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Jay Yelas moves from 7th into 4th in part because of a good finish (16th) at Seminole. Kelly Jordon jumps the most out of anyone in the Top 10, from 10th to 5th, thanks in part to two Top 20 finishes in a row. Gary Klein moves back into the Top 10 at 9th, aided by his win at Seminole. Rick Clunn and Aaron Martens drop a few more places because they have not finished high so far this season. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, Mark Davis Mt. Ida, AR Clark Wendlandt Cedar Park, TX, Jay Yelas Tyler, TX., Kelly Jordon Mineola, TX., Bud Pruitt Spring, TX., Mike Wurm Hot Springs, AR Larry Nixon Bee Branch, AR Gary Klein Weatherford, TX Alton Jones Waco, TX Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX Brent Chapman Shawnee, KS Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL Keith Green Arkadelphia, AR, David Walker Sevierville, TN Aaron Martens Castaic, CA Paul L. Elias Pachuta, MS Rick Clunn Ava, MO David Fritts Lexington, NC Pat Fisher Stone Mntn., GA Craig Powers Rockwood, John Sappington Wyandotte, OK Gerald Swindle Hayden, AL Joel G. Richardson Kernersville, NC Roland Martin Clewiston, FL Dean Rojas Grand Saline, Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL, Gary Yamamoto Mineola, TX Todd Auten Gastonia, NC Davy Hite Prosperity, SC Takahiro Omori Emory, TX Mickey Bruce Buford, GA Dustin Wilks Raleigh, NC Kevin Wirth Crestwood, KY., Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK Michael Iaconelli Woodbury Hts., NJ Chris Baumgardner Gastonia, NC Kotaro Kiriyama New Milford, NJ Skeet Reese Auburn, CA David Dudley Lynchburg, VA Randy Blaukat Lamar, MO Scott Rook Little Rock, AR Peter E. Thliveros Jacksonville, FL Guido Hibdon Gravois Mills, MO Koby Kreiger Osceola, IN Dan Morehead Paducah, KY Rob Kilby Hot Springs, AR Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR Greg Hackney Oak Ridge, LA Randy Howell Trussville, AL Tom Mann Jr. Buford, GA George Cochran Hot Springs, AR Bill Chapman Salt Rock, WV John Murray Phoenix, AZ Mark Menendez Paducah, KY David Wharton Sam Rayburn, TX David Dudley Lynchburg, VA Chuck Economou Redington Bch., FL Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, NC., Dion Hibdon Stover, MO Dale Teaney Williamsburg, OH Andy Morgan Dayton, TN Wes Thomas Hanover, IN Marty Stone Linden, NC Jimmy Millsaps Canton, GA Edwin Evers Mannsville, OK., Tommy Martin Hemphill, TX Keith Williams Conway, AR Mickey Bruce Buford, GA Zell Rowland Montgomery, TX Jim Tutt Longview, TX Curt Lytle Suffolk, VA Wesley Strader Spring City, TN., Kenyon Hill Norman, OK Sam Newby Pocola, OK Ben Matsubu Mineola, TX Denny Brauer Camdenton, MO Carl Maxfield Summerville, SC Wesley Strader Spring City, TN Kim Stricker Howell, MI Shaw E. Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL Pete Gluszek Franklinville, NJ Jim Bitter Fruitland Park, FL Dalton Bobo Northport, AL Dwayne Horton Knoxville, TN Mark Rose Marion, AR Dan Morehead Paducah, KY Alvin Shaw State Road, NC Donald Eaton Covington, GA Randall Hutson Washburn, MO Ishama Monroe Phoenix, AZ Allen Armour Norcross, GA Frank Ipploiti Mt. Airy, MD Johnny McCombs Mount Olive, AL Chris Daniels Clayton, NC Cody Bird Granbury, TX Ron Shuffield Bismarck, AR Anthony Gagliardi Prosperity, SC Darrel Robertson Jay, OK., Rick Lillegard Atkinson, NH Mark Pack Mineola, TX Joe Thomas Milford, OH Andre Moore Scottsdale, AZ Mike Auten Benton, KY Stacey D. King Reeds Spring, MO., J.T. Kenney Frostburg, MD Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK Steve Daniel Clewiston, FL Brian Snowden Springfield, MO O.T. Fears III Sallisaw, OK Jim Moynagh Carver, MN Mike Surman Boca Raton, FL Shad Schenck Waynetown, IN Terry Bolton Jr. Paducah, KY Kevin Vida Clare, MI Chip Harrison Jr. Bremen, IN Randy Alexander London, KY Jack L. Wade Knoxville, TN Joel Baker Talala, OK Guy H. Eaker Cherryville, NC Elton Luce Jr. Nederland, TX David Smith Del City, OK Charlie Youngers Oviedo, FL Roger Crafton Boca Grande, Terry Baksay Monroe, CT Dwayne Horton Knoxville, TN Ricky Shumpert Lexington, SC Jeffrey Thomas Broadway, NC Tony Couch Buckhead, GA Marty Fourkiller Cyril, OK Rick Gasaway Kennesaw, GA Scott Martin Clewiston, FL., Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 134 Chad Brauer Osage Beach, MO Mike Hicks Richmond, VA 51.442 136 Sam Swett Covington, LA 51.205 137 Terry Segraves Kissimmee, FL 50.926 138 Jack A. Gadlage Logandale, NV 50.743 139 Tom Burns Carbondale, IL 50.679 140 Mark Rizk Redding, CA 50.484 141 Chet Douthit Clewiston, FL 50.362 142 Kelley Williamson Purdy, MO 50.014 143 Lee Bailey, Jr. Amston, CT 49.991 144 Sandy Melvin Boca Grande, FL 49.812 145 Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 48.961 146 Ken Cook Meers, OK 48.600 147 Ken Strickland Oak Ridge, NC 48.418 148 Mark Pack Mineola, TX 48.349 149 Jim Carnell Muskogee, OK8 Woo Daves Spring Grove, VA 48.240 151 Joe Don Setina Pittsburg, TX Carl Svebek III Sam Rayburn, TX 47.707 153 Jerry Williams Conway, AR Jim Murray Jr. Arabi, GA 46.975 155 Basil E. Bacon Springfield, MO Mark Tucker Kirkwood, MO 46.698 Danny Correia Marlboro, MA Eric Holt Galena, MO 45.704 Stanley Mitchell Fitzgerald, GA 45.685 Jeff Magee Mendenhall, MS David Lauer South Bend, IN 44.117 Robert Beatty Clermont, FL 163 Greg Carpenter Royal, AR 43.815 164 John Crews Jetersville, VA Johnny Lesesne Blue Ridge, GA 43.621 166 Charles Ingram Santa Fe, TN Chris Elliott Raleigh, NC 43.406 168 Jacky Hawthorne Yantis, TX Mark Rogers Naples, FL 42.955 170 Doug Garrett Cabot, AR David Cooke Davidson, NC 42.155 172 Ray Sedgwick Cross, SC Cecil Kingsley Lawrence, KS 41.486 174 Rock Monteith Columbia, SC 175 Harmon Davis Marlow, OK 40.255 176 Tim Sainato Branson, MO Rodger Beaver Leesburg, GA 39.750 178 Lendell Martin, Jr. Nacogdoches, TX Randy Dearman Onalaska, TX 39.142 180 Greg Pugh Cullman, AL Mark Hardin Canton, GA Harold Allen Shelbyville, TX Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL Tommy Stiles McMinnville, TN Warren Wyman Castaic, CA Al Gagliarducci Agawam, MA Mike McClelland Springdale, AR Jack Bell Kane, PA Mike Hawkes Sabinal, TX 37.028 190 Sean Stickler Ft. Lauderdale, FL Robert Graham Mooresville, NC 36.889 192 Glen Chappelear Acworth, GA John Sisemore Farmington, AR 36.402 194 Tim Loper Terry, MS Jerry Williams Conway, AR Danny Kirk Bartow, GA Tom Dolin Palatine Bridge, NY 36.034 198 Aaron A. Hastings Boonsboro, MD, 199 Bill Smith Prestonsburg, KY Jim Taylor Orange Park, FL 35.114

Michael was born with a camera in one hand,
and a paint brush and a fishin' po' in his other!!!

