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Volume 9 • Issue 8 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, Mark Fong, Jeremiah Doughty, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Al Quackenbush, Nancy Rodriguez, Bill Schaefer, Mike Stevens SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Grifﬁn, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold

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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 The Pacific Ocean waters off parts of Humboldt and Mendocino Counties are prime bottomfishing grounds for rockfish, lingcod and some giant Pacific halibut. It’s also an area that doesn’t receive a lot of angling pressure, so there are a lot of fish to catch. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

CONTENTS

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 8

BACKCOUNTRY BOUND

April’s trout opener sent thousands of anglers to the Sierra Nevada in search of stocker rainbows. Our correspondent Nancy Rodriguez and her husband Joe prefer to escape the crowds and hike into the backcountry, where the trout are wild and the scenery is spectacular.

FEATURES 25

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

SHAKIN’, NOT STIRRED Red Bluff’s Greg Gutierrez is a bass pro who also runs his own tackle company, Frenzy Baits. Gutierrez is a believer in using shaky-head jigheads, which are popular in the East and Deep South with anglers, but still new on Western bass front. Our Mark Fong caught up with Gutierrez, who regularly pulls largemouth and smallies out of NorCal lakes with this tactic that the fish seem to love.

TOAST OF THE LOST COAST On either side of California’s westernmost point in Humboldt County sits an area known as the Lost Coast. Offshore, deep under the blue waters of the Pacific, is the perfect habitat for giant lingcod, colorful species of rockfish and big halibut, making these waters some of the most spectacular (and underfished) in the entire state. Step aboard with Eureka skipper Tony Sepulveda for a

(JOE RODRIGUEZ)

lesson on fishing this fabled coast.

CONVICT CONFESSIONS Southland anglers and troutheads from around the state zero in on Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra for the late April trout opener. But some of the best fishing here takes place before the crush of summer visitors create more crowds and fishing pressure. Mike Stevens, a Convict regular, rats on the lake’s plentiful rainbows and big browns.

HIGH ON THE HOG Wild boar can be hunted year-round in the Golden State, and with few other species to target this time of year, offer a good opportunity for sportsmen. True, it can be hotter than the hinges of Hades, but that’s why you need to read about the tactics that lead writer Tim Hovey and friend Jose De Orta used to score a big ol’ tasty boar for the freezer.

59 69 83 87 93 103 109

Time for shad on Sac, American Rivers Delta striper run looks fantastic Try this spicy wild pig recipe Fees worth it to fish for San Diego’s Barrett Lake bass Memories of fishing boats past Building a California-compliant AR Introducing your dog to antler sheds

DEPARTMENTS 13 17 19 22 31 39 99

The Editor’s Note: Rockfish memories Protecting Wild California: Ocean salmon closures Photo contest winners Adventures of Todd Kline: Texas fishing trip Rig of the Month: “Brass and Glass” for bass From Field to Fire: Working your spring Chinook hole; plank grilling ideas Urban Huntress: Craig Boddington’s B.C. fishing derby

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 MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

guess I’m an average fisherman (or maybe I just stink at it), but I think I can remember getting skunked as many times as I do bringing home a stringer of trout or an ice chest full of catfish. So when I talked to guide Tony Sepulveda about how much more fun nonstop catching of rockfish can be (page 33), I shared with Sepulveda some of my own experiences from many years ago. One of my dad’s When you’re out on the briny blue for Bay Area friends – we bottomﬁsh, the mystery of not knowing what tasty species you’re going to pull up called him Molly – was makes for an ideal way to spend time on a diehard outdoorsman the water. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES) who used to captivate me with fishing and hunting tales. So I jumped at the chance when he invited my dad and I out on a charter boat for rockfish and lingcod. We ended up doing two such trips with Molly when I was a teenager, launching both times out of Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay. And since I’d been on boats in San Francisco Bay but never in the open ocean, all I could think about that morning over breakfast was, “Would these pancakes end up over the side of the boat?” (They survived the sea.) But what I remember most is how many rockfish everyone on the boat kept yanking up to the surface in the kind of chaos that is welcome during a fishing trip. Some of us even managed to coax the larger and more elusive lingcod. In the end, as a kid who normally caught smallish trout, it was a thrill back at the dock watching the deckhands quickly filleting and then bagging our fish to bring home. That’s what makes Sepulveda so happy when he takes his Eureka-based boat out to the Lost Coast, a relatively lightly fished but incredibly productive area off the Humboldt County coast. In a region where salmon dominate bucket lists, the bottomfish will bite whatever he rigs up. “We usually don’t even have to use (fresh or frozen) bait,” says Sepulveda, whose clients can normally score limits by bouncing jigs. “I have guys who will bring bait, and I have bait in my freezer but never even get it out. Pretty quickly people will realize that it doesn’t matter. Those fish see so little pressure, you don’t need (fresh bait). You catch fish after fish after fish.” Thanks, Molly, for introducing me to the ocean, and save me a spot on the boat, Tony! -Chris Cocoles

