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California
Sportsman Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 13 • Issue 12 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Brandon Honig, Lance Sawa, Bill Schaefer SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Kelley Miller, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines DIGITAL ASSISTANT Jon Ekse ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine
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ON THE COVER Fall hunters in California will hope to score a buck like Jerry Haugen did. There are several instate deer seasons available this month to fill your tag. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 12
43
HEADGEAR, SCHMEADGEAR
Most hunters will agree with Scott Haugen that one of the sport’s true challenges is successfully taking a mature blacktail deer. But if you simply want a buck to fill your freezer, he shares how to target younger, less wise specimens. And when you tag out, try out Tiffany Haugen’s recipe for some of the tastiet venison meatloaf you’ll ever eat!
(JOANNA GILKESON/USFWS)
FEATURES 17
WE ARE FAMILY: SALMON GET BOOST FROM LANDOWNERS A Merced County family, the Claytons, gifted about 8 acres of their land that borders the San Joaquin River to the Bureau of Reclamation, allowing federal agencies to open up fish passage for migrating spring Chinook around the Sack Dam and help recover the imperiled stock. Brandon Honig of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has details on the Claytons’ generous gesture and its long-term impact for struggling salmon in the Central Valley.
25
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 9 11 13 15 51
The Editor’s Note Adventures of Todd Kline Photo contest winners Outdoor calendar How to hunt fall turkeys with your gun dog
STILL TIME TO TAKE ’EM FROM THE TOP Bass anglers are thrilled by the show that topwater fishing for largemouth provides. And while cooler fall water temperatures will soon slow down this bite, Southland lakes continue to provide surface action in October for those popping and gliding baits. Our SoCal specialist Bill Schaefer shares some of his favorite topwaters and tactics to tempt lunker largies.
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TWILIGHT ZONE YELLOWTAIL As a Southern California kid, Lance Sawa joined his dad for a memorable dusk fishing trip on a Ventura party boat that included plenty of good times, gorgeous views and a cooler full of sand bass and barracuda. Years later, Sawa – now an expat living in Japan – wanted to recreate that event on the other side of the Pacific with yellowtail as the main target. He shares how they do it at twilight on Sea of Japan charter boats, and it might just provide some new ideas for catching the jack species here!
Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. 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. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. 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 © 2021 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. 6 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE
The San Joaquin River, which rolls across the northern edge of Fresno, has seen better days. But there is hope that restoration efforts can bring back more salmon to the state’s third longest stream. (CHRIS COCOLES)
A
mong the cities I’ve visited, the ones characterized by their famous rivers usually have impacted my experiences. I’ve sipped top-notch Czech beers overlooking Prague’s Vltava and ate a waterfront lunch hard on Belgrade’s blue Danube. Stateside, some of the best barbecue and fried chicken I’ve ever indulged in were near the shore of the mighty Mississippi in Memphis and St. Louis, respectively. My connection with the Central Valley city of Fresno – for seven years my home as I went to college at Fresno State and started my professional career here as well – always attracted me to the San Joaquin River. It’s California’s third longest at 366 miles, running from the Sierra southeast of Yosemite down to where it forms the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and eventually enters Suisun Bay. My memories of the river included trips to Lost Lake Recreation Area, located just below Friant Dam and Millerton Lake, for lazy fishing days in my college years and then a hike with my dog years later when I came back to visit. But that dam is one of many factors why the once salmon-filled San Joaquin is a shell of its former self. It’s estimated that in the late 19th century, the river’s spring Chinook runs were well over half a million strong. But Friant Dam and other manmade projects further west and north wiped out the fish. After a 2013-14 reintroduction of kings in the San Joaquin, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported 23 adults returned to the river in 2019. Baby steps. As the process of restoring a thriving run of threatened spring-run Chinook continues, I was humbled by Brandon Honig’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service story (page 17) about a Merced County ranch family’s land donation for new fish passage that will help migrating salmon get around Sack Dam and continue their journey from the sea. The fish face long odds still, particularly in drought conditions and the state’s ongoing water wars. But for a fan of the San Joaquin who got nostalgic while recently checking out its stretch through Fresno, you gotta have hope during a most difficult time for everyone. -Chris Cocoles calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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e I was off to Lake Havasu last month for a Major League Fishing event. (TODD KLINE)
W
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 up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor
I needed to get an early-morning start to reach the reservoir on the California-Arizona border. (TODD KLINE) Launching out of the harbor to kickstart a tournament round. (MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING)
Here’s a beautiful Havasu smallie caught during my practice round. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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The sun rises over the Colorado River impoundment at the start of a tournament day. (TODD KLINE)
Back home in SoCal, I got out on Lake Perris and caught this topwater lunker. (TODD KLINE)
Back at the dock, I weighed in this nice smallmouth, one of nine I brought to the scales for a 19-pound, 14-ounce bag. (MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING)
It’s satisfying to see happy clients with a bunch of big fish – check out the kids’ smiles! (TODD KLINE)
12 California Sportsman OCTOBER OCTOBER2021 2021| |calsportsmanmag.com calsportsmanmag.com
PHOTO
CONTEST
WINNERS!
