That's A Wrap

Tuesday is New Years Day. That's just in case you've been living in a cave for the last six months.

I wanted to get in one more fishing day in this year, Thursday and Friday we had winds in excess of 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Not conducive to fishing even from the shore.

Monday would have been my next choice, but here again we're expecting winds faster than the speed limit on the street in front of my house.

Ergo (I love that word) I slunk to fishing today. I could have gone tomorrow, but that's our Christmas with my son and his family, so today was it.

Did I mention it was 26 degrees this morning?

When I left the house it was 26 degrees. After scraping the ice off my truck I headed out with North Shore Lake Camanche as my place to soak Power Bait. I'm starting to sound like a broken record. Lake Camanche, Lake Camanche, Lake Camanche. BUT there is a reason I go there.

First I could go to Lake Amador. Doesn't make me warm and fuzzy. Water is always kind of dirty and there is this slimy stuff on the bottom. I've been assured by the ownership of the lake that the fish are OK to eat, but...... On top of that, with the water level low, I can not transverse the side of the lake to get to where you can fish. The mind is willing, but the body isn't. 

I could go to the Trout Pond (South Shore Lake Camanche) if one likes combat fishing. See, there is this group of young men who like to take their limit (5) and then some. Kind of turns you off and I';m not the only one.

So I go to the Day Use area of North Shore where I can park within about 10 feet of where I fish.

After a stop for coffee at Java Drive (my new coffee place) I arrived at the lake at 8:30 (temperature 38 degrees with a light wind) and set up one rod with rainbow Power Bait (Old Faithful) and one with brown Power Eggs.

Every half hour I changed bait. Brown eggs to white eggs to green eggs, etc. Rainbow Power Bait to marshmallow white Power Bait to Hatchery Pellet (brown) Power bait.

Nothing worked. Here and there I saw a fish caught, but it was few and far between. 

At 11:30 I decided that Noon was it. At 11:45 I started packing up and wouldn't you know, THAT was when I got the first (and only) bite.

Took me a few minutes to get this holdover to shore so my fried Dave from Folsom could take it home. Doesn't look very big in the photo, but I'd guess at least a pound and a half.

So I end 2018 on a positive note and a nice Rainbow to break the current jinx.

How did I know it was a holdover, you ask? It had Copepod slime on it. Means it was in the lake all Summer ergo (there it is again) a holdover.

I already have my 2019 license. Now all I have to do is wait for the ball to drop in Times Square so fishing 2019 can begin.

Happy New Year everyone. Be safe.

Merry Christmas

On this Christmas morning I'd like to wish all those that visit my blog from around the world a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I hope that you got everything you wished for in your Christmas stocking or under your Christmas tree.

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I Seem To Have Lost My Mojo

I got out to Lake Camanche at 8:15 with the intention of trying some new baits. A week ago I cruised out to Berkley's website and bought a bunch of Power Baits and Power Eggs and wanted to see how they worked at the lake.

I started with one rod and a Power Bait called Hatchery Pellet Brown. On the other rod I put a Power Bait called Marshmallow White. I gave them a good hour before changing.

I put speckled rainbow PB (I'll try anything) on one rod because that seemed to be what the guys around me were catching fish on. The other rod I put 3 Power Eggs and the best I can explain it was half chartreuse green and half speckled greenish clear. 

In the mean time my neighbor for the day, John (he lives in Jackson too) almost had his rod pulled off the shore. It took almost 5 minutes for John to bring this one to hand. 

John and his first of the day

He and a couple guys from behind me fiddled around for a while trying to figure how big it was. It was then that I walked over with my handy dandy digital scale and that sucker came in at 6 lbs 5 oz. 

This is so you can get a better look at what a BIG rainbow looks like. He took it over to the marina and got his picture taken and I think they give a Lake Camanche coffee mug for a fish over 5#. 

Mean while I'm still sitting waiting for my first bite and John pulls in another little one. 

I change to plain old rainbow Power Bait (old faithful) on one rod and white Power Eggs on the other. 

Fish were being caught down the way and behind me, but not where I was sitting, in fact I didn't even get a bite all day. 

I Seem To Have Lost My Mojo. 