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

PROTECTING

COPING WITH A

WILD CALIFORNIA

CLOSED SEASON By Chris Cocoles

ureka-area guide Tony Sepulveda and many of his longtime peers could see the writing on the wall. The California Fish and Game Commission, based on a meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, announced a series of 2017 king salmon restrictions earlier this spring. Among the biggest decisions was completely closing the ocean season from the Oregon-California border south to Horse Mountain in Humboldt County. The late-fall Chinook run in the Klamath and Trinity Rivers will also be closed to fishing. “I think most of us – everybody who was paying attention – knew what was coming,” said Sepulveda, of Green Water Fishing Adventures. “It’s not the first time we’ve seen this, and they manage tighter in the Klamath Management Zone than anywhere else. That’s how it goes; not a big deal.” A California Department of Fish and Wildlife press release stated the goal

is to “maximize fall- and winter-run Chinook survival and reproduction and support efforts to rebuild the fisheries.” Klamath River basin fallrun projections are some of the lowest on record A record-low projection for Klamath Management Zone Chinook (about 50,000 expected prompted a closure of salmon ﬁshing off Northern California, but springers like this one will be open in the Klamath and Trinity Rivers in the ocean). “Closing an entire into August. (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE) fishing season is not adipose-fin-clipped fish. And basically something that I take lightly, but the about one in four is a clipped fish,” Sepsurvival of the fall-run Chinook in the ulveda said. Klamath and Trinity Rivers is at stake,” “And out of the Sacramento system CDFW director Charlton H. Bonham and from the Klamath they’re clipping said in the release. “CDFW and other about 25 percent of the salmon, which fisheries management partners agree basically means, if you do the math on that these restrictions are necessary to that, every single one that we catch is help recover this vital species.” a hatchery fish. And when they run the Sepulveda is more along the lines of tags on them they’re all Sac fish. So our “it is what it is” mode instead of anticientire (ocean) fishery is based around pating future improvement. Sacramento River hatchery fish. In the “I don’t know, because all the long run for us, laying off the (salmon) (ocean) fish we catch are Sacramento is not going to make much difference. River fish. And that’s the strange thing The numbers don’t make a ton of sense, about our fishery anyway – 95 percent but it’s fine.” CS of them are Sac fish, if you look at the

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Archery-only turkey spring season Junior spring turkey season Collins Lake Family Fishing Derby; collinslake.com Shasta Lake Classic Team Trout Derby; kokaneepower.org 6-7 Bass Lake Fishing Derby; basslakechamber.com/ fishing-derby 26-JUNE 26 Crowley Lake Perch Derby; crowleylakefishcamp.com 27 Lake Gregory Trout Derby; lakegregoryrecreation.com

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crowleylakefishcamp.com Finest Annual Trout Tournament, Crowley Lake; crowleylakefishcamp.com Fred Hall Father’s Day Fishing Tournament, Mammoth Lakes Basin; (760) 934-3416 Bridgeport Trout Tournament, Bridgeport Reservoir and East Walker River; (760) 616-4214 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Trout Fest, Hot Creek Hatchery; nrm.dfg.ca.gov/ FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=95204&inline Start of Mono Village Fourth of July Fishing Derby, Upper Twin Lakes; (760) 932-7071

JUNE 2-3

3-4

Hangman’s Bonus Derby, Convict Lake; (800) 992-2260 Creel Buster Derby, Crowley Lake;

Note: A list of upcoming bass fishing tournaments can also be found at nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishingContests/default.aspx.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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A great overnight stay to and from your hunting or fishing trip!

