Lake County will be a busy place this weekend as the Zone A deer season gets under way Saturday and the bass fishing at Clear Lake continues at a scorching pace.
As is common on the opening weekend of the Zone A season, the temperature is expected to soar into the 90-degree-plus range and only the hardiest of hunters will be out hunting all day. Most of the hunters will call it quits by noon
The hot weather will have the deer on the move and most of them will be bedded down in a deep canyon within a couple of hours after daylight. Because it”s so dry, the deer will be concentrated near the available springs and water holes. For deer hunters, water is the gift of life. Most experienced hunters will carry at least two canteens of water. This is especially helpful if you have to pack out a buck in this heat.
The Mendocino National Forest from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury will draw most of the hunters. The ridges from the Deer Valley Campground to High Glade will be crawling with hunters. For example, last year on the opener I counted more than 50 hunters in this small area alone.
Game wardens and forest rangers typically validate from 10-15 deer tags during opening weekend in the national forest. A successful hunter must fill out the deer tag and have it validated.
Fire danger is extreme in the national forest but there are no special restrictions, according to the Upper Lake Ranger Station. Even so, campfire permits are required outside of a designated campground.
Hunters should let someone know where they plan to hunt and when they will return. That should include the description and license number of your vehicle. In fact, I recommend writing the information down on a piece of paper and leaving it with your spouse or close friend. This simple act could save your life.
Deer hunters who plan on hunting the national forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) properties should also be on the lookout for marijuana growers. This is especially true in the Mendocino National Forest. According to authorities, hunters should use extreme care in the more remote areas of the national forest.
If you see anything suspicious such as PVC drip lines, brush piles placed in long rows, empty fertilizer bags or garbage, get out of the area as soon as possible and call the sheriff”s office at 263-2331. If possible, get a GPS reading or take note of any nearby landmarks and report it. Hunters shouldn”t confront the growers but should leave the area as quickly as possible. When you figure that each mature marijuana plant is worth at least $7,000, the growers will go to great lengths to protect their crop.
Lake County led the state in the number of marijuana plants found last year and the Mendocino National Forest was the leading area in the county.
Out in force
Fishermen also will be out in force this weekend. There is a major tournament scheduled on Clear Lake today and Saturday, not to mention the hundreds of recreational fishermen out on the lake.
Overall the bass action has slowed a bit. Weeds, a dropping lake level and heavy fishing pressure are all responsible for the slowdown in fishing.
The hot weather has resulted in continued weed growth on Clear Lake and in many areas it”s nearly impossible to get a boat into the fishing areas. That and the massive fishing pressure is having an impact on the success rate of the fishermen. For example, the area from Library Park to Rodman Slough is little more than a 5-mile-long weed patch. That doesn”t mean you can”t find bass in the Lakeport area, but it does mean that fishermen are finding it nearly impossible to locate them. The weeds in many areas now stretch out into the lake for nearly a mile.
When you factor in the dropping lake level ? it now stands at 2.7 feet on the Rumsey Gauge ? the lake is basically shrinking when it comes to the fishing area. In fact, the north half of the lake won”t accommodate that many anglers. The good news is that the south end is still producing good numbers of bass. The better areas have been the rockpiles near Rattlesnake Island, Monitor Point, Luebow Point and Konocti Bay. Jigs continue to be the hot lure followed by topwater lures.
No local waters were stocked with this trout this week. Upper Blue Lake is still providing fair action for trollers working deep. Bass fishing is rated from fair to good.