Maybe next time. 

This Is More Important Than Fishing

Marisa's (Yuki's daughter) 2019 calendar is now available on LULU. I've ordered mine. Your turn.

Go here to order: https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=marisa+ishimatsu&type=

2019 Calendar

If you want to see more of Marisa's incredible photography, go here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marisa_ishimatsu/

Yuki - 1, Mark - 0, Fish - The Rest

It's been a long time (June 8th to be exact) since Yuki and I fished together. For the last couple months he's been down with the crud and then another medical mishap last week.

We finally made it out to Lake Camanche North Shore this morning. I got there about 8:15 and set both rods out with rainbow Power Bait. Hey, it worked Monday, it should work today, right?

Right. Guys to the left catching fish. Guys to the right catching fish. Guys behind me catching fish. Me, nothing. Tried brown Power Eggs, white Power Eggs, nothing there either. Guys to the right using rainbow Power Bait, but could I get a bite............Noooo!

Yuki got there about 9:00, put out two lines, one with a worm and the other with rainbow Power Bait. 

Finally just about Noon Yuki got his one and only fish.

Yuki scores

Not bad about 1 1/2 pounds

And that was it. Left at 12:30.  

We did get caught up since it's been 6 months since we've seen each other and there will be more fishing. Maybe as soon as next week. 

Stay tuned.

How Quickly One Forgets

What did I forget? Fishing in Winter.

Left home at 8:20 for the drive to Lake Camanche North Shore.

Frosty Truck

Once I got the ice scrapped off my truck that is. This is how my truck looks at 28 degrees. 

After a stop for coffee at a little coffee kiosk on the way I got to the lake at about 9:00. Before I go any further, let me tell you about the little coffee kiosk. I used to stop at Starbucks, but since I found this place Starbucks is no longer an option. I can get a good cup of dark roast for a mere $2.00 where Starbucks medium size is $2.75 and they both are the same size and I don't even have to get out of the truck to get it. A no brainer in my book. 

At 9:20 I had two rods out, one with brown Power Eggs and the other with white Power Eggs. This is what I caught the two on back on November 6th. Jeez, has it been that long?????

So I sat and watched the guy on my left and the two guys behind me catch fish after fish and I never got a bite. I allowed one hour for the fish to bite on either rod. Huh, fat chance. 

Did I mention it was cold at the lake. The wind was blowing from the East across the lake. The snow covered mountains are in that direction and I'm sure that had something to do with the cold. I started with a hoodie (it was 45 when I got there) and gloves. After freezing for an hour I went up to the truck and put on my parka (one must be prepared in Winter) and my Eddie Bower gloves. By 10:30 I was back in my hoodie again and didn't need gloves. No wind at all then. Crazy California weather.  

Mean while I rigged my little rod with 2# line, with a 1/4 oz sinker on a slip sinker rig. Pulled in the white Power Eggs and put out the little rod with rainbow Power Bait (what else!). 

I walked up to the truck (a total of maybe 5 feet) and before I could get back there was a fish on. It came in at about a pound and since I wasn't keeping any I gave it to the guys behind me to add to theirs. I put PB back on and within minutes I added another one (this one was about a pound too) to their stringer. 

So I reeled in the rod with brown Power Eggs and re-rigged with rainbow Power Bait. In the next hour I got two bites on this rod and managed to lose both. Apparently I had some fraying in the line and when the bite came and I lifted the rod to set the hook, all I came away with was line. The second time it happened I grabbed the end of the line and tugged. Yup, it was definitely frayed. Snapped off right in my hand. So I went up the line until it didn't break and re-rigged. 

About 11:30 I got another hit on that same rod and this on stayed on. I got it to shore and could see it was about a pound and a half. I put it back for someone else to catch. 

Now you're going to say, OK he says he caught three, but where are the pictures? I knew you would ask so here's the last one.   

pound and a half or so.  

Funny how this week they want rainbow Power Bait and the guys behind me said last week they wanted green Power Bait. Back in November they only wanted Power Eggs. 

I've got some new flavors of Power Eggs coming from Berkley. Maybe they will get here in time to try them out Thursday or Friday. Rain tomorrow and Wednesday. 

