Is Clear Lake going to be closed down because of high water and flooding? That”s the big question on the minds of bass fishermen.
The lake was still open with no restrictions as of Thursday morning. The lake level is 8.87 feet on the Rumsey Gauge and slowly rising. When it reaches 9 feet it”s considered “flood stage.”
The storms of the last few days have brought bass fishing to a standstill. The only fishermen out this week were the local fishing guides and they have been struggling.
Last weekend the fishing was actually very good. Angler”s Choice held a two-day pro/am tournament and it took nearly 60 pounds to win it. The winner was Concord resident Ron Tobey, who had the misfortune of having his boat struck by a car on Friday as he was traveling on Lakeshore Boulevard in Clearlake. He still managed to use the boat in the tournament. Of the 75 boats in the tournament, more than 30 weighed in more than 40 pounds. The fishermen said they caught their fish throughout the lake, with the Clearlake Oaks Keys being one of the better areas.
On Sunday, the Sonoma County Belly Boaters held a float tube tournament and the winner was D. Sternitzke of Santa Rosa with a four-fish limit weighing an incredible 27.05 pounds. His catch included a 10.7-pounder and a 8.74-pounder. He also caught his fish in the Clearlake Oaks Keys. Swimbaits or jigs were the top lures in both tournaments.
The California Bass Federation has a tournament scheduled out of Konocti Vista Casino, Resort and Marina on Sunday. Whether the tournament actually takes place will be determined by the lake level and weather. From all indications the lake will be at or near flood stage.
With the lake level this high, boaters are reminded to keep their speed down to less than 5 mph when anywhere near docks. Even a small wake from a boat can cause thousands of dollars in damage. There is also a lot of debris out on the lake, which makes boating even more hazardous.
Catfish action should be decent where the storm drains are dumping muddy water into the lake. The rising water stirs up food for the catfish and will put them on a feeding frenzy.
Action at Upper Blue Lake has also come to a halt. The lake is muddy but clearing and should be fishable by the weekend. The lake won”t be stocked with trout for at least two weeks.
The weather should also play a major factor in the opening of the spring wild turkey season. The general season opens Saturday morning and runs through May 1 While there are plenty of turkeys around, the bad weather has put a stop to the breeding season. A few of the gobblers are starting to strut and chase the hens. The opening weekend is probably the worst weekend of the season to hunt turkeys as the toms are still flocked up. The best time is normally the middle of April when the toms break away and start to look for hens.
Turkey hunting has become one of the most popular hunting sports in California. Most of the turkeys are located on private land, but there is also a good population on public lands. The Mendocino National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, such as the Cache Creek Wildlife Area, have a large population of turkeys. The Knoxville Wildlife Area, located near the old gold mine out of Lower Lake, also has a good population of turkeys.
Hunters are reminded that the hunting hours for the spring turkey season are one-half hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. The limit is one bearded turkey per day and three for the season. In addition to a current California hunting license you must have an Upland Game Bird Stamp. Junior hunters aren”t required to have the stamp but must have a current junior hunting license.
