Zone A deer hunters open their season on Saturday and from all indications the hunters should find decent conditions.
The late spring rains have provided plenty of feed and water in the nearby forests and the deer are in excellent condition. Bow hunters reported seeing a number of good bucks in the Mendocino National Forest just last month.
The Mendocino National Forest will draw most of the hunter activity. Popular areas such as Deer Valley, Elk Mountain, Pine Mountain and Bartlett Springs will be loaded with hunters during opening weekend.
All the deer in Lake County are of the blacktail species. They are cousins of the mule deer, only much smaller. A mature blacktail buck weighs about 130-150 pounds alive. Most of the bucks taken by hunters are forked-horns, which means they have a branch on at least one antler. A three-pointer is considered a trophy and a four-pointer is a rarity.
As in past years, Department of Fish and Game (DFG) game wardens will be out in force on opening weekend and will be using the deer decoy to help nab poaches. The decoy, which resembles a three-point buck, has fooled more than one poacher.
The wardens also will be enforcing the loaded-weapon-in-vehicle law. A weapon is considered loaded by the DFG when there is a shell in the chamber. The wardens also will be looking for trespassers. The law says that if a property is posted, fenced or under cultivation, you must have written permission from the owner to hunt on it.
It goes without saying that you must have a valid hunting license and the appropriate deer tags in your possession while hunting.
The fire danger level also will be very high. Campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds. If a hunter sets a wildfire and is caught, he can expect to pay not only a fine but the cost of fighting the fire, which can run into thousands of dollars
The A zone season runs through Sept. 24 and the limit is one forked-horn deer or better per tag. A person can purchase a maximum of two tags.
Bear season also opens Saturday. The open area for bear is the same as the Zone A deer season. The DFG also has a law that says only one dog per hunter is legal and that”s for both deer and bear.
Bass action hot
Bass action at Clear Lake continues at a torrid pace. Both the north and south ends of the lake are about as good as it can get. One of the best times to fish has been in the afternoon and the top lure has been either a plastic frog or a Weed Wog.
I fished the tules between the state park and Lakeside County Park on Monday afternoon. Using a Weed Wog I caught and released more than 30 bass, several in the 5-pound class. The bass were chasing shad in the shallows and jumping all over the place. It was an unbelievable trip.
The Weed Wog, made locally by Maverick Lures, is an awesome topwater lure and when cast far back in the pockets in the tules produces heart-stopping blowups.
The Weed Wog is made of soft plastic and resembles a giant pollywog with a large curly tail. The favorite colors on Clear Lake are white, pale chartreuse or black. The large tail thrushes through the water like a buzzbait and it”s completely weedless, so it can be cast back in thickest weeds or tules. It should be retrieved with short, hard jerks
The Weed Wog is rigged on a special float harness that”s made of Styrofoam. Tackle It tackle shop in Lakeport carries the Weed Wog and the float set-up.
Drop-shotting a plastic worm in the tules or over the rockpiles also has been very productive. Monitor Island, Luebow Point and Henderson Point all have been kicking out good numbers of bass.
No local waters were stocked with trout this week and none will be stocked next week.
Salmon fishing has been slow and bottom fishing good off Fort Bragg. The party boats have been averaging less than a salmon per rod, but they are limiting out on rock fish.
