Water Temp 56-58
Lake McClure is fishing phenomenal for numbers but has been a puzzle to catch quality fish for most. The last week and a half I’ve spent the majority of my time on McClure and found you can catch fish from 1ft of water all the way down to 70 ft. On 12/14/19 my partner and I managed a 2nd place out of 35 teams weighing 11.35 pounds. We struggled to find size out deep catching 20+ fish which forced us to move up the water column looking for better than average fish. Once we hit the 10-20 ft range we started catching some 2+ pounders. We ran many spots knowing we would eventually catch a couple nice fish since we knew the depth the better fish were using that day. We fished trick worms and senkos rigged on a frenzy baits nail or rigged weightless fishing super slow due to a cold north wind making the fish finicky to our baits.
On 12/18/19 My buddy Gerry and I competed in a small 10 boat derby and were able to take the win with 15 pounds. Gerry and I decided to start off with slow presentation baits due to the full moon overnight and our experience knowing the bite will pick up later. Gerry picked up a nice 3 pounder on a brush hog to start the day. For hours we boated tons of small fish. Around noon we started hopping areas as Gerry picked up a couple more decent fish on a Brush Hog. We then stopped on a point where I picked up a Huddleston and fired it out deep. On my second cast I kept getting bumped but couldn’t hook up. As the bait got close to the boat I see 5 big spots inches from the bait. I kept a steady retrieve as one took another swipe and got the top hook. The fish weighed 3.78. As Gerry and I made a couple more casts with big baits we figured out the fish scattered and wouldn’t come back up for a big bait and didn’t have time to let the spot rest so we pulled off and began fishing the 20-40 depth. Not long I lean into a nice fish on a jig which ended up being another big spot in the 3 pound class. Fun day with plenty of fish caught.
For those who are just looking to have a fun day catching numbers I would stick to steep bluffs and main points and fish the 25-50 ft zone with your favorite finesse baits. For you tournament fisherman pre fishing for an upcoming tournament just keep in mind 2.5 pounders are gold on McClure right now. 11-12 lbs has been winning most events on the lake. Book a trip with me and let’s go catch some fish! If I don’t answer please text!
Christian Ostrander Guide Service
(209)648-3778