Don't forget... take a kid fishing, they'll cherish it their entire life!
Or help one on shore you might see struggling, make a difference in life, and IN a life. MS

Back to Michael Seewald's
Fishing Reports
Bass Fishing Homepage


January 1st thru June 31st, 2009
From the most recent to the oldest.


Seewald at Clear Lake, CA., 7-'08. Click to enlarge.

Michael Seewald's
fishing adventures for
the first half of2009.

 

Have you visited this page before?
Then you should then re-fresh your browser to see the newest reports, otherwise the 'catch', which is a memorization of the page from a previous visit, may not show updated reports.

Jan. 1st thru June 30th, 2009
From the most recent to the oldest.

 

Barrett Lake
6.6.'09

Me 12, Herbert 8.
Epic day. Fist train in, 5 a.m., last out 7.25.

On water and  fishing at Becky's cove by 6 a.m. after dropping Mike Palmer off on shore to tube fish and got two 4's and some 2's on frogs and buzzbaits.  Bite died right at 7.

   

 

   
Ken and son Michael were likking 'em on the buzzabait and fross as well.  Herbert threw the trusted drop shot most of the day.

 

 

 

Barrett Lake
5.24.'09

7 me (all frog but one d/s hula),
Mike Palmer -14. On a mix- frogs, jigs, d/s.
Cloudless, a bit windy, not too hot, beautiful overall.

It was Saturday night, and I set the alarm for 3:45 a.m. and hit the sack, almost too excited to sleep, at 11:30 p.m..  But as I'd just moved into a new gallery the night before, after fishing all day most of the day first, having gotten up at 4 a.m. that day too, and now just taught a photo class all day on little sleep, I was tired enough to doze off quickly. 

I woke with my wife Valerie asking "aren't you supposed to be on the way to the lake by now, it's 4:24"!!? WHAT? I asked... OH MY GOSH, it's 4:24?  "Yeah", she continued, "someone from Oregon just woke me up on my cell, it was a wrong number". I must have forgot to 'alarm' the alarm!

I quickly ran the math as I threw my pants on... 45 minutes usually to get to the gate, which closes at 5 a.m. (for entrance into this 'bass heaven' lake that is world renown and that only lets a few folks in every few days) and that's already at my usual 75 mph via empty freeway roads on a good day - without taking into account the possible morning fog for the last few miles in that mountainous area.  That's from my home in Del Mar! Would be a miracle unless they opened a bit late.  I started praying for that miracle. I'd missed the 'train' before when I first started going there as I'd got lost, with my fishing partner Herbert. We watched as the cars drove off in the dust, knowing two hours would pass before the next batch of cars were allowed in, it's no fun.

I told her "no, it must not have been a wrong number, but Mike P., the guy I had not met yet that I was going to join at the lake, calling me before he got there, as he said he would". I then looked at my phone, expecting to see the 'missed call' warning... I then noticed it was blank, no missed calls!!?  What? So, Valerie did get a wong number call after all? I mean, what's the odds of a wrong number just in time to give me a possibility of making it like this? She never gets wrong numbers, hardly gets regular calls on her cell, let alone at that time! Heck, WE never get wrong numbers at night come to think of it, what the odds of it being this night of all nights that it it was needed? I kissed her as I left and replied it definitely must have been from an angle. I have an angel in Oregon. My wife said she did not understand a word from her, she spoke in Spanish!

I'd gotten dressed and was out door, w/ shirt in hand- no coffee or breakfast, and after running to my car parked a block away I saw it was now 4:27. I was in Spring Valley, on 94 east freeway, by 4:47 doing 80 to 85 mph, and finally got Mike (he was out of coverage area when I tried and got a machine twice) and told him of my plight.  "Talk them into waiting for 5 or 10, ok Mike? I can probably be there by 5 or 10 after 5."

"I'll try", he said, "otherwise we will meet at the dock at 7:20 (next allowable time thru the private roads would be at 7, thus missing some great fishing time!) I felt the Lord in this, a miracle was in process.

At 4:59, just 3 miles from the turnoff stop sign, which is one mile from the gate, and in semi-dense fog by then Mike called and said they were now headed in and his pleas to wait 5 extra minutes had fallen on deaf ears from the young man that checked folks in. I don't blame him really, so many guys yearning to hit water ASAP.  I responded I'd see him later, figuring my haste had now been fruitless, but poor reception dropped the call.

Right then and there I started to look for a safe place to turn around so I could go get a much desired coffee and doughnut but could not find a safe place to do so.  While looking for one I heard the 'small still voice' of the Lord say "go to the gate anyways". I shook the feeling off, saying No, I'm into coffee and doughnuts, but the feeling came back, "go to the gate anyways". Ok, so I did- hesitantly I must admit, as I really did want to go back to the closest town.

I arrived to the gate at exactly 5:05, finding two cars already parked outside the gate too- that's strange, other folks that close to making it also missed out? I pulled in behind them and expected to start my two hour wait, getting out to give condolences to them about being so close but yet so far, like me. I then noticed one guy in a jeep was still down in the area where the line of cars goes in from, down below us on the other side of the now locked gate.  Maybe he broken down, it's happened before and it's a pity, so close and yet so far, just like me now.

Then I saw a couple of Asian guys unloading gear and rods from the car in front of me.  I put 2 and 2 together; they were going to climb the fence and get in that jeep and hit the lake! COOL! They said so too, stating they were running late and their friend waited for them, now why didn't I think of that with Mike? Live and learn. So here was my chance of still getting in, NOW I see why I was supposed to go the the gate anyways, and how the Lord had worked it out for me. Thank U Lord I whispered to myself and Him.  "Hey guys, can I get a ride in with you?"

"No, they said, "no room, so sorry". I looked down and saw the jeep was full of gear, hardly room for the three to fit in as it was. So, they were not my angels after all? Guess not, false alarm. Again, all for naught? I decided not give up, so I called down to the driver "Got room for one more".

"Sorry" came the reply, "Wish we did".

My heart sunk, but that's ok, I would not curse God, instead I thanked  Him anyways, right then and there, for so many blessings.  But as the guys loaded up and started to drive off, a second miracle occurred (really a third, but I'd not realized it until my typing of this report), a Border Patrol agent drove up to the gate and started unlocking it.  "Hey, could you please let me in after you open it, I just missed the train into the lake, see the lights? (So the guys that ran late were my angels too, or there would have been no tail lights to point to driving off down the road 'in the train', as the line of cars going in is called, as the folks with keys are told not to let folks in if not accompanied by lake staff).

