Fishermen and hunters will be out in force this weekend as the recent warm weather has turned on the bass action and comes just in time for the start of the spring wild turkey season Saturday.
As last weekend’s Wild West Tournament showed, the bass fishing has begun to pick up and it should only get better. The other good news is some large bass are being caught. This past week several fishermen reported catching 8-pound-plus fish. NewJen is holding a team tournament Saturday with the weigh-in beginning at 3 p.m. at Library Park in Lakeport.
The hot bait has been a swimbait in the 6-inch size. Plastic worms rigged along a split-shot also have been effective. LV500s crankbaits fished yo-yo style and live jumbo minnows are also working well. The trick to success is to keep on the move until you locate fish. This is where the new electronics on bass boats come into play as they can spot a bass suspended in the water at a depth of 15 feet. Electronically-controlled trolling motors also give the fisherman a helping hand.
It won’t be long until the bass start moving into the shallows where they’ll begin staging for spawning. There should be some huge bass on the beds this year. Some of the better areas have been the rockpiles in the south end of the lake and off Clearlake Oaks. Actually, bass are being caught all the way out to the middle of the lake.
Catfish derby
Catfishermen are gearing up for the annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven annul catfish derby scheduled for May 13-15. The derby should draw approximately 1,000 fishermen from throughout the country. The entry fee is $50 per adult and $10 for a child younger than 15. It is one of the largest catfish derbies in the country.
Other fish
Crappie action has been holding steady and many fishermen are catching up to 25 fish per day. The hot area continues to be off Clearlake Oaks. The shoreline at Clear Like State Park has been producing a few crappie as well.
Blue Lake
Trout action continues to be rated from fair to good at Upper Blue Lake. The lake was scheduled to be stocked this week. Both boaters and shore fishermen have been catching fish.
Turkey season
Turkey hunters open their spring hunting season Saturday and the outlook is pretty encouraging. The season runs through May 1. Most hunters hunt private land where getting permission is no problem. Wild turkeys can be found in the Mendocino National Forest, at Highland Springs and at Cache Creek. The limit in one per day and three for the season. Only turkeys with a visible beard may be taken. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until 5 p.m. Only non-lead shot may be used.
The Mendocino National Forest is a good choice for hunting turkeys. The best area is from Elk Mountain to Lake Pillsbury. Drive the backroads and stop and call. Sooner or later you will hear a gobble and you can set up and call in the turkey.
Be sure and let someone know where you will be hunting and take your cell phone just in case of an emergency. A few years ago I was hunting turkeys in the national forest and was driving on a backroad where I came across a broken down vehicle with two elderly gentlemen. I stopped to help them and they told me they had been there for two days and I was the first person to come along.