Stay tuned.  

This isn't about fishing, but the post tomorrow will be.

I read Howard's post just now and I think a lot of us out here in blogland understand where he's coming from. I'm sure, at one time or another, we've all been down in the "dumps", but as John at Of Brambles and Bears calls it the "Black Dog", if you're in depression it's tough to climb out.

I know because I've been there too, although it's not been as deep a depression as some have. It's still hard to get back to "normal".

I'm not writing this because I'm looking for help. I'm writing this because our friends need your support. Let them know you're there for them. If nothing else, send them jokes. 

I've spend a lot of time recently working on my ancestry, but if you follow this blog, you already know that. If your family goes back any length of time, then you know that life expectancy in the 1700's & 1800's wasn't very long. Many of my relatives had multiple children (sometimes as many as 10 or 12) and only had one or two reach adulthood. That is a depressing thing to find out.

While I work on my ancestry I constantly listen to songs on YouTube. What does this have to do with depression, you ask? Once in a while I come across a song that lifts my spirits. Even if the lyrics aren't spirit lifting, sometimes the video itself is. Of course my focus is the music (being a Geezer) from the 50's, 60's and into the 70's.

A couple days ago I was listening and a song by the King came on. Cmon, Elvis Presley was the King of Rock and Roll. I'd like to share it with you, but you have to do a couple thing first.

1. Forget the lyrics and concentrate on just the music.
2. Forget that there are a bunch of cute girls dancing, just watch the energy they have. God knows it would kill us Geeszers. 
3. Enjoy it.

So go here and listen. I guarantee it will lift your spirits.  

Tomorrow I'm going fishing come hell or high water.

Stay tuned.   

I Keep Planning To Go

Last Monday......Planned to go and something came up and I had to cancel it.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...........

That's rain

Friday......Had to go to Folsom for an appointment.

Yesterday and today............

Yup, raining

Granted we need the water, but it's putting a crimp in my fishing.

Tomorrow, sorry I don't fish on Sunday. Not that religion (I really don't have any) stands in the way, there are too many idiots out there on Sunday. Don't know if I told you, but I'm allergic to nuts, idiots, and stupid people. Best to stay home on Sunday. 

Next week.........

Maybe tomorrow because Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday maybe.

More rain

Or maybe Friday. Looks like it might be sunny.

Stay tuned. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Don't see these guys much anymore now that we live in the city.






Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours.

Something Not Everybody Gets to Experience.

Meet Mavis Ranae Bonnie.

She's my Great Granddaughter.

Born 11/10/2018 at 10:47pm. 7 lbs. 2 ozs. 19-1/2"

Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Step Great Grandmother, and Great Grandfather all doing well.

We have a chance for a 4 generation picture, hopefully soon.

Stay Tuned...........

Paradise Lost

If you haven't been watching the National News, the Camp Fire has destroyed the town of Paradise, California. Paradise is a little town up the hill from Chico, California.

It's destroyed 6700 structures, many of them home and businesses and burned 100,000 acres as of this morning.

This fire was fast and hot. It started Thursday morning up near a town called Magalia around 6:30 am. By 4:00 pm it had burned 18,000 acres and by Friday morning it was up to 70,000 acres.

Nine lives have been lost, five of them on one road as the people tried to escape the fire via the only road out.

At times, people abandoned their vehicles and just got out and ran. It was all they could do. The roads were gridlocked with people fleeing.

A very sad day.

This Time It Was About Fish

I needed to get out of the house so I packed up the truck and headed to Lake Camanche North Shore.

This wasn't a kayak kind of day, more a sit and read while soaking Power Bait kind of day.

I got to the lake at 8:30 and put one rod out with rainbow PB. Lately when I've been fishing with Yuki and he's caught fish (and I haven't) he's usually using brown Power Eggs. I've never seen them in the store, but I had a plan. It's always good to have a plan.

See how close you can park to the lake at North Shore. The lake was just to the right of my chair.

Here's the plan. I took three Mice Tails in a brown egg with a red tail. I cut off the red tail and Voila, brown Power Eggs. Three on a #6 bait hook and I was ready.