"Sure", he said. "thank you SOOO much sir" I said to the much younger man, "you are my angel" I told him excitedly three times in a row.  Yes, I was so excited to have made in on time (in a way, right?). Then, after three minutes of his trying to undo the combo lock, and then a key on another lock without success, my heart started to sink.  Another agent drove up.  He asked him as he walked up "did they change the combo?". 

"No, I don't thing so" his friend replied, my heart sunk further, now for the third time, all this and so close. I prayed for another miracle.  "Ah, there it goes" and he got it to open suddenly, Thank-U-Lord.

WHEW! I drove in first, YEAH! It was now 5:12 and I had to drive VERY fast along the + or - 6 mile dirt road, trying not to go into a cliff or over an embankment that dropped 200' straight down, but nearly doing so twice, all the while praying Mike, who now thought I'd be two hours late to the docks, had not left the dock himself, thus leaving me stranded to fish from that area on shore instead of by the boat we had reserved.  I needed another miracle!

I passed 'pig's point', just a quarter mile from the docks, and noticed quite a few boats were already headed out on the waters to 'slay 'em good'. I drove down to the docks as more boats left in the foggy twilight of morning, now over half had gone.  As I got out and looked around, not knowing what Mike looked like, I immediately heard someone from behind me ask, "are you Michael?". 

"Yes, are you are Mike?".  Yep, it was him and he was just going by to leave, having loaded up the boat, and had I arrived there 5 or 10 seconds later I'd of missed him.  Oh thank God! He started helping me load up.  The Asian guys that wanted to help me out but had no room in the Jeep then saw me as I'd pulled in behind them at the docks, "You are one lucky guy" they said. Yep, blessed is more the word.

____________

Mike was going to leave at 4 but stayed till 6 as he liked the lake so much, it had been 5 or 6 years since his last visit.  I told him about my frog fishing there and he read my article and prepped for it. His friend was a no show, so was Shayne on my end, so we had the boat to ourselves.

     
Click photo to enlarge.
I was the first to get a frog fish. Nice morning in Becky's Cove.

 

    Click photo to enlarge.
Mike and his first frog fish.


 

 

Becky's cove was OK, we started there first, but it was not like two weeks ago. Largest bass for both of us only 2.8 pounds.  I fished the frog all day and Mike a variety. He got his first frog fish of his life. He read my article and was ready. I coached a bit.

    
Click photos to enlarge.
Photos at the end of Hauser's Arm

But we mostly worked Hauser, was so fishy looking.  Becky's cove is at the beginning of that arm.

  

Click photos to enlarge.
Mike's first jig fish.

Mike also got his first jig fish, besides some on other patterns as well, and was pretty happy with the day when I dropped him at the docks at 6.  Jewel, the dock worker, was surprised to see me back, I usually hang till 'last train out'.  "Leaving already?" he asked.

"Nope, just dropping off a friend that has too" I replied. 

"Be back at 7:25" he said, "I'm not going looking for you".  "

"Ok, I'll stay close anyways, lose too much time otherwise".

  
Click photo to enlarge.
My largest frog fish went 2.8 lbs this time, not bad,
but I've been getting a lot of 5's and 6's there.

I said my goodbyes to Mike and continued to frog fish till 7:23. As promised I needed to get back to the docks by 7:25, but I was just across the area fishing that opposite bank, down from the dam, and got back exactly at 7:25.  Pooped out for sure, but so blessed to have fished Barrett again, as SO blessed by the Lord... again. T.U.L.


 

El Capitan
5.22.'09

Me 2 (one was a 3# blue catfish on a d/s thin 5" pumpkin green flake senko at Boulder bay. Lost a biggie on the d/s 4" silver curly tail.)
Ken 2, one on spook, one on d/s (new 6# white braid by _).
Water 73.5, air 88. Wind came up at 11 real strong, 10 mph or so.
On water from 6:30 till 1.

We tossed swimbaits at most of the points heading to the north end from the docks. Ken got a nice spook fish on a point nearing boulder bay. 

Worked various topwater, me, crankbaits Ken, from beginning of left side in back trees to far back here it shallows out.  Wind came up, tried some d/s in wind protected corner, tied up to small tree with birds nest in it and watched the mom come and feed them three feet from us, unafraid, which was fun and interesting.  At noon went to boulder bay to brave winds but catch fish.

Pics to come.

Murrieta H.S.
5.21.'09

Me 10
Herbert 11

Met Herbert at his house at 9 a.m., I drove. Fished till 8:20, fairly dark out by then.

Both ended with 1 'keeper' (14 oz or over) mine went 1 pound, his 14 oz. I mostly fished topwater, large spook style bait (Waterstriker) and swimbait (Lunker Punker) for first couple of hours, and then various topwaters until 3 p.m., then I 'got serious' for numbers to catch, and then hopefully to beat, Herbert.  He had been tossing d/s all day getting mostly dinks.

 

Misty joined us, gave her my d/s rig and she got 2 in 10 minutes, slim pumpkin-green flake senko. Then gave her popper, she got one first cast (same as last time I loaned it to her) and then a while later! Wow, four fish in an hour, to our 10 all day. Cool.

El Capitan
5.15.'09

Me 1, solo. Water 72, air 88. Wind came up at noon real strong, 10 mph or so.
On water from 6:30 till 2.

Tosssed topwater 99% of the time, Punker Jr at first around 'dock cove', nada. Went to back trees, worked frog and some gunfish, nada.  Second cast on d/s purple worm got a 15", but went back to frog.  Water up even more and new area looks so great, but no takers.

DVL
5.11.'09

Me 2, Arden 10.
Water 73 degrees, sunny and 88 degrees or so. Beautiful.

Went out with Arden H. Jr. again on the DFG's dime. Got there a few minutes after opening, about 6:10.  Checked in and loaded up the aluminum boat w/ trolling motor and launched into the fog, which came and went for the first hour.  Went across the lake and towards the far dam, stopping at some points 2/3rds of the way there for nada topwater action on swimbaits.  Went to the far cove I'd wanted to work and got some nice bed fish action, Arden was on fire hitting beds and getting instant action from the front of the boat on a d/s purple worm, his turn (one hour turns on the front). 

Later on I picked up the Lunker Punker Jr. and had a nice follower behind it come pretty close to the boat.  I slowly twitched the bait and she went for it, grabbed the center of the bait and sounded, no explosion just an easy meal she figured. Not so, I set the hook and she fought hard, ending up in the net with Arden's help and went 4.7 on my Rapala scale, sweet.  This was in the narrows to the back cove and then lost one twice that size 5 minutes later after she dove with my lure.  Did not lose the lure, she just came unbuttoned.  BUMMER.


Click image to enlarge.
4.7 hit the Lunker Punker Jr.

 

Ended up at the tower and Arden got one about 4 on a Waterstriker 3/8 oz custom painted. I had one that I'd tossed too, standard color.

  
Click image to enlarge.
Two photos to enter into fishing contest, weird pose and weight needed to qualify.

 

Barrett Lake
5.9.'09

Shayne 17, me 11

I traded a trolling motor use for two tube tic's with K. Boner and sold one to young friend Shayne, a senior now at Bonita Vista High; funny enough, my alma matter too. I picked him up in Chula Vista at 4 a.m., he does not drive yet. Kevin gave us a lift to the beginning of Becky's cove and were to be picked up at 2 and given a ride back to the docks.  Wanted to try and get a returned boat if we could.