David King is this issue’s monthly Fishing Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of Parker King and his western Oregon winter-run steelhead, caught last January. It wins King loot from the overstuffed office of our editor!

There are fistfuls of dollars and pickup loads of bucks, and Chad Smith’s happy snap of the latter is this issue’s Browning Photo Contest winner. He wins 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.

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

s e r u t n e v Ad We’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 toddkline.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor

This month I got the invite to join about 15 friends and stay on a private ranch in Texas just outside Dallas. The Rimstone Ranch was ﬁve stars across the board, with great ﬁshing, hunting, food and accommodations. This is the grill of one of the six Kawasaki Mules we drove to get around. (TODD KLINE)

This is my friend Duke Edukas at sunset next to our Mule, which is loaded with tackle and beer. We just bounced from pond to pond; there are eight lakes on the ranch. (TODD KLINE)

This is an annual spring trip, when anywhere from 12 to 20 friends from the surﬁng/action sports industry load up and go. The title of the trip is Duke’s Cast and Blast. The reason it’s named after Duke (pictured here withFEBRUARY me) is because he is an awesome dude! (TODD KLINE) 22 California Sportsman 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

It was awesome catching some ﬁsh on the Savage Gear Lilly Ninja Popping Frog. They were choking it! (TODD KLINE)

Here is a shot of the crew who went to Duke’s Cast and Blast at the Rimstone Ranch. (TODD KLINE)

We ﬁshed into dark each evening, and the bite got epic right before sunset. It was always a beautiful sky as the sun set. There’s nothing like being on our around the water when the sun rises or sets. (TODD KLINE)

My friend Eric Crane is the owner of Electric Eyewear and invited me on the trip. He caught one of the smallest fish, and he’s hilariously trying to make it look bigger. Can’t long-arm that one, buddy! (TODD KLINE) Meanwhile back in California, I recently had my best guide trip yet. Repeat client Scott Schilling had about 20 fish from Lake Skinner. The crazy part was he had three 20-pound limits, with the best five bass going 24 pounds. It was epic. (TODD KLINE)

calsportsmanmag.com | FEBRUARY 2017 California Sportsman

24 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

NORCAL

IT’S A HEAD SHAKER (AND THAT’S A GOOD THING)

Red Bluff’s Greg Gutierrez, a longtime tournament bass pro, preaches the gospel of shaky jighead ﬁshing, a technique he uses at several Northern California lakes. (MARK FONG/ANDY VIERRA)

VETERAN TOURNAMENT PRO TALKS SHAKY HEAD BASS TACTICS By Mark Fong

e had the opportunity to get in the boat with one of the most skilled shaky-head black bass ﬁshermen on the planet, Greg Gutierrez of Red Bluff. Gutierrez is one of the West’s most accomplished tournament anglers. He is a two-time Bassmaster Classic qualiﬁer and former BASS Elite Series competitor. Today he splits his time between competing on the Costa FLW Western Division and running his tackle company, Frenzy Baits (frenzybaits.com). So enjoy as

Gutierrez reveals some of the ﬁner points of the shaky-head technique.

BUILDING A BETTER FISH TRAP “The shaky head is relatively new in the West,” says Gutierrez. “Back east, the ball-head jig is the original shaky head. From what I understand, it started down there in Alabama. I learned about it when I was ﬁshing the Elite Series. The shaky heads I was ﬁshing were not up to what I wanted, so I started carving my own design, and that is how I came up with the Nail.” Available in 3/16- and ¼-ounce siz-

es in four color schemes, he built “a bunch of things” into it. “The face is shoveled, so it comes through the grass and wood better. It is a true standup head; I recessed the line tie and put a 4/0 light wire hook in it so that it handles light plastics, as well as bigger baits. The penetration of the hook gets them in the beak almost every time; that is how the Nail got its name,” Gutierrez says.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

Gutierrez hooks up on a bass after throwing one of his shaky head jigs. (MARK FONG)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW There are a number of popular misconceptions surrounding the shaky head. The first is that it is only a numbers bait and that it does not catch big fish. “This is simply not true,” Gutierrez says. “I have caught double-digit fish, and not just one. I have caught a pile of them on a shaky head, and intentionally so. I am targeting bigger fish with a smaller bait.” A second misconception is that the shaky head is limited in application, yet Gutierrez is clear that it’s not seasonal or dependent on location. “There is not a time of year that I don’t throw it. I fish it everywhere – Lake Shasta, the Delta or

Clear Lake. I like to skip it up under docks and throw it in the grass or in the wood.”

