FISHING • HUNTING • TRAVEL CALSPORTSMANMAG.COM
NEW YEAR, NEW FISH! North Coast Steelies SoCal Catfish How The H
‘BOOM BOOM’ Swimbait Was Hatched
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Sportsman
California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 9 • Issue 5 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Brittany Boddington LEAD WRITER Tim E. Hovey CONTRIBUTORS Bill Adelman, Don Banducci, Jason Brooks, Joe Byers, Mark Fong, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Bill Schaefer SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Aaron Lund, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Michelle Hatcher, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Kelly Baker
DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines DIGITAL ASSISTANT Samantha Morstan OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER Conditions look good for steelhead fishing this month in the far northern corner of California on the Smith River and just across the Oregon state line on the Chetco River. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES) MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP CALIFORNIA OFFICE 4517 District Blvd. • Bakersfield, CA 93313 (661) 381-7533 WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 4
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MY, HOW TIME FLIES: LATE WATERFOWL SEASON UPON US
It’s a sight that waterfowl hunters relish: Sitting in a blind at sunrise, shotgun in hand and dog at the ready to retrieve, then, overhead appears a V-shaped formation of birds. For Californians who have been seeking ducks and geese for years, it’s a tradition looked forward to every winter. As we hit the stretch drive of the season, the Bay Area’s Bill Adelman reflects on his roots as a quack shooter. (BILL ADELMAN)
FEATURES
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
43 WHERE THE STEELIES RUN A lot of rain fell in Northern California as fall turned to winter, and once the coastal rivers clear up they should provide steelhead anglers with plenty of opportunities to catch the iconic sea-run trout. We preview the action in rivers such as the Smith, Eel and Oregon’s Chetco.
83 CAT BURGLARS OF SOCAL Lakes throughout the Southland are full of catfish, and even in winter anglers can score plenty of channels and even the occasional blue, including fish that run up to 100 pounds, in San Diego-area lakes like Jennings, Lower Otay and San Vicente. Bill Schaefer gives anglers a whisker of a chance to land one of these big ones.
88 COYOTE BEAUTY Big game hunting seasons are over, but
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our lead writer Tim Hovey finds ways to keep himself busy in winter by hunting predators like coyote and bobcat (the season for which runs through Feb. 28). Hovey shares his secrets for calling in these furry critters, which can be hunted just about everywhere in California, including just outside suburbia.
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TAKE A TOUR OF BOOMTOWN
DEPARTMENTS
Tournament bass pro Fred Roumbanis has since moved to Middle America, but the Golden State native hasn’t forgotten his West Coast roots when it comes to bass fishing. So when Optimum Baits wanted to create a Roumbanis-style bait, the Boom Boom was born, paying homage to Roumbanis and his state’s love for all things swimbait. Mark Fong has a profile of the legend and his lure.
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Humboldt Steelhead Days preview The Fly Fishing Show coming to Pleasanton Sacramento ISE show celebrating 30 years Fishing’s fine in Loreto, Baja California Book excerpt: Crossbow hunting guide Chase big game in New Zealand Bolivia lodge specializes in dove hunts
The Editor’s Note: New Year’s resolutions Protecting Wild California: Controlling invasive bullfrogs Outdoor Calendar Adventures of Todd Kline Fishing, Browning Photo Contest winners From Field to Fire: Get to a sportsman’s show this winter; Waterfowl recipe Rig of the Month: A hybrid bass buster Urban Huntress: Hunting Pyrenean chamois in France
California Sportsman goes digital! Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Only $1.89 an issue. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Send address changes to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 3829220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2016 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE
I
’ve never taken the idea of a New Year’s resolution very seriously. Sure, I’ve joked with friends and family about what I’d like to do in (insert year of our lord here). I’d mutter to myself or speak out loud that this was going to be the year I’d lose weight; I’d volunteer more often and help complete strangers before myself; I’d start writing a book or a screenplay; I’d learn a new language fluently and then show off while visiting a country where it’s spoken. But too often we get caught up in our daily lives and time runs short for reaching what we promise to do as midnight strikes on Dec. 31. But trust me when I say that as a proud born-and-bred Californian, there are so many more fish I want to catch, trails I want to hike and nature I want to soak in in our state. Sure, I’ve caught a massive Mackinaw at Lake Tahoe, brought home a cooler full of rockfish after a deep sea charter, explored Yosemite Valley and rafted the Kings River. But there’s much more to see in the Golden State that I’ve yet to experience. So while it’s my nature to not guarantee I’ll do any of these “resolutions” in 2017, I vow to give it my best shot to accomplish the following, if not this calendar year, someday. • I want to spend a week on a houseboat at Shasta Lake or the Delta. I begged my dad to take us there for years and we never got around to doing it. But there’s something about cruising by day, docking in some cove and firing up the grill at night and cooking the fish you caught that morning. • I want to visit the national parks I’ve dreamed about but never got to. I’m talking about you, Lassen Volcanic, Channel Islands, Joshua Tree and Manzanar. • I want to a catch a wild steelhead on a North Coast river. • I want to catch a wild golden trout on some tiny Eastern Sierra stream. • I want to hike at least part of the Pacific Crest Trail (though I don’t expect to make it as far as Reese Witherspoon got). • I want to channel my inner-John Candy and waterski at Madera County’s Bass Lake, which was the filming location for the CandyDan Akroyd flick The Great Outdoors and, come on, it’s gotta have a largemouth or two. • I want to sit in a duck blind with a shotgun, take a bird and then watch one of those wonderful hunting dogs do his or her thing. • I want to see a California predator – a bear, a mountain The editor hopes to one day explore the lion, one of our new resident beauty of Lassen Volanic National Park. wolves – in the wild, and hope (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE) that the old adage, “They’re more scared of you than you are of them,” is accurate. Happy 2017, everyone, and may all your resolutions be accomplished! –Chris Cocoles
CATCH US IN SACRAMENTO!
Make sure to stop by California Sportsman’s booth, #1948, at the upcoming Sacramento ISE sportsman’s show at Cal Expo on Jan. 19-22. For more, go to sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento. calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2017 California Sportsman
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Bullfrogs may look adorable and hardly threatening, but they are native to the Deep South and since introduced to California, have thrived with few predators. But biologists are doing what they can to control a rapidly reproducing species. (TIM E. HOVEY)
PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
A BUNCH OF BULL(FROGS) THE CHALLENGE OF CONTROLLING A PESKY INVASIVE SPECIES By Tim E. Hovey
W
e waded up the creek slowly. It was pitch black and humid. Sweat soaked my shirt and dripped down my forehead into my eyes. Halogen beams searched the shore on both sides of the drainage. Through the reeds, I spotted a set of bulbous eyes at the water’s edge reflecting the light back. I centered the crosshairs of my .22-caliber air rifle between the eyes and pulled the trigger. The eyes went out.
I pushed through the cattails and searched the shallows. The dead bullfrog was an adult female and weighed a little over a pound. I placed the frog in a dive bag attached to my waders and continued down the creek. We were there to remove non-native predators from the stream, and collect some dinner.
AN UNEXPECTED PEST It may surprise many that the species of frog that seems to occupy every stream and drainage in California, the bullfrog, is not supposed to be here.
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
Biologists seine a small California lake for bullfrog tadpoles (above), which outcompete native amphibious counterparts for food. (TIM E. HOVEY) 18 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
The invader was introduced into the state to supplement a dwindling native red-legged frog population, reduced in numbers due to human consumption over 100 years ago. At the time, little thought was given to the impact the new species would have on native wildlife. With few natural predators and the potential to produce thousands of additional frogs every season, this uninformed solution quickly became a curse. The diet of the bullfrog literally spans the animal kingdom. Feeding studies have shown that they actively feed on insects, small birds and mammals, lizards, snakes, fish, aquatic invertebrates and other frogs. In fact, bullfrogs were quickly identified as the primary predator of the native redlegged frog, the very species it was supposed to originally supplement. Unfortunately, once the bullfrog finds its way into any body of water, it’s almost impossible to remove. Even though most biologists know this, attempts to at least control populations in sensitive habitats remains a top priority for most restoration projects. While it may seem like a sportsman’s good time to spend a few evenings shooting or gigging the adult frogs, it’s important to also concentrate on the two other life stages, eggs and tadpoles, to assist in controlling the populations. Bullfrogs are indigenous to states in the South, where they’ve evolved specialized adaptations to deal with the climate and predator base there. These southern adaptations include immense egg production by the female and a larval stage that tastes bad to dissuade predation. With a milder climate here in California and no real aquatic predators, these adaptations are a recipe for a non-native population explosion. In California, bullfrogs can reproduce all year long. A large female can produce 15,000 to 20,000 eggs in a single season, with the eggs usually hatching in a few days. Bullfrog tadpoles outcompete other frog larvae for food, and they grow much larger
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA than their native counterparts. Once they develop into adults, they’ll begin feeding on anything they can chase down and fit into their mouths. Much like relatives that come to visit and never leave, in California, the bullfrog is here to stay.
CONTROL To effectively mount a control strategy against the bullfrog, resource scientists need to not only address each life stage but also need to consider the big picture. Small drainages with a native species component are a high priority for bullfrog control. Larger systems where control may yield limited results are usually a very low priority. Field biologists who plan to assist native species and control bullfrogs are more successful using a threepronged approach of locating and then eliminating all three life stages of
A gig outfitted with a light for finding bullfrogs in creeks, ponds and drainages at night is a deadly way to control – or harvest – the pests. (TIM E. HOVEY)
the bullfrog. Eggs masses are usually released near shore and attached to vegetation. They appear as a gelatinous mass floating at the surface. I’ve found that locating these egg masses is best done at night. They are easier to spot using a headlamp. Egg masses are easily netted and removed from the system. If enough of the egg masses are removed, bullfrog reproduction can be interrupted for a season, giving field biologists an upper hand in control. Bullfrog larval or tadpole control is also important. Depending on the climate, bullfrog tadpoles will morph into
frogs in about a year. Removing larvae from a system can create a class-size gap and limit the number of adult frogs that a drainage area will produce. Bullfrog tadpoles can usually be seined or netted out of the water. Minnow traps with a variety of common baits have also been successful in catching tadpoles. We’ll usually identify a section of stream that holds bullfrog larvae and repeatedly seine it until we’ve collected as many as possible. Scientists involved in restoration through non-native predator control will definitely see their efforts pay off if they continually target and remove
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA egg masses and bullfrog larvae. Adult bullfrogs are active during the day, but nighttime removal is by far easier. Eye-shine using halogen lights works well for locating adults sitting near the bank. Frog gigs or high-powered air rifles work well for dispatching bullfrogs once spotted. Maintaining a consistent removal program in a localized area, and targeting all three life stages can yield positive results.
RATIONALIZING THE PROCESS As a biologist, I deal with the public’s confusion on the non-native status of the bullfrog frequently. Probably one of the most confused individuals I’ve ever dealt with was a woman who called me complaining about a market in San Diego selling live frogs. It’s legal in California for markets to import live bullfrogs into the state for human con-
sumption – something this lady was unaware of. The caller was clearly upset. She had walked into the store and found the frogs in a large barrel. Unfamiliar with the species, she assumed that they were native and determined they shouldn’t be for sale or eaten. She purchased 25 frogs at about $6 apiece, loaded them into a cooler and drove to a nearby drainage and released them. To confirm the identification of the species, I had her buy another frog and bring it to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife office. When she arrived she handed me a cardboard box with a large bullfrog in it. A review of the permits revealed that the market was in compliance. Unfortunately for the woman, releasing non-native species into the wild is a punishable offense, and after explaining the origin of the frogs she had rescued, I told her that she was in more trouble than the market. Fortunately for her, the drainage
she released the frogs into was already choked with the same species. I gave her some information on native species and the potential penalties for animal release, and sent her on her way. When I think about this episode, I always marvel that she spent over $150 to buy and release bullfrogs into a creek. Along with the confusion of the bullfrog’s native status, I would wager that a majority of the general public is also unaware that these green invaders are actually really tasty. Frog legs are a delicacy and bullfrogs are the species of choice for the frying pan. After an evening of exotic frog removal, we’d prepare the frog legs for a post-survey gourmet dinner. After skinning the legs, we’d dip them in an egg wash, roll them in flour and lightly fry them. Work never tasted so good.
HARD TO KILL It’s clear that when it comes to non-native invaders, the bullfrog holds the record as the most successful. They occur
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA in just about any low-elevation body of freshwater, and are only absent from the high-elevation areas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They have few aquatic predators and, in certain climates, can reproduce year-round. With an understanding of the bullfrog’s impact on California’s native species, biologists are continually mounting an assault on sensitive habitat locations where the exotic frog exists. Complete eradication is likely impossible. All resource scientists can hope for is some measure of control. Maybe if the word got out about how good they tasted, control of this non-native predator wouldn’t be such a monumental task. CS Editor’s note: For more on California’s non-native species, go to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s invasive species page at wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives.