In the first hour I lost a 4 and a 3 on frog at Becky's cove on new BPS hollow bodied white frog with kicker legs, both at the tube. Then decided to 'boat' them in my lap and got a 4 just minutes later but it threw the hook as it flopped in my lap and bounced back in the water as I tried to grab her before she did.

Threw a black/red hula grub for a few after an hour or so of nada more on the frog, the wind came up and killed it. Also threw a blue/black jig for a couple more but I was fishing 'used water' following Shayne by 100 yards.  The red crankbait netted me four or five more along the Hauser Arm cliffs.  Wind was really howling for an hour and small white caps made it hard to kick against. We got back to dock at 2:30 after the ride from Kevin and his girlfriend Kim (she'd gotten a 7 on mini-bait). Unfortunately he almost snapped the trolling motor off as he lowered it into the water just before they hit a pile of rocks (he's new to boating).  Now he liable for the repairs; agreed to before loan thank God.

They went back out and came in at 6;we then took the boat (Jose, the afternoon 'boss' did not let us use one that was not 'our groups', so I'd napped for an hour and then fished the docks for nada, as did Shayne) to beginning of P.C. and worked tulles and coves to the island by 7, then motored back to beat the 7:25 boat return deadline by 10 minutes, Shayne got 2 more on a smaller Spro yellow/green frog, my BPS did not attract.

Barrett Lake
5.6.'09

Me 11

Did not get boat tics this month so had to buy tube tics from guys to get in on the action.  The lake opened on the 2nd and reports were she was giving up bigger and better northern bass this year, was expected. Went on John's ticket as he was leaving with his 70 year old dad from Boston at 2 pm.  They gave me a ride to the back of Pine Creek and John got a 3 on his second cast, before I'd gotten out of the boat.  Got a shot of him on the cell phone. Worked the creek all the way back for some nice blow-up, no fish.

Worked my way all the way back to the entrance of the creek by 11 or so, then worked that area till 2.

Lost a 6 on the black w/ red head River to Sea frog at noon, pulled bait out of her lips trying to get her over a bush. Lost a four on a hula grub after fighting her for a minute at 1. 

After dropping them off I went back to PS and worked new areas in the shallows at left side entrance to the creek, no go. Took one hour semi-nap from 3 to 4 then went to far back of the creek and worked my way back like I did in the a.m..

 
Click image to enlarge.
Biggest on the frog, that I landed, went 2.8.

 

The really hit the spook along the tulles, sometimes getting three blow-up on a single retrieve, sometime none.  Landed about 5 and lost a 5 pounder at 6:30, at the boat on a jump (good, I'd wondered how I was going to land her without a net and with the extra treble hook swing about).


Click image to enlarge.
Got quite a few on the Sammy, clones to this scarpper.

Conclusion: Biggest landed went 2.8 on that second trip to far end of stream at 6, where I'd been 12 hours earlier. Had about 25 blow ups on the frog but most by 10" fish that flew out of water on the hookset. Chart. buzzbait was not touched during that hour of hot action on the spook, nor the frog much. Went for size over numbers again, great day on the water, TUL.

Murrieta Hot Springs
4.28-29.'09

DAY ONE
Dennis, Herbert and I got there at 10:30, nice overcast skies. Topwater action short lived as sun came at at noon.  Ended up with 4 by 1p.m., (when Mike c. joined us) 7 by 8p.m. I won the biggest and the most (14 oz or more) 2 two that counted.

I got another 5 out of 7 hooked (all black buzzbait) from 9.30 - 11 pm. fishing solo- no 'keepers'.  Mike, Herbert and I split a room. 

Dennis got his first bass, a 10oz, on a d/s Art Hill DVL special I hooked up for him. He stayed till 5 and I used his buzzbait to get a 1.8 in the small pond.

DAY TWO
Decided to let our bodies wake us, instead of the usual alarm at 6 and found we slept in till 8.  Tourney till noon netted Herbert and I three and Mike one, all no keepers, so we rolled the winnings into the afternoon tourney.

Next tourney (1 till 8.30 with a 1 hour dinner break at 6:30) I got 9 and Herbert 5, Mike two more, all no keepers.  I got them on d/s Art Hill special, pumpkin single tail hula grub, 3, and Fish Trap chart, 3, and after 4pm on Sammy (3), one going 13 but not big enough to count.  NO keepers for any of us- monies kept.

Vail Lake
4.23.'09

68 degrees, overcast most of day, cold breeze.
Me 2, Art 8

Well, I was really glad to spend the day on the water with Art Hill, a part time guide in that area that had invited me out on his 'day off', and the day it was, we started at 7 after the famous burrito breakfast (BIG -took 1/2 to go) and finished close to 5 pm.  We were plenty tired at the end as we had got into a search and find mode as that 'stupid bite' for the past three weeks he and all the other fishermen had been into! 

But the weather was different too, a cold cloud cover enveloped us until almost noon, and I kept the loaned sweatshirt on all day as it never warmed up.  (The day before hit 90 something, and days prior up to 100- how much did that effect the bite?)

Art warned me the day before and sure enough, we had a very hard time getting action! How tough, well, at noon he was talking that this was the worst he'd ever seen, similar to the day they only got 6 total, and one guy actually got skunked.     He had only caught two at that point, on d/s, and me zero; I had this sinking feeling I might be skunked-man number two...   so how did it turn out? 

Well, I got serious and put away the swimbait, Sammy, prop-bait and 9" lizard that I'd been tossing all morning 'swinging for the fences' and picked up Art's pre-rigged pole w/ a chart. spinnerbait on (he lets any guest or client use any of his gear, or baits!).  5 minutes later I was fighting a real nice tough dude that thought he was a monster of three pounds but was more like 1.5.  A few minutes later, after missing a few more bites (maybe crappie we figured) I got number two.  I said "Art, better get a shot of this one (I left my camera at his house) as with this bite he could be the biggest for me for the day!", and then I wondered, would that end up being a prophetic statement?  I hoped not.

At that point Art got a blade out too and quickly (within an hour to two, had fought many and landed 8, mostly cookie-cutters to mine but a couple of nicer models too.  This was in the sticks, across from the launch ramp.  I still picked up the topwater lures and tossed them about 50% of the rest of the time that we worked that area, and well as when we worked the trees right near the ramp for the last 1/2 hour.  The place just looks so 'fishy' and I can't wait to go back and do some damage.  I ended up getting only the two, unplanned prophecy held, darn it.

Conclusion: The bite was pretty much non-existent, and all the apologies Art kept offering were never needed to start with.  Besides, if I'd chosen to go d/s all day I know the numbers would have tripled, but to what effect?  The tossing of lures to locations that usually would hold a lunker is so exciting, even without the explosion coming that you know could darn well happen with each cast.  Thanks Art, what a blessing it was. Can't wait to do it again.

Diamond Valley Lake
4.13-14.'09
 

Went out w/ Mike C. on the 13th and Arden Hanline Jr. on the 14th.  We fished from 7 am till 2:30 pm daily. 

Day one, w/ Mike C.,  64 degree water.

I got two nice d/s fish (5" Robo- morning dawn), one went 2.5 and the other 3. Mike tried a variety of baits but nothing got them excited.


Click to enlarge.
The launch ramp is very far from the lake now as they are not
pumping Colorado River water in anymore due to the Quagga Mussel that
is in the water over there now. 