THE SYSTEM Gutierrez applies a systematic approach to his tackle and equipment, and it was developed by countless days on water and fine-tuned in high-level competition. “First, you have the delivery system and the application,” he says. “If I am fishing in clearer water and I want a little thinner line, I will run a fluorocarbon leader made of 6-pound Gamma Edge. I like Edge because of its subtle feel. It has really good strength for setting the hook and is very durable for fishing in the

“There is not a time of year that I don’t throw it. I ﬁsh it everywhere – Lake Shasta, the Delta or Clear Lake. I like to skip it up under docks and throw it in the grass or in the wood,” says Gutierrez, here holding a pair of Lake Oroville bass. (MARK FONG) 26 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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rocks. I have less break-offs and I am not retying as much as before.” “Depending on the depth, if I really want to penetrate the water, I will go with a 10-pound mainline braid. I have been using Gamma Torque Braid; it’s smooth, has great castability and it does not ﬂoat in the wind too much. I use an FG knot to attach the leader to my mainline.” “Following that back to the rod, I am a big medium-action rod kind of guy,” says the Red Bluff angler. “I like a 7-foot, 1-inch, as I really want medium action, something with good backbone, where it just locks up. I want that fast-action tip, a nice soft supple tip so that I can detect the light bites. I can feel the bottom contour really well and I can feel what my bait is doing. I can feel it bouncing over rocks, I can feel it lift off the bottom if I get that subtle type of bite. That light tip allows me to feel all that but still rolls into a medium-action (set-up). I use an IRod Gen 2 spinning rod, and there is a mechanical advantage to using a spinning rod. You can cast a light bait further; you have more control and you have more feel.” “As far as the reel, unlike a lot of guys who want to use a light little reel, I use a larger reel that has a bigger arbor spool. To me, the larger arbor picks up more line and has a smoother drag. In addition, it allows my rod to balance out better by putting a little more weight at the butt of the rod.” On the business end of his line, Gutierrez ties on a Frenzy Baits Nail, to which he afﬁxes a variety of soft plastic offerings. He uses a variety of Reaction Innovation Baits that range from Sweet Beavers to Flirt Worms. On our trip to Lake Oroville, the 4.95 Flirt Worm was the hot bait. Gutierrez likes to keep his color selection basic, relying on natural colors that imitate bream, shad or crawdads. “I’m always shaking the bait,” adds Gutierrez as a closing thought. “It’s a shaky head, not a draggy head.” CS

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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This month we go old school again with a finesse rig for black bass. The Brass and Glass Shakin’ Rig combines sound and movement to draw strikes from even inactive fish. Work the rig by shakin’ the rod tip in place using a semislack line. The sound generated by the brass sinker and glass bead is key. To construct the Brass and Glass Shakin’ Rig, begin by threading an 1/8-ounce brass worm sinker onto the mainline, followed by an 8mm glass bead. Next, attach a 1/0 Gamakatsu Light Wire Worm Hook. To finish, insert the point of the hook into the center of the tip of a finesse worm, exiting at the bottom, a quarter-inch from the tip of the bait. Pull the hook through until the eye of the hook is hidden by the plastic. Rotate the hook and reinsert the hook point into the body of the worm, making sure to keep the worm straight. -Mark Fong

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NORCAL The rugged Lost Coast juts out to form California’s westernmost point and is, besides boasting these great views, a gem for bottomﬁshing success. (BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT)

FIND FISH ON THE

LOST COAST ROCKFISH, LINGCOD AND HALIBUT ARE ABUNDANT OFF HUMBOLDT COUNTY By Chris Cocoles

ongtime Eureka-area guide Tony Sepulveda spends his fall and winter seasons fishing for Chinook and steelhead in local coastal rivers, but when he guides off the Northern California coast for bottomfish, it reminds him of his fishing roots. “Originally, when I started working out of Southern California, I did a lot of rockfish and lingcod in the winter, and then we would fish albacore and yellowtail in the summer,” says Sepulveda, who operates Green Water Fishing Adventures (707845-9588; greenwaterguides.com) on Humboldt County’s famed Lost