Wasn't long, in fact it was just before 9:00 that I got the first bite. That would be the one on the top. Came in a 1 lb 2 oz.

2 for the day

Then I got a lot of reading in. Didn't seem to be anymore interest in brown Power Eggs or rainbow Power Bait for that matter. Long about 11:30 I changed one rod to white Power Eggs and on the other one I put a white egg, then a green egg, then another white egg. Mix it up a little.

Just before Noon the bigger of the two in the picture was heading away from shore with the white/green/white Power Eggs in it's mouth and had every intention of taking my rod with it.

I usually prop my rods up against my tackle box because the shore is too rocky to put a rod holder in. In the split second it took me to realize the fish was on, he had dragged my rod almost all the way across the tackle box on it's way out into the cove.

He put up a good fight and when in the net weighed in at 1 lb 7 oz.

Guess who's having Rainbow Trout for dinner?

I did finish the book. Had about 150 pages left.

Maybe next time I'll kayak. Stay tuned.

Just a last minute thought. This is post # 1111. Thought you should know.

Yakking At The Pond

It wasn't about fishing so much as learning how to fish from a kayak.

Since the "Yuki" incident a couple years ago I've not been allowed to kayak. But, last August at Upper Lake when we were mostly unable to use the Inflate-A-Yak, my wife has moved toward hard kayaks. Much more aerodynamic and you can take them on the water when you can't the Inflate-A-Yak.

Thus the "His & Hers" kayaks.

Since they have started stocking Lake Camanche, I thought a trip out to the Trout Pond was in order. Unfortunately Yuki is still down with the crud so it was a solo trip.

I really wanted to get my yakking karma together more than I was concerned whether I caught a fish or not. Good thing because I was fishless for the day.

Got to the pond about 9:00 and started putting together what I would need for the day. The kayak has two rod holes behind the seat and one "holder" that attaches to the right side for "trawling".

Ready to go

I put out one rod in the "holder' with a white mice tail and a couple white power eggs. By the time I was ready with the second rod and a pink Kastmaster, the first rod had managed to tangle itself in the handle at the back of the kayak.

With both rods in, I made my way across the pond and put one rod out with rainbow PB and threw the Kastmasters. Just allowed the kayak to drift. I had to move out away from shore and found out that the rod in the back was tangled up with the paddle. I did manage to get a system going so I wasn't fighting the rod, but it was definitely a pain.

One thing I did learn is that when you cast to the side, when you're reeling in, it tends to pull the kayak in that direction. I don't know what that means except if you keep casting to the left, you end up going around in circles. Sometimes life is like that.

OK, I won't go into all the gyrations I went through with the paddle, the rods in the holes behind the seat, and the rod "holder" on the side. Suffice it to say that I've come to one conclusion.

Ditch the rod "holder". Forget the spinning rods. Next time I'll bring my fly rod.

I might even catch a fish. Could happen. 

Well That's A First

I figured that if I was going to have a day of fishing at Upper Blue Lake I'd better get to it.

Three things will be happening up there very shortly.

1. They will close the road for the Winter. Makes it difficult to get to the lake.
2. They make it into a snow park on November 1st. and it requires a permit to play in the snow (that is if they get any up there).
3. It gets 10's of feet of snow lakeside. 8100 feet in elevation tends to do that.

So I headed out of the house early since it's about a 2 hour drive to get there. 

On the way I noticed Hope Valley Campground is already closed. The West Fork of the Carson River is, for the most part, dry. All the PG & E campsites are closed. There was practically no one up there.

When I got to the lake I found a fairly smooth path to the lake and set up 2 rods with Power Bait.

Did I mention I have a new rod. One of my rods accidentally got caught up in the garage door when it was closing the other day. Snapped that sucker right in half. I stopped by Big 5 where I got the kayaks and they had (right in front of the row) a Diawa Laguna 6'6" medium weight rod. Exactly what I was looking for. In and out in minutes. 

At precisely 9:43 I got the first bite of the day. Must be a little out of practice because I missed it even though it was a good bite. While I was waiting for the next bite (seemed like it was going to be a good day) I took a couple photo's around the lake.

Toward the dam

Across the lake

To the right

See how far down the lake is?