Click to enlarge.
Mike C. shows off his 'swimbait'.


Click to enlarge.
My BBZ swimbait is ready for action.

 
Click to enlarge.
My best was a 3, on d/s.

Herbert called us and invited us to Murrieta Hot Springs after we finished at DVL so by 4pm we were on the water there.  Fished a min-tourney till 7:30 and we tied w/ 1 fish each over 14 oz.  Got mine 1st ( a 1.6 on a L.C. Gunfish on small pond), Herbert caught the second, a 1.8 on a buzzbait off umbrella island point and Mike got a 14oz in the last hour on an underpin (Little Buddy).  So Herbert won big fish. (I got three more fish, a 6 oz, a 10 and a 11 on buzzbait off the island).

Day 2 was really windy, but by Diamond Valley standards probably semi-normal, about 12 mph is what we heard. Sunny all day and calm in the a.m., with light winds from noon on.

   
Click photos to enlarge.
Arden's 8.5 on a Hudd, rof 12

Arden got a real beauty, a 8.5 on a Hudd, rof 12, at about 10 am.  Nada else for the rest of the day, we both threw swimbaits pretty much the entire time. 

Lake Hodges

From 2 p.m. till 7:30
Water 68

Fished the Escondido arm for nada, including under the 15 for the first time since it opened.  Been closed since water came up for construcion.  Nada on buzzbait, prop, spinner, lizard.

Went to narrows towards dusk, so clear. Swimbait and buzzbait for nada.  Went to construction site and got two blow up, one stuck. Nice 16" chunk.


Click photos to enlarge.
The only one, got the stripe off the back though (no skunk).

Murrieta Hot Springs
March 31st, April 1st & 2nd

March 31st Me 0 over 1#, Herbert K. 1 (1.2#, won biggest and most w/ 1 fish)
April 1st, Me 3 over 14 oz., Mike C 2 over and Herb. 0 (Mike big fish 3#)
April 2nd, Me 4 bass, Mike C. same.
 

_______________________

Murrieta Hot Springs
March 25th

Me 16,  only six 'counted'(1# or over) w/ big fish honors of 2-13.
Me -4
Herbert K. -5
Tom Gaddis -6

Water 75 in bottom pond. Sunny and warm, up to 80.

We got to the lake by 10 and fished till 7:45.  The bite was slow. I got mine on red Rattletrap (1 and it was the largest 15 ounces for me), red Luhr Jensen Speed Trap (2) and a Lucky Craft Gunfish fish.  Threw the Optima swimbait around both ponds, about an one and a half hours to do so, for zippo.  Herbert got one at 1-2 (mostly d/s) and won our mini-tournament.  Tom just fished for fun and out-fished us numbers wise. Mostly d/s for him.

_______________________

Lake Don Pedro - and then The Delta (California).
HBC 4 (Heavyweight Bass Tournament 4)
March 13


Click on photo to enlarge.
Danny Gillespie's 17-2 Don Pedro Pig, caught recently' had the dock talk all wound
up for the HBC 4, winner take all $10K prize for big fish.

3.24.'09 written.
Just got back yesterday from the trip to Don Pedro, the Delta and a few days teaching in Yosemite (snow, rain and sun). Man it poured so much I could not get the aluminum boat back on the hitch it was so heavy, had to bail it out for 15 minutes, plus the frozen slush from all the snow the next day did not help.

Don Pedro Heavyweight Bass Classic 4.

I drove up there on a Wed. afternoon and fished the lake the next day myself after staying not far away, in Madera just south of Modesto. I got skunked, but so did everyone I talked to. The reports by many of the big names were lots of bass up to 15 lbs caught in the past few weeks, the next day would be interesting. I was to be a VTO, a 'Volunteer Tournament Observer' (a non-paid back seat 'observer' not allowed to fish, nor help the fisherman on the front, not even net his fish, just make sure he does not cheat nor break the rules).

I stayed in a 'Floatel' that night, a houseboat that looked more like a suite at the Ritz, unbelievably nice.

I split it with three other interested VTO's, arranged by Justin Warmack of Nevada.  One roomy was a young up and comer- Steve Reed from San Diego, whom is now going to Davis U. and in a college bass club. Another funny 'God-incident', he is fishing tournaments with the only guy I know from up in that area, Tom Leogrande!

The HBC4 tournament was quite a big event drawing folks from all over the western US to compete - the largest single fish take all- $10,000 1st and only place.

A lot of the big name big bait throwers were there, Butch Brown, Joe Bruce, Danny Gillespie, Don Osborne to name a few.

I drew a gentlemen that was a ton of fun to be with all day (from 7 till 3:15) by the name of Mark 'Chief' Torrez.  Here is the funny thing, and it shows God has a sense of humor.  There was a contest where if you guessed the guy that won and you were the closest weight you won a $200 rod.  Well, I read the bios of all 50 fishermen Click here for the link. He is from Camarillo and has caught some 30 fish over 10 lbs (I think that was un-reported by 10 times the way he told stories as he was involved at Casitas, Castaic, etc. when the first swimbaits were being invented).


Click to enlarge.
Mark 'Chief' Torrez concentrates on getting a lunker
from underneath the houseboats, to no avail.

He was a wealth of info and man do I have confidence in a lot of swimbaits just because of all of the stories he told while he toughed it out and tossed most of his collection. He answered every question that I could think of, about 4,029 or so, plus or minus one.


Click to enlarge.
Mark holds some lunkers from a day's catch at Lake Casitas, California. The 10 pounder hit a DEPS Highsider swimbait, the 9 pounder was caught on a 12 inch Castaic swim bait. Mark uses a Rogue Rod, a Shimano 300DSV reel and Maxima line.

He pulled out and tossed some historic baits that swam just fine too. I had a blast, thanks Chief for making it all worth while (well, you could have made it a tad better by catching a 3.9 pounder or so and I would have won the darn rod too! (And with all the stories of lunkers caught and lost over the DECADES I think he fudged with the '30 over 10' reported numbers on his bio by 10 fold- funny dude!


Click to enlarge.
Mark 'Chief' Torrez concentrates on working a 10" C/R Lizard.

Well, by the end of the day he could not get the stripe off the boat, but either could 40 of the 50 come to find out.  And the winning weight? An unbelievable 3.something pounds!

DELTA

March 15th thru the 19th

Sunday, March 15th
I said my goodbyes to all and went and stayed with friends in Davis for a couple of days. We fished a lake up in Napa for nada one afternoon, then the following day, Sunday the 15th, I took 13 year old Nicole to the Delta for some later afternoon stormy fishing for more nada.

 

         
Click to enlarge.
View from the bridge at Bethel Island looking, first east, then west. 7:30 a.m..
 

The following day, Monday the 16th, I took Nicole's mom Joanne and her brother James, 7, to the Delta (Franks Tract).  We got on the water by 10 or so and it was threatening rain all day.  Did not get bit and they left at 4 while I stayed and finally got into the action with a rattletrap, red.  What kind? Well, right off the bat a lunker of 6-2 ate it, what excitement. Three small 1 pound stripers also like it. All tossed back. I worked out a trade out with Chuck Russo for launch for the year, T.U.L!  That saves me $10 per launch, hopefully many to come this year.

  
Click photo to enlarge.
6-2 on a red Rattletrap at Frank's Tract in sparse tulles near 'the wall'.