Linda McDonald is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this great shot of her and her ocean Chinook. It wins her gear from various tackle manufacturers!
Earl Foytack is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this shot of granddaughter Emily Foytack and her grouse. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Northeast Zone waterfowl season opens Deer season opens in most X Zones Klamath Basin goose season opens Early quail season dates in Mojave National Preserve for hunters with junior hunting licenses 9 Deer season opens in Zones D-11, -13, -14, -15 and -17 9 Archery-only pheasant season opens 9 NorCal Trout Challenge, Lake Amador; anglerspress.com 16 All-quail season opens in Zones 1 and 3 16 Statewide chukar season opens 16 Statewide snipe season opens 19 Deer season opens in Zone X-9-C 23 Colorado River Zone duck and goose seasons open 23 Deer season opens in Zone D-16 23 San Joaquin Valley and Southern California Zones duck and goose seasons open 23 Balance of State Zone duck season opens 29-31 Morrison’s Bonus Derby Weekend, Convict Lake; (800) 992-2260, convictlake.com/activities/fishing-convict-lake
Deer season opens in Zone D-12 Imperial County Zone white goose season opens Fort Hunter Liggett antlerless archery tule elk season opens 6 NorCal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association fundraising dinner, Yuba City; ncgasa.org/2021/09/23/ annual-fundraiser-dinner-in-yuba-city-nov-6/ 6-7 NorCal Trout Challenge Tournament of Champions, Collins Lake; anglerspress.com 7 Scaup hunting opens in most of state’s zones 8 North Coast Zone Canada goose season opens 8 Northern Zone black brant season opens 9 Balance of State black brant season opens 13 General/statewide pheasant season opens 13 La Panza Period 2 antlerless archery tule elk season opens 13 Fall wild turkey season opens 13 Late dove season opens
2 2 2 2-3
6 6 6
Note: With COVID-19 restrictions uncertain, always confirm events before attending. For a complete list of bass tournaments statewide, go to dfg.ca.gov/FishingContests/default.aspx. General bear season opens concurrently with general deer season in the A, B, C, D, X8, X9A, X9B, X10 and X12 deer hunting zones and extends through December 26, 2021.
Several California waterfowl seasons open this month, including the Northeast Zone opener on Oct. 2 and Balance of State Zone on Oct. 23. (LORI DIETER/CDFW) calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
Spring Chinook seldom can make it past in-river obstructions like the Sack Dam on the middle San Joaquin River. But thanks to the Clayton family’s donation of 8.1 acres of riverfront property to the Bureau of Reclamation, a “nature-like fishway” will be built there, allowing salmon to swim around the obstacle and get upstream. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
RANCH FAMILY’S LAND DONATION CREATES NEW PATHWAY FOR SAN JOAQUIN SALMON By Brandon Honig
W
hen Connley Clayton, a third-generation farmer in California’s Central Valley, looks over the San Joaquin River flowing past Sack Dam, he can see that the river – and its salmon – are on their way to recovery. “We are so happy that the river is
running again,” said Clayton, 75, who lives with his wife in El Nido, about 10 miles north of the dam. Before 2016, the river would often run completely dry below Sack Dam, he said, because the entire flow was diverted for agricultural use. Then the San Joaquin River Restoration Program – a collaboration of the federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of
Reclamation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service, and state’s California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Department of Water Resources – began releasing water through Friant Dam specifically for river restoration. To aid the program’s restoration efforts, the Clayton family has deeded 8.1 acres of their riverfront property,
calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA Clayton Ranch, to the Bureau of Reclamation.
PASSAGE FOR FISH The donation will enable the creation of a “nature-like fishway” that will allow salmon to swim around Sack Dam. Design of the fish passage is underway and will include natural elements like boulders and rocks to mimic a natural stream. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. “We decided to work with the program because we believe that restoration is a good thing,” Clayton said. “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could create some habitat on their land to help the environment?”
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Central Valley spring-run Chinook once thrived in the San Joaquin River. Construction of Friant Dam in 1942, however, diverted water for agriculture, and within a decade the salmon were gone from the river. In 2014, restoration program crews began reintroducing the now-threatened species to the San Joaquin River using hatchery-raised juvenile fish. Chinook are naturally born in fresh-
The Clayton land donation sits on the east bank of Sack Dam. “We are so happy that the river is running again,” said family patriarch Connley Clayton. (U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and partners prepare to release nearly 90,000 juvenile spring Chinook into the San Joaquin River at the Eastside Bypass in March 2017. (STEVE MARTARANO/USFWS) 18 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA water habitats and then travel to the ocean, where they live for two to five years before returning to their birthplace to spawn before dying. However, Sack Dam is one of several obstacles in the San Joaquin River that block kings from reaching their historical spawning grounds. “The program has successfully documented the return of adult spring-run Chinook salmon to the restoration area years after its initial reintroduction efforts of releasing salmon to the river,” said Heather Swinney, USFWS’s San Joaquin River Restoration Program coordinator. “As the abundance of naturally produced salmon increases and hatchery supplementation efforts expand, it will be critically important to improve existing fish passage conditions. “This land donation brings the program that much closer to making planned improvements happen at Sack Dam,” she added.
