Approximately 40 junior hunters take to the field at Highland Springs on Saturday morning for the annual Lake County Junior Pheasant Hunt. This is the 16th year the hunt has been held and it”s gaining in popularity every year.
The hunt is part of the Department of Fish and Game”s Heritage Game Bird Program, which sponsors junior hunts throughout the state.
There are two hunts Saturday. The first starts at 8 a.m. and the second begins at noon. Assisting in the hunt are members of Lake County Rod and Gun Club. Members and other volunteers furnish trained hunting dogs so that each youngster has the opportunity to hunt over a dog.
Junior hunters also have the opportunity to shoot a round of trap prior to the hunt courtesy of the Lake County Rod and Gun Club. The hunters and volunteers will be treated to a free lunch served by Konocti Rod and Gun Club members at noon.
All the participating junior hunters already have passed a hunter safety course. During its 16-year run there has never been an accident. In fact, the youngsters often show more care in handling firearms than the adults.
Junior hunters who haven”t yet signed up for the hunt will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis for both the morning and afternoon hunts. They must have a current junior hunting license and be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Normally there are plenty of openings and no one has ever been turned away in past years.
Anyone who has a bird dog and wants to volunteer can also show up at the hunting area Saturday morning. Other volunteers are welcome to help release the birds. To get to the hunting area, take Highland Springs Road off Highway 29 south of Lakeport and proceed to the Highland Springs Park. The hunt will be next to the firing range.
Bass action slows
The bass action has slowed down at Clear Lake and one reason is the continued abundance of shad. In fact, the lake is awash with the tiny baitfish in some areas. The shad are also dying off, which is normal for this time of the year. Threadfin shad can”t tolerate water temperature changes and as the water cools the shad die off.
As illustrated in a couple of bass tournaments held last weekend, there are some big bass being caught. It took 45 pounds to win the two-day Angler”s Choice tournament and a whopping 36 pounds to win the one-day WON BASS team event held Sunday.
Most of the larger bass are being caught on swimbaits, but drop-shotting a plastic worm is catching most of the smaller fish. The best areas have been in the deeper water in the south end.
Reports coming out of the Indian Beach Resort indicate the crappie action has slowed a little. The best fishing is early in the morning and late in the evening. The good news is that there has been an outstanding catfish bite at the resort. Many catfish between 10-15 pounds have been caught.
At Upper Blue Lake, the trout action has been fair for trollers working the middle of the lake. The lake was stocked last week. Bass fishing has been slow although a few bass are being caught in Lower Blue Lake. The fishing pressure has been very light, with only a couple of boats on the water even on weekends.
The lake level is holding steady at Indian Valley Reservoir ? 100 feet below normal. Small boats can still be launched at the dam but caution should be used to keep your vehicle from getting stuck. Bass fishing, especially for smallmouth bass, is rated as very good.
There is an old saying among duck hunters that mallards are the best ducks to eat because they don”t consume fish, only aquatic weeds, seeds and other vegetation. A recent trip to Library Park in Lakeport showed that”s not true. I observed five mallards corral a school of shad Wednesday at the Fifth Street ramp and they gobbled up the shad like they were popcorn.