Coast. “But my winters were always based around fishing rockfish.” And while Sepulveda, who spent time in Alaska before settling around Eureka, was mostly a river guide when he first arrived in Humboldt, he’s become just as comfortable taking summer ocean trips for lingcod, rockfish and even Pacific halibut. With the ocean salmon season closed for the summer in Northern California, Sepulveda is eager to show off a fishery that’s one of the most underappreciated in his area. “Anyone who comes up and fishes it with me is just amazed how good that Lost Coast fishery is,” Sepulveda says. “The area between Mendocino and the Lost Coast gets

so little pressure. There’s nowhere really like it in the state of California. It’s a little bit like Cordell Banks (a now-closed area off the Bay Area’s Marin County coast) used to be back in the old days.” And the ﬁshing is plenty good just outside Sepulveda’s marina. The Lost Coast’s location provides plenty of deep-water habitat for bottomﬁsh. Humboldt County’s Cape Mendocino is as far west in California as one can get, if not in almost all of the Lower 48 (Washington’s Cape Alava is the westernmost point). “It sits out in an area with a tremendous amount of current and upwelling, and delivers nutrients and life into it. It’s a combination of

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL

amazing habitat and an incredible spot geographically,” Sepulveda says. “And it doesn’t get much fishing pressure. The only way you can get to it is from Eureka. And there aren’t many boats running out into it. So it has a lot going for it.” What he also sells to potential customers is the variety of rockfish that are available. Sepulveda counts around 20 different species of various sizes and colors available, such as cabezon and greenlings. And the lingcod are fat and feisty; Sepulveda’s biggest ling caught on one of his trips last year weighed 42 pounds, with several at 30 or more. “There’s nowhere else in California where you see as many 30-pound lingcod as we do,” he says. “And the size of the rockfish is like no other, with lots of giant reds and coppers. I get a lot of people who hem and haw about coming up all the way up to

catch a rockfish. But the ones who do come up, all come back. And then they’ll say, ‘I’ll never go back to Bodega (Bay) again.’” So plentiful are fish that Sepulveda can “fill the boat in a hurry” without needing live bait. Bouncing jigs for rockfish and tying on 8-inch swimbaits will trigger strikes from the bigger lingcod. And then there’s the opportunity to land a coveted halibut. Anglers who book a trip with one of Eureka’s fleet of boats might not catch a halibut every trip out, but Sepulveda says one of his biggest thrills is having a bouncing swimbait devoured by something even bigger than a lingcod. He also will run halibut-only trips at time, fishing in anywhere from 200 to 300 feet and setting up long drifts with herring and albacore bellies as preferred offerings. “All of a sudden you look over

34 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

The Lost Coast, which runs from Humboldt County south and down to the Mendocino area, features ideal habitat for a large population of lingcod, multiple species of rockfish and Pacific halibut. That it’s mostly lightly fished means it’s a great destination to catch a lot of fish – including hitchhiking lings. (TONY SEPULVEDA/ GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)

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NORCAL and somebody’s flat-out pinned to the rail by a 60-pound Pacific halibut,” Sepulveda says. “The bonus is having Pacific halibut pop up in the mix while you’re catching your lingcod; that’s pretty good California fishing. There aren’t many places where that happens. But they are fickle and it’s not a fishery that’s hot action. But when you catch them, they are big, beautiful and amazing fish. We’ll catch them regularly up to 70 pounds.” And if you’re seeking a lot of bent rods and want to fill an empty cooler with delicious fillets, the Lost Coast’s rockfish residents will accommodate you nicely. “I think that’s what people get more fired up about: seeing the different colors and shapes coming up,” Sepulveda says. “And it’s all good fishing; there’s no other fishery where you can bring home a bigger bag of meat.” CS

Lingcod grow large – last year, guide Tony Sepulveda’s biggest one went to 42 pounds – and will gobble up 8-inch swimbaits ﬁshed in the deep waters of the Lost Coast. (TONY SEPULVEDA/GREEN WATER

Paciﬁc halibut aren’t as easy to catch as the rockﬁsh and lingcod, but the wait might be worth it if you can bring one of these tasty monsters to the surface.

FISHING ADVENTURES)

(TONY SEPULVEDA/GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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NORCAL

FROM FIELD ...