Heather Swinney, USFWS San Joaquin River Restoration Program coordinator, leads a tour of the San Joaquin River. (STEVE MARTARANO/USFWS)
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
NOAA Fisheries said it is encouraged by the Claytons’ support, as partnerships like this help move at-risk species away from extinction and toward recovery. “The population of spring-run Chinook salmon currently being reintroduced is crucial to the species’ recovery and will help the species be resilient to increasing changes in climate,” said NOAA Fisheries assistant regional administrator Cathy Marcinkevage.
A LASTING LEGACY
Threatened spring-run Chinook were first reintroduced to the San Joaquin River as juveniles in 2014. The state-federal restoration program has since documented adults successfully returning from the ocean to the river. (STEVE MARTARANO/USFWS)
“We decided to work with the program because we believe that restoration is a good thing,” said Connley Clayton, far left, with other family members. “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could create some habitat on their land to help the environment?” (U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION) 22 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
Clayton Ranch has always been a family affair. Connley’s father, Forrest, bought the 1,100-acre property with his brother Claud from the Cook Land & Cattle Company in 1953. Connley and his sister Barbara Weber own the ranch, where they’ve watched crop after crop of cotton, alfalfa, wheat, corn and other crops be planted, harvested and sold. “From the time I was 7 years old, we worked the property every day, regardless of weather, from 6 in the morning until 6 at night with a half-hour for lunch,” he said. Clayton’s stepdaughter Larkin Harman now farms the land, where she plans to plant olive trees in addition to the almonds and wheat already growing there. “We are extremely grateful to the entire Clayton family for their generous donation to the (restoration) program and, ultimately, to the river,” said Don Portz, program manager for the Bureau of Reclamation. Harman said it is important for the agricultural community to support the program and added, “Connley is leaving a legacy that we are just tickled about.” “I really see this as an opportunity to show America that ag isn’t opposed to environmental restoration,” she said. “We are enthusiastic and want to show that agriculture and the program can work together.” CS Editor’s note: Brandon Honig is an external affairs specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more on the Pacific Southwest Region, check out fws.gov/com.
calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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FISHING
NOT TOO LATE FOR TOPWATERS POPULAR BASS TACTIC STILL EFFECTIVE IN FALL CONDITIONS By Capt. Bill Schaefer
A
s the air cools off and steam begins to rise from our lakes on fall mornings, it’s time for some topwater bass action. You slide the trolling motor into the water, pick up the rod rigged with your favorite lure – in this case, a Pop-R – and launch a cast down the shoreline. You plop it once, twice and on the third pop, a giant largemouth engulfs it in one shot. Fish on! Indeed, topwater fishing offers anglers one of the greatest feelings on water – a bass doing a tail walk across the lake in front of your boat.
TOPWATER ACTION NOT OVER YET
Yes, even in October it’s still the time for topwater action on your local lakes. It will eventually start winding down, depending on water temperatures, but this fall and winter are predicted to be among the warmest we’ve had in a while. If you haven’t been out yet, you need to get on the water and take advantage of the bite. All up and down California, lakes have been putting out some nice bass, with lots of them caught on surface-oriented baits. With that said, how do you know what to throw to an eager largie? I prefer to go aggressive right off the bat with a propbait such as a Devil’s Horse, Whopper Plopper or an old reliable buzzbait. If they are not hitting those lures, then I usually have another tackle box staple, a
As lakes begin to cool down in fall, the topwater bass bite will eventually decrease, so get out there while you can and throw your favorite buzzbait. You might just have the time of your life. (BILL SCHAEFER) calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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FISHING Author Bill Schaefer likes classic Pop-R-style baits to entice aggressive bass to strike on the surface. (BILL SCHAEFER)
THE FROG FACTOR Another bait that works well this time of year is a frog imitation. Whether it is a popping frog or a regular body frog, it’s all what you have confidence in. Weeds grow all year and litter the surface with dead growth. Bass will lay up under it, waiting for something to fall in and scurry across it. That’s when you throw the frog and that’s when you get that big bass to explode up through the dead weeds to attack that bait. There’s also the classic twitchbait – as in a Rapala or Rebel – to work on the surface. Or you can also just let it sit until a fish grabs it. These oldschool jerkbaits can be pulled just under the surface for some exciting action as well. Whether it’s hard or soft jerkbaits, they still fall into the surface bait category. The soft version can be slightly weighted by the hook and sink a little if you let it.
