Holiday week means busy roads, busy campsites

We're now into the second major summer holiday of the year and while predictions that holiday traffic will be down a little, the roads are still expected to be choked to just about every point near and far.While some people are planners, others seem to be just born procrastinators. If you had any hopes of traveling, especially camping, hopefully you made your reservations to your favorite getaway spot long ago. Popular lakes are expected to be totally full. But that doesn't mean you still can't find some place to park your R.V. or pitch a tent.If you're headed to Lake Camanche you'll need to have made reservations. Day use is unlimited but don't look for any overnight possibilities unless you have reservations.Even nearby Folsom and Camp Far West lakes should be full to the brim with people staying, their available campsites totally full. At least at Camp Far West, you can also camp outside the designated areas without benefit of any hookups, including water.There's no question that summer has set in and many holiday travelers will be looking for areas to beat the heat. Greatest areas will be the upper elevation areas of the Sierra and along the coast. Large, organized camp areas such as Doran Park at Bodega should be totally filled by reservations long ago. However, there are camp areas along Highway 1, without benefit of any utilities, that you can set up a camp.Good way to beat the heat.What must be remembered is not every campground that accepts reservations fill out every single campsite. A certain percentage of those campsites are set aside for first-come, first-served.That means if you get to your favorite getaway spot early enough, you could still find a space available. The caveat is the spaces left open for first-come, first-serve are the least ideal campsites, generally nearer roadways and with less shade.Or, at the last minute, if you all of a sudden decide you want to make a getaway for a couple of days, you could pick a place less traveled, less popular, and still easily find a place to park your vehicle or put up your tent.A day trip to the delta region should be a good bet. With nighttime temperatures become much more temperate, an evening on the water loading up on catfish is a good bet. Just be sure to have plenty of mosquito repellant along, repellant with a high percentage of the ingredient DEET.One of our favorite areas this time of year is French Meadows Reservoir. The later it gets in the year, the less traffic this lake seems to receive. There are two main campgrounds on each side of the lake, which both provide easy foot access to the water.Each side also has their own boat ramps but don't take a large boat. Small boats are much more appropriate at this waterway.At French Meadows Reservoir, we learned to leave the boat at home as we have found the shore fishing to be downright good, both early mornings and late afternoons. While the brown trout will grab a night crawler, you'll find salmon eggs off a sliding sinker rig to be a top offering for the rainbows. It's one place where they don't seem to want any color or flavor of Power Bait.One of the top areas to fish from shore is where the stream enters the lake. Just about anywhere around the mouth you can do quite well with limits really the rule.Or, we'll park at the trailhead on the back side of the lake and hike the trail for about a half a mile towards the pack-in Poppy Campground, and fish a point off a big cove. Get there early in the morning and generally by noon you'll have your limit.Hell Hole Reservoir isn't too far away and can also provide good trolling for big rainbows and an occasional brown trout. The official campground isn't that close to the lake but some do pitch a tent and dry camp at the lake, or boat-in to the campground at the upper end.Wherever you plan on going for the Fourth of July holiday, just know that there will be many water recreationists on the water – jet skiers, water skiers, and swimmers – all wanting to do and enjoy what you enjoy. Fishing success is many areas will be reduced simply because of all the other traffic.Just sit back and enjoy the holiday weekend. Have fun.Any questions, comments or concerns, contact George at GeorgesColumn@aol.com.