Biologists who help remove the unwanted invasives can also enjoy eating them. Judging by the sticker they created, that’s a lot of invasive bullfrogs to fry. (TIM E. HOVEY)
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MIXED BAG
OUTDOOR CALENDAR JANUARY
1 1 1
1 19-22 20 26 29
New fishing license required Opener of Topaz Lake trout derby, visitcarsonvalley.org Opening of Humboldt Steelhead Days, humboldtsteelheaddays.com Online harvesting reports available for spiny lobster, North Coast salmon and steelhead International Sportsmen’s Expo, Sacramento, sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento End of waterfowl season in Northeast Zone Opening of second archery pheasant season End of waterfowl season in most state zones
FEBRUARY 4 4-5 11
18 23-25 24-26
Imperial County white goose opener Youth waterfowl hunting days in most zones Central Valley Anglers members-only trout derby, Camanche Lake; centralvalleyanglers.org North Coast Canada goose opener Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery Steelhead Derby, Smith and Chetco Rivers; delnorte.org/event/rowdy-creekfish-hatchery-steelhead-derby The Fly Fishing Show, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, flyfishingshow.com/pleasanton-ca
The steelhead, iconic sea-run trout of the North Coast, will be celebrated for the next three months at Humboldt Steelhead Days. (CAL TROUT)
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s e r u t n e Adv e’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek on what he’s been up to. For more on Todd, check out toddkline.com and follow him on Instagram (@toddokrine). –The Editor
W
My mom was visiting from Florida in December. She loves bass fishing, so we made time to get on the water together. Fishing is always fun, but it’s even better fishing with family. (TODD KLINE)
I like to mix it up between freshwater and chasing spotted bay bass off Orange County. This is one I picked up fishing from shore in Newport Bay. (TODD KLINE)
32 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
The winter bite is in effect and I have been catching fish on Coolbaits’ underspin and spoons. (TODD KLINE)
MIXED BAG
Last month, I announced the Stance ISA World Surfing Championships in La Jolla. This event was one of the most amazing I have ever been a part of working. All of the athletes had some sort of ailment/challenge, from missing limbs to blindness. Yes, this was a surfing event, and one that blew my mind. This photo captures two surfers from the assist division. With a language barrier they couldn’t communicate, but their smiles and applause spoke to respect each had for the other for participating. (TODD KLINE)
Winter is now here, but I caught these two Lake Perris beauties on Coolbaits and ice jigs. (TODD KLINE)
The patriotic spirit was alive and well at the surfing event I announced. (TODD KLINE)
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PHOTO CONTEST
WINNERS!
Blake Huffman is this issue’s monthly Fishing Photo Contest winner, thanks to this fine pic of he and his Oregon fall Chinook. It wins him a pile of loot from the overstuffed office of our editor!
The editor’s an old softy for pics of pooches, we guess. John Naab’s shot of Jake the Lab with four Northeast Washington grouse they bagged together is this issue’s Browning Photo Contest winner. It wins him a Browning hat.
For your shot at winning Browning and fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to ccocoles@ media-inc.com, or to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2017 California Sportsman
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BEST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Our area offers some of the very finest Halibut and Ling Cod fishing on the whole BC Coast, including Alaska. We are offering a special early season COMBO Halibut and Ling Cod package for the 2017 season. The dates we have selected for our 2017 Halibut Express are from May 1st to May 5th, May 5th to May 9th, May 9th to May 13th, May 13th to May 17th, May 17th to May 21st, May 21st to May 25th, May 25th to May 29th, May 29th to June 2nd, June 2nd to June 6th, June 6th to June 10th, June 10th to June 14th, June 14th to June 18th and June 18th to June 22nd 2017.This will be a 4 night/5 day package and will include up to 40 hours of guided fishing, all meals and 4 nights accommodations. An added bonus will be that the VACUUM PACKING and FLASH FREEZING of your fish are included in this pricing. This is a heck of a good deal and this package would make a wonderful gift for the fisherman in your family. We will also have our fly-in service available from Seattle, Wash., or Vancouver, BC for these dates. You will also have the opportunity to target the early runs of CHINOOK and COHO that will be coming through our waters at the time of the season. The pricing for this exciting package is as follows: Party of 2 fishing, 2 per boat…$1875.00 PP + 5% tax. Party of 3 fishing, 3 per boat…$1675.00 PP + 5% tax. Party of 4 fishing, 4 per boat…$1475 PP + 5% tax. To make your reservations or for more information please give us a call at 1-800-429-5288 or send an email to: rodgersfishinglodge@yahoo.com Best regards, Doug Rodgers PS: With Halibut selling for upwards of $25.00 per pound in your local fish department, you will easily be able to pay for your trip. You are allowed 2 halibut in possession with a combined weight of 100 pounds, 6 Ling Cod in possession and 8 salmon in possession. Last season we were catching Ling Cod up to 50 pounds. Come and fill your freezers!
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SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Lingcod aren’t pretty, but they are pretty tasty! James Lyngen of Tri-Cities,Wash., and three buddies fished on one of Westview Marina’s charters and limited on lings, kings, silvers and halibut during their three-day trip in Tahsis. (WESTVIEW
BEST OF BC 2016
MARINA AND LODGE)
Father and son Doug and Butch O’Donnell hoist 42- and 36-pound Chinook. (DUNCANBY LODGE)
Trent Brooks, Gibran White and Walter Mass pose with a nice haul of salmon. (NOOTKA MARINE ADVENTURES)
Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club fishing lodge owner’s son Kieran and his monster 30-pound lingcod, caught on July 25. (RIVERS INLET)
Twelve seasons ago Brian “Crow” Pimental landed a 43-pound Chinook out of Hakai Pass and always regretted not getting it mounted, so you better believe that after catching one this season that topped it by 4 pounds it was going on the wall! Pimental was fishing the Barney Point area, just minutes from Ole’s Hakai Pass lodge. (OLE’S HAKAI PASS)
Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club boasts some of the world’s finest trophy silver salmon fishing, as evidenced by this giant “hooknosed northern” that was caught August 20th and tipped the scales at 21 pounds. (RIVERS INLET)
Super-chromy king for Andrew Hills of Creston, British Columbia! He was fishing with guide James Fisher of Nootka Marine Adventures off Vancouver Island’s über-fishy west coast. (NOOTKA MARINE ADVENTURES)
Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club owner Simon and his wife Stephanie with a trophy “tyee,” a Chinook of 30 pounds or more, caught August 5. (RIVERS INLET)
Mark Pendlington and Gibran White show off a brace of Chinook each. They were fishing Nootka Sound. (NOOTKA MARINE ADVENTURES) Jacques and Suzanne Ouellet teamed up to land this very nice 45 ½-pound Chinook. (OLE’S HAKAI PASS)
Wayne Chung’s annual fishing trip to Vancouver Island yielded this pair of yelloweye rockfish, some of the best-eating white-meated fish in the ocean! Chung brings his own boat from California. (WESTVIEW MARINA AND LODGE)
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NORCAL
TIME TO HEAD NORTH
WITH HEAVY RAINS SOAKING THE SMITH AND CHETCO RIVERS, STEELHEAD ANGLERS SHOULD MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE COAST Rivers like the Smith and Chetco should be productive for catching steelhead given how much rain the region received. Northern streams should fish a little better than some further south along the coast. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)
By Chris Cocoles
R
ain fell heavily throughout the Northern California coast as fall became winter, filling up, not to mention muddying up, rivers that steelhead make their winter run up from December through March. But with a lot of water in the river systems, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee whether or not the quality of the run will be a boon for anglers this month and beyond. “In all honesty … I don’t think rain has a huge effect on steelhead fishing for that particular (current)
winter. It’ll actually have a bigger effect in the next few years,” says longtime guide Tony Sepulveda of Eureka-based Green Water Fishing Adventures (707-845-9588; greenwaterguides.com). Sepulveda cited the differences between fall-run king salmon and steelhead on the Smith River, one of his favorite fisheries. “Salmon fishing on the Smith, you need some water in there to catch them. But as far as steelhead are concerned, I actually like fishing low water; it doesn’t bother me at all,” he says. “As much as any-
thing it’s a function of good spawning conditions and fish getting up in the river and getting into all the tributaries that they want to get into to spawn.” One advantage – or disadvantage, depending on your perspective – for more water is it spreads fish out to different spots on the river, making steelhead more accessible to more anglers but also making it more tricky to find a productive hole. “When you’re fishing low water conditions, there’s a whole lot of river that doesn’t have anything, and then there are a couple of key spots
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NORCAL that will have a whole lot of fish in them,” Sepulveda says. “And that’s great if you know where those key spots are. When it is spread out, the weekend warriors will have a better chance of running into them.” Still, Sepulveda and other locals won’t be complaining too much if fish are readily available, and most signs point toward a good season, especially in the far north of the state on the Smith River and just across the Oregon border on the Chetco. The rain that fell earlier than expected and the ensuing clearing of the water got those rivers off to a quick start in mid-December. Usually, those rivers have fish earlier than streams further south, like the Eel, Mad, Klamath and Trinity. That’s not too different from last winter, when the Smith and Chetco seemed less affected by drought conditions than their neighbors to the south. The rivers Sepulveda fa-
Plunking is effective when the Smith River has a lot of water, like this year. But the Chetco’s ticket is usually side-drifting yarn balls. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)
vors further south didn’t have quite the same results, but the rivers to the north had a far better run than in the previous few seasons. The pattern could repeat again. “Everything is really flushed, and usually a little later (into January)
44 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
the southern rivers kick into gear; in January that gets going,” Sepulveda says. “So it looks like it’s probably going to be an up north year if this (rain) continues. All the more southern rivers clear a lot slower than the Smith and Chetco. That’s where
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NORCAL Steelhead runs differ from one year to the next – guide Tony Sepulveda usually looks three back to get a sense of how this season will shape up – but signs look good for the Smith and Chetco again after last year turned out to be one of the better runs in recent memory. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)
46 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
I’ll be spending a lot of time if this weather keeps up.”
STEELHEAD OPTIONS Sepulveda will likely stick to the Smith River, which flows north of Crescent City in Del Norte County, most of the winter, and usually after a rainstorm you can be back on the water 36 hours later. When the water is higher, plunking is the name of the game. “I’m not saying you couldn’t catch one side-drifting, but it’s a big brawling river,” he says. Further north, the 56-mile Chetco River is usually about two days behind the Smith in terms of the water clearing after rainfall. The Chetco is more conducive to side-drifting with yarn balls. Of the three rivers Sepulveda fishes, the Eel, which enters the Pacific just south of Eureka, is a little bit different to predict in terms of water clarity. “It depends on what stretch you’re fishing and the timing of it,” he says. “Four days or so, you could be fishing at the upper end, but with really high water it could be the better part of a month before you’re fishing the lower end. Years like this, we probably won’t spend a lot of time there. I think last year I think we spent four days fishing the Eel. Those northern rivers are just fishing really well, and I think it’s going to be another one of those kind of years.” So with a little longer drive to the north, there should be plenty of fish to catch. Sepulveda also regularly guides for Chinook in the late summer and fall, but he finds it less of a guessing game when it comes to projecting how well he’ll fish for steelies in the winter. “Salmon surprise me a lot more in terms of how runs are going to go,” he says. “Steelhead tend to be a little more predictable. And wet years definitely make good steelhead runs three years later. Steelhead are incredibly resilient, a lot more so than salmon.” CS
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NORCAL
TRIBUTE TO THE STEELIE HUMBOLDT STEELHEAD DAYS HONORS NORTH COAST’S ICONIC SEA-RUN RAINBOW TROUT By Don Banducci
H The North Coast’s steelhead are revered by anglers and conservationists, and Humboldt Steelhead Days pays homage to these fish and includes programs such as a restoration project on the Eel River. ( JACOB POUNDS/CAL TROUT)
umboldt Steelhead Days is a three-month-long celebration of all things steelhead. Events and angling activities organized throughout Humboldt County are designed to create awareness and further promote restoration and recovery of the North Coast’s iconic winter steelhead populations and their spawning habitat. Held during the peak of the run, usually from Jan. 1 to March 31, Humboldt Steelhead Days offers anglers the chance to catch the biggest fish on the Mad, Trinity and Eel Rivers, with a prize pool of more than $10,000! Additionally, an Essence of Angling photo contest has a first prize of $1,000, second place of $750 and third place of $500. In addition, the festival includes spawning and restoration tours, a steelhead- and river-themed art exhibition and sale, expos, classes, and film and theater productions for all ages. All proceeds go toward building community awareness, protection and river restoration on the three aforementioned Humboldt watersheds. Humboldt Steelhead Days showcases Humboldt in the wintertime, and rain or shine, you’ll find good local folks, quaint and historic towns and villages, plus remarkable natural beauty everywhere, and, of course, those legendary steelhead. With more of these babies in Humboldt than anywhere else in California, there is no better place to hook up with one! Humboldt Steelhead Days benefits the Mad River Alliance, California Trout and Mountain Community & Culture. CS calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2017 California Sportsman
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NORCAL BANK FISHING ACCESS CHANGES This year Humboldt Steelhead Days has special limited access to Green Diamond Resource land on the Mad River. The limited number of special permits will allow holders to access the 4200 Road on Green Diamond Land. This allows permit holders to park near the 4200 Road gate and hike in approximately 3.5 miles up the road to areas not normally accessible upstream of the Mad River Hatchery for bank fishing. Permits are good from Jan. 1 to March 31. If you are looking for that special spot on the Mad where it won’t be shoulder to shoulder, then arrange with us now for your permit while supplies last. A three-month limited access permit costs $40. SPECIAL BOAT ACCESS Boat access near the Mad River Hatchery on the spur road (Hatchery Road .99L) allows boaters to drift approximately 11 miles of river to the takeout at Mad River Beach boat ramp. Boat access will be limited, so sign up early and reserve your date. Please note that river stage and conditions will determine access, and we will work with you to do our best to move you to another day if conditions cause a cancellation. Gate fee is $30 per day. For more information, get in touch with Dave Feral at Mad River Alliance (707-382-6162; madriveralliance@suddenlink.net).
