Recreation
- Details
- Written by: Betty Strach
Although free, the value of the life that may be saved by taking advantage of a vessel safety check is priceless.
Vessel safety checks are conducted by qualified members of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and are the best way of learning about problems that might be a violation of state or federal laws, as well as providing the boating public with additional safety tips that could possibly mitigate danger on the water.
With the Memorial Day weekend – the traditional start of the recreational boating season – just around the corner, now is a great time for all boaters from kayakers and jet skiers to year-round recreational boaters to take advantage of a free vessel safety check.
Now is also a great time to take advantage of one of the many boating safety courses offered by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and become acquainted or reacquainted with basic boating skills, seamanship and the most current rules and regulations that may also save a life or prevent an accident.
Contact Betty Strach for either a complimentary vessel exam or boating safety class, 928-9811; for questions about joining the US Coast Guard Auxiliary Auxiliary contact, Rich Thomas, 489-0466.
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Editor
The event, hosted by Shannon Ridge, and titled the Shannon Ridge Showdown, will take place in Clearlake Oaks Oct. 18 and 19.
"We are always happy to work with organizations that share our passion and vision for health and wellness," said Tammi Silva of the Lakeside Wellness Foundation & Center and the Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
Shannon Ridge proprietor Clay Shannon shares the sentiment and is “excited about Sutter Health’s commitment to the Lake County community and events that promote a healthy lifestyle.”
The Shannon Ridge Showdown Ultra-Endurance race will be a 16-hour competition and the course itself is approximately 7.5 miles in length with over 1,700 feet of climbing per lap. The course route is a combination of single track, double track, fire access roads and vineyard rows.
This is the first time that a USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra Endurance Calendar series race course has included vineyards as part of the course route. The race and course is designed, promoted and directed by endurance racers. Ultra-Endurance racing is one the fastest growing forms of mountain bike racing.
The race will begin in front of the Shannon Ridge tasting room on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 and will end at 8 a.m. on Oct. 19 in the mountain vineyards directly across from the home of winery owners Clay and Margarita Shannon.
A USA Cycling Mountain Bike race license is required to compete. Registration closes Oct. 11 or when racer limit is reached (300 racers maximum).
More information about the race and registration can be found at www.shannonridgeshowdown.com or by contacting Rick Gunier at
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Warmer weather is in store for us as the weather guessers have us near 80 all weekend long with 40s and 50s at night. That should help us get the water temp up to the mid 50s and signal a huge swing for the bass bite. Here are your detailed species reports.
Bass anglers are chomping at the bit for stable warm weather to arrive – and it looks like it might be arriving. The “spring bite” that we all look forward to has been on again, off again as our weather has remained on the cool side for some time now.
Looking back at the last string of nice weather (a month or so ago now) the bite blew wide open before clamming up again when the temps bottomed out. I suspect that we’ll see a strong jumbo minnow bite get going right off the bat, followed by a sound bite on plastics, spinner baits, and swim baits. We’re seeing a lot of bass staging in the 10- to 20-foot depth, but know that they should be moving right on in to tule depth as the water warms into the weekend.
Crappie anglers are also feeling the cool down a bit, but should likewise experience a boost in activity with warmer weather creating warmer water. Look for crappie in the back of coves, sloughs, and along shoreline tule beds. The name of the game this year is shallow water. Minnows are first to get bit, but mini jigs should kick into gear too as the weekend wears on.
Catfishermen are gearing up for the annual Catfish Derby to be held May 16, 17 and 18. Frozen shad are popular this year as the lake isn’t inundated with them like last year. Mackerel and jumbo minnows are also strong baits for big cats. With the wind settling down, we should be able to get some good drifts in at our favorite catfish holes. (Bass Alley is a favorite, so is Wheeler Point.)
For drifting, use a half-ounce weight on one leg of a three-way swivel with about a 10-inch drop. Use light line (6#) for tying your drop so you can break off the weight if it hangs – you won’t have to re-tie your rig as often. Add your favorite bait to a 3-foot leader (14 - 17#) on another leg with a large (4/0) octopus hook. Tie the remaining leg of the swivel to your main line. I like this rig because of the sensitivity it has to soft bites and it drifts really well without hanging too often. Give it a try.
