Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Going Fishing Tuesday, Maybe Wednesday, Soon
Friday, July 24, 2009
Just an opinion
Most Fishermen go after Shad and Stripers early in the morning or late into the evening. A lot of the recent posts are showing signs of a growing danger in that area. One, I would suspect, stems from our current economy. An increasing number of homeless are taking up residence along the parkway. Many, it seems, are using robbery to obtain items to sell or to maintain their drug habit.
In recent days, I’ve noticed an increase number of posts stating fishermen walking to the river in the early morning hours being accosted by knife welding indigents. It’s a shame that, to fish, you have to carry defensive weapons and sometime brandish them just to indulge in a sport we all love.
There was one post where a guy was walking to the river in the dark and had he not seen the red tip of a cigarette, he would not have noticed a guy hiding in the bushes beside the trail. Another problem that’s happening is, these “crack/crank heads/tweekers”, a direct quote from the forum, are breaking into cars and trucks while the guys are on the river fishing.
These incidences are occurring all along the river from Nimbus to Howe Avenue and beyond. This is not the only problem. There have been numerous Mountain Lion sightings, Rattlesnake encounters, an occasional American alligator, Nile crocodile and a herd of baby sasquatch. OK, that’s a little off, but what I’m saying is, be careful out there.
My last question is,” Why isn’t the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department addressing this problem”? They have to know. There have been, as of this writing, 4444 readings of this one forum alone. Where’s a cop when you need one? I forgot, Arnold is cutting the budget so there will be less law enforcement on the streets. Not the police’s fault they have less men. They just won’t have time to protect us lowly fishermen from being accosted by homeless druggies trying to steal our equipment. All it’s going to cause is more packing and someday, one of them will get shot, then what?
Just a personal opinion.
Shoreman
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Not All Days Are Good
Took the Jackson Highway (Hwy 16) into town and turned right on Watt Ave (crosses the American). Instantly I was jammed in traffic due to construction. It was a 3 lane to 1 lane merge on one of the busiest streets in the city. I wasn't able to get out of the lane I was in for almost an hour. I only moved about a block in that hour. I finally wormed my way over and took a side street, then another, and finally ended up where I could access the river. Now it was about 7:30am, the sun was up and I was already an hour behind schedule.
Got to the river access at Watt and drove up and down the parking lot looking for a place to fish. Every one was overgrown and fishing would have been impossible without getting snagged repeatedly in the bushes. I blew out of the parking lot and crossed the river heading for Harrington Access, where I first tried for Shad. It was close and I knew the river there.
They say the best fishing for Stripers is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Early morning was gone, but I gave it a shot anyway, since I was there. I fished for about an hour and decided to move again. This time I drove over to El Manto Access, where I also fished for Shad. High bank and deep pools, a lot of swirls, eddies, and whirlpools. Should be a good place for stripers to hang out.
Grabbed the rod I had set up for Stripers and one I had set up for Shad and began the walk to the river. Figured I could try Shad if the Striper thing didn't work. The walk, I'd gauge at about 1/3 of a mile. Got there and realized I'd picked up the wrong rod for Shad. So, I spent some time throwing out Zara Spooks and Rattle Traps on the Striper rod. Hard to manuver the lures on such a turbulent surface, got tangled in green slimy stuff, and I finally got disgusted , grabbed my rods and tackle, and went home.
So much for Striper fishing, at least for now.
Till next time, remember:" A bad day fishing can be a bad day, sometimes".
Shoreman
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Lake Tabeaud - Pine Grove
Popped over to Lake Tabeaud (pronounced "Taboo") yesterday morning. Popping over is about 12 miles from home. I talked to my neighbors son over the weekend and asked him the secret to fishing this lake. He lives a short distance from the lake and has fished it for years. Oh, he's also caught trout too. The key is bottom bouncing a nightcrawler just below the inlet to the lake. So that's what I did since I had a dozen in the fridge. The fourth time I drifted it, a Rainbow about 10" hit. But that was it. So, on trip 4 to Lake Tabeaud, I finally caught one. If you double click on the picture, you'll see a rippling right in the center, all the way to the back. That's where the inlet is. There's a road that goes back there, I didn't have to walk.
Till next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than any day at work".
Shoreman
Monday, July 20, 2009
For the Deer Hunters
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Caples Lake on Thursday
Juni Mae's Buck Horn Feed, Grain, and Bait, not Bighorn. When I was in there yesterday to get more meal worms, I got a card so I would get it correct. She's located next to the Shell Gas Station in Buck Horn. I also want to commend her for the work she does with animals. She was caring for the smallest kitten I've ever seen when I was there and she said he was a lot smaller when she got him. She's also cared for a number of other "orphaned" animals. One is the cutest little goats you've ever seen, but boy is she a brat. Cleans off the shelves everytime she's in the store. Kudos' to June for her work.