 

Tuesday the 17th I was on the sunny water by 11 and worked the area just outside the no wake zone in Franks and within a half hour got a nice 3-8 on a 10" CR Optimum Lizard, wat/red flake (the Chief showed me that bait and tossed it himself). I  thought I was into a great pattern but no more bit it after 2 hours of trying.  Worked the wall for nada too, rattletraps and an AC Minnow wake bait. Finished at 8, dark.


Click photo to enlarge.
3-8 on Wat/red flake 10" Optimum Lizard C/R.

 

Wednesday the 18th got on the water by 10 at Franks and worked in sunny weather all day.  Worked over towards Desolation slough, where the following barge is and it has a nice drop off next to it.


Click photo to enlarge.
This old barge had plants starting to camouflage it into the area.
Had two blowups on a Gunfish, not far from here, along a weed line in 5' of water.

At about 7:30 two gents went by and reported zippo for one guy and five on a red shallow diver hard bait (Luhr Jensen Speed Trap). I saw him get an 8 or so on it in the sparse weeds just before our conversation.  I though it might get snagged easy but it went right through the weeds just fine ( I bought one the next morning) and after they went by I finally got one on a watermelon Senko in the weeds not far from the wall (whew, skunk off just in time).


Luhr Jensen Speed Trap 'Delta Craw' color.

Thursday the 19th, final day for me.  Started at 8 a.m. hoping the earlier start would help the bite.  Well, at the double poles at the beginning of the no wake zone I first heard a commotion that sounded like the seals hitting the surface that sometimes I see there, and then saw what it was.  BIG baitfish, maybe 1 pound stripers or steelhead trout, were jumping completely out of the water fleeing from giant largemouth bass, at least double digit ones, that were tearing them up- OH MY GOSH!  Look at the size of those bronzebacks, oh my.  Never seen such a beautiful sight; have seen hundreds of 2 pound 'busters', but not this size in a wolf pack; "Get the swimbait" I told myself but instantly realizing I was just out of reach for my fist double digit fish so I hit the trolling motor to full speed and got 10 yards closer in 5 seconds flat. I made a perfect cast just past were the fish were and waked it over the area... silence as I- what? I expected lunker city to explode on it. OK, next cast lunker city then, walked it louder, thrashing it a bit more on the third cast, but still, only silence. Another with more silence too. I must of scared the bait down and shut if down, BUMMER. Tossed other baits down but more nada, gave up after 1/2 hour, still exhilarated at that sight.

Then I worked the reeds all the way down to the wall with my new Speed Trap, and then the wall area, all for nada.  Ran into a couple pre-fishing for a tourney on Saturday. They reported only two since sunrise saying they were small ones- on jigs. He was tossing Senkos into every thick tulle hole around with zero results. I continued with the red crankbait for nada. 

Around noon I decided to go to the back of Sandmound where reports of 3 pounders on optimum swimbaits next to weeds was the ticket. I purchased one that morning in white, with the single hook in the back so I could work it along the bottom.  One hour of trying netted zero again.

But the water back there, with no exit for the low tide to do much damage to cool the water down, was up to 64, 4 more than Franks! So I tied on a Spro frog and went to work hoping the warmer water would get them in a topwater eating mode, as it often does. 

15 minutes into it and a nice 2-8 blew up on it and took it down.  I reeled down, felt weight and swung for the fences, fish on.  Quickly photographed and released, heart pounding with the thought of possibilities as I surveyed all of the same vegetation around, hundreds of yards of it. Fish City her I come.

Another blow up 10 minutes later, but the problem was the vegetation did not have the same depth near it, the first lived in 4' of water, this was all too shallow. NO more after 2 more hours of trying, darn it.  And that was it for the day too.  Ran into Cooch and reported to him about the frog success- he was QUITE surprised. (I now realize I should have gone to the area by the Bethel Island bridge- deeper with the hyacinths).


Click photo to enlarge.
This scrapper, a 2-8, was the 'volunteer' topwater fish
I was looking for, the first of the year, yippee! It ate the Spro frog in 4' of water.

I went back to Franks, and then to the two poles and tossed the optimum till dark, an hour in the nice deep pool area where the lunkers played 12 hours earlier, nada.  Made it to Modesto and got a hotel, fishing trip over, T.U.L.

_______________________

El Capitan
March 6th

Stormy and water at 64 at it's highest.
11 a.m. till 5:30 pm on water.
me, 3 Paul O., 4

 

      
Click photos to enlarge.

Met Paul O., a pastor from Ramona that has been trying to get out with me as the bite has been pretty good at El Cap. recently and we finally did.  Met at the lake at 11 and I brought the aluminum wonder.  We went to the back and started to work the trees. I got the first one, on a d/s Senko pumpkin, and then another on a shakey head Zoom Trickworm, wat./purple flake.  They were 13 and 14" respectively.  A very cold wind was playing havoc and making it hard to keep the boat in one place, so I threw the anchor out here and there.  Paul mixed it up and finally got one on a lizard, a nice 16", (pic above).  He then got a clone later on. 

At 3:30 I went to the shoreline and started to work topwater and plastics.  By 5:30 I had three blow-ups and one larger fish (at least 3 lbs) took my prop bait down into the weeds and left me hanging.  Got the extender pole out and got it back.  Used the fluke as the prop bait was hanging up a bit much in the back sticks but the only fish I got on it was one Paul had on for a second that ate his Senko in half. I tossed on his swirl and immed. fish on (nice 16", pic above).

_______________________

Murrieta Hot Springs
March 4th

Me 16,  only six 'counted'(1# or over) w/ big fish honors of 2-13.
11 Mike C., none counted,
Herbert skunked.

Weather- threatening to rain, 20% chance, 64 degrees outside.
Lake temp: lower pond, 70/ upper 80 at canoe.
Just getting over flue and one week cold/cough.

We met at Mike's house at 9, stayed at lake till 8 pm. Herb and Gitta joined us at noon, left at 5.

All mine were on the crawdad lure.  Fish 5-6 with Sammy, got one.  Fished last two hours w/ swimbait.

I had a 10 or so blow up on one of my released fish (my Sammy one pounder), it was so close by and made such a large explosion I thought someone had actually fell in).  I worked her with the Huddleston ROF5 for an hour and an AC Minnow 7" but could not get her to eat seconds!

_______________________

Murrieta Hot Springs
Feb. 24th
Me 3,  none 'counted' (1# or over) w/ big fish honors of 2-13.
Mike, many, 3 counted.
On water:7 am till 2 pm. Weather: threatening rain all day. Felt ill in afternoon, by evening full blown 24 hr. flu hit me.

We met at Mike's house at 6, and fished the 'other' pond from 7 til 8 in freezing air for nada.  We had a J.I.B. breakfast and got lunch to go, then hit up Murrieta H.S. after getting permission from a friend that works there.

We fished two 'mini' tourneys, only 1 pounders or more counted for half of 5 bucks.  The one half would go to one w/ the largest. I tosses swimbaits for the first 2-3 hours for nada, Mike also was zippo anyways at 11 (as far as keepers).  I tossed d/s and sm. swimbaits for nada. Later he got 8 or 9 on the Silver Buddy (he gave me one and I started getting numbers, but not size either) and w/ 1/2 hr left I went for the biggest so we would tie, his being only 1-3. With 5 minutes left I got a nice one on the crawdad lured I'd got for that lake but had forgot to use until then, but he weighed in at 15 oz., not even a keeper, close call.  Left early for us, at 2.