GO HEAVY
Pop-R, tied on; or I’ll use a close variation. Sometimes you just need to call bass up a little more with the more pronounced gurgling of a propbait. It helps if there is a slight chop on the surface of the water. The fish are less wary and can’t see beyond it.
CHANGE IT UP
As I mentioned, if they are not hitting the more aggressive baits, then I go to a Pop-R-style lure. The spitting action emulates a school of baitfish scattering on the surface. Sometimes the pros will carve the lips of these baits to get
just the spitting action they want. Yes, it can make a difference. There are a ton of variations of these baits out there, as well as all the others; you just have to experiment with them. Even a gliding bait such as an oldstyle Sammy or Zara Spook can be just what the doctor ordered. They don’t kick up as much water as others while you work them, but they do attract bass. Even the rat or mouse lures of today are in this category, and they do work. There is nothing like a rat swimming across the surface and a largemouth hitting it. You just have to see it to experience it.
26 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
You really don’t need to go out and buy any new tackle for this type of fishing; I’m sure you already have what you need. However, I tend to go to a little heavier when fishing topwater baits. Bass really can’t see the line you’re using, so you might as well go extra heavy. I use my Daiwa Tatula rods and reels in mediumheavy with at least 50-pound braid and a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. A lot of the time you are throwing right up in the shoreline sticks. You don’t want to break off on them. Let me reiterate that you must try this topwater action while you still have a chance. It is fun, easy to do and, most of all, it creates exciting fishing, but time’s running out. Even if you miss a few fish, it is still something you just can’t believe when a giant bass attacks your lure on the surface. Whether it’s a Whopper Plopper, buzzbait, Pop-R, Sammy, Zara Spook, hard or soft jerkbait, this is the time to throw one. You will get a reaction and a thrill when it happens. CS
A
t Lake Isabella in the Kern River valley “The lake get’s smaller but the fish get bigger:” Crappie are the order of the day shown by this recent catch in the trees at Lake Isabella. Warm quiet days make for enjoyable fishing trips this fall in the High Sierras. Just a short drive from Bakersfield in the Central Valley. All campgrounds around the lake and up the Kern River are open again after a recent fire threat.
Contact the Kern River Valley Chamber for all the latest information.
KernRiverValley.com
calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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28 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
This spectacular view of the Sea of Japan and the mountains on the west coast of Japan reminded author Lance Sawa of fishing trips off the Ventura coast with his dad. Catching a cooler full of yellowtail only enhanced the memory. (LANCE SAWA)
TALES AND ’TAILS FROM TWILIGHT ZONE THE
YEARS AFTER A MEMORABLE EVENING FISHING TRIP OFF VENTURA WITH HIS DAD, AN ANGLER ENJOYS HOT AFTER-DARK BITE ON THE SEA OF JAPAN By Lance Sawa
I
t’s a little bit before 5 p.m. and I am on a boat about to leave the dock for some twilight fishing on the California coast. My dad and I have been invited aboard, and the nighttime bite has been going strong. The last week has seen limits of sand bass every night, with a few calico bass and barracuda being caught as well. We also fill a
couple of empty spots and increase the fish count for the boat. On the way out we rig the rods. We both have one rod with a slider and a hook for live bait. I opt to fish a leadhead jig with a plastic tail for some of the large sand bass. Dad decides to throw a top lure for a chance at a barracuda or two. Within 30 minutes the boat arrives at the spot, an oil rig off the Ventura coast. Everyone is ready in a flash to fish. calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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goals met for the time being, we take a quick break. He’s drinking black coffee and me a soda as we look at the oil rig while drifting past it. The flashing lights are now on to warn boaters to not hit the large metal structure. Every minute or so the fog horn sounds loudly with the same message in case a captain doesn’t see the bright lights. In the end we switch to live bait and catch our limits, as does everyone else on the boat. It’s a great memory I have from my California upbringing. Now, years later, I’m about to go the twilight fishing route again in Japan.