There were a lot of people fishing at the lake today. Even though the trout were surface feeding, those on the dam, like myself were not getting much. I caught a small one on a nightcrawler and released one about 11" on a meal worm. Couldn't get them to hit anything that looked like a lure. Did see the big ones cruising by about 5 feet off shore. Even the guys with fly rods couldn't entice them.
Went over to the sandy side of the spillway. No body was catching anything there either. I went about 200 yards down and set my butt on a tree root. I was able to catch 6 more on Gulp Trout Dough, keeping 4 for my limit. Must have found "the hole" because the guy next to me, using the same Power Bait, only caught one and that was before I got there.
Might be back up on Saturday with my Son, maybe my Grandson too. I'll let you know.
Till next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than any day at work".
Shoreman
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Just a Couple of Pictures
Tuesday Morning and Quite Warm
OK, so much for the weather forecast. I stopped for my usual coffee at Cooks Station this morning. Something about coffee from here and fish limits. Good mojo or something. Got to Bear River Reservoir at 7:45 am and put out a slip bobber rig with one of those big Meal Worms I get from the feed store in Bighorn. Wasn't long before I had the first fish on. that would be the fish farthest to the left. On my other rod, I put a PM (both colors), KM (both colors), Little Cleo in Bronze Gold, and red & white Sonic Rooster Tails, to no avail.
Last Fall I went to the Fishermans Exposition at Cal Expo and came across a company called Rocky Mountain Tackle Company. I picked up a couple of lures and one of them was called Pink Splatter Assassin Spinner (see picture below). Now I tried this once a while ago and nothing happened. So, this time I thought I'd try it with a nightcrawler attached to the two hooks. Casted it out and reeled it in a couple of times with out any interest. Then on the last cast, the worm went flying off and I started to reel in the lure by itself. Low and behold, the trout on the right side of the picture hit it. If you're interested in their lures, there is a link on the left. I also got a couple of Serpent Spoons. I'll try those later.
The other three trout came, two on the big meal worms and one on Orange Pulp Gulp Trout Dough. I didn't see anyone else catching anything while I was there, but did meet a gentleman from Stockton named Bill, whom I left the rest of my Meal Worms with, in hopes he could take a couple of trout home with him.
That's it for today. Until next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than any day at work".
Shoreman
Friday, July 10, 2009
I Hate Getting Skunked
We gave it up and drove to Ice House Reservoir where we fished in April. I've got to tell you, it was a LOT warmer today. We fished one rig with Power Bait (both kinds), but didn't get anything. We fished one rig with nightcrawlers on a floating bobber rig. Oh yeh, I already told you we got skunked. So I'll make it simple. Lures, Power Bait, Worms, NADA.
One Asian gentleman said he caught one on Power Bait and another gentleman caught one, I think on Power Bait, although he was tangled in his other line and wasn't very conversive.
So that's the story for today. Next time Rob wants to hit the Highway 88 corridor. We'll see how that goes.
Until then, remember: "A bad day fishing is still a bad day fishing, but better than any day at work".
Shoreman
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Slim Pickens at Bear River Reservoir
The water level is dropping at a pretty good clip. It's probably 6 to 8 feet lower than when I was there on June 24th. Makes it a little harder to fish off the dam. Got there about 7:45 am and put out Gulp in Rainbow Candy on a slip sinker rig, the started throwing lures. Got a good bump on black PM, but that was about it. Did try a couple of new lures without success. The old stand by Dardevle in red and white. Nothing. A Mepps Black Fury with white spots and white dress. Got a good thump on that. The rest, PM in silver, Kastmaster in silver and gold, Little Cleo in a couple of colors, Rooster Tail, both sonic and regular produced nothing.
During all the lure time, I did land a small one on Gulp Rainbow Candy and a small one on Orange Pulp. Switched to regular PB in Rainbow and landed a small one on that also. Small being "maybe" 9".
I want to note that I took my neighbor Bob with me this morning. Bob doesn't fish, but he's good company to have along. Bob's the guy that plows my driveway (or scrapes with his tractor as the case might be) in the Winter when it snows. Bob will plow for fish. I do what I can to help.
As the summer wanes, Sunrise will be later and I will be able to get up there closer to Dawn than I do now, so my catch ratio should go up. Of course, I'll keep everyone updated.
Don't know if I mentioned "my fish to cost of license ratio" before. I keep track of the number of fish I catch versus the cost of the fishing license in the bankrupt State of California. Now I don't factor in gas, coffee, worms, and stuff like that, just the number of fish to the cost. With the three from today, the cost is 90 cents per fish. At the end of last year the cost was 39 cents per fish. Still have a ways to go this year.
That's it for today. Until next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than any day spent shoveling your driveway. Especially if yours is 900 feet, like mine is". That's why I do what I can.
Shoreman
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Caples Lake
Until next time, remember: "A bad day fishing is better than any day at work".
Shoreman
The Sierra Nevada Mountains
Shoreman