By every stretch the Lake County Chamber of Commerce annual bass tournament was a huge success. Chamber CEO Laura McAndrews Sammel was assisted by the staff of American Bass who did a fantastic job. The weigh-in went fast and the bass were kept out of the water only a very short time. What was really neat was that a husband-wife team won the tournament. Hopefully this will result in more women getting involved in bass tournament and just fishing.
A lot of fish were caught and hot bait has been a swimbait in the 6-inch size. Plastic worms rigged along a split-shot were effective. LV500s crankbaits fished yo-yo style have also been effective. Live jumbo minnows have also been effective. The trick to success is to keep on the move until you locate fish. This is where the new electronics come into play. They can spot a bass suspended at a depth of 15 feet. The other major factor in success are the new trolling motors that are electronically controlled.
The bass should start moving into the shallows and staging for spawning. This year there should be some huge bass on the beds. Some of the better areas have been the rockpiles in the south end of the lake and off Clearlakes Oaks. Actually, bass are being caught all the way out to the middle of the lake.
Catfishermen are already gearing up for the annual Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven annul catfish derby that is scheduled for May 15-17. The derby should draw approximately 1,000 fishermen from throughout the country. The entry fee is $50 per adult and $10 for a child under the age of 15. It is one of the largest catfish derbies in the country.
Crappie action has been holding steady with many of the crappie fishermen catching up to 50 fish per day. The hot area continues to be off Clearlake Oaks. The shores of the Clear Like State Park has been producing a few crappie for the shore anglers.
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 the trout.
Turkey hunters open their spring hunting season on March 30 and it goes until May 5 and the season looks good in the county. The season runs through Most of the hunters hunt private land where getting permission to hunt is no problem. Wild turkeys can be found in the Mendocino Nation 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. The hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until 5 p.m. Also only nonlead 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 back roads and stop and call, sooner or later you will hear a gobble and you can setup and call in the turkey.
Be sure and let someone know where you will be hunting and take your cell phone. A few years ago I was hunting turkeys in the nation forest and was driving on a back road when I came across a vehicle broke down with two elderly gentlemen. I stopped to help them and they told me that they had been there for two days and that I was the first person to come by.