Sawa with his first yellowtail, caught years earlier in Southern California waters. (LANCE SAWA)
Most anglers use live bait and cast straight toward the oil rig. The people with live bait are all on the same side – the boat is drifting – with their lines going away from the boat. I start by throwing the leadhead with my dad next to me on the opposite side; he’s casting his best lure in the tackle box. We’re casting and retrieving quickly as the boat slowly drifts toward our lines. Before the sun goes down the bite is steady, with sand bass being caught regularly. Both my dad and I catch a few bass, but they are all too short and get promptly thrown back to grow bigger. Neither of us has landed our target yet, but the salty ocean breeze cools us off from the summer heat. We watch as the sun slowly sets and the light fades – replaced by the boat’s large floodlights. Within 10 minutes of sunset, the bite picks up and it seems everyone has a fish on. Quickly, I score the large sand bass that I have been waiting for all summer. At close to 5 pounds the
fish makes me happy. It is in the top three largest sand bass I have ever caught. Next, it’s my dad’s turn to get that barracuda he’s been waiting for to come around. Now with both of our Fast forward a couple decades and Sawa found himself ready to depart from the Japanese port city of Joetsu in Niigata Prefecture aboard a boat outfitted with plenty of floodlights for fishing at night. (LANCE SAWA)
30 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
ONCE AGAIN IT’S A little before 5 in the afternoon and I am on another boat about to leave the dock to go fishing. Back in Ventura the target fish was sand bass, but here in Joetsu, Japan – located on the west coast of Niigata Prefecture along the Sea of Japan – it’s yellowtail. I have been looking forward to fishing for them. It’s been almost 20 years since the last time I caught one. Still, I don’t have all my fishing equipment in Japan and was unsure how Japanese anglers fish for them. Luckily, the boat rents rods and reels, as well as sells the correct tackle I need. As the guides hand me gear, I
The 3-pound sinker, five circle hooks and thick strips of squid were meant to target yellowtail, though Sawa wondered if the setup was more conducive to catching rockfish. (LANCE SAWA)
half think I’ve made a mistake. I’ve brought my hard lures and a casting rod because I assumed I needed them, but the rod and reel the crew provide is like something I would use to fish in 500-plus feet of water. The setup consists of five huge circle hooks on line thicker than I use to troll for tuna, with a 15-foot section from swivel to sinker – which alone weighs a good 3 pounds. And the bait is thickly cut squid, plus I receive a personal chum bucket of frozen shrimp. The shrimp and frozen squid get placed into the water to defrost as we make our way out of the harbor. We all keep an eye on the weather – it has been raining nonstop for a month – and again the forecast says rain will come in that night. The moisture in the air makes rainbows all around us – the clouds are bathed in the reddish glow of the setting sun. On one side rain falls in the distance. On the way out four people ask me where my cooler is. I point at the one I’ve carried aboard, and each
of my boatmates says that it isn’t large enough. I laugh it off as just something people say. Rigging up still worries me, though. I ask myself, “Am I going to be catching rockfish all night and not yellowtail?” But I have faith in the crew as I bait the hooks and fill the chum basket. A few other anglers have magnetic strips that hold all their hooks so they won’t fly away. I am a bit jealous at how simple and effective it looks. I’m about to find out who is right.
ON THE FISHING GROUNDS, two boats are already anchored up and there are another four or so on their way behind us. I put my now mostly defrosted shrimp and squid into a small bucket and hang out next to my rod. After the anchor drops I feel it catch the bottom. The boat gently rides the waves.
Gingerly, I lower my rig into the water, while being mindful of the large hooks. The bottom is only around 60 meters down – about 200 feet – not the 500-foot depths you’d assume with these stout setups. Two days before the ocean waves had been 5 to 10 feet, with winds gusting to 40 mph, but the weather is great tonight. All the boats have turned on their deck lights under a bright moon. An hour goes by and nothing happens. Check the bait; refill the chum basket; carefully lower it back to the bottom. In the distance is Sado Island, which historically had gold and silver mines. It’s another place I would like to go and fish from someday. I’ve read that you can catch mahi-mahi – another fish I’ve yet to catch – from the shore there.
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As the boat spied Sado Island in the distance, Sawa began to think about a future trip there. He’s read mahi-mahi can be targeted from its shores. (LANCE SAWA)
But as I think about the future, there is action now. The person adjacent to me hooks into a fish. As is often the case on these crowded boats, his line is tangled with the angler next to him, and I help him get the fish on board. It’s a nice fat yellowtail with one more on another hook. With both fish safely out of the water, I spy another yellowtail come over the rail. At least six more fish can be heard flopping on the deck. Someone has thrown a switch and the fishing is suddenly wide open. I hurry back to my rod and something below is already hooked and waiting for me to join the fun. I attempt to pick up the rod but it’s all too heavy for me, so I put it back into the holder and just let the electric reel bring it up. The kicks
from the fish stop the reel and pull the drag, but slowly it comes up. A beep from the reel tells me the rig is at the surface, but the fish is still 5 feet down the line. Hand over hand – and careful with all the hooks attached – I pull the yellowtail over the rail and onto the deck. There are kicks still going on farther down the rig, though, and with more hand pulling I catch a second yellowtail. A huge mess of line, hooks, bait, chum and that large sinker are waiting for me after I celebrate a bit for landing not one but two yellowtail. I’ve forgotten my knife at home, so I pull the gills by hand to drain the blood. Then I untangle the mess at my feet. By the time I send my line down again and tighten up the slack, I feel another fish on and set the hook with the reel buzzing away. Halfway up
32 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
another fish, and then another, and still another, join the party. To my surprise I have not two but four fish on the five hooks of my setup. As all four come aboard, there’s an even bigger mess this time. I again kick myself for not remembering to grab that knife.
