Recreation

What a beautiful morning greeted me as I arrived to open the shop at 6 a.m. Friday. The air was cool and crisp right around the 50-degree mark. The air is clear and there was a calm breeze taking the stillness off the air. It looks like our HOT days are behind us – for now – and we’ll be into some cooler 90 degree-ish days. The fishing is so-so, but the conditions are wonderful to be enjoying a few days on the lake.

The main question we hear now on the phone is “How’s the water level?” Well, we’re just a smidge above the mean for this time of year. What that means, essentially, is that there is still plenty of water in our lake. Use caution in the shallow areas or around rocky areas. Launching large boats is still going quite smoothly at Redbud Park.

Let’s first talk about the bass … Anglers are finding top water success in the early morning hours from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30/8 a.m. Zara Spooks, Poppers, Frogs and small spinner baits have all been doing well.

After the early bite drops off, the bass are moving deep. Fish the 18- to 25-foot depth with jigs for the best bite on artificials. Purple is taking the top honors for jig and/or trailer color. For a twist, try drop shotting a night crawler or live minnow. You’ll have a whole lot of fun! Drop shotting live bait in deep water midday is an excellent approach to fishing through the slowest times.

I just had one of my regular crappie anglers report on Friday morning that he’s catching some nice slabs up around a resort in the Nice/Lucerne area. This is the first crappie report I’ve had all week. It’s not exactly enough to pin a report on but, alas, it does encourage me. Deeper water is the name of the game.

Catfish are still cooperating nicely. Deep water, shallow water, in-between water – the depth doesn’t seem to matter all that much. What comes up this week are the large schools of baitfish being spotted in some areas. Consensus has it that you should stay away from the areas heavily impacted by baitfish. The bite is just not happening where the catfish are full-up on the tiny tasties.

And that brings us around to talk of our next CatFest event … Set some time aside on Saturday, Aug. 23 to join us for a barbecue, our very own homegrown Fishing Olympic Games, and an evening of group fishing for whiskerfish.

Pre-register (so we can plan the food) at Lakeshore Bait and Tackle. Ten bucks gets you dinner, covers the game prizes and entry into the big fish pool. (There will be a pool for the angler with the biggest, meanest, gnarlyest catfish at 11 p.m.) Hope you’ll bring a boat load of buddies and join us for some good fun.

Bob Rider owns Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. Visit his Web site at www.994fish.com or call him at 994-FISH (3474).

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CLEAR LAKE STATE PARK – "How Birds Eat," an award-winning 37-minute DVD by Dr. Ron Goor, will be featured starting at 1:30 p.m. and repeating throughout the afternoon on Saturday, Aug. 9 in the visitor center auditorium at Clear Lake State Park.

"How Birds Eat" provides a window into how birds survive, how they play a vital role in the food chain and help ensure the delicate and complex balance of animals and plants. It is a film for all ages that allows close up observation not found elsewhere.

Also, take time to enjoy a stroll through the center’s natural history museum, from woodlands to wetlands, and inspect new items in the gift shop while visiting with the docent staff. Check out the model of the Education Pavilion, a near future addition to your park.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, wear your walking shoes and meet recently retired park ranger Val Nixon at 8:30 a.m. at the visitor center ramp for a guided walk along the new boardwalk trail. She will focus on the flora and fauna that is on hand and discuss their interdependence and uses by the California Indians.

For the younger set, Junior Ranger programs for children 7 to 12 will be 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at the visitor center through Labor Day weekend.

The visitor center is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no entrance fee to the park for participating in walks, programs or visiting the museum.

 

For further information please call 279-2267.

 

Clear Lake State Park is located at 5300 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The National Forests in northern California have seen their share of wildfires this season. With deer hunting season beginning in Northern California, hunters are curious to find out if their favorite hunting spots will be open, if they are currently accessible for scouting expeditions and how the fires have affected the landscape.

Forest Service officials are working closely with California Department of Fish and Game to provide timely and accurate dissemination of information on forest road and area closures and current conditions.

Firefighting officials expect that it will be the middle of August before some fires within the Klamath, Mendocino, Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forests are contained. The growth potential for these fires is still considered extreme, and the rugged landscape makes it difficult for fire suppression.

A map of fire closure areas, along with the associated closure order, can be found at any of the four National Forest Web sites: Klamath, www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath; Mendocino, www.fs.fed.us/r5/mendocino; Six Rivers, www.fs.fed.us/r5/sixrivers; Shasta-Trinity, www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity.

Closures can change daily, and hunters should periodically check the Web site for the forest in which they expect to hunt.

Information related to conditions for tag refunds/exchanges is available online at the California Department of Fish and Game Web site: www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/deer/fire.html.

 

Hunters must apply for the refund prior to the opening of the earliest season in their zone. In most cases this is archery season; however, check season dates for confirmation.

 

If the public wish to request a different tag, the request must be made prior to the opening of the zone you are requesting a new tag in and the zone for which your original tag was issued. Additionally, there must be tags available in the requested zone.

No refunds will be issued after the start of early seasons for that zone.

Forest Service officials are hesitant to make any promises about when the forests will rescind fire closure orders.

“It’s just too early to tell. Fire suppression activities are affected by numerous factors, and even after the fire is contained it may not be safe for the public to enter the area,” said Mendocino National Forest

Supervisor Tom Contreras. “We will only open the areas when we are confident that there will be no risk to human life and safety.”

District Ranger Eduardo Olmedo of the Grindstone Ranger District warns that “conditions in a burned forest change constantly so don’t let buck fever diminish your common sense. Be alert, be aware, and be safe.”

There are several key items to keep in mind when hunting, horseback riding, or walking in an area that has recently burned. Hazards may include:

• Ash and needles on trails and footpaths can make for slippery conditions.

• Burned-out stump holes make the general forest floor weak and unstable.

• Unstable dead trees can be especially hazardous in windy conditions when they can fall suddenly.

• Loose rocks and logs can create rolling debris.

• Flash flooding and mud flows may be common in areas without vegetation.

Take proper safety precautions before you leave and when you arrive at your destination.

• Check the weather forecast before you leave.

• Assess current weather conditions in the forest.

• Let someone know where you are and your itinerary.

• Locate your camp away from burned trees.

Visitors are reminded to remain on authorized roads. The forest maps showing National Forest Roads, trails and areas designated for public motor vehicle use are available at all Forest Service offices. Please contact your local National Forest office for more information and closure updates.

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