NOTE: Heard Ben caught a 9-4 the day before (my PB from 3 weeks prior?- yes, see Jan. 28th report below).

_______________________

El Capitan
Feb. 19th

10 me solo, sunny and water at 58 at it's highest.

Ben D. was to join me but he called in sick at 5 a.m., just as I was headed out the door to meet him.  Had worked past midnight so went and caught up on zzzzz's.  Got to the lake at 10:30 and was back at the far end of the lake and working topwater by 11. 

           

                
Click on photos to enlarge.
A lot of action on plastics, about 2 per hour average.

After an hour of that, along w/ plastics to spots different than on Monday (see next report), with zippo results I hit James' honey hole.  Got on 'em pretty fast, netting about 2 per hour.  Did not miss many strikes this day, if any.  Threw shaky head Zoom 5" 'Trick Worm' (floats), Wat/purple and the d/s thin Senko Pumpkin. 

Last 1/2 hour tossed the prop bait again, two nice explosions right before I left to make the 5:30 return time 'deadline'- but at 5:15 and 5:20 I got blown up on, so did not leave from back in the trees until 5:30- ouch, so got back to ramp 15 minutes late, but one other boat still there too.  It was a nice day out for sure -TUL.

_______________________

El Capitan
Feb. 16th

8 or 9 me, 11 or 12 for James J.,
None of mine counted to our 'TOP TWO, 15" minimum mini-tournament'. James had 3 at 15" or over (up to 16" or so- which weighed in at 2# to 2-4)!

55 degree air, water from 49 in deeper areas to 54 at end of day up in shallows.  Constant medium to heavy rains, from 10 a.m. till we finished, at 3 pm..

Sunday night I noticed a post from James J., two hours after he posted it, that his guide trip went south (was canceled due to them not wanting to fish in the heavy rains that were predicted) and that he wanted to fish anyways, offering a back seat for the day to 'anyone that wanted to brave the elements'. I quickly answered it hoping nobody had taken up his offer yet.  Sure enough, it was open and we made plans to meet at o-dark hundred).

We met a t 6 am, launched and started working the ramp area in cold but surprisingly not freezing weather, and threatening skies.  Nobody else was on the lake at that point, nor would anyone else ever show up that we saw, we had it all to ourselves, unbelievable.  No fish came off plastics there, neither flukes nor d/s.  We meandered towards the main body of the lake and tried the same baits, to no avail, along some shore and points there.

About 7:30 we went to the north end for more of the same for while.  But when we got way back into the trees I started off the action w/ a 10" fighter on d/s. Within an hour I had a 12" and then a 13" too, but none counted as they had to be 15" for our mini-tourney (most tourneys there get a variance, meaning even though 15" is the minimum legally, that might cut back on the quantity for a tourney so they lower it for those folks to 13"; but they have permission to do so.  If we were caught with smaller than 15" in our live wells, even though we knew we were to throw them back later, the game warden might not believe us and write us up a ticket). 

James got nervous as it was 3 to 0 numbers wise so he tied on his go-to bait.  For awhile I was not too concerned, even though he caught up to me in numbers fairly fast and then passed me, but when he started to get them over 15" and my try for over an hour at semi-matching his go to system did not produce I bummed one of his go-to baits off him so I could get into the game.  After all, the winner was to get a chicken sandwich paid for by the loser!

At this point it was way after 10 a.m. the time it started pouring cats and dogs, and the wind blew us around like a paper boat on a pond! It was making it hard for James to keep us in place.  But it also turned on the bass in some of the harder gail force winds that would hit hourly for a few minutes. He caught, at one point on the first major blow, three in 3 minutes or less in those conditions. It seemed he was just tossing the bass back out and reeling them back his bites were so fast, but I know he didn't really.  We lost count of how many we actually landed, missing 2 for every one landed too.  The hit was mostly subtle, and yet at others they would literally try to pull the poles out of our hands at the initial hit. 

About 1 p.m. I prayed out loud, because we were getting so many shorts, and this was funny as heck, I said 'Dear Lord, please bless us with some really big ones now" and after the word 'now' my pole was nearly pulled out of my hands as something very large hit and ran sideways with my bait before I cold do a darn thing but hold on.  She dropped it just as fast though and a small 14" picked it up 5 seconds later and I landed him shortly after. I must of laughed at God's sense of humor for a good minute or so afterwards, TUL.  James lost a bigger model in the trees not long after too.


Click on photo to enlarge.
Here is another 13", did not get any over 15" personally.
I'm wearing my new 100 mph Bass Pro Shop rain gear the wife got me for Christmas.

It looks so 'fishy' back there, dead trees scattered amongst flooded living brush still poking up here and there, that I had to toss some topwater.  This almost netted me one too as I brought it by one floating log and got blown up on; that made my day as I'm always trying to be the first to get one from all of my friends that way.  It was picture perfect conditions visually, just not so temp wise of course. Won't be long though.


Click on photo to enlarge.
James Nelson with his 3 over 15".

We figured I landed about 9 (one went just shy of 15" by an 1/32 of an inch or less), but the same was true of some of James', more or less.  James ended with a dozen or more easily.  Three of his were keepers- we took photos and let them go, getting back a little after  3; the rains finally over too and the sun broke threw. Thanks James for the lessons and the great times.  Look forward to being blessed with your company on the water soon.  Next time my treat/my boat- Hodges?

_______________________

Murrieta Hot Springs
Feb. 11th

3 me, 9 Mike C., only one counted, 1# or over, mine at 1-1!
55 degrees air and stormy, 63, 70 and 80 degree water.

Mini friendly tournament between Mike and I.  Whomever caught the largest got 1/2 a chicken sandwich, and whomever caught the most got the other half.  Possibility of getting the whole thing, or splitting it.

Notice the different water temps did you?  Well, for some time I've been wanting to check out the variance of the water, as very hot spring water comes trickling in from a few spots on the east end of the pond, over 100 degrees.  So how hot was the water 25 feet away, 50, and 100'?  That I never knew until I brought a thermometer.  The second pond, smaller and down stream, was 63.  The larger, just above it where it feeds in, was the same, as I suspected.  The other end, however, was much higher than I would have guessed, at was 80 with a drop to 70 about 50' away.  This meant topwater was a viable option at any time up at that end. 

We had a small tournament, like the week before, with only 1 pounder or up counting.  Mike tossed flukes and other plastics while I tossed as new Storm 8" swimbait, white, for nada until 1 p.m..  Mike had caught 3 or 4 by then, but luckily for me, none over 1#.  I went to plastics myself having given him 'enough of a head start' I figured, the tortoise and the hare routine. My River2Sea 4" swimbait, and the similar Storm 3" in bluegill color, id not produce a nibble, but Ben (friend of a student there) and Tyler his friend, (both friends of fireman Paul of Escondido) showed up at 1 p.m. and Ben got a beauty by the fountain, off island point side, a 5.5 on a jig, at about 2 pm. 