–Mad River Alliance
These maps depict special boat (top) and bank access areas on the Mad River. (CAL TROUT)
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Our waterfowl hunts are either 3 or 4 day. You will enjoy goose hunts & duck hunts along the North Saskatchewan River in eastern Alberta. We are very fortunate that we have the North Saskatchewan River right next to us that holds the waterfowl until freeze up. Even on a dry year we always have the river to keep us in birds! Alberta three-day waterfowl possession limit: 24 ducks, 24 dark geese and 180 snow geese. On a normal hunt you’ll shoot limits of ducks and dark geese, as well as a few snow geese. All hunters stay in a lodge with all the amenities of home. We have full cell phone coverage, wireless internet, and satellite TV. In the evenings, we also have plenty of room to socialize while sitting around a bonfire. Call or visit our website for more information!
Book Your Next Hunting Trip In Alberta, Canada CALL NEIL: 780-808-0318 | EMAIL: neil@northstaroutfitting.com
52 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
A BIRD HUNTER’S EYE VIEW
BAY AREA By Bill Adelman
W
AS THE 2016-17 WINGSHOOTING SEASON ROUNDS INTO THE FINAL STRETCH, A BIRD HUNTER RECALLS EARLY MEMORIES The author (left) with his son, Steve Adelman, wasn’t sure what to expect the first time he went duck hunting upon moving to Northern California, but he eventually got hooked on it. (STEVE ADELMAN)
e all have individual reasons why we hunt, fish or, as in my case, take naps. Sometimes, we can’t get enough of a good thing, even in the offseason. Since we have a lot of local wood ducks and mallards on the Sacramento River, where we also do a lot of fishing, part of our arsenal is a whistle and duck call, just to practice while we’re on the water fishing. One day, a passing boater slowed down and asked what those noisy contraptions were, and we replied, “Fish calls.” “Do they work?” he queried. “Only sometimes,” we responded. As another duck hunting season begins to slow down, it’s easy to be sentimental about the calls, the blinds and the birds.
THERE’S ALWAYS THAT HIGHLY anticipated first time for everything. Hunting birds never crossed my mind when I was younger. I live in the East Bay now, but after moving to Woodland from Southern California, many new opportunities presented themselves. One was an invitation to go duck hunting. Why not? How hard can it be? My coworker loaned me a 16-gauge side-by-side shotgun and a box of shells. As we drove to the levee where we’d take position in the timber, he explained the importance of leading a moving bird. It sounded simple enough. He told me where to stand, then moved about 150 yards up the levee. It didn’t take long for three mallards to approach my spot. Following his instruction, I shouldered the weapon and held it in place while awaiting the birds. There was a certain level of excitement for this particular first time. Recalling his instruction, I fired at the lead duck and, to my amazement, the bird was hit and fell to the ground. It mattered not a wit that I hit the third bird, but it too was down. My friend hollered, “Good calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2017 California Sportsman
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BAY AREA shot!” There was no need to explain the facts. Memorable? You bet!
LATER THAT YEAR, THE same hunter invited me to join a small group for opening day of dove season. I again took the 16-gauge but bought some size 7½ shot. At the time, the only dove I was aware of was the white one that magicians use, and as a first-timer, I again wondered how hard could it be to spot a white bird flying through the air? The shooting began right at first light. Small grayish birds hit the deck as I continued to watch the sky for a white one. Other hunters took off running after downed prey, and I couldn’t understand why. Should I have known how easily they disappear in ground cover? One slightly damaged dove fell almost at my feet, flapping its wings Waterfowl hunting with friends and family brings a lot of and attempting an escape. So I picked joy to the author, especially now that he’s gotten older. it up and handed it to the successful (BILL ADELMAN/STEVE ADELMAN)
Hunt over 100,000 acres! pheasant, waterfowl, dove, quail and chukar!
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BAY AREA shooter, who then held its head and gave it a spin. This is the moment I stopped looking for white birds. I did manage to bag a couple that morning and, upon arriving home, removed them from my pocket and dropped them on the laundry room floor. Only one took off. Memorable? You bet.
I DIDN’T HUNT DUCKS again for a while, but when we did, oh boy, was it something special. Soon after joining the Golden Ram hunting club in 1974, our first time out was for ducks on what then was a rice field called the Behring Ranch. We made a reservation for a Monday, but drove out to the club Sunday afternoon, primarily to locate it and get acquainted with the system. Of course, we took our gear. There were a lot of open blinds, so we decided to hunt. Other hunters, with a caretaker in tow, were in the clubhouse. When they learned
we wanted to go out, they tried their best to explain that wearing jeans, flannel shirts, blue jackets and baseball caps might hinder our success. I guess it was a big deal to have proper camo clothing in the mid-1970s. But again, how hard could it be? We returned to the clubhouse right at dusk with five ducks and three geese. You bet it was memorable, as well. The hot blind on this ranch was number 35, which was always booked out. Somehow, when I called to make a reservation, magic 35 was available, so I took it as a solo hunter. As first light approached, I shook like a 2-year-old Lab in anticipation of the morning shoot. By 9 a.m. on a bluebird day, nary a bird had bothered to appear within shooting distance. The blind was a two-seater, so I carried all my stuff in a bucket. I decided sitting here in mourning wasn’t worth it. I was just about to pack up, crawl out and begin my walk through
56 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
A good retrieving dog made the experiences even more special. (STEVE ADELMAN)
18 inches of water to the truck when I did a double take: I heard what sounded like a whistle. Upon looking skyward, a band of sprig circled and headed right at me. I couldn’t set the bucket down since it would turn sideways and all my stuff would spill into the drink. I couldn’t shoot with the wrong arm either, so I had to just wait. A few actually landed in the dekes.
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We are running 2 duck blinds this season. A 6 man blind on 100-acres in the heart of Richvale and a 4 man blind located just west of the famous Butte Sink which is a great producer of ducks and geese. Lots of mallards were taken out of that blind last season. ($250 a person) Also, we target snows and specks with dry field goose hunts. 8 hunters a day max and 6 hunters minimum. Groups of 6 will get the whole field to them selfs. If you haven't experienced a good goose hunt by laying in 1000+ decoys and geese landing right in front of you, give me and my team a call and we will get you on the birds. ($300 a person)
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BAY AREA Next came a hasty return to the blind. Being the neophyte I still was, it didn’t occur that using my sprig whistle was unnecessary this particular hunt. Every few minutes, another group just fell out of the sky and I managed to down two, both bulls. Now, this wasn’t too bad after all. Another group, another bull. The limit back then was seven, with no restrictions. The flights were so consistent that I decided to go just for bulls, and I was all alone. After about an hour, with just a minimum of misses (do you believe that?), there were six bull sprig lined up next to the blind. Had there been smartphones back then, I would have alerted the media to meet me in the parking lot. Then it slowed, with nary a bird for almost a half an hour. Just as I reached for my bucket again, there was a whistle directly behind me. Without considering the consequence, I whirled around, shouldered and fired, nailing a hen at about 15 yards. It was only then that I watched five bulls gain air and disappear. Forget the media and the smartphone. This was my own personal 1970s Snapchat story. Memorable? You bet. CS
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You can expect author Bill Adelman, who now lives in the East Bay but frequently heads up to the Sacramento Valley to hunt birds, to be out there during the last month of duck season. (STEVE ADELMAN)
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BAY AREA The Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton will host hundreds of fly fishing vendors, along with seminars and instruction during the Fly Fishing Show, Feb. 24-26. (THE FLY FISHING SHOW)
FALL FOR FLY FISHING PLEASANTON HOSTING BIG FEBRUARY SHOW
F
ly fishing aficionados in the Bay Area and Northern California can channel their inner Hemingway at The Fly Fishing Show, scheduled for Feb. 24-26 at Pleasanton’s Alameda County Fairgrounds. The show, one of seven put on nationally by organizers, features seminars on casting and tying, plus vendors and screenings available as part of the International Fly Fishing Festival on Friday, Feb. 24. Tickets for the Fly Fishing Show are $15 per day with two- ($25) and three-day ($35) passes available (children 12 and under cost $2). Festival tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. We caught up with the show’s president and CEO, Ben Furimsky, for more on his love for fly fishing
and what to expect in Pleasanton.
California Sportsman What’s your background in fly fishing? Ben Furimsky I’ve been involved with the fly fishing industry my whole life. I started as a commercial fly tier and instructor, teaching at shows. I’ve guided in several states and still do in Colorado. I worked as a sales rep and have had numerous articles published. I’m currently working on my first book on mayfly patterns. My father started The Fly Fishing Shows, and I have been involved with them since the beginning.
learning to fly fish for bass and panfish as a kid with my dad in a local farm pond. I also have many memories of fishing on the opening day of trout season around State College, Pa., with my dad. I ended up going to Penn State and fishing around the area.
CS Where was your first-ever show
CS Can you talk about some of your
and how did go? BF The first Fly Fishing Show was held in Somerset, N.J. The crowds came in such masses that the fire marshal shut the event down. We still hold that show in the original location, and it is the largest single consumer fly fishing event in the world.
personal fishing memories? BF I have some fond memories of
CS The show has become national
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BAY AREA now. How has it evolved over time? BF The show has primarily evolved over the years to have seven nationwide locations because of demand from the industry. We are the leaders in consumer fly fishing events, and when an area has the demand for an event, we are often asked if we could produce one. The shows themselves are constantly evolving, with new exhibitors, celebrities, seminars, and special events. Some more recent additions have been the IF4 film festival, the Women’s Showcase and the new Atlanta Fly Fishing Watercraft area.
CS What can show visitors to Pleasanton expect? Will there be an emphasis on California fly fishing opportunities? BF This is the largest Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton in many years; every inch of exhibit space is packed full, including an expanded outside exhibit area! Everything a Bay Area fly
fisher could want is available at the show. There are two casting ponds for continuous demonstrations and plenty of room to test the newest rods. There are “first time” celebrities, along with our favorites scheduled to appear. Our Classes With the Experts schedule has been expanded, along with free casting and tying tips at our Learning Center, sponsored by the International Federation of Fly
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Fishers. We literally have hundreds of presentations going on continually. There is a definite focus on California fly fishing opportunities, but offerings extend around the globe. CS Editor’s note: For more on the Fly Fishing Show, check out flyfishingshow.com/ pleasanton-ca, like on facebook.com/TheFlyFishingShow and follow on Twitter @flyfishingshow.
Visit Us At The
International Sportsmen’s Expo January 19-22, 2017 Cal Expo, State Fairgrounds • Sacramento, CA
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HUNTING
FROM FIELD ...
THE SHOWS MUST GO ON OUTDOORS EVENTS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR HUNTERS, ANGLERS By Scott Haugen
H
appy New Year! There’s a lot happening in our great country this month, with loads of hunting and fishing opportunities at our fingertips. Not only is there a lot to do outside, but inside activities abound starting in January with show season. Sportsmen’s shows are one of the best places
for outdoor enthusiasts to gain valued insight on the latest gear, hunting and fishing techniques and more. Want to learn how to train a hunting dog, saddle a horse, tie a fly, or work game calls and waterfowl decoy rigs? Head to a sports show. Eager to learn more about cooking wild game, fowl and fish? Head to a sports show. Looking to meet some of the top outdoorsmen and -wom-
Sportmen's shows offer multiple seminars a day, making them the perfect learning ground for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
en in the industry, people who make their living doing what we all love? Head to a sports show. For the price of admission, you can sit all day in highly informative seminars delivered by folks with vast outdoor knowledge. These are people who are eager and willing to share what they know, hoping it will help fellow anglers, hunters find success. The value of this kind of information is tough to measure.
COMING TO AN ARENA NEAR YOU As for me, I’ll be speaking once again at the International Sportsmen’s Exposition (ISE) in Sacramento, which runs Jan. 19-22 at the Cal Expo Center. On Thursday, the 19th, I’ll be hosting a seminar in the Adventure Theater from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and
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HUNTING
Brought to you by:
... TO FIRE
Some waterfowl have a strong flavor, so Tiffany Haugen likes to add ingredients like gin to recipes to give the bird some zest. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
HERBS AND GIN ADDS ZEST TO DUCKS By Tiffany Haugen
J
anuary marks the height of California’s waterfowl season, and with plenty of water around, here’s hoping that hunters are finding consistent success. One of the biggest challenges for hunters is to open their minds to cooking waterfowl in different ways. Here’s one you’re sure to like. When preparing waterfowl, take into consideration the type of birds and what they may have been feeding on. Birds like scaup and scoter that have been feeding on any kind of sea life tend to be stronger in flavor than puddle ducks or geese feeding in rice fields. Separate those birds out and use them in recipes that help tone down their meat.
