Lake County will be a busy place this weekend as the Zone A deer season gets underway Saturday and the bass fishing at Clear Lake continues at an excellent pace.
As is common on the opening weekend of the Zone A deer season, the temperatures are expected to be in the 90-degree-plus range and only the hardiest of hunters will be able to hunt all day. Most of the hunters will call it quits by noon. Actually, most of the deer will be bedded down in a deep canyon within a couple of hours after daylight. The deer will be concentrated near the available springs and water holes.
For deer hunters, water is the gift of life. Most experienced hunters carry at least two canteens of water. This is especially helpful if you have to pack out a buck in this heat. Hunters are also required to use nonlead ammunition. This rule applies to all types of hunting, not just for deer.
The Mendocino National Forest from Upper Lake to Lake Pillsbury should draw most of the hunters. Hunters are being advised to check with the Mendocino National Forest headquarters because there may be closures in certain areas because of the Ranch and River fires two years ago.
Typically the game wardens and forest rangers will validate about 10 deer tags from the national forest on the opening weekend. A successful hunter must fill out the deer tag and have it validated.
There is a high fire danger warning in the national forest and care must be used throughout the forest. Only campfires in designated campgrounds are allowed.
Hunters should tell someone where they plan to hunt and when they will return. That should include the description and license number of your vehicle. In fact, I recommend writing the information down on a piece of paper and leaving it with your spouse or a close friend. This simple little act could save your life if something goes wrong.
Fishing
Fishermen also will be out in force this weekend. There are no major tournaments scheduled on Clear Lake but there are several club tournaments along with plenty of recreational fishing going on. Overall the bass fishing on Clear Lake remains excellent. Most of the fishermen report catching from 15-40 bass per day. The bass are ranging in size from a pound to 5 pounds, with an occasional 8-pounder.
The most productive method is drop-shotting a plastic worm. White spinner baits are also catching fish as are jigs and Senkos. The entire lake is producing decent numbers of fish. A few anglers are having success using topwater lures late in the evening and early in the mornings.
Other lakes
A great fishing excursion would be a trip to Indian Valley Reservoir. The few fishermen who have made the trip report the fishing is unbelievable for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Fishermen are being cautioned to be careful when launching their boats. The ramp at the south end of the lake is not in great shape and it takes a four-wheel drive to pull your boat out. The best bet is to use a kayak, which can be launched with no trouble.
Trout action at Upper Blue Lake has slowed with only a few anglers catching fish. The good news is the trout being caught have all been nice-sized. The lake hasn’t been stocked in several weeks.
Tournaments
There is still no word coming from bass tournament organizers if they will or when they will schedule a trip to Clear Lake. The closing of Konocti Vista Casino’s marina facilities to bass tournaments beginning Aug. 15 caught them all by surprise and they are scrambling to find other locations.