HONESTLY, I LOSE COUNT as to how many yellowtail I catch as two hours flash by. Then, as I pull up yet another, suddenly it’s gone. My first thought is that the fish popped off. But when the line reaches the surface I see one hook missing. The angler next to me sees my puzzled face and simply says, “Shark.” There are sharks big enough to eat a yellowtail whole? Then I see something in the water around where a light shines; a large fish is darting in and out, picking up
After darkness fell, the boat’s anglers got into a yellowtail feeding frenzy. The author (lower right) had several on at once on his multihook rig. (LANCE SAWA)
scraps of bait. One look and I know it’s a mahi-mahi. Quickly, I rig up a casting rod with a lure and lob it out into the darkness. The fish circles the boat as I try to time my cast and retrieve. One more time it comes around and the lure is perfectly in front of its head. One quick twitch is all I need to coax a bite and I set the hook into one of my dream fish. The mahi-mahi runs straight at the boat and jumps for us all to admire. The fish dives down and flees under the boat while taking line. As the thought of finally catching this elusive fish crosses my mind, I hear an ominous crack. First one guide pops off, then another. Finally, the rod just breaks and the sharp edge cuts the line clean. I am heartbroken and need five minutes to process what is happening before I eagerly
return to the hot yellowtail bite. We hook more fish, but that shark bite has left me with just one hook. So I decide to clean up, though one of the last fish I catch is a rockfish. I guess the sharks didn’t want it. About then our captain announces the trip is coming to an end.
AS THOSE AROUND ME warned, my cooler isn’t big enough at all. I pack as much as I can into it, and at least when we get back to shore I have the extra cooler waiting in the car. On the way in we all clean up our own areas; the boat is covered in fish blood, but before we dock it’s clean again, which still amazes me every time I see it. The crew needs to just spray the boat off with freshwater for its next trip. I grab some more ice and head home. I’m too tired to even get a calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2021 California Sportsman
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A lot of yellowtail – and a battle with a mahi-mahi – made for a great night on the water. Cooking up and sharing the fillets with family and friends only added to the experience. (LANCE SAWA)
fish count. After the 90-minute drive back to my Nagano Prefecture home, I shower to get all the blood off me. The next morning comes too soon as my son Nico checks out the cooler full of fish and eagerly asks me about it. After laying them all down the
final number is 15 yellowtail and that one rockfish. Father and son pose for photos before I begin the long process of cleaning. The moment reminds me of when I caught my first yellowtail at Catalina Island an ocean away. None of these fish go to waste. All my neighbors get some. Some of our
friends get a fish each. My father-inlaw and brothers-in-law each take three home. We eat ours a variety of ways: raw, deep fried, pan fried with butter – even Indian-style fish curry. And I vow to get revenge for that mahi-mahi the next time. CS
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34 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
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36 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
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HUNTING
FROM FIELD...
SIZE DOESN’T MATTER
Young blacktail bucks are more active than their older, wiser brothers and fathers, which become highly nocturnal this time of year. That makes bucks like this forked horn a solid option when targeting the challenging deer species in fall. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
WHEN HUNTING CHALLENGING BLACKTAILS, DON’T GET CAUGHT UP TRYING TO HARVEST THE BIGGEST, WARIEST BUCKS WHEN THERE ARE TENDER YOUNG DEER TO BE HAD By Scott Haugen consider taking a mature Columbian blacktail deer to consistently be the most challenging big game hunt in North America. However, the advantages hunters have when seeking young bucks are many. That’s reason enough to focus on putting meat in the freezer this season rather than spending time
I
in search of a bruiser buck you may never see.
YOUTH MOVEMENT Young blacktail bucks are not as educated as mature bucks. Younger bucks hang out more in open habitats than older ones do and they’re more frequently seen with does in late summer and early fall. Once the pre-rut peaks around mid-October, younger
bucks are commonly seen in openings even more often than normal in order to avoid confrontations with mature bucks cruising timber and thickets. During the pre-rut, big bucks cover ground – usually at night – inspecting trails for does in the area. They also size up other bucks in order to know what their competition might be when the rut commences a couple weeks later. Much of this movement
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HUNTING Deer meat can be as tender as some of your butcher shop’s best cuts of beef. And even simple dishes like Tiffany Haugen’s venison swirl meatloaf can melt in your mouth. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
... TO FIRE
GIVE VENISON SWIRL MEATLOAF A WHIRL By Tiffany Haugen
W
hen properly taken care of from field to table, deer meat can surpass prime cuts of beef. Preferred cooking methods for most cuts of venison are slow cooking, stir-frying quickly at high temperatures or grinding it up for use in casseroles or as fillings. Venison also makes great jerky and sausage. Here’s a family favorite that not only works wonderfully with deer, but any big game. We’ve enjoyed this venison swirl meatloaf with elk, bear and even moose from Alaska. 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup diced onion ½ cup diced bell pepper ½ cup shredded carrot ½ cup diced celery 3 cloves minced garlic 2 cups packed cooked spinach 2 pounds ground venison
One egg 2 teaspoons salt ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 1/3 cup marinara sauce ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
44 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
In a skillet, sauté onion, pepper, carrot and celery in oil on medium-high heat until soft. In a large bowl mix meat, egg and seasonings. Spread meat mixture onto waxed paper (about ¾ inch thick). Spread spinach, parsley and sautéed vegetables evenly over meat. Carefully roll meat around vegetables. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with marinara sauce and bake in a preheated, 350-degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Big Game and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.