I was fishless by 4:30 and getting a bit concerned of getting skunked.  The go-to baits were failing me.  I thought of the water temps and the topwater possibilities and tied on a prop-bait and worked the small pond, nada.  Worked the upper, from the bridge to the island, and then off Island point got two consecutive hits, followed up with a hula grub and fish instantly on, a 10 ouncer... it was a start.  More importantly, it showed me my thesis was correct, topwater action was possible. I tossed it along the shore, back towards Mike fishing over towards the bridge, and bringing it along got nailed by a feisty keeper, it seemed to me.  Mike ran over, not trusting my scale, but it measured the same as his, a whopping 1-1, just one once over minimum- WAHOO! I was in the game. At this point I had the largest, AND the most.  It remained that way until deadline time at 5:45, late dusk that time of year.  I got one more fish over at the small pond on the same bait, Mike ended w/ 9, no keepers.  We fished until dark-dark, almost 7 and headed tot Carl's Jr. where I got my pay-off, TUL!

_______________________

Lake Hodges, opening day
Feb 4th
2 me, solo

65 degrees air, 59 water.

Went out at 10 am, letting all the brouhaha get over with that comes with opening days.  Tons of trailer in the lot, as expected.  Was sunny and chilly too from the breezes, once they came up at about 10 or so.  Bite was tough with hardly a soul reporting fish caught.

After a lot of crankbait tossing on the left side of the dam area, then the dam area itself w/ the Lunker Punker, and then the d/s to no avail on the way back I worked the construction site at about noon or so. I got into a nice fish which after a small fight broke my 4# test. I'd forgot I still had the trout setup line on and immediately switched to 6# instead.

A while later I hooked into another fish in the same spot I'd lost the big one, right at the beginning of the buoy curtain and landed a nice 2#'er. I worked that area for quite a bit w/ a break to deliver photo workshop fliers to a camera store in Escondido. 

   
Click on photos to enlarge.
First came on d/s and the next a lot later on, on a crankbait, at dusk.

Worked the point just west of the launch ramp and then the narrows towards dusk.  Saw the 'frenchman' and his wife and baby, he was tossing a swimbait.  I got a nice 2.5 on a red fat bodied crankbait, took it's picture and let her go to fight another day. 

_______________________

Murrieta Hot Springs
Jan 28th
75 degrees, water unknown, but not next time, got a thermometer! But it was BEAUTIFUL out, TUL.
9 bass me (4 at pound or more- one a PB at 8-15, TUL),
5 bass Mike C., (3 a pound or more)
and 8 bass Herbert. (1 a pound or more).


Started off throwing a watermelon red-flake hula grub and what do you know, 10 minutes into fishing it fish on, and what a fight... HOLY MOLE, she took line like nobody's business two or three times, but the 8# Izorline made short work of her efforts after a minute or so and Mike C. lipped her for me.  End result, Seewald gets a new PB (personal best).  A whopping 8-15, just shy of a niner (Beating my 8-10 by just 5 ounces)!  Man o Man.  Here she is...

 


Click on photos to enlarge.
She read 9-4 on my scale,
but both Herbert's and Mike's, the same brand, read 8-15!

 


Click on photos to enlarge.

NEW P.B.
Getting closer to Herbert's PB with this 8-15 (his is 9-2), just 3 ounces more,
which he got last year on a live worm, also at M.H.S.. The race is on.


Click on photo to enlarge.
Friend Ben of Escondido caught her too on Feb. 23rd.
 

Lake Murray
Jan 20th - 80 degree Santa Ana. BEAUTIFUL, TUL.
0 solo

Went from 2 p.m. till 5, mostly swimbaits (AC 9") for nada. Water up to 60 in spots. Two young men killed them off point in 30 to 40' on d/s. 17 in four hours, up to 4 lbs.  Unfortunately they kept them for photos and did not fizz them, so some died.

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Hodges Pond, regular.
Jan 19th -
1 me solo
from 4 to 5:30.  One 12" on first cast on fly-lined fluke, nada after that, fluke nor d/s.

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Hodges Pond by dam.
Jan 18th -
0 me solo
from 3:30 to 4:30.  Met Luis and his two buds.  They just started learning.  Got his number, to take him out in Feb. on my boat.

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Cuyamaca
Jan 16th - 47 wind chill.
2 me
1 Mike C., 1 Rocio C.

Arrived noonish and fished till 5.  Got 2 dinks (5") as the hatchery had to dump 'em or they would die from lack of food, no funds.  Mike and Rocio got larger ones.

   
Click on photo to enlarge.

Rocio and Mike with shots of catches.

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Murrieta Hot Springs ponds
Jan 13th - 85 degree Santa Ana. BEAUTIFUL, TUL.
8 me
7 Herbert

Went with Herbert and Gitta and Valerie and got some sweeties today and got onto a lot of dinks (1 lb average).  Started at 10:15 a.m. with a L/C suspending white at the small pond and then the exit end of the large one for nada. Went to a red rattletrap and a d/s but no go.  Herbert went to the other end and I followed suit quickly.  I got on two in 15 minutes on a d/s basstrix bait. Lost the bait and put on a fluke white w/ silver flake and got another, about 14" and  2 lbs..  Went to a River 2 Sea 6" bottom hunger swimbait and got on a 12" quickly, cool.  Got another two and went to the deep hole and got one one that went 6 and a half. She fought like heck and when she jumped I swore she was an 8 or 9, what a head shake and what a large mouth it had, beauty in motion and you get all excited and serious and giddy all at once.
 


Click on photo to enlarge.
My Storm 'WildEye Shad' color changes. I got a batch, discontinued due to change in packaging, and as they were 'bright-white' and not the tan ones that I wanted, I ordered Spike-It plastic lure dye and ouila, much improved.

But after the short but dramatic fight I found she had swallowed the small 6" swimbait and it took me a good 5 minutes of wrangling to get it out, turned through the side of her gills. Mid way through I put her back into the water and moved her back and forward quite a few times and she seemed to breath ok, just wanted to make sure she was not too stressed. I finally got it out, took a quick shot and got her back in the water. She did not swim upright after putting her in so I moved her back and forth for a couple of minutes- she breathed ok it seemed. Then I let her go, she did not move and then she kicked and exploded on the water, looking fresh as heck and swam off. I was glad she was ok. But later a friend said he saw her floating; bummer as not many lunkers in the small ponds out there and now I wish I had not even caught her.


Click on photo to enlarge.
This 6 1/2 pounder came on a River 2 Sea 6" bottom hunger swimbait.  The lure is fairly new to me but recommended by a friend Tom L. for Clearlake.  It did not work there in the 1/2 hour of trying it but it worked well today at Murrieta, the fourth of four was this nice 6.8 lb beauty.

My eight of the day came on a large crawdad pattern rattletrap, about a 10 inch fighter. We fished till 5, still light out and grabbed some grub a the new local noodle house across from the retreat.

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California Delta
Jan. 2nd / 3rd and 4th.

First day was a transition day, came down from Clearlake after fishing for three days, and did not fish just 'scouted out' some water by car and hit some tackle stores for intel.

To be con't...

 
Click on photo to enlarge.
The beauty of the lake never ends, I love fishing this lake.


Click on photo to enlarge.
I caught my first Hud swimbait fish a few months earlier just off this dock.


Click on photo to enlarge.
One of the last fish of the year was a 4 1/2, the exact size I started the year with. In fact, I started the year with a 4 1/2 the FIRST CAST, on a BBZ at Diamond Valley, and another just under 4 on the very NEXT CAST! TUL.


Click on photo to enlarge.
More Clearlake beauty.  One of the last sunsets of
2008, a great year for me catch wise.

 

  

Don't forget... take a kid fishing, they'll cherish it their entire life!
Or help one on shore you might see struggling, make a difference in life, and IN a life. MS

 

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