Either a spicy cure for jerky, a game-taming marinade or a creative sausage concoction works on strong birds, and it tastes great with geese and puddle ducks. The intense flavors in this recipe will help equalize a strongly flavored duck. Leaving the skin on these ducks helps keep them moist during the roasting process. If you have already skinned your ducks, simply replace that layer of skin with a few slices of bacon or a thin coating of sausage. Two ducks, dressed One large onion, quartered 1 tablespoon peppercorns or juniper berries Two sprigs rosemary One bunch fresh thyme 1⁄3 cup gin
1⁄3 cup water ¼ cup olive oil ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper In a small bowl, mix gin, water, oil and cayenne pepper. Season ducks inside and out. Stuff a few chunks of onion, peppercorns, rosemary and thyme into each bird. Place birds in a roasting pan or baking dish, breast-side up. Roast in a preheated, 425-degree oven for 25 to 45 minutes or until birds reach desired temperature 130 degrees for rare; 140 degrees for medium rare; 150 degrees for medium; 160 degrees for well done. Baste every 10 minutes with gin mixture and let sit 10 minutes before carving. (For a no-baste option, add ducks and basting liquid to an oven bag and
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bake at 350 degrees.) Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Game Birds, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order online at scotthaugen. com. Follow Tiffany on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and watch for her on the online series Cook With Cabela’s, as well as The Sporting Chef TV show.
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Fishing and hunting vendors from around the country gather at sportmen's shows, making them the ideal place to learn all you can about the latest gear and techniques. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
doing so again on Sunday, the 22nd from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The seminar is titled Becoming A Better Big Game Hunter. This is a fun seminar that’s packed with information, largely gathered from experiences I’ve had, mistakes I’ve made, and what I’ve learned while hunting around the world and filming TV shows over
the past 16 years. I will draw on what I’ve acquired from over 40 years of hunting and what I continue to learn while hunting big game on my own. Included will be tips I picked up from my many years of subsistence living in the Arctic region of Alaska and pursuing what I believe to be the tough-
Looking for that perfect fishing destination? You’ll likely find it at a sports show near you. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 70 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
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HUNTING est big game animal in North America to consistently tag: the elusive Columbian blacktail deer. I’ll also be manning the Outdoor Product Showcase booth, in Building C. This is a booth loaded with the latest in gear, something you’ll want to check out. You can also enter to win some very nice daily prizes at this booth. If you’d like to meet with the fine people at California Sportsman – the magazine you’re reading now – and check out more of their regionaland state-specific titles, visit them at booth No. 1948.
A TRAVEL SHOW FOR OUTDOORS LOVERS Should you be looking for that perfect hunting or fishing trip, sports shows are the place to be. You might want to hunt pheasants on private estates or take on some of the best goose hunting on the planet. But there are also booths touting Afri-
OTHER WINTER SPORTS SHOWS If you can’t make it to one of the big sports shows, like the aforementioned ISE show, check out many of the others running in smaller towns around California, as well as in neighboring states. Remember, the purpose of a show is to offer sportsmen and -women opportunities they may not otherwise know about. Here are a few upcoming shows to look for in California and neighboring and other Western states: Jan. 12-15 International Sportsman’s Exposition, Colorado Convention Center, Denver; sportsexpos.com Jan. 19-22 International Sportsman’s Exposition, Cal Expo, Sacramento; sportsexpos.com Jan. 25-29 Washington Sportsmen’s Show, Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup, Wash.; otshows.com Feb. 3-5 Eugene Boat and Sportsmen’s Show, Lane County Fairgrounds, Eugene, Ore.; exposureshows.com Feb. 8-12 Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show, Expo Center, Portland; otshows.com Feb. 24-26 The Fly Fishing Show, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton; flyfishingshow.com/pleasanton-ca March 1-5 Fred Hall Show, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach; fredhall.com March 2-5 Idaho Sportsman Show, Expo Idaho, Boise; idahosportsmanshow.com March 3-5 NorCal Sport, Boat and RV Show, Shasta District Fairgrounds, Anderson; norcalsportshow.com March 10-12 Fred Hall Show, Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield; fredhall.com March 16-19 International Sportsman’s Exposition, South Towne Exposition Center, Sandy, Utah sportsexpos.com March 23-26 Fred Hall Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds, San Diego; fredhall.com April 2-3 Redding Sportsman’s Expo, Redding Civic Auditorium; reddingsportsmansexpo.com SH
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can safaris and dream hunts to stalk roaring red stags in New Zealand. Sports shows like the Sacramento ISE are where you can have face-toface chats with the people you may be hunting with. Come with an idea of how much you want to spend, a list of questions and an open mind, and you’ll soon be solidifying plans to experience a thrilling hunt, be it right here in California or some exotic destination around the world. Have you ever wanted to fish in Alaska? Now is the time. Last season some rivers had incredible runs of king and coho salmon. At the same time, bottomfishing and salmon fishing can be great in parts of Southeast Alaska. Finding the right place and good fishing can make for an unforgettable overall experience. Bring back a couple boxes of wonderful-eating fish and you’ll be surprised at how much of the cost is offset were you to have gone and bought that much fish at the local market. Want to experience a fly fishing trip to somewhere special, with friends, family or corporate clients? You’ll find it at a sports show. See me at the show for trips I’ll be leading to Alaska and abroad. What makes sports shows so fun is the fact that all the people there share the same passion: being outdoors. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, camping, cooking, travel, kayaking or any of the other facets of the outdoor world, get to a sports show this winter, have fun and pick up some insightful information. Whether shopping for something new or looking to advance an already solid knowledge base, sports shows are the place to be. And if you’re at the ISE show in Sacramento, be sure to stop by the Outdoor Product Showcase booth. I'd love to meet you. Til then, good hunting and fishing. CS Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time freelance writer. To order personally signed copies of his books and DVDs, or learn more about his booking service, visit scotthaugen.com.
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CENTRAL VALLEY
SACRAMENTO’S
SPORTSMAN SHOWCASE POPULAR ISE SHOW CELEBRATES 30TH BIRTHDAY
S
Booths featuring various companies and organizations, and a casting pond highlight the 30th edition of the Sacramento International Sportsman’s Expo, which is Jan. 19-22 at Cal Expo. (INTERNATIONAL SPORTSMAN’S EXPO)
AT A GLANCE WHAT 30th Annual Sacramento International Sportsmen’s Exposition ONLINE sportsexpos.com and Facebook.com/ SportsExpos WHEN Thursday, Jan. 19 to Saturday, Jan. 22 HOURS Thursday and Friday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. 5 p.m. WHERE Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento ADMISSION $17 for adults, kids under 16 free
acramento’s International Sportsman’s Expo turns 30 this year, and it’s as big an event as ever. Cal Expo again hosts this year’s ISE, scheduled for Jan. 19-22. This year, more than 625 exhibiting companies will attend, offering gear for fishing, hunting, boating and various other outdoor activities. There will be a massive sale on sportfishing boats, and various lodges, resorts and guide services will be on hand to help you plan a great travel adventure. Fishing tackle, hunting products and various gear will be on sale, as will plenty of boat accessories, UTVs, ATVs, four-wheel drives, SUVs, trucks, RVs and campers. Check out the latest in sportsmen’s and -women’s apparel, plus optics, calls and blinds. There will also be booths containing mountain living furnishings and a chance to purchase wildlife artwork or seek out information on outdoor clubs, group and other organizations. ISE Sacramento is California’s biggest presentation of travel destinations, fishing, hunting and outdoor products, and it’s become Northern California’s largest boat show. The show attracts attendees from throughout Northern California, Nevada and Oregon. Some of the new special exhibits include a kayak pond; an outdoor product showcase; an off-road test track; and the Lowrance Electronics Learning Center. About 200 seminars will be held at various times throughout the four-day show. California Sportsman contributing writer Scott Haugen will be hosting a seminar in the Adventure Theater from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17 and again on Sunday, Jan. 22 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Check out the Western bass aquarium demonstration tank with Kent Brown and exhibits featuring Eastman’s and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Kids under 16 are admitted free (adult tickets cost $17) and the show includes a Youth Fair that’s also free admission. For more information, go to sportsexpos.com and like at facebook.com/SportsExpos. CS calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2017 California Sportsman
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SOCAL
STAGE SOUTHLAND CAT ATTACKS
GIANT BLUES, FEISTY CHANNEL CATFISH ARE A STAPLE OF YEAR-ROUND FISHING AT MOST LAKES By Bill Schaefer
Y
ou are at your favorite local lake, just soaking a line with a piece of mackerel on it. Suddenly, there’s a twitch, and your line starts peeling off the reel. You set the hook and you can’t believe how hard this fish is pulling. You scream to your friend to get the net! Nothing has ever pulled on your fishing rod like this before. After a long battle, the end of the line rises to the surface and you can’t believe your eyes. We’re going to need
a bigger boat! You’ve just reeled in a giant blue catfish, about 80 to 100 pounds! This can happen to you. It happens every year in California, with cat anglers catching giant fish at their local lakes. Fifty- to 100-pounders are common. It just takes patience, which is pretty easy when it comes to catfishing. You toss out your bait, kick back and have a sandwich or a soda and enjoy the beautiful day.
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE Essentially, every lake in California
holds catfish. Species vary at each one, but the most common are the white catfish, channel cats, and the giant blue catfish. There are also some strange cats caught after people dump exotic species from their aquariums into lakes. Catfish meat is great delicacy, and some blackened Cajun catfish sounds good to me right now. Channel catfish are the most commonly caught cats in California. When lakes plant catfish, they are often channels. These cats run between 2 and 5 pounds when plant-
San Diego catfish angler Ronson Smothers hoists a giant 82-pound Lower Otay Lake blue catfish. Wily anglers can fish for similar monsters in winter here and at many other lakes. (RON SMOTHERS)
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SOCAL LOWER LAKE OTAY ed and between 2 and 50 pounds when they hit the deck of a boat. Most lake-record fish are in the 25to 40-pound range. The California state record is a 53.80-pounder, which came from the San Joaquin River Delta. Blue catfish are larger; they can grow to enormous sizes. The California state record came from Lake San Vicente in San Diego County and went a whopping 113 pounds. Blues are the cat that most trophy hunters want to tangle with. Every year fish in the 50- to 100-pound range are taken in California. Whichever species you’re after, Lakes Jennings, Lower Otay, and San Vicente are a few of the most consistent San Diego-area fisheries for turning out big catfish. I polled one of the best catfishermen in California for some of his secrets on how to fish them. Let’s see if we can convert you.
Southeast of San Diego near Chula Vista, Lower Otay is a great lake to find giant catfish. This lake has a record blue catfish of 102.90 pounds that was caught at the end of this past October. Blue cats are caught HERE year-round, and there are many 50- to 100-pound fish weighed in every year. This lake has a very tapering shoreline and is surrounded mostly by tules. It has a deep main lake and two large arms running north and east. Rock cover is sparse, but there are a few rock piles. Both arms have old river channels running through them, and it is along that river channel that some of the giants hang out. Harvey Arm, the arm to the east, is probably the most popular to fish. I talked to Ronson Smothers, a monster cat chaser, and he told me summer and fall are good times of year, but year-round can be great for catfishing at Otay. Fish in 10 to
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30 feet of water, and fan cast an area until a school is located, then concentrate in that area. “I usually give an area about 45 to 60 minutes before moving on,” Smothers said. “I usually fish a 7-foot, medium- to medium-heavy-action spinning rod and reel that’s loaded with 10- to 40-pound line, depending on the size of cats I’m after.” Finding the structure like the old river channels can be difficult, but a good meter or fish finder can aid in getting you precisely on the right spot. Fishing along the face of the tules along the main lakeshore can be very productive. Go a little deeper the rest of the year. Best bait here for big cats is a giant chunk of mackerel. Let those chunks sit out a day before and the stink will definitely get the larger cats’ attention.
LAKE SAN VICENTE As previously reported here, San Vi-
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SOCAL cente just reopened after eight years of being closed (California Sportsman, November 2016), and fishermen have already been catching giant blue cats. The blues at San Vicente also have a habit of eating bass lures such as crankbaits, worms and jigs. There is a lot of brush in the water, as the raised dam has sent it all the way down to about 80 feet of water. All the old favorites work well here, but a big chunk of stinky mackerel seems to always entice a giant into biting. Smothers’ favorite baits are mackerel, chicken liver and peeled raw shrimp. One more trick of Smothers’ is to keep the mackerel very cold or frozen until use. It stays on the hook better and emits its smell slower and longer. This is definitely a lake to go heavy and use medium to heavy saltwater gear and a big chunk of mackerel. If you throw it weightless, it will sink just to the tops of the brush and maybe give you that edge you will need to get that giant up to the boat. Remember, this lake holds the state record at 113 pounds. Look for the more tapered shorelines or underwater humps.
