Clear Lake will be a busy place this weekend as there are two bass tournaments scheduled and it”s also the opening of waterfowl season.
Angler”s Choice holds its Tournament of Champions (TOC) starting today. The two-day event concludes on Sunday. There is also a Angler”s Choice team tournament scheduled for Sunday. The TOC will field about 100 boats and operates out of Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina. The weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. both days. The weigh-in for Sunday”s tournament also starts at 3 p.m.
The bass fishing hasn”t improved much but some of the top anglers in Northern California will be competing in the TOC, so they should catch some large bass.
The results of the 62-team Angler”s Choice Semi-Pro TOC held last weekend showed that 428 bass were caught during the two-day event. The winning weight was 42.2 pounds and the overall average weight per fish caught in the tournament was 3.15 pounds. The average number of bass caught per team was 6.9 and the average weight per team was 21.79 pounds.
Most of the fishermen report they are working hard to catch a five-fish limit. Jigs and lipless crankbaits have been the top lures. The more successful anglers are constantly moving until they locate a school of fish. The best action continues to be in the south end of the lake.
Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked with trout this week. The cooling water should make for ideal fishing conditions. Letts Lake, located in the Mendocino National Forest, was also scheduled to be stocked with trout.
Duck hunters open their season on Saturday and from all reports the hunting should be excellent in the Sacramento Valley. Most of the public hunting areas will have enough water and be open. There should also be a good number of duck hunters on Clear Lake.
The rules for hunting on Clear Lake are that you must stay at least a two miles offshore when hunting within the city limits of Lakeport and Clearlake. The rest of the lake is pretty much open to hunting, however, you can”t shoot a firearm within 150 yards of any building.
The daily limit this year is seven ducks, of which only one can be a hen mallard. One pintail is also allowed. However, the season is closed on canvasback. The season for scaup doesn”t open until Nov. 1 and the daily limit is two. Regardless of the species, the daily limit of all ducks combined can”t exceed seven. Hunters are reminded that in addition to their hunting license they also must have both the federal and state duck stamps.
Zone B deer hunters are going into the final week of their season — it closes Oct. 26. Reports coming out of the Mendocino National Forest indicate the deer are still in the high country. The area from Covelo to Hull Mountain has been holding a good number of deer. One local hunter said his party saw more than 100 deer last weekend, but only two were bucks. From all indications there won”t be a storm to get the deer moving anytime soon.
Junior pheasant hunters are reminded that they must get their application in for the upcoming Lake County Junior Pheasant Hunt. The deadline for the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to receive the applications is Oct. 27. The hunt is scheduled for Nov. 15 at Highland Springs, located just outside of Lakeport. There will be morning and afternoon hunts. Applicants should send a standard Postal Service card to Highland Springs Jr. Pheasant Hunt, 1812 9th St., Sacramento, CA 95811. Do not send more than one application.
The application must include the junior”s hunter”s name, address, telephone number, junior hunting license number, hunt period (AM or PM) and name of chaperone. Successful aapplicants will be notified by mail with information on the hunt. For more information call (530) 878-3858. You can also apply online by going to www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/uplandgme/gamebird/
