I caught up with Tami Curtis (Tami on Tour) again up at Oroville and she, Mike Folkestad, Chris Ricci and the rest of the field conclude their pre-fish period today.
“Today (Tuesday) we checked in on a few of Folkestad’s hot spots that he is considering fishing for the tourney,” she said. “We pulled up to a spot, he catches one or will just guide a fish to the edge of the boat, shakes it off…then we are off to the next spot. We did this on an off throughout the day.” (more…)
I said I was going to be at Lake Elsinore this morning so I guess I have to report back.
Hmm. What can I tell you? Had a very nice morning of Road Runner action while fishing with new friends David Knight and Andy Peterson of Corona…just came up short on black bass. (Still the trip produced career first crappie and wiper for David.)
Yes, that darn Jimmy Houston is right, “Everything bites ‘em.” We ended up with the pictured 6-pound wiper, 3 channel cats, 2 carp (honest-in-the-mouthers) and seven slabs, mostly from the south end and all before noon.
Yes, we know where the bass are, but I promised a couple of lads who are fishing a club tournament this weekend that I wouldn’t reveal the key area. But I will say this, the fish are still biting.
Anyway, tomorrow is a new day, and I plan to spend it at Irvine Lake.
While many of us will come up with a personal or code name for productive little places we fish, there are some waters that feature location/landmark names that have endured–sometimes for decades. For those who travel across the Southland (pulling their clean and dry rigs) these spots will continue from generation to generation–if we remember them.
I have deliberately left off “Outhouse Cove,” but I’ve gathered up several others from the list of those spot names here. And so not to make it impossible for anglers from different regions, I’ve also scrambled a list of lakes where these “spots” can be found.
Can you match ‘em up?
A. Sugarloaf
B. Tree Hole
C. Bobcat or Jaguar Tree
D. State Park Point (Palm Tree Point)
E. Bomber Ledge
F. Red Clay Cliffs
G. Rocky Point
H. Murphy’s Rock(s)
The choices include: Isabella, Elsinore, Wohlford, Piru, Irvine, Henshaw, El Capitan & Castaic. Not enough lakes? Too many lakes? Maybe some lakes have spots with the same names as other lakes. What the hey.
Go ahead and take a shot!
This morning’s visit to El Capitan in San Diego County was Chamber of Commerce quality–the lake high and rising–and just four trailers in the lot when we launched.
Kelly Salmans, unable to find anyone else to fish with, hosted me on the new, old favorite reservoir. The rise in the lake level, of course, is not due to rainfall and runoff, but rather it’s getting water from nearby San Vicente Lake which is being lowered to begin work on raising its dam.
El Cap is on its summer schedule, which means some likely quiet Mondays. We found water temperature between 64 and as high as 73 (more…)
Since Paul Johnson penned “The Scientific Angler” back in the 1980′s, I think the point of most conversation on hooks has been the point. And I won’t even think about arguing the need for the best penetration you can get (combined with balanced tackle and good technique).
But the point is only part of the hook and the more I use a Carolina rig on light line, the more I sense the need for using a hook with other properties as well. In particular, when I fish a leadered, long shank hook in a weedless fashion, I want some characteristics that, yes, hold the worm in place, but, no, do not require a new worm for every fish.
Pictured are some great hooks (more…)
The next couple of weeks are going to be busy ones. First, I’ll travel south to make some casts at El Capitan on Monday, then west to the OC’s brim full Irvine Lake and then pick back up with the “Tami on Tour” daily segments with co-angler Tami Curtis and her traveling mates (Mike Folkestad, Duane Dunstone and Chris Ricci) as they fish the Stren Series at Lake Oroville.
There should be plenty of stories to tell.
The following week I will join the DFG for a night of electro-fishing and population study at Lake Elsinore and cap that week as a guest (with Elsinore city officials) on Ronnie Kovach’s Radio Fishing University, May 23 on AM 830 (5-7 a.m.) The latter will precede the first airing of “The Sercret of Lake Elsinore,” on Kovach’s TV show, Fishing Ventures, on FSN, May 24…. This Sunday, Mother’s Day, Elsinore will also be included in three-destination Best Western Fishing Getaway Show, also on FOX, at 9:30 a.m.
So yeah, we’ll be doing some stuff.
Or can you? For some who lived it. Some who analyzed it. Some who researched it. And some who flat guessed, my thanks to all who participated in today’s San Diego bass fishing history lesson/quiz.
Needless to say, long before there were “iron rangers” or float tubes and sometime following the old 10 horsepower limit on the City Lakes and even the statewide $200 ceiling on tournament prizes, San Diego was once the western hub of bass fishing in the U.S.
So which lake/angler combination was out of place? (more…)
Before the Internet and bass fishing videos, much of the information about catching bass was carried personally to the West by the most famous names in the sport. From 1969 to 1985, (some may consider the area’s Golden Age of bass fishing) many of the sport’s biggest names came to San Diego to preach new ways of catching bass or to sample the reservoirs whose reputations were just spreading nationwide.
But not everyone came. Of the following match-ups, one did not actually occur. Can you tell me which one? Maybe an original San Diego Bassmasters or Pisces Bass Club member would know the answer. I’ve got more Jackall Flick Shake worms and tungsten Wacky jigs (yeah, baby) if you know. Check the match-ups:
A. Lower Otay–Gary Klein (28-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier)
B. San Vicente–Roland Martin (8-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year)
C. Lake Murray–Ray Scott (founder of B.A.S.S.)
D. Lake Henshaw–Buck Perry (‘Father of structure fishing’/inventor Spoon Plug)
F. El Capitan–Bill Dance (B.A.S.S. champion and TV fisherman)
Which one is out of place? (Or should we wait ’til everyone’s home from work?)
In my line of work, I hear way more fish stories than I care to admit. In fact, when I hear some of the mistakes guys make, I think somebody needs to give them a good whack.
But when I tell a fish story, it sounds even worse. Today the white Road Runner was mowing ‘em down: all post-spawners feeding anywhere from one foot down to maybe 8 feet. And most of them I was handling on 6-pound Max with a 10-pound AbrazX leader.
But then I got the big bite. The fish was so shallow, I can’t believe I didn’t see it moving around in there. But instead of rushing out to deep water like it was supposed to, (more…)
Gary Klein, former Oroville, Calif. resident, was 16 years old when I first competed against him. So many years later, he’s made what? 28 Bassmasters Classic trips, earned B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year honors, and remains in the upper crust of the Elite Series professionals.
Yet, while I’ve spent many, many hours in the boat with him all across the country, it’s not so much what he has done that impresses me, but rather what he expects of himself—and along the way—what he expects of me as a fisherman.
He wants perfection.
Of course, perfection, is a tall order. But short of that, he wants to see constant improvement in a very competitive sport.
“Where I see anglers are at fault,” he said rather matter of factly, (more…)