LAKE JENNINGS Another favorite lake for Southern California catfishermen is a sleepy little lake in San Diego’s East County area, Jennings. This impoundment has long tapering arms with a deeper main lake. Lake managers plant catfish, and the holdover fish just seem to grow larger every year. The lake-record blue weighed 71.30 pounds, with the biggest channel coming in at over 30 pounds. The buoy line is the place to fish here, or at least is a favorite. And the trick at this lake is to throw your bait weightless. Of course, it would have to be a big piece of mackerel or something that has the weight to sink. Otherwise, a standard egg sinker bait rig is best. You want to let the cat run a tad before setting the hook.
Bass might be the marquee target around San Diego, but big blue cats are caught every year by largemouth anglers fishing juiced-up worms. Andre Casey Smith caught this 50-pound blue on an 8-pound-test drop shot rig. (ANDRE CASEY SMITH)
TOOLS OF THE TRADE So now that you have an idea of where to go after these big guys, what about tackle? To be sporting, you can go with light tackle on either a spinning or casting rod set-up. If you only put a small amount of bait on a smaller hook, then you will probably catch smaller cats, but you will also catch more. If you want to go for the giants, then a much heavier rod with a larger offering will do the trick. You may not get many bites, but you will get a big one when they do take your bait. You could also throw out one of each size. The best and most common setup is a standard bait rig. The main line is run through an egg sinker and then tied to a swivel. From the other side of the swivel, tie on a leader of about 18 to 24 inches to your hook; the size of hook will depend on the
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bait being used. One thing most cat anglers agree on is to use a circle hook such as the new Ultra Point Mustad circle hooks. These hooks lead to sets that almost always end with a perfect corner-ofthe-mouth hook-up. I use Maxima line because of its abrasion resistance, and some use Maxima braid up to a leader of mono. As I said earlier, you will have to decide what you want to fish for. If throwing one heavy rod out and one light, then go with about 10-pound test on one and 20- to 40-pound line on the other. This fishery goes on all year long, so give it a try when the bass aren’t biting, if they are your regular forte. Just know that once you have a 50-plus-pounder on, it should convert you to a catfisherman right away! CS
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Coyotes and other predators offer hunters another opportunity to head afield long after big game seasons are over, and winter is a great time to chase California’s furry fangers. (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)
A HUNT FOR COLD SEASONS
LONG AFTER MOST BIG GAME AND BIRD SEASONS ARE OVER, PREDATORS PROVIDE HUNTERS WITH ANOTHER CHANCE TO HEAD AFIELD By Tim E. Hovey
T
he electronic predator call had been filling the valley with the sound of a panicked bird for 12 minutes. It was to be the last set of the day and I told Jose that we would just sit tight and wait. We were dressed in camo and
sitting at the base of a yucca tree. I had called this stand many times before and had nicknamed it the “vending machine,” since it almost always produced. A few minutes later a coyote showed up to my left, only 15 feet from where we were sitting. He was broadside, looking down towards
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the call. He then turned and looked straight at me. I froze. I knew if we stayed still, he wouldn’t be able to figure out what we were. He looked back down into the canyon and started running towards the dying bird sound. He cut in front of us, and more out of instinct than anything else, I tracked him with the rifle and
SOCAL
Electronic calls come with enough digital storage to store hundreds of different calls to fit your specific calling needs. The author loves the challenge of using a simple handheld wooden call. (TIM E. HOVEY)
er opportunity to spend more time in the outdoors.
CALLING WHERE THE CRITTERS ARE
pulled the trigger, dropping him six steps from where we were sitting. That hunt occurred about a month ago, and after hunting predators for almost 20 years, I still get excited when I get a chance to head out to hunt them. I love all types of hunting, but when the different bird and big game seasons start closing down and the weather cools, I grab my calls and head out to call in predators. It’s challenging, exciting, a great way to extend your hunting season and anoth-
When I first started calling predators, I paid very little attention to the surrounding terrain and what it could tell me. I’d find a spot that I thought looked good, sit down and start calling. In those early days, success was almost nonexistent. I was calling in areas I thought looked good and not paying enough attention to the signs of the land. I can remember calling in one area and after getting no response, I stood up and realized I wasn’t calling where the animals were. I walked around the area and noticed several things.
I didn’t see any fresh predator tracks and didn’t find any signs of rabbits or a consistent prey base. It hit me like a lightning bolt: I was severely limiting my chances at success by calling in areas where predators were spending little or no time. As soon as I started to look for signs of predator activity, I started seeing more animals. Predators will spend more time in areas with a higher prey potential. Seek these areas out during your scouting trips and when it comes time to start calling, you should start seeing more responses.
SIT WHERE YOU CAN SEE This may seem like a no-brainer, but a huge part of being successful at
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Coyotes and bobcats have amazing senses. They rely heavily on sight, smell and hearing to survive, so as a hunter, you have to fool these senses if you want to be successful. (TIM E. HOVEY)
calling predators requires that you spot the predator before they spot you. To give myself this advantage, I like to sit in an elevated position – whether it be the edge of a canyon, the bank of a dry riverbed, or even a small mound that will give me enough elevation to see approaching animals. When you’re ringing the dinner bell for predators like coyotes and bobcat, spotting them coming to the call is a huge advantage for a hunter. I always pick my calling spot carefully, even going so far as to relocate if I feel I can’t see well enough. Dissect an area before you start calling and find the best place to sit. Vision is a 90 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
hunter’s best tool on a stand.
ELECTRONIC CALLS There has been incredible growth in electronic predator calls in the last decade. Companies like Flextone, Foxpro, Primos and Western Rivers all offer electronic calls specifically designed for predator hunting. These calls come with remotes allowing the hunter to operate the caller from a distance, essentially placing the sound away from your sitting location. This can be a huge advantage if you’re new to calling or hunting by yourself. Electronic calls come with enough digital storage to store hundreds of
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SOCAL different calls to fit your specific calling needs. I have two e-callers that combined hold 700 different sounds. In reality, I use maybe four. For me, I stick with what works and always abide by the maxim that no matter what sound I use, if a predator is close by, he’s going to be curious enough to come take a look.
CHALLENGE OF HAND CALLS When I first started calling, and before I could afford an e-caller, I used hand calls. My first set of calls was from Lohman’s, wooden, closedreed calls. I read everything I could on how to use them and eventually developed my own calling style that started to produce. Over the years I have accumulated over 100 hand calls of different types and sounds. I really enjoy how easy it is to use hand calls, and I feel that it gives me more of a connection with the game I’m chasing. There is
just something about fooling the top predators of the wild with nothing more than a wooden whistle and your breath.
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE HUNTING When it comes time to hunt, there is a lot more to it than just sitting down
and blowing on a plastic whistle. All wild predators have amazing senses and they rely heavily on sight, smell and hearing to survive. As a hunter, you have to fool these senses if you want to be successful. When I locate a good calling spot, I’ll sit down and make sure that I can
WHERE TO HUNT PREDATORS
Coyotes and bobcats have adapted well to the presence of humans. So much so, that it’s not unusual for them to roam the streets of suburbia during the early hours looking for an easy meal. Many callers will take advantage of this adaptation and call right outside the city limits, focusing on groups of coyotes that regularly visit the backyards and neighborhoods looking for food or the unattended pet. Local calling can be productive. However, I like to hunt areas with a little more room. I’ll seek out huntable areas on U.S. Forest Service property and find spots where I can string several stands together. I like to focus on locations with plenty of predator activity. I’ll spend time looking for prints or scat and concentrate my efforts in locations where the animal sign is the most abundant. In reality, wherever it is legal to hunt, shooters can successfully call in predators. Wide-open spaces are great, but one of the most successful stands I’ve ever had – one where I called in two bobcat on a solo hunt – was just 20 minutes from suburbia on USFS property. TH
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SOCAL
The author’s good friend Ken Perdue (left, with Ed Davis), took a nice coyote. Coyotes, foxes and bobcat hunt the same animals as hunters and they pursue their prey year-round. Managing their numbers using hunting is as important as managing game species. (TIM E. HOVEY)
adjust to incoming predators without detection. I’ll move rocks or leaves away from my feet and make sure I can rotate to running animals silently before I start calling. Coyotes and foxes play the wind and will circle downwind of your location to make sure it’s safe to approach your calling area. If they get any whiff of a human, you probably won’t even see them leave. I make sure I know the wind direction and set up so that I can face downwind and see approaching predators before I start calling. Bobcats are less concerned with the wind and are all about movement. Frequently, they will just appear during your calling sequence, using every single bit of cover to silently approach. When I target a bobcat, I make sure that I pick an area that has a natural gap between where I sit and approaching animals. Bobcat love to sneak to the edge of
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SOCAL YES WAY, JOSE an open area and just sit down and observe. If you’re still, they’ll get close. I’ve had them walk within 3 feet of where I was sitting.
Earlier last month Jose and I were once again out hunting winter predators. We had made a handful of stands in good country, but we hadn’t
With so many coyotes roaming California’s high deserts, it can pay to bundle up and head afield, as Hovey and Davis attest with this pair of songdogs. (TIM E. HOVEY)
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seen anything. We pulled into a canyon and found a good spot to sit. The sun was setting and it was going to be the last stand of the day, so we got settled, kept quiet and got ready. I reached into my jacket pocket and grabbed my Dan Thompson PC-2 hand call, one of my favorites, and started calling. The screeching rabbit sound echoed off the canyon walls. My standard series is to blow on the call for about 30 to 45 seconds, stop and then search for about a minute then repeat. I had been calling for about five minutes when I spotted a coyote coming fast from my side on the left. I signaled Jose and decided to let him take this shot. As coyotes do, he started to circle towards our downwind side at a trot. As he searched for the source of the sound, I let out a bark from our elevated perch. The coyote slammed on the breaks and looked in our direction. He was about 100 yards out and I knew he wouldn’t
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SOCAL kept calling. Not two minutes later another coyote came in fast from the left. He was also circling towards our downwind side and was following the same path the other coyote had taken. Deciding not to take any chances, Jose found the coyote at 75 yards and dropped him on the run. We kept calling until last shooting light, but nothing else showed up. With light fading fast, we grabbed flashlights to locate Jose’s animal. After a bit of a search, we found the coyote and carried him back to the truck. Exclusive truck Jose had made a accessories for perfect shot with your truck his CZ .204. 1817 S. MRYTLE MYrTLE AVE. MONROVIA, CA 91016 • LINEXOFMONROVIA.COM • 626-303-8647 stay still long. Jose found him in the scope and squeezed off a shot just as the coyote took a step. The round sailed over his back and the coyote turned around quickly and was gone. Jose loaded another round and I
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REACT AND REJOICE Successfully pursuing predators takes practice, attention to detail and dedication. I believe that by making several stands a day and being able to react quickly to an approaching predator will hone your shooting skills and make you a better hunter. Hunting is one of the best tools in the resource management toolbox. By using solid biological science, well-established seasons and limits, hunters assist in keeping game animal populations balanced and healthy. Hunting predators is no different. Coyotes, foxes and bobcat hunt the same animals we hunt and they pursue their prey year-round. Managing their numbers using hunting is as important as managing game species. The bottom line is, if you hunt small game, deer, upland game, wild pig or turkey, and you’ve had a successful season, you should probably thank a predator hunter. CS
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FISHING
Could this setting be any better? As the sun rises over the Sea of Cortez on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, anglers prepare for a day of deep-sea fishing near Loreto. (JASON BROOKS)
THE FISHING’S FINE IN LORETO OLDEST SETTLEMENT IN BAJA FEATURES PRIME DORADO, MARLIN ACTION By Jason Brooks
S
tepping off of the airplane onto the tarmac, one of the first things a traveling angler will notice is that they are not alone. Others at baggage claim will be gathering
their gear and luggage off the carousel, including hard-cased fishing rods, all while wearing large-brimmed straw sunhats and sunglasses. Welcome to Baja, Mexico, a land formed in part by violent volcanic activity and extensive faulting. Large
rock spires rising out of the deep blue Sea of Cortez form many islands. At night the sun sets behind the tall Sierra de la Giganta mountains. It was amid this backdrop that our taxi, one of many available at the international airport located just outside the small town of Loreto, took us south to the Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto (villadelpalmarloreto.com). This is a well-known destination for golfers and families, says Ignacio Gomez, the resort’s director of sales and marketing and a family man who incorporates his family values into the resort. This is another pleasant impression the locals are proud
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FISHING of, as it is not a college party atmosphere like Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta. With three restaurants and a couple of pool-side bars the resort sits on the large Danzante Bay, also famous for its “chocolate clams” that have a brown shell and grow to large sizes, and are served fresh daily. Centered on the Baja Peninsula’s east coastline, it is also surrounded by prime fishing grounds, as I was about to discover.
