Local fishing guide Richard Pounds of Kelseyville got the surprise of his life last week when he came face to face with a mountain lion. Pounds was sitting in his truck in the parking lot by the Clear Lake State Park boat ramp waiting for a couple of clients when a huge mountain lion sauntered across the parking lot.
According to Pounds, the cat was huge and didn”t seem at all bothered by his presence. This was the first mountain lion Pounds has ever seen in the wild.
“He just ignored me and slowly walked across the parking lot and stopped and smelled the restrooms. I got out of my truck and followed him, and after a little bit I noticed a couple of deer on a nearby hillside. The lion also saw the deer and started to slowly walk towards them. That”s when I decided to return to my truck,” Pounds said.
Despite the many tourists who visit the park, mountain lions are common and they”re not attacking any campers or hikers. In fact, several neighbors of the park say they regularly see lions in their yards. One reason could be the abundance of deer in the park and the surrounding property. The deer are there because of a ready source of food and water. As most old-timers will tell you, when you have a lot of deer, the mountain lions follow.
Like most wild creatures, mountain lions are shy animals and mostly move about at night although one occasionally takes a walk during the daytime.
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) says if you see a mountain lion don”t follow it. If it approaches you, stand tall and wave your arms to make yourself appear larger. Mountain lion attacks are extremely rare and you have a better chance of getting hit by a bolt of lightning than being attacked by a lion.
On the fishing scene, the bass fishing continues to be very good at Clear Lake where just about everyone is catching 10 or more fish per day. The hot lure continues to be a jig or by drop-shotting a plastic worm.
The larger bass are being caught on swimbaits. Jumbo minnows also have been very good. Most of the action has been in the south end of the lake near Jago Bay and Konocti Bay. The rockpiles at Rattlesnake Island are also producing good numbers of fish. Shag Rock is also a good bet and a few fishermen are finding decent action in the shallow water at the state park.
The few brave fishermen who battle the cold and wet weather at night have been bringing in some huge weights. The best action has been from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and some of the fish being caught have been huge, weighing up to 10 pounds. The night fishermen have been working the rockpiles in the south end of lake. Jigs have been taking most of the fish.
Angler”s Choice will hold a team tournament Saturday. The event operates out of Konocti Vista Casino and Marina. Fishermen can sign up for the tournament at the Clear Lake Outdoors Tackle Shop on Soda Bay Road in Lakeport. The weigh-in starts at 3 p.m.
Crappie action has been limited to only two areas ? Kono Tayee and Shag Rock. The problem is that both areas have been wall to wall with boats, especially Kono Tayee. In fact, there have been so many boats pushing up against the private docks that local dock owners are starting to get mad. One dock owner said he tried to fish from his dock but boats completely surrounded it and some were actually tied up to his dock. He said he counted more than 20 boats jammed together in one small area during one particular day.
The law says you can fish near a dock but you can”t touch it or tie up to it without the owner”s permission. The docks are considered private property.
Upper Blue Lake will be stocked with trout this week. The water is exceptionally clear, so the best action is trolling a Kastmaster or Cripplure in the center of the lake. The bass action is still rated as slow.
The lake level at Indian Valley Reservoir is holding steady and the few fishermen who have been visiting the lake say the bass fishing has been outstanding. A few trout are also being caught. Boat launching is still an iffy situation because the ramp at the dam is out of the water.