Bob Rider owns Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. Visit his Web site at www.994fish.com or call him at 994-FISH (3474).
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
- Details
- Written by: Lake County News Reports
As of Tuesday, April 8, all boats launching in Lake County waters must undergo a permit process before launching. This permit is good for the remainder of the year.
When you come into the county, stop by one of the tackle shops, fill out the form, attach your sticker to the boat and go fishing.
The process is a simple risk factor assessment, NOT a rigorous inspection of every boat. If your boat doesn’t flag the risk factors, you get a sticker and you’re good to go. If your boat IS at risk, then we’ll be looking at it to ensure you’re not inadvertently carrying these pests into our waterways. This falls under the “ounce of prevention” category with minimal inconvenience to the boating public.
The key is this: Clean, drain and dry your boat when you come out of ANY body of water. Our sticker program is temporary until the inbound check stations are open on the four major routes into the county. Once they are open, then all boats coming into the county will swing through for a quick check (like the agriculture stations are doing at the state line). Until then, one sticker is all you need.
If you take the boat home and use it elsewhere, then the hope is that you’ve learned about the evils of bringing bad stuff our way and you’ll do the right thing by cleaning, draining and drying your boat. If you’ve got questions about the program, give us a quick call at 707-994-FISH (3474).
OK, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the fishing. The weather has been up and down with 60s and 70s during the day, mid and upper 30s at night, and plenty of wind to make things difficult. Add to that hundreds of boats on the water with two very large bass tournaments over the last two weeks, and you’ve got yourself a bass bite that’s just a bit ho-hum.
The water temp is in the upper 50s to low 60s but isn’t really gaining much ground – largely due to our cool nights. The bass are being found from two feet to twenty feet. We’re anxiously awaiting the onset of consistently warm weather (both day and night) to really kick things into high gear for the spring spawn. Here are the reports.
The bass are a bit spooky. They’ll look at your bait – or maybe even follow it for a while – and simply turn away without a bite. Jumbo minnows are getting the most action – as it typical when conditions are as they are.
But even so, you have to pay attention to what your bait is doing and work the minnow to help induce a reaction bite once in a while. One angler just described to me this scene: He’s fishing in clear water and can see down several feet. He watches a 4-pound bass swim up to his minnow and give it the eye. The minnow is nonplussed by the presence of the predator but does nothing. They sit like this for a while – bass glaring at minnow in clear water.
The angler “popped” the minnow with a jerk of his rod tip and the bass pounds it. An interesting lesson in minnow fishing … For the tournament guys, or those just sticking with artificial baits, we’re seeing some key baits at work. Senkos fished weightless, Finesse Worms either on Shaky Head or Drop Shot methods, Brush Hogs on Texas or Carolina Rigs, Spinner Baits, and the beginnings of a swim bait bite.
I’ve been writing about the Maverick hand-poured baits a lot lately – well, that trend continues. They remain my best selling swim baits and are selling out nearly as fast as I can stock ‘em on the shelves. These baits are soft and supple, swim great, are easy to rig and reasonably priced. Better yet, they’re catching fish!
Crappie anglers are delighted with the onset of a pretty solid bite around the lake. We’re getting reports that the coves and creeks are all producing well for anglers working live baits. Clearlake Oaks Keys, Anderson Marsh, Austin Park (by the creek), state park and a few other spots are noteworthy this week.
Also, Tony and Ken are reporting in from Indian Beach Resort with good news of crappie being taken from their docks during the evening and nighttime hours. And again, this isn’t the ridiculous wide-open bite we experienced over the course of the last couple of years, but a more reasonable (and sustainable) fish-for-your-limit kind of bite. Minnows, mini-jigs, wax worms and night crawlers have all been in the mix this week.
Catfish anglers are starting to talk about the up and coming Catfish Derby – which returns to Clear Lake next month. Frozen shad and mackerel seem to be the baits of choice this week for the big cats. The winds have been much too high for most boaters to drift so the best reports are coming from shore anglers along Cache Creek.
Bob Rider owns Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. Visit his Web site at www.994fish.com or call him at 994-FISH (3474).
{mos_sb_discuss:2}
How to resolve AdBlock issue?