ON MY FIRST FULL DAY in Loreto I found myself aboard the 34-foot Mad Dash, a large fishing vessel that is built for speed. I climbed up on the high flying bridge where our captain, Juan, had the helm and joined him for a view of the islands. As we passed what first appeared to be bare rock outcroppings, I noticed cactus and small trees and then a goat. It is rumored that each of the islands has a popu-
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The calm, protected waters in the Sea of Cortez make for ideal kayak fishing conditions. San Diego’s Joe Andrews landed this triggerfish during his outing. (JASON BROOKS)
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FISHING A deckhand aboard the Mad Dash (inset) sets up a rod for clients, who can fish for everything from sea bass to roosterfish to grouper. (JASON BROOKS)
lation of wild goats, put there by the Spaniards who sailed and discovered the area in the late 1500s through the 1700s. The idea is that if you get lost or, worse, become stranded on an island, you would have a food source. Continuing past the islands and out into the open Sea of Cortez, a couple of bottlenose dolphins joined us and rode our wake for a few miles. They’re playful and much larger than the porpoises I have seen in my home waters of Washington’s Puget Sound. After the dolphins moved along, a fin whale came up to our boat – it was almost as if we were the main attraction. We cruised at a fast pace and headed towards one of the many waypoints that marked where to find a deep reef and, hopefully, a few yellowtail. I turned around just in time to see a marlin leap far out of the water in our wake. The deckhand frantically rigged the rods and outriggers and put out lines while the captain kept the boat at full speed.
Being a Pacific Northwest salmon angler, this was all new to me. I have never fished at such a fast trolling speed. And just like that the marlin had moved off and we came to our waypoint. But it didn’t take long before we began catching bottomfish. A small grouper was the first fish of the day. Then it seemed like we couldn’t keep the sea bass off the line. A speckled fish that cut with a white flesh, the locals call it cubera. Our captain and deckhand said they were called “tongue fish,” though we later found out they were making fun of us gringos. We didn’t mind, considering the fishing was fast, with a bite each time the bait hit the bottom. We used short rods spooled with stout 100-pound-test monofilament and 4-ounce lead mooching weights to a single-snelled circle hook tipped with mackerel. After we filled our fish box with the tasty fish, it was time to chase marlin and sailfish again.
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AFTER CRUISING AROUND THE Sea of Cortez, we headed in without our black marlin. We made our way back to Puerto Escondido, a small port rich in history and known to be a safe harbor when hurricanes hit. There we stopped the boat once more, and this time the captain noted some floating seaweed and began to explain that this is an indication that we might find dorado. Again we were trolling – a little slower than when searching for marlin – and once again there were no dorado. Once we were inside the islands I began spotting sailfish jumping. Just about everywhere I looked I would see a sailfish leap far out of the water. Unfortunately, they were a long
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FISHING ways off and it was time to get back to the port as the sun was setting. The sheer beauty of the calm waters and large volcanic mountains made this day perfect. As we tied the boat up on the dock a fleet of pangas came in. Turns out, we made it back just in time; all the locals know to get off of the water before afternoon winds churn the outside waters. My friend Joe Sarmiento, who was on our vacation, had befriended a local at the dock. He chose to go fish with the locals on a panga instead of joining us on our booked charter from the Villa del Palmar resort. Joe was a bit excited as he walked down the dock. He was all smiles talking about the roosterfish he had landed, as well as a hammerhead shark, a small tuna and a skipjack. Hammerheads are prevalent in these waters, and the group that went out the following day landed two of
Along with yellowtail, dorado, considered one of the Pacific’s prized fish for the table, is one of the most popular targets for anglers in these waters. (JASON BROOKS)
them and lost another. The Sea of Cortez is warm and has many of the trophy species that anglers seek, but for me the exotic species such as the roosterfish and hammerhead are just as prized as the marlin and dorado.
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FISHING a fisheries management office. Rene is an American who moved to Loreto and started a kayak rental business. She explained how kayaks are a great way to paddle around the islands and fish or just sightsee. They will also get you to the many private coves and beaches away from other tourist areas for some incredible snorkeling. I was able to take a kayak out with John Kruse of America Outdoors Radio. We chased manta rays jumping out of the water but then noticed another kayaker who was fishing. It was Joe Andrews, vacationing from San Diego. On his third day of fishing out of a kayak, he held up a triggerfish he’d just landed. These fish, which resemble sunfish or spinyrays, are very aggressive and school in large numbers. He was using a drop-shot system with a piece of raw shrimp on a bare hook. It only took a few seconds before he hooked another fish. He told me he had landed around 70 so far that morning. After kayaking, we went to town and visited Loreto, the oldest settlement in Baja. The area is rich in Spanish history, which dates back to the early 1500s; a settlement was formally established in 1697. Loreto was an ideal location thanks to a freshwater spring found here, and even today it still has a small-town feel. With just over 11,000 residents spread over 20 miles of area, Loreto is a place that you can take your family, experience real Mexican and Spanish culture, and still in get a great day of fishing. CS
TRIP PLANNING For the best fishing around Loreto, make sure you check which species of fish is in the water at the time. Dorado show up in late June, with peak fishing being July. The same window goes for black marlin, blue marlin, and sailfish. Roosterfish are here year-round, but the best time is late summer. Sea bass and grouper are always available – make sure to keep a couple since you can bring them back to the resort and the chef will prepare them at your request. Fishing seasons are open year-round, and you will need to get a fishing license for the boat, which can be done through your booking agency. 106 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
Walking back from the boat with a bunch of fresh-caught fish is what a trip like this is all about. The Baja Peninsula offers fantastic fishing and some of the best beaches on the West Coast. (JASON BROOKS)
Winter in Loreto is comfortable, with temperatures in the 70s during the day and 60s at night. Whales have made their way to the warm waters and can be seen from shore and while out fishing. Summer is hot, very hot, with highs in the mid- to upper 90s, with lows in the 80s, but this is also the best time to fish. Villa del Palmar (villadelpalmarloreto.com) also features world-class golf, hiking trails leading to nearby mountains, a large white sand beach on Danzante Bay, as well as three large pools, an arcade, restaurants, and a day spa. The resort concierge can book you a fishing trip through the resort, or contact Rene Olinger (bajapeninsulatours.com), who will set you up with a kayak or help you obtain a charter or even a panga trip. JB
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HERE COMES W THE BOOM BOOM
FISHING
By Mark Fong
TOURNAMENT BASS PRO FRED ROUMBANIS TALKS SWIMBAITS
hether the prize is bragging rights to hold over your fishing buddies or the top place in a professional tournament, fishermen are always looking for that extra edge. That little something that puts you one step ahead may be a secluded fishing hole, a new lure color or a secret bait. Once you have the edge, how willing are you to share it? Long before Fred Roumbanis became a Bassmaster Elite Series touring pro, he was busy wreaking havoc on the legendary bass fisheries of the West. Roumbanis, who is from Northern California, was one of the first tournament anglers to understand and embrace the power of big bait fishing. Some call him “Swimbait Fred,” and he’s spent countless hours fishing swimbaits. He developed a knowledge base and level of proficiency that put him at the top of the sport.
CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?
An Optimum Baits Boom Boom Swimbait is rigged for action. The big lure was designed to work with a panic action to attract hungry and curious bass. (RICKY BODSFORD)
On a trip to Tennessee to compete in the FLW Everstart Championship, Roumbanis stopped into a local Bass Pro Shops store where he purchased a bunch of house-brand XPS swimbaits. To his good fortune, the lures turned out to be very productive. “I tried to keep it a secret out West,” Roumbanis says. “In 2005 I led the Lake Shasta Bassmaster Open until the last day. I caught every single fish on it until the final day when I had to resort to dropshotting and ended up finishing second.” The following year, Roumbanis relied on the same swimbait at the inaugural Elite Series event on Lake Amistad in Texas. “It came down to the last minute; I lost a 9-pounder on it. I actually had to physically break it off because I didn’t have enough time to get in. It ran me into a tree and I ended up second there too,” adds Roumbanis. By this time Roumbanis’ secret
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FISHING swimbait had been removed from the Bass Pro catalog. Thinking that there would be no way for anyone to get the bait, Roumbanis let his fellow competitors Steve Kennedy and Takahiro Omori in on his secret. As it turns out, both were able to source the bait by finding them in the closeout bin at different Bass Pro locations. Each bought up every single bait they could locate. Since then the XPS has accounted for untold numbers of big bass and contributed to at least two Elite Series victories, one each for Kennedy and Omori. Despite the success of the XPS, it was not without its issues. “The problem with the bait is that it was not balanced and would not run right. The internal harness was off center most of the time, so I had to add nail weights to balance it. There were a lot of little tricks I had to do to make that swimbait work right,” Roumbanis says.
BUILDING THE PERFECT SWIMBAIT With his limited supply of secret swimbaits almost exhausted, Roumbanis had been searching for the right opportunity to integrate all of the important fish-catching attributes of the best swimbaits, including the XPS, into a bait of his own design. That opportunity finally came to fruition in 2015, when his longtime sponsor, Optimum Baits, released their AA Bad Bubba Shad. Upon seeing its action, Roumbanis recognized that this new bait had the tail thump, body roll and, most importantly, the headshake he had seen somewhere before. This discovery would serve as the catalyst for what was to become Roumbanis’ signature bait, the Boom Boom Swimbait. Roumbanis worked diligently with the bait-design team at Optimum to perfect the bait. The Boom Boom incorporates the size, profile and, of course, the signature action he was after. “The beauty of this new bait is
that it works great right out of the package. It was designed with a panic action; the head will actually quiver, the body will roll and the tail will thump,” he says. “Unlike any other swimbait, it combines three actions in one, which will get the fish to chase but more importantly to commit.” Not only was it paramount for the new bait to have the correct action, Roumbanis knew that it had to have the right profile and the appropriate realism. “We worked hard to get this bait to be exactly the way I wanted it,” he says. “No detail was overlooked, from the head shape to the gill plates, to the realistic pectoral and anal fins, to the realistic scale pattern. All (are) combined to make the fish strike.” The designers at Optimum were also able to craft a weedless model to complement the standard rigged version while retaining the desired action. Roumbanis recommends rigging the weedless version with a heavy-duty screw-in hook such as the Owner 8/0 Beast Hook. After a comprehensive period of testing and development, the Boom Boom was released at the 2016 ICAST Show. The harness version is available in a dozen fish-catching colors and 14 for the weedless.
Before a tournament blast-off, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Fred Roumbanis dangles a close-up view of a weedless-rigged Boom Boom. “Unlike any other swimbait, it combines three actions in one, which will get the fish to chase but more importantly to commit,” he says. (RICKY BODSFORD)
IROD Fred’s Magic Stick, a 7-foot, 5-inch heavy-action parabolic casting rod that’s paired with a highspeed casting reel spooled with 10- to 20-pound fluorocarbon line. On clear-water fisheries such as Lake Shasta or Lake Oroville, Roumbanis recommends using 10- to 15-pound test, but suggests upsizing to 20-pound line on trophy largemouth fisheries.
ON THE WATER Measuring 6 inches in length and weighing 2 ounces, the Boom Boom is an easy swimbait to fish, making it the ideal swimbait for tournament anglers looking for that kicker bite or for first-time swimbait casters as well. Unlike some swimbaits, the Boom Boom does not require specialized swimbait tackle and will not wear you out after a long day of casting and retrieving. “This is a bait you can have tied on year-round and catch bass from coast to coast in tournaments,” offers Roumbanis, whose bait fishes well on any number of heavy- to extra-heavy-action bass casting rods. Roumbanis relies on his namesake
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STILL A CALI GUY Even though it has been roughly a decade since he moved East, Roumbanis holds close to his Western roots, which is particularly true when it comes to swimbaiting. Don’t forget, California has always been the epicenter of the swimbait revolution. After all, the Golden State’s bass grow big when paired with planted trout and kokanee, making them very susceptible to a swimbait. The Boom Boom has extreme drawing power, but in clear water this attribute is magnified. “For big spotted bass it’s a killer; it’s so awesome,” says Roumbanis. “In clear water, it is hard to beat ghost
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FISHING rider or, my favorite, ghost minnow. If the water has a little bit of stain, then I like the ayu color.” For impoundments like Clear Lake or moving waters such as the California Delta, Roumbanis sees unlimited potential for the weedless
Boom Boom. “It will excel in shallow water, 2 to 6 feet of water over shallow grass and around sparse tules,” he says. “It’s just perfect for skipping up under the docks with its flat body; that will be a big deal at Clear Lake.” Now that the secret is out, take
stock in the wise words of “Swimbait Fred” and tie on a Boom Boom the next time you hit the water. CS Editor’s note: For more on Fred Roumbanis, go to his website, boomboomfishing. com. More info on the Boom Boom Swimbait is available at optimumbaits.com.