Upside down mountains

Natures rod holder

OK, I was getting a little bored. The last photo is actually because it has a bunch of Lady Bugs on it. Thought you might be interested.

From 9:43 until about Noon 30 I sat. Not so much as a nibble.

Like the title says, being skunked at Upper Blue Lake is a first. I've not been up there when I haven't caught at least 4.

The lake was glass calm. Would have been a blast in the new kayak, BUT not a good idea doing that when you're pretty much the only person up there AND you're a Geezer. When you're OLD, one must be careful. remember that youngsters. 

It was really quiet up there too.

I'm back.

Statistics Update

Forgot to add these yesterday.

Posts: More than 1100

Page Views: more than 600,000

That's, That's, That's all folks.

A Lot Of Updates

Since I last update about the whole Genealogy thing, this photo showed up from a "new" cousin. The last update (August 16th) I showed you the picture of my Great Uncle Christoph and his family. 

Then this photo showed up. I believe this to be a "family" photo taken at the turn of the century (1900) and it was a "knock your socks off" photo. We know for sure that the man, center-rear is Christoph. Based on birth dates the one to his left would be my Grandfather Michael. To Christoph's right we believe is my Great-Aunt Louise. In the front on the right we believe is my Great-Uncle Georg. The young man we believe is my 1st cousin 1 x removed Herman (son of Christoph), AND the man that everyone is touching is my Great-Grandfather Gottlieb. 

With that part zeroed in, I've traced, via DNA matches on Ancestry.com to one Gottlieb Martin Kautz who I believe is the man in the picture.

Now a medical update. I saw the Orthopedic Surgeon on Tuesday. He looked at the X-Rays and the diagnosis from them. Here's what he had to say. Good news - I don't need a hip replacement. Bad news, there isn't anything that can be done (Steroid shots are not an option because of the blood thinner I take) until, and I quote "My hip tells me it needs replacing". Could be years, could be never. In the mean time mind where I walk, use the cane, take drugs if I'm in pain.
I've been to 4 doctors and the consensus of opinion is that I have Osteoarthritis in both my lower back and my left hip.

So I did the only thing one would do under those circumstances. I went fishing.

Yuki and I were supposed to go out to Lake Tabeaud this morning, do a little yakking, and see if we could catch anything. He sent a text last night cancelling because he's down with the creepy crud (for those not familiar with that phrase, a bad cold).

Not wanting to yak alone (not confident enough yet), I threw my gear in the truck and headed up the hill. Silver Lake was my destination. I thought that the place Yuki and I fished the last time would be a good place to start. It seems to be lacking in water. 

The cove

Last time all the land you see in the front of the picture was under water.

A little shallow

I did cast out both rods, but based on the amount of "sink" it couldn't have been more than 18" at best.

So I took a photo of the Fall foliage across the lake. There was a lot of yellow up the hill.

Across the lake

Packed up and drove back to the Day Use area, but the gate was locked and it was more of a walk than I felt like attempting. So I headed for Caples Lake.

I didn't think I could negotiate the "dead tree" area so I went to the dam. I was able to walk down and set up, maybe 50 feet in from the edge of the dam.

From set up

One rod out with PB and the other with a crawler and a couple white floaty things to get it off the bottom. Once I cast out, the water was a good 15 feet or more. Much better.
 

Straight out

In the picture below, I've fished from that area on several occasions and had fairly good luck.

The peninsula by the dam  

 Tried Kastmasters too.

Set up

I expected cold. It was (according to the weather guessers) 26 degrees in South Lake Tahoe (elevation 6237') this morning. Caples Lake being 8000 feet, I guessed would be as cold or colder.

Nope, I was in a tee-shirt at 9:45 and as an 8000' elevation would be, toasted by 11:00. Remember, I've not been out much this Summer and the UV rays are intense at 8000'. So to save myself from another bout with skin cancer (I've already had two), I wrapped it up about 11:30. 

In the photo below I wanted you to see the snow still on the mountain. Don't know if it's left over from last Winter or from recent rains. Elevation of that hill is about 9000'.

      
Oh yeh, want to know if I caught anything..........Nope. Not even a bite.

Stay tuned. I'm only getting started again.