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.