Roumbanis is known on the circuit as “Swimbait Fred” and is a loyal believer in the action swimbaits create, including his own model, the Boom Boom. “We worked hard to get this bait to be exactly the way I wanted it,” he says. (RICKY BODSFORD/FRED ROUMBANIS)
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The Jika rig is a fusion between the Texas rig and the drop shot rig. The Jika rig has been around for a few years now, though it has not taken off in the same way that some of the other, more popular rigging methods to come from the Far East have. But don’t let its lack of publicity fool you: The Jika rig catches bass. To construct the Jika rig, start with a 3/0 to 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG Hook. For fishing around heavy cover I prefer a Super Line Hook. Attach a No. 5 split ring through the eye of the hook. Next, add a cylindrical drop shot weight to the hook using a smaller No. 3 split ring. One of the great things about the Jika rig is that you can tailor the hook, weight and bait selection to suit your own preferences. The Jika rig’s ability to suspend the bait just off the bottom and to keep it in a horizontal position is a strong bite trigger. To fish the rig, tie your line directly to the front of the larger split ring. Simply maintain bottom contact. Drag, hop, shake or dead-stick the Jika rig until the fish reveal their preference. –Mark Fong
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COME FOR THE CHAMOIS, STAY FOR THE FOOD
LOS ANGELES HUNTER FINDS WORLD-CLASS CUISINE AND SPECTACULAR HUNTING IN FRANCE By Brittany Boddington
H
unting in France has its perks. One major benefit is that it is home to some of the best cuisine in the world, and a pretty cool thing about this trip is that the area we were hunting was not far from the Mediterranean. As a California native, I don’t think much about the sea in the winter, but in France they dive at every opportunity.
I was hunting with my good friends at France Safaris, Guillaume Roque and his wife, Lisa. And our hunt started off in the Pyrenees Mountains for a Pyrenean chamois.
We drove up into the mountains and set up camp in a tiny village where only two families live. Our local guide, Jean Luc Planes, maintains a small flat there for his hunt-
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ers to stay. We hiked out from the flat in the morning early and got into the mountains as the sun came up. It wasn’t long before we spotted a chamois.
The terrain wasn’t the only hindrance for Boddington; so was the language barrier between her and her French-speaking guides. Fortunately, she speaks some Spanish, which is also spoken widely in this area along the France-Spain border. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
Brittany Boddington is in a beautiful but precarious spot in the Pyrenees Mountains, in the south of France. Her goal was to successfully hunt a Pyrenean chamois, a type of antelope goat. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
They call them izard, which sounds like iza when they talk about the animal in French. I don’t speak French but I can pick it up when they see a big iza because they get very excited. The area we were hunting is right on the border with Spain, so most people speak Spanish as well as French. Living in California my entire life has taught me enough Spanish to be able to get along pretty
well. Jean Luc and I communicated in Spanish because he doesn’t speak very much English and most of his hunters are from Spain and France.
ON THE LOOKOUT We hiked for a while and got up to a peak where we could overlook the opposite mountainside. There were animals everywhere. We saw a roe buck first, and then as the light hit the mountain we could see chamois
moving all over the place. We spotted at least seven of them in the 30 minutes we sat there. One of them looked particularly big, and I could hear the excitement in the guys’ voices. I got excited too! I got into position over a rock and managed to figure out which animal they were talking about, but then I heard that it was a female. I really prefer not to shoot female animals, even though in this area they do not
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differentiate the male from the female on the hunting license or tags. I hesitated and asked the guys if they really wanted me to shoot this one. They said it was a huge one but that it was up to me; I told them I would really prefer to shoot a big old male.
A PIT STOP We stopped and had a snack, which in France means they pulled out a baguette, some amazing cheeses and dried sausage. Guillaume even had foie gras, duck or goose liver, for us. They really are spoiled when it comes to food in France. The cheeses are to die for. We feasted and then carried on with our hiking. We got to another lookout point where we set up to glass the area. Jean Luc got excited again and I scrambled to get into Snake in the grass? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what everyone stepped on even if they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize it. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
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position to shoot, which took me a minute. I couldn’t find the chamois in my scope for a few seconds but when I did I knew this was going to be it. The chamois jumped up onto a rock and stood broadside for just long enough for me to get a shot off. The chamois jumped at the shot and then rolled down a few yards onto another rock and out of sight. The guys all jumped up and celebrated, but I stayed on my rifle hoping to see the chamois again but it was not visible at all. I hesitated to celebrate because I wasn’t convinced that it was dead, but everyone assured me that my shot had been right on target and that we would find the chamois dead on the other side. We started to hike, and Jean Luc thought it would be faster to go straight down and then climb up the
Our Urban Huntress ate well and even got to dive in the Mediterranean for sea urchin, but she was there to hunt and take a Pyrenean chamois – goal No. 1 accomplished nicely. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
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other side because there were no paths to go around and stay at the same elevation.
TAKE THE LONG WAY DOWN I didn’t love the idea of going straight down and then straight back up because it’s hard on my knees, but I managed. We got up to where the chamois disappeared, and sure enough, it was there dead on a rock. My shot hit exactly on the shoulder where I had aimed. I was shooting a CZ-USA in .300 Win-Mag with SIG Sauer optics. The combination worked perfectly. On our hike back out we slipped and slid because the frost from the morning had melted and the grass was wet and slick. It was brutal until we figured out that we could slide. I slid down quite a bit on that trek out of there. We got to the last mountainside on our way back to town and were all walking pretty quickly when the last person in line stopped and yelled to us that we had all just walked over a viper. It was lying in the grass, coiled and not happy. None of us had seen it at all. I had completely forgotten that there were snakes in France at all! Fortunately, no one was bitten and the snake went on its way.
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The next day Guillaume had a special treat for me. He took me to his friend’s beach house, his wife loaned me a wet suit and we went diving for sea urchin. They taught me how to look for the best ones and how to get them off the rocks safely. We had a massive barbecue, cooked up the chamois and cut open the sea urchin. We feasted once again on my very first self-harvested surfand-turf meal. What an amazing way to end the trip! CS Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer. For more, see brittanyboddington.com and facebook.com/brittanyboddington.
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HUNTING
THE CROSSBOW JEDI BOOK DETAILS THE PROS AND CONS OF ARCHERY HUNTING WITH A CROSSBOW
“In the accuracy department, crossbows have the advantage of optical sights and the ability to shoot from a rest. From an offhand position, an archer can shoot just as accurately with either type of bow,” writes The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting author Joe Byers. “In quick-shooting situations, the vertical archer who practices a quick or instinctive release will score well on game, because he has the advantage of a second arrow.” (JOE BYERS)
Editor’s note: As you’ll discover in our conversation with author Joe Byers (pg. 138), he has always been fascinated by participating in Alaska hunts, particularly with a bow. Byers, still going strong as he turned 70 years old in 2016, has as much passion for archery and hunting as ever, and he helps plan trips of a lifetime to locales all over the world (joebyersoutdoors.com). The following is
an excerpt from Byers’ book, The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting, courtesy of Skyhorse Publishing. By Joe Byers
S
iberian caribou, Rangifer tarandus, were imported to the Aleutian Islands from Russia in the early 1900s by the U.S. Coast Guard
as a winter food source for the Inuit. Natives could fish during summer months, but there were no other big game species living on these remote, desolate islands. Today, that small, initial introduction has grown into a herd of thousands, enough to sustain sport hunting and provide a means of income for local tribes. What’s more, mature
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HUNTING bulls often sport antlers that score up to 500 inches and can be eligible for the Safari Club International record book. Gregg Ritz is president of WildComm, a public relations company that handles such popular TV shows as The Crush with Lee & Tiffany, Pigman, and Hunt Masters, along with 13 others. Additionally, he has hosted numerous hunting shows on television, and he wanted to renew an old relationship with archery. “Tagging one of those huge caribou with a crossbow sounded like a great challenge and a really cool Native American hunt,” said Ritz, who worked through the local units to gain the proper paperwork for the hunt. Ritz wanted challenge, yet was aghast at the terrain when he touched down in the Aleutians. “When I landed, I could see one Charlie-Brown-type tree on the en-
CROSSBOWS FACT AND FICTION Three arguments about using crossbows, from author Joe Byers in The Ultimate Guide to Crossbow Hunting:
Taking on large caribou bulls in the rugged Aleutians with a crossbow was a challenge both the author and his hunting partner, Gregg Ritz, longed for. (JOE BYERS)
tire island. One!” he said, calculating his chances in wide-open country. “You figure this is a volcanic chain of mountains, really steep terrain with rolling green landscapes, but nothing
CROSSBOWS ARE MORE ACCURATE THAN A COMPOUND BOW In the accuracy department, crossbows have the advantage of optical sights and the ability to shoot from a rest. From an offhand position, an archer can shoot just as accurately with either type of bow. In quick-shooting situations, the vertical archer who practices a quick or instinctive release will score well on game, because he has the advantage of a second arrow. Crossbows usually have a trigger pull of 4 pounds or greater, which requires considerable practice to master and can make offhand shooting less accurate. Finally, the crossbow can be shot from a dead rest, even a gun rest, and therefore can be more accurate for the average shooter. As you will see in this book, all archery is good, and there is no reason to polarize people into vertical and horizontal camps. I love shooting both kinds of bows, and to the best of my physical ability. Recurve and long bows are simpler and usually less expensive than a crossbow, so there is every reason to involve youngsters in the “mystical flight of the arrow,” as Ted Nugent likes to say. Conclusion: Misconception. CROSSBOWS MAKE HUNTING EASY Many hunters would argue that the “real hunting” occurs long before an arrow is launched. Preseason scouting, selecting a stand, using calls effectively, practicing scent elimination, and woodsmanship are all important elements of hunting success that have little to do with arrow launch. We all know of a hunter who climbed into a stand and five minutes later a big buck walked by. Luck happens, yet most hunters make their own luck, whether with firearm, bow, or crossbow.
130 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
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HUNTING Can I say, “Amen!” to this myth? I’ve hunted the past three years in Wyoming, hoping for a shot at a bull elk. So far, 21 days spent camping, hiking, and climbing in the wilderness yielded one shot: a miss. However, those same 21 days were spent in a state of paradise and total enjoyment. Whether you are after whitetail deer, wild turkeys, or any other big game species, bowhunting is challenging. Wonderful, yet what a challenge. Conclusion: Myth.
Caribou are a popular species to target for bowhunters. (JOE BYERS)
to hide behind. When I landed I was clearly wondering, how will I pull this off?” Stepping from the plane, Ritz was immediately buffeted by the Bering Sea winds that routinely blow at 30 miles per hour and gust to 60 miles
in the center, and I moved back from 20 yards to gauge how wind affected the arrow over 30, 40 and 50 yards,” he said. “Wind drift was significant.”
TO THE HUNT Once Ritz felt comfortable shooting
A CROSSBOW SHOOTS AN ARROW FASTER AND FARTHER THAN A COMPOUND Power stroke is the key to understanding this misconception. Crossbows usually have a heavier draw weight than a compound bow; however, the power stroke of a horizontal bow is much shorter. If you take a compound bow with a 30-inch draw and reduce the draw length to 25 inches, arrow speed is reduced because the power stroke
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DESTINATION ALASKA
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HUNTING of the bow is lowered by 15 percent. For this reason, a 150-pound crossbow with a 12-inch power stroke may shoot a 400-grain arrow at the same speed as a 60-pound compound bow with a 28inch draw length. It suffices to not pit crossbow hunters against vertical hunters. If you prepare ethically for the hunting season, you will learn your effective range for accuracy and the penetrating power of your bow. If you can shoot an arrow with a broadhead and have difficulty removing it from a foam target, you have the energy to kill a deer at that distance. Conclusion: Doesn’t matter. JB
Numerous stalks were required before Gregg Ritz could score his Aleutian bull. (JOE BYERS)
per hour, a severe complication to arrow flight. Ritz had hunted around the world, and immediately took steps to prepare and adapt to this unique environment. He had the natives locate a large 8-foot-long roll of foam as a target. “They put an orange dot
with a crosswind, he, his guide and a camera operator moved into the field. Spot-and-stalk was the only available option. But the terrain was vast, and some herds contained 40 sets of eyes. On the positive side, the lack of vegetation helped locate game, since they had to use terrain
features to hide. On the down side, these animals were hunted for subsistence, which meant that the sight of a human, or vehicle, or the sound of a vehicle, caused immediate panic. Ritz and his guide hunted for two full days, glassing extensively, yet never found a trophy bull in a
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HUNTING stalkable situation. Either the bulls were surrounded by cows, or they bedded in wide open terrain, giving Ritz no chance to sneak into range. Finally, on the third day they spotted two big bulls in a deep depression. By moving out of the animals’ sight, they closed to just under 100 yards. “With a rifle or muzzleloader, the hunt would have ended right here,” remembers Ritz. With no way of stalking closer, though, they stayed with the small herd, “roosting” them in a sense, and planned to return the following morning.