THE HOLE TRUTH

Spring salmon can be finicky, and finding what triggers a bite can be challenging. If you know fish are in a hole but not biting, don’t leave; instead, focus on figuring out how to get a take. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

MASTERING YOUR LOCAL SALMON SPOT CAN HELP CATCH MORE SPRINGERS By Scott Haugen

hen I reflect on the rivers I fished growing up, I realize these were the places that gave me the education I needed to be a successful angler in other parts of the world. I didn’t have the means of transportation to get me to many places as a kid, so I learned to fish what was available. Often, all I had time to fish before school was one hole. This meant I had to master that hole, especially when sharing it with fellow anglers. Mastering a single salmon hole or specific stretch of water carries a lot of value. Not only does this force you to learn how to read the water and figure out where the fish hold under a range of conditions, but it also makes you think about the most effective ways to

fish a hole. Not long ago, I was speaking at a sports show when a young angler shared with me how he doesn’t have the money to travel, so he sticks to fishing one or two holes near his home, usually after work. What he concluded was that this has made him a better fisherman because he’s had to try harder to catch fish in a confined area. What this angler also observed was that fellow anglers – and there were many at times – didn’t fish the same places he did. He shared with me how he’s taken the time to learn where fish lay when the river is at a certain level. Because of this, he learned exactly where to make each cast.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT If ﬁshing among crowds of fellow anglers feels intimidating, look to see where they are ﬁshing. If they are

catching salmon, pay extra-close attention. If they are not catching fish, also pay close attention but look for more details. If an angler is fishing but not catching, cover different water when it’s your turn to fish the same spot. If that doesn’t draw a strike, then change your position slightly so as to impact the angle of presentation. If that doesn’t work, give the fish something different to look at or smell while covering the same water all over again. Turning on a salmon bite often comes down to the egg cure being used. The key to mastering a fishing hole lies in concentrating. The moment you simply start going through the motions is when the learning stops. Pay close attention to where each cast falls and subsequently drifts. Systematically cover the entire hole, and if there’s no bite go back

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL

... TO FIRE

ZEST GRILLED SPRINGER WITH SUMMER FRUITS By Tiffany Haugen

hen it comes to cooking fresh fish, grilling is the ultimate approach. Combine the joy of outside grilling with hot weather and fresh produce mixed into a zippy salsa and you’re ready for a party! Simply prepared fish topped with dazzling, flavor-filled salsa adds a new dimension, while still allowing you to appreciate great fish flavors.

SALMON, STEELHEAD AND TROUT GRILLING TIPS • Do not overmarinate. Depending on thickness of fish, 30 minutes to two hours should work. If marinating longer than 20 minutes, keep refrigerated. Add any additional salt right before grilling. • Keep grill well lubricated: Use tongs to grab an oil-soaked paper towel to brush over grates. • Start with fish skin-side up to sear in grill mark for one to three minutes. Turn and finish cooking, skin-side down. • Apply basting liquids or sauces containing sugar toward the end of cooking to prevent charring. • Do not overcook: Fish continues cooking even after it is off the grill, so as soon as it begins to flake in large chunks, remove it. Use a meat thermometer and cook fish to 135 to 145 degrees.

Fresh ﬁsh seems to taste best when grilled, and adding mango or strawberry citrus salsa will give your plate even more zest. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

SKINLESS GRILLING WITH SALSA This method works great for a large fillet. Be sure to have an extra-wide spatula on hand. One large fillet of salmon or steelhead (four to six servings) ½ cup butter, melted Juice and zest from a lemon ½ tablespoon grill seasoning of choice In a small bowl mix butter, lemon juice, zest and seasoning salt. Baste the meat side of the fish. Place fish, skinside down, on a well-greased hot grill. Grill five minutes or until grill marks are seared into skin. Using an extra-wide spatula, roll fillet over onto meat side (skin should peel away as you turn the fish over). Generously baste fish again, grilling for three to four minutes. Carefully flip back on the original side, basting again and cooking an additional three to six minutes, until fish is opaque and flakes in large chunks, or has an internal temperature of 135 to 145 degrees. Serve with strawberry citrus salsa or mango salsa (see recipes below).

STRAWBERRY CITRUS SALSA 1 pint strawberries, sliced One orange, peeled and chopped One to two jalapeño peppers, diced One green onion, thinly sliced Juice and zest half a lime or lemon

40 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

1 tablespoon honey Salt and pepper taste In a medium bowl, mix lemon or lime juice with honey. Add all other ingredients; gently toss until combined.

