Outdoorsmen and women are looking to the skies in order to plan their weekend activities. If it”s fair or only party cloudy there will be a wide array of outdoor activities available. The bass fishing on Clear Lake should improve, there are several choices available for trout fishermen and the spring wild turkey season opens. In other words, there is no reason to sit on the couch and watch television.
The recent series of storms have slowed the bass fishing at Clear Lake. The lake level is up more than a foot and some of the tules now have water. The lake is also muddy in a few areas. The lake level as of Thursday was 4.5 feet on the Rumsey Gauge and slowly rising. It could reach 5 feet within two weeks, which would have a positive impact on the fishing.
The other surprising factor is the bass are finally hitting a wide variety of lures and not just the Alabama Rig. The winners of the WONBASS team tournament held Saturday were Wally Smith and Andrew Loberg of Marin County with 29.99 pounds. Smith said they caught their limit on jigs and then switch to swimbaits to bring up their weight. They didn”t use an Alabama Rig. Troy Bellah of Clear Lake Outdoors in Lakeport says that popularity of the Alabama Rig is starting to taper off as fishermen go back to drop-shotting a plastic worm or working a crankbait or swimbait. Jumbo minnows are still taking most of the bass as expected.
Some of the more productive areas have been in the vicinity of the Lakeside County Park, Corinthian Bay, the State Park, Konocti and Jago bays and the Nice-Lucerne Shoreline. The rain has warmed up the water temperature and it”s now averaging 54-57 degrees in the afternoons.
There are no bass tournaments scheduled on the lake for the weekend but the remainder of April has a tournament every weekend. The second annual Konocti Vista Casino Team Bass Classic is scheduled for April 14-15. The entry fee is $160 and includes big fish. The tournament is limited to 100 teams. Entry forms are available at all the local tackle shops. Call 823-3252 for more information.
There”s not much to report on catfish and crappie. One fisherman reported catching three catfish near Dollar Island and another said he caught two at Shag Rock. There have been no reports on crappie or bluegill.
Trout action remains good at Upper Blue Lake and Lake Mendocino. Both shore anglers and boaters have been catching fish. At Upper Blue Lake, fishermen report the trout are still biting very lightly and for every fish you land you get at least three other bites. Upper Blue Lake is scheduled to be stocked next week. Also on the stocking list is Lake Pillsbury.
The spring wild turkey season opens Saturday morning. It has become one of the more popular hunting sports in the state. The good news for local hunters is that Lake County offers an excellent chance to bag a gobbler. The hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. each day. The daily limit is one bearded turkey and a total of three for the season. In other words, if you”re on a three-day trip you can bring back three turkeys as long as you don”t shoot more than one each day. 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. Shotguns, archery and even .177-caliber pellet guns and larger can be used.
Lake County has thousands of acres of public land that hold a good population of wild turkeys. The Mendocino National Forest has turkeys at just about all elevations below 3,000 feet. For those who want the solitude of the backcountry, a good bet is Tar Flat, located near Hull Mountain in the Mendocino National Forest. The turkeys in this area are Merriams, which are the mountain species and can be identified by the white-tipped tails. The Cache Creek Wildlife Area, located on Highway 20 in eastern Lake County, is an excellent choice for wild turkeys. Another good choice is the Knoxville Wildlife Area, located near the old gold mine out of Lower Lake.