FINALLY, A SHOT “These are elk-sized animals, and I imposed a range of 40 to 50 yards maximum,” said Ritz. “We came back the next day and began a grueling stalk, belly crawling in 6 inches of grass. Not crouched; commando style. Amazingly, we got within 45 yards of the entire bedded herd,
Two different crossbows, the Excalibur 335 (top) and the Horton Legend Ultra Lite, are among many options hunters have. The Excalibur is light, compact and fast, while the Horton model has a simplistic cocking motion. (JOE BYERS)
136 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
DESTINATION ALASKA
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A CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR JOE BYERS Chris Cocoles: Congrats on the book. What was your inspiration to write about crossbows? Joe Byers: I’m an educator by training and crossbows seemed to be a topic that many people misunderstood. I began hunting and writing with a crossbow and found that editors were eager to learn of my experiences. A publisher and I were discussing the topic at the SHOT Show and he suggested I write a book. CC Are there misconceptions that hunters and nonhunters have about crossbows? JB There are many misconceptions about crossbows, so much so that one chapter in my book is titled “Myths and Misconceptions.” The most often quoted one is that “crossbows shoot like rifles.” Technically, that’s true since most crossbows have a stock, trigger, forend,
and scope like a rifle, however the effective range for hunting is about the same as a compound bow: 40 yards. A .30-06 will kill a deer at 1,000 yards, yet that doesn’t mean that hunters should take shots beyond their effective range. The same applies to crossbows. Hunting with a crossbow is about 90 percent the same as with a compound bow. You still must fool a deer’s nose, be well camouflaged, and locate a spot where it can be ambushed. Buck fever can be just as real when a big buck walks into your scope with a gun or crossbow.
ing new people, seeing places I’d only dreamed of and taking the hunt of a lifetime in the Canadian Rockies on horseback with Indian guides. It was the most influential experience in my life and the reason I’m in the outdoor industry. Even as a 16-year-old, I vowed to take my grandchildren to Alaska when they were 16. I took my daughter to Alaska when she was 16 and two of my three step-grandchildren. The third I took to Africa. I’m not sure it had the same impact as my four-month trip, but I hope it gave them a taste for adventure travel.
CC I saw that you did a four-month hunting trip with your grandfather to Alaska when you were 16. How did that that shap you as an outdoorsman? JB That summer was a boy-to-man event for me. For four months, I was away from my comfort zone, meet-
CC What are the benefits of using a crossbow with an Alaskan hunt? JB As best I know, crossbows aren’t legal in archery seasons in Alaska, but are allowed in the firearm seasons. Most Alaskan seasons are “any method” anyway, so there’s not much of a penalty.
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thanks to the howling wind that concealed noise and kept our scent at bay. It took hours to crawl into position. Finally, a big bull stood up. I got to my knees, shot, and the wind blew the arrow 3 feet in front of it.” Fortunately, the herd wasn’t too badly spooked, and Ritz watched it go over the next rise and the next. The herd bedded in a narrow bowl, with the two bulls off to one side to get out of the wind. “We slithered down the top of the hillside within 30 yards. I got another shot, and the wind blew my arrow again. Now I was completely frustrated, and as the wind howled it dawned on me, unless I’m under 30 yards, it’s not going to happen.” The herd spooked again, yet without the usual report of a rifle, animals begin to mill around and found a bedding spot out of the wind. “Four hours later, we found the two bulls bedded for the third time, and we moved around the mountain, where we lo-
Modern crossbows allow archers to shoot a much more powerful bow than they could ordinarily pull, especially if they are younger, older, or unable to draw a 70-pound bow. Many crossbows fire an arrow with 100 or more footpounds of kinetic energy, easily sufficient for large game like moose, brown bear or caribou. Ironically, hunting with a crossbow can be more difficult than a compound, especially if you are doing a spot-and-stalk hunt. Crossbows weigh twice as much, don’t navigate alder thickets well, and make a second shot much more time consuming. CC It looks like you’ve hunted all over North America and the world. What is unique about an Alaskan hunt? JB Adventure sets Alaska apart from any place on the planet. One of my first hunts was a do-it-yourself on Kodiak Island for Sitka blacktail deer and it absolutely pushed my limits. The country was magnificent, the hunt challenging and the bears terrifying. The ability to
140 California Sportsman JANUARY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com
hunt on your own or with minimally guided outfitters adds greatly to the excitement. When you hunt in wilderness areas, you are truly alone and you quickly become at peace with nature and your abilities. CC On your website (joebyersoutdoors. com) you mentioned helping hunters fulfill their dream hunt. Does Joe Byers have a bucket-list destination to hunt? JB I have been so blessed with opportunities that I almost dare not to wish for more. My writing and photography has opened many doors around the world and I hope that I have communicated those adventures fairly and in detail, (with readers) always mesmerized by the thrill of the chase. On that first Alaska trip, back in 1963, I visited the Atkinson taxidermy shop in Anchorage, where their catalog had a Marco Polo sheep on the cover. That most majestic of sheep captured and still holds a special place in my imagination.
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“Hunting with a crossbow is about 90 percent the same as with a compound bow,” says Byers, here with a fine buck. “You still must fool a deer’s nose, be well camouflaged, and locate a spot where it can be ambushed. Buck fever can be just as real when a big buck walks into your scope with a gun or crossbow.” (JOE BYERS)
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cated a possible stalking route,” Ritz said. “Water had eroded a little creek bed that drained into the ravine. We had some terrain relief, maybe 2 feet, but not so much that we could walk. We slid down the mountain face-first in this tiny, 2-foot-wide crevice and closed to 25 yards. I peeked out with my rangefinder and believed, like on a mule deer hunt, I’d have a split second to rise up and shoot. The plan worked perfectly, and the big bull went down at 30 yards. Wow, what a giant learning curve and thrilling hunt! I wanted challenge and got a full measure.” CS Editor’s note: For more on Joe Byers’ book and how to order it, check out skyhorsepublishing.com/titles/116669781510712751-ultimate-guide-to-crossbow-hunting. Byers says he will be happy to dedicate any book that’s purchased.
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warm • surprisingly soft • compression arch • nylon reinforced • naturally wicking Trekker Crew Socks $32 Hunter Boot Socks $38 Free U.S. Shipping calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2017 California Sportsman
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Looking for a Cape Buffalo hunting adventure in Africa? Hunt with us on our unfenced 160,000 acre hunting concession in the fabled “Crooks Corner” region of Mozambique near the borders with South Africa & Zimbabwe. Come see us at the Washington Sportsmen’s Show! January 25-29, 2017 in Puyallup Booth #451
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All hunts are free range & fair chase No hidden fees No “pay by the inch” We book one hunting party at a time Buffalo, Leopard, & Plains Game
John@BigGameHuntingAdventures.com BigGameHuntingAdventures.com (903) 702-1111
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NEW ZEALAND BIG GAME HUNTING
Hunting Downunder offers a hunting concession in a relaxing environment that works on a ‘quality not quantity’ attitude with a maximum of 4 hunters (or 2 parties) being in camp at any one time to ensure that ‘personal touch’.
+ 64 6 211 0005 |aaron@huntingdownunder.co.nz
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HUNTING
VISIT A NEW ZEALAND STAG PARTY COMPANY PROFILED Hunting Downunder WHAT THEY DO Big game hunting in New Zealand for red stag, fallow and sika deer, tahr and other species LOCATION Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand CONTACT huntingdownunder.co.nz By Steve Joseph
Steve Joseph How did you get started in the business? Owner Aaron Kent Nine years ago I was guiding on banteng and water buffalo in Australia, and throughout the season was asked repeatedly if I guided in New Zealand as well. I didn’t at the time, but upon returning to New Zealand, I talked to a couple of good friends of mine who owned properties with great hunting, and Hunting Downunder began. It has grown from there. SJ In what part of New Zealand are
both the fallow and sika stags, we have a set price for the best trophy available. You’ll find us very hard to beat on all of our deer hunt prices. All the deer species rut around the same time (mid-March to mid-May), so it’s an exciting time to hunt, with the three totally different sounding species calling at once.
you located?
AK We’re located in sunny Hawke’s Bay, on the eastern side of the North Island of New Zealand. Hawke’s Bay has become a top tourist location, with cruise ships regularly stopping in the port of Napier, which is a one-hour drive from here and a short flight from Auckland International Airport.
SJ Tell us about your deer hunts. AK We mainly hunt three species of deer here, with red stag being the most common, the pretty fallow deer being the next one, closely followed by the most cunning of all the deer species, as far as I’m concerned, the sika. As with most other operations, the red stags are priced on their antler size (silver, gold, etc.), but with
SJ What about your tahr hunting? AK The best months to hunt tahr are May and June, which is their rut. The animals themselves aren’t the challenge; it’s the country where they thrive. There are very good numbers of animals around and we target mature bulls (5-plus years old) and their beautiful coats; the mane of a mature bull tahr is just as much of the trophy as the horns.
SJ Are these free-range hunts? AK Hunting Downunder does freerange hunts and estate ( high-fence) hunts on all eight species of big game animals we offer. To harvest a red stag over 300 inches in a genuine free-range environment in New Zealand is next to impossible for a hunt-
er who is limited by time and money. All of our estate animals are very educated and hard to hunt. Hunting from a helicopter is also an option when hunting bull tahr, giving you more options and an opportunity to fly in one of the most beautiful countries on this planet.
SJ What are the accommodations like? AK Depending on the situation, hunters (and their families) either stay with us in our five-room rural homestead or in one of the cabins available. We don’t have a million-dollar lodge but offer a more homey, relaxing environment; you’re one of the family! We have a maximum of four hunters, or two separate hunting parties at any one time here at Hunting Downunder. We work on a quality, not quantity, approach. CS Editor’s note: Hunting Downunder will have booths at the International Sportsmen’s Expo shows in Sacramento and Denver, and the Washington Sportsmen’s Show in Puyallup, Wash., this month. Like them at facebook.com/www. huntingdownunder.co.nz.
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Exclusive, personalized, word class hunting in stunning alpine scenery 100% NEW ZEALAND OWNED AND OPERATED
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Lochinvar Safaris has privileged access to a variety of properties throughout New Zealand offering both Free Range and Game Ranch Hunting.
www.lochinvarsafaris.co.nz mark@lochinvarsafaris.co.nz
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HUNTING
HUNT BIRDS IN BOLIVIA COMPANY PROFILED Bolivian Adventures WHAT THEY DO Dove hunting from the luxury Los Guaduales Lodge LOCATION Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on the east side of the Andes Mountains CONTACT INFO (305) 428-2124; bolivianadventures.com By Steve Joseph
Steve Joseph How did Bolivian Adventures get its start? Chief Financial Officer Felipe Molina Piper The history of Bolivian Adventures begins in the early 1990s, when Jorge Enrique Molina left his home country of Colombia in search of a new haven where he and his family could prosper. During his initial endeavor in Bolivia, Jorge farmed cotton and eventually purchased a piece of land in Santa Cruz. Jorge’s primary passion is shooting, and his dream was to turn his passion into an everyday reality. After 14 world championships, two (appearances in the) Olympics and many additional international championships, Jorge knew that he had the background and experience to share his passion with others around the world. Bolivian Adventures is the realization of Jorge’s dream, with Las Palomas Lodge being his first step and continuing now with Los Guaduales Lodge.
SJ Tell us about the hunting. FMP A normal hunting day at Bolivian Adventures begins with a delicious breakfast to give our hunters energy for an intense and delightful hunt. Hunters depart for the shoot at approximately 6 a.m. Once the group arrives at the field, the unforgettable adventure starts. Bolivia does not place a numerical limit on the number of doves that can be hunted. In fact, our lodge provides assistance and protection to area crops and the
local community. So hunters can enjoy the hunt and shoot as many doves as they can. At approximately 9 a.m., we return to the lodge for an exquisite second breakfast and around 1 p.m. we follow with our delicious lunch and free time to rest and take naps, if wanted. For the afternoon hunt, often we leave around 3 p.m. and return at 7 p.m.
SJ It looks like an amazing lodge. FMP Las Palomas lodge was the first lodge at Bolivian Adventures. Las Palomas Lodge led us to the success we are having today. Accommodations at this lodge include 12 double bed suites, daily maid service, swimming pool, 12-person Jacuzzi, spa services, and an incredibly qualified staff. Los Guaduales Lodge is our newest lodge. Accommodations at this luxurious lodge include 11 five-star king and double queen suites with daily maid service, outdoor swimming pool, game room, outdoor barbecue and firepit area, a spa with dry and steam sauna and the same world-class food offered at Las Palomas Lodge. In addition, we offer an onsite microbrewery, Sir Pieper Brewery, of-
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fering handcrafted brews created 100 percent in Bolivia by Bolivians.
SJ What about hunting packages? FMP Bolivian Adventures’ hunting program packages include a threeday or four-day, all-inclusive hunt of high volume doves. Las Palomas Lodge and Los Guaduales Lodge are located on approximately 1 million farming acres of land and experience approximately 30 million migratory doves between the months of April and October. The dove population in Bolivia has increased rapidly over the past 10 years parallel to the boom of the agricultural industry. It is estimated that 50 to 60 million doves arrive yearly in Bolivia, attracted by the newly cultivated food sources. The all-inclusive packages include: all ground transportation; hunting license; professional hunting guides; all meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks; all drinks: wine, soft drinks, beer, bottled water, and liquor; Sir Pieper Brewing experience; swimming pool; Jacuzzi and sauna; one or two pigeon hunts; daily laundry service. CS Editor’s note: Like Bolivian Adventures at facebook.com/BolivianAdventures.
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