MANGO SALSA 2 cups mango, cubed One red bell pepper, finely chopped Two green onions, chopped ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped Juice of one lime 1 tablespoon ginger, minced 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon fish sauce, optional 2-3 teaspoons hot sauce or chili sauce In a medium bowl, gently toss all ingredients until combined. Let sit, refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before serving. Editor’s note: For more great grilling recipes, check out Tiffany Haugen’s popular book, Grill It! Plank It! Wrap It! Smoke It! For signed copies, visit tiffanyhaugen. com or send $20 to Haugen Enterprises, PO Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489.

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NORCAL and do it all again with a different presentation. For example, if a natural color cured egg with a Lil’ Corky didn’t work, try a bright red cured egg, maybe topped with a spinning drift bobber such as a Spin-N-Glo. If eggs aren’t working at all, try drifting sand shrimp or tossing lures. There’s always an alternative presentation to experiment with in the same water.

When mastering a single hole, changing the bait offering often is all it may take to turn on a springer bite. Here, the author added sand shrimp to his eggs and topped it with a Spin-N-Glo for added attraction. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS Once you catch a salmon or even get a strike, note precisely what you did and remember where the cast was made and where it drifted. Note the river conditions at the time and try to decipher why a salmon or steelhead was where it was at that time. As conditions change throughout the hole during the course of the season, pay attention to where the fish move. What you’ll find in many situations is that even though you’re fishing the same hole, fish will hold differently within it and even move through different slots as the surrounding conditions change. That’s not always the case, but it happens more than not. Once you’ve mastered one hole, move onto another, maybe even a different river entirely. Depending on the size of the hole, its complexity and its resistance to physical change and how quickly you learn it, you may be ready to learn another hole in the same season. Then again, it may take months or even years to master a hole, depending on how often you get to fish it. By paying attention to details and studying the intricacies of a specific fishing hole and where fish are found at certain times, you’ll learn more about how to catch them. Time, patience and persistence are key to consistent success when attempting to master a single salmon hole.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT This season, don’t let limited access discourage you from ﬁshing. If the ﬁsh are in and you have the time to get on the water, your chances of catching salmon are just as good as

Being able to ﬁsh a salmon hole multiple ways will not only make you a better angler, it will result in more ﬁsh. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

anyone else. Grab a rod, hit the river and systematically learn how to fish a specific salmon hole. What you’ll learn by successfully fishing that one hole will allow you to catch salmon in other holes like it, even in other rivers in other states. There’s a lot to be said for learning how to fish a single salmon hole multiple ways. The experience will

42 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

make you a better angler and you’ll end up with more tasty meat. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, Bank Fishing For Steelhead & Salmon, send a check for $17 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. This and other how-to books can be ordered at scotthaugen.com.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

44 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SIERRA

BACKCOUNTRY BOUND A COUPLE FINDS PEACE AND TROUT IN HIGH SIERRA LAKES By Nancy Rodriguez

hat is it that draws us to the backcountry? With sweatsoaked clothes, endless bug bites, burning muscles and lungs begging for oxygen, the appeal can be confusing to the uninitiated. Is it the desire to sleep on dirt, tuck into a claustrophobic mummy bag and surround ourselves with a paper-thin home away from home? Maybe it’s the exciting – OK, maybe frightening – sudden lightning storms that roll through the high country on warm summer days. Perhaps it’s the hummingbird-sized mosquitoes that latch onto every inch of exposed skin and try to drain us like an unwilling juice box. It’s clear that spending time in the backcountry is a paradox. It’s

There are so many lakes littered throughout the wilderness areas of the Eastern Sierras, and plenty of hungry, colorful brook trout await your arrival. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)

a balance between discomfort and the pleasure of feeling completely at ease and at “home.” For me, the real draw to this adventure is some backcountry ﬁshing! It’s the call of a high mountain lake that glistens in the morning sun, dimples disrupting the surface as trout slurp bugs from

below. It’s the challenge of ﬁguring out what lure, depth, and speed of retrieve is most appealing on any particular day. It’s the thought that you are part of something few people have laid eyes on, a connection to nature, and an opportunity to slow down time and just breathe.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA

Author Nancy Rodriguