gonna take out their wheelhouse?

Whatever happened to the camper/fishhouse you used to have before you bought your wheelhouse? If I remember correctly, you had an older camper that you used.

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #1609 on:** Jan 19, 2012, 11:40 PM »

Were still using it. Maybe be out next week sometime.
If the snowfall isnt that bad.

bobracing32 · « **Reply #1610 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 11:35 AM »

Havent been fishing in a while. I want to bring my wheel house out, but how bad is the heave? I thought about bringing the skid loader down and busting up the heave. Would it do more damage breaking it up or not?

Big Blue · « **Reply #1611 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 02:51 PM »

It looks like you can drive on the ice just to the right of the heave.

641cfrank · « **Reply #1612 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 03:14 PM »

Someone should bring in a load of gravel for use and make a nice driveway

DAN03REV · « **Reply #1613 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 06:08 PM »

ice thick enough to drive trucks and houses out ?? .. how thick should it be for safe drive out ?? .. anxious to pull out my new camper/house

cyclone · « **Reply #1614 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 07:34 PM »

Got an ATV.......i would be you could go over the entire lake on an ATV (minus the aerators of course) I don't know if I would push the cars and trucks out yet........but that is just me

IAEYE · « **Reply #1615 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 08:40 PM »

I drove out on the lake today. 13" of good ice where I put my house.

MelroseHawkins · « **Reply #1616 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 09:23 PM »

Quote from: IAEYE on Jan 21, 2012, 08:40 PM

I drove out on the lake today. 13" of good ice where I put my house.

Now all we need to know is where EXACTLY did you put your house!

IAEYE · « **Reply #1617 on:** Jan 21, 2012, 09:30 PM »

farmers you cant miss it. follow the truck tracks

northerner · « **Reply #1618 on:** Jan 23, 2012, 12:39 PM »

Did anyone get out this weekend and do some fishing? Is the bite still slow or did it pickup in another spot?

CrappieBuster · « **Reply #1619 on:** Jan 23, 2012, 06:38 PM »

Back from up north caught more eyes than you could shake a stick at and some perchies tooooo. Lost a few bigguns also. No pig northerns which was suprising. The family truckster will be going out tommorow. How's the snow out there? Did most of it blow off?

News:

Author Topic: Clear Lake (Read 431493 times)