L
HUNTING
The author’s father Jerry Haugen has taken a number of record-class blacktails in his more than 60 years of hunting them. These days, he’s content tagging younger and great-eating bucks, like this one-by-three. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
takes place along horizontal ridgelines where trails are carved vertically into hillsides. These are places hunters will want to look for young blacktails in mid-October, as they often bed in openings and atop benches. Search for young bucks to bed tight to and even smack in the middle of briar patches, Scotch broom thickets, and among tall fireweed and grasses. When a young buck beds down they are very compact, so look for parts of a deer rather than a whole animal.
DEER ON THE MOVE Young blacktails are also more active during the first rains than older bucks, venturing into openings where they’ll stay until well after daylight. And young bucks will start moving earlier in the evening than bigger bucks will, especially if air temperatures drop. When the first big storm of fall rolls in, head for the woods and get ahead
of the pressure front. Blacktails start moving when that barometer falls. The windier it is the better, as this often pushes young bucks out of cover. While big bucks commonly hunker down once limbs and trees start falling in high winds, young bucks sometimes panic and head to openings where they can see what’s going on. Young bucks don’t always have the confidence to trust their bedding areas in these conditions. Fearing predators, they often flee to the nearest opening, where their eyes can be their defense.
START EARLY The morning following a big storm, be in the woods at first light. Young bucks often feed well into the morning after a storm, foraging on mosses and lichens that fell in the night. Likewise, they’ll start feeding earlier in the evening on the heels of a storm, especially if dark skies prevail.
46 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
But the biggest challenge for most blacktail hunters is finding deer. True, there aren’t as many as there were 50 years ago, but there’s still a surprising number of blacktails in the woods. Spend time scouting in the summer and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
GLASSING TIPS When glassing for young bucks, again, look for parts of the deer. Search for a horizontal back or belly line, a moist black nose reflecting in the sun, a white throat patch, or antlers. Spend hours, not minutes, glassing prime habitat. Refrain from driving roads, glassing from the window, then driving away. Though you’re searching for a young blacktail, they’re not stupid and know that staying still is their best camouflage. Get out of the truck, walk to an elevated vantage point, sit down and glass. Grid the land to
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HUNTING search for any tiny part of a deer. Often, your presence makes a young buck nervous enough to get up.
DON’T DISMISS THEM A few seasons ago I was looking for a big blacktail. I ran into a man and his 12-year-old son who were hunting for simply a legal buck. When I told them I’d seen nine small ones,
their jaws dropped. They’d not seen a single deer. Then again, they were driving roads and barely glassing. Following a rain, look for fresh tracks and follow them into the reprod or timber – keeping the wind in your face. Oftentimes young bucks don’t go far and will bed very close to roads and openings. Walk gated roads that allow it, move slowly and quietly and always Tiffany Haugen, the other half of our From Field to Fire team, is a noted wild game cook and author and will take a young buck any time she can. And while it’s all about the food for Tiffany, she got a bonus with this uniquely racked blacktail. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
search, as bucks are more active in areas less frequented by humans. While glassing and slowly covering ground is effective during the first few weeks of October, things heat up come the final week. Rattling can be effective at bringing in young bucks late in the season. Be sure to wear hunter orange when rattling on public land so fellow hunters can see you. Deer are color blind.
