For most of the boating salmon fishermen, the season outside the Golden Gate and most of the coast opens Saturday.

Each year we are encouraged by early reports of plenty of bait and radar sightings of salmon everywhere. We are optimistic, and many of the experts are predicting a good season. Good luck.

Delta Pumps may be shut down

Because of the Delta Smelt, the Delta Pumps may be shut down in 50 days. The courts have so ruled and now we will see if it happens. The Delta Pumps have been responsible for sucking in thousands of small stripers and sending them along with our water down south to L.A.

Now the little Delta Smelt may do what we can’t.  It will be a crucial time for striper if the pumps are shut down for a while.

 Turkey opener

 We found lots of turkey on the ranch we were hunting, but it doesn’t take them long to get smart. Up early, my son Guy and I arrived at the ranch before 6 a.m., and he set up by an old oak tree near where the birds fly down. 

I found a spot down below next to a vineyard. Guy hunts with a bow and wanted to get a big tom. Lots of calling told us birds were nearby, and we had to wait them out.

 After flying down, the birds were calling and feeding. Later I was to find out that five gobblers flew down and then walked within 15 feet of the oak tree where Guy was sitting all in camouflage.

They were all small jakes, yearling gobblers with one-inch beards. He decided to wait for a big, old tom.

I was waiting over a half hour after the birds flew down until some hens started working the vineyard about 50 yards from me.

I called a few times, and a tom answered on the ridge above me. I called again; he answered and started toward my decoy.

 Finally I could see him through the tree branches, and he was moving toward me with two other toms. The first bird came into view 20 yards away, but he saw me and clucked an alarm. The other two birds kept coming, and only one walked away.

I got my first bird of the season, one with a seven-inch beard.

He will be good to eat. Later Guy showed up, and we compared stories. Guy did get a shot off an hour later in a different spot, but the bird was lucky. We will try again during the week and again on Easter Sunday morning.

It was good to feel healthy enough to hike around and enjoy the hunt, from watching the sun come up to listening to the birds and enjoying all the smells and sounds of this beautiful spring day in the Napa Valley. Life is good.

From early reports from six local hunters, they all saw gobblers and four of the six got their bird. Four were hunting on public lands and two on private ranches.

Bill Wolf

We will all miss you, Bill Wolf, your wit and great stories.

When I arrived in Napa, Bill was the first to invite me over to hike to Lake Marie, before Skyline Park existed.

Bill always had a joke to tell, and cared about everybody. Napa lost another special person.

Fishing

This is it, the prime weeks of the spring for bass fishing. Private ponds are finding bass on the beds.

Clear Lake and Berryessa are kicking out bass.

Recent bass tournaments at Clear Lake showed hundreds of bass in the 4- to 10-pound class all being caught.

Many of these fish are in the beginning stages of spawning. This good action should last about 3 or 4 weeks.

On lakes like Berryessa and Clear Lake, if you can, fish Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and get away from the weekend pressure.

For some in Napa, getting in a late afternoon trip before sundown and after work can be profitable.

Outdoors columnist George Carl can be reached at gcarl@sbcglobal.net.