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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rocio and Mike with shots of catches.
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.
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.
To be con't...