KNOW YOUR CALLING When rattling for young bucks, use a timid sequence. Lightly tickle the ends of the rattling antlers or rattle bag. Avoid hitting the bases or making overly aggressive sounds that will scare a small buck. The goal is to pique a buck’s curiosity, making it think that two small bucks are sparring. While loud, heavy rattling, raking trees, scraping and kicking the ground can attract mature bucks, it’ll send a young buck running the other way. Lightly rattle for a minute or so, then watch and listen. After a few minutes, try again and then wait. If nothing comes in after 10 minutes, move or rattle slightly louder. I like moving more when rattling for small bucks versus big bucks, as the timid sounds don’t carry far. Try to find a horizontal ridge that runs for several hundred yards so you can rattle your way along its entirety.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE CHALLENGE Blacktails are among the most challenging big game animals to hunt, so don’t think it’s going to be easy just because you’re targeting a young buck. Pay attention, focus, get afield every possible moment and learn as you go. The best education for a blacktail hunter is to spend time in the woods, and that’s also what’ll put meat in the freezer. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book, Trophy Blacktails: The Science Of The Hunt, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook. 48 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
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HUNTING
Sending in your dog to bust up a flock of fall turkeys, then setting up to call the birds in, is a great approach – if your dog can sit still and be quiet. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
HOW TO HUNT FALL TURKEYS WITH A DOG By Scott Haugen
T
he whites of Echo’s eyes rolled to the left as she tracked movement, but I dared not budge. In front of us, eight paces away, stood a hen turkey that had responded to a series of kee-kee calls, coming in as planned. What I didn’t anticipate was how effective the calling would be. Echo, my then-3-year-old pudel-
pointer, and I sat against the base of a fat Douglas fir tree. Fifteen minutes prior I’d sent her to flush a big flock of turkeys more than 150 yards away. The flock was feeding away from us, into a strip of open meadow bordered on both sides by fir trees. The plan was to send Echo in to bust up the flock, call her back to me, then go in together and call the flock to us using assembly calls. It worked. But what I didn’t plan
for this November day were so many birds responding all at once. First came a hen, which stood right in front of us. I was tempted to shoot her but knew there were several young toms and a monster gobbler in the flock of more than 50 birds. Echo was laying beside me, head near my left knee. When I saw Echo’s eyes roll to the left, I knew more turkeys were silently approaching. She held solid, not twitching her head or lifting an
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HUNTING
This flock of fall turkeys is in perfect position to send in a dog from below. Hunters can’t run fast enough to bust up a flock like this, but your four-legged partner can. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
ear. When a pair of jakes strode into view, 15 yards away, I eased off the safety. Then they paused. I didn’t want to swing and send a muzzle blast over Echo’s head, so I waited. I let out some soft yelps with a diaphragm call and a hen replied with a crisp, loud kee-kee. The woods came alive. From all directions the flock started talking in their reassembly chatter. Birds started dropping from the trees, headed our way. Surrounded by so many turkeys, I wasn’t sure how long Echo could maintain her composure. As I nestled my cheek into the shotgun, ready to pull the trigger on a jake, the big tom came striding out of the timber. A number of birds were between us and the longbeard, but when an opening
developed, I fired. At 35 yards the tom crumpled. Through a flurry of turkeys going in all directions, Echo managed to mark the big tom, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pick it up for the retrieve. Later I found out why – the tom tipped the scales to 23 pounds.
THAT EXPERIENCE MARKED one of my most memorable turkey hunts, not because I’d filled a tag, but because of how well Echo performed. The scenario proved how effective and fun fall turkey hunting can be with your gun dog. California is among the 25 states that currently allow it. Busting up a flock and calling them back in is one way to hunt Merriam’s and Rios in autumn. There’s another
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approach I’ve enjoyed over the years with both of my dogs, and that’s getting them to point a turkey. Turkeys lay down a lot of scent, and if you want to see a dog work with utmost focus and intensity, cut them loose in the turkey woods. The challenge here comes in running across a bird in the right habitat so it holds rather than runs and then flies. To best achieve this, I’ve learned the element of surprise is the ticket, for if a turkey can see you from a long way, it’ll often take off running, then fly as pressure increases.
A COUPLE SEASONS ago I was catching a lone tom on trail camera. Every day for three days it walked a deer trail between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
HUNTING The next day I took Kona, my male pudelpointer, to the place but we never found the tom; nor did we see it the next day, or the next. Then, things came together. We worked into the wind, along the base of some rolling hills. Timber and hardwoods dominated the upper hillside habitat, while we hunted through dry grass laden with 3-foot-tall briar patches. The briars were sparse enough to weave our way through. We covered over 200 yards with nothing, then Kona’s tail started wagging and he was off. He ran as fast as his nose would allow, never leaving the scent trail. I lost sight of Kona over a hill and when I eventually caught up with him, he was on solid point, hindquarters shaking with intensity. Slowly I worked behind Kona, searching for a turkey. Finally, I found a lone tom, neck stretched out, body flat to the ground inside a tangle of
Hunting turkeys in autumn predates today’s highly popular spring season and California is among 25 states allowing the use of dogs, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation. After busting up a flock, dogs must be concealed in your blind or taken from the hunting area, per the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. (NWTF)
briars. This is a common position for pressured toms to assume. As I moved around for a clear shot, Kona stood firm. At the shot, Kona Author Scott Haugen and Kona pose with their “trail cam tom,” a turkey they hunted four days straight before their plan came together. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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was on the tom, quickly nabbing the 18-pound bird and bringing it to me. One of the most enjoyable turkey tracking moments, however, isn’t when they hold tight; rather, it’s when they get nervous and flush. Having a turkey, or flock of turkeys, erupt at your feet is an upland hunter’s dream. I’ve encountered moments like this many times with my dogs, including twice last season. It’s happened in heavy brush, fernladen timber, tall grass – even snow. It’s turkey hunting like many folks never imagine, but would love once they got a taste of it. Whether you’re looking to hunt fall turkeys with your dog in the traditional way, on point, or more aggressively with an intentional flush and calling birds back in, the options are there. Just be warned, it’s an addictive, thrilling way to hunt for that holiday bird, one you won’t be able to get enough of, and neither will your dog. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, Western Turkey Hunting: Strategies For All Levels, visit scotthaugen.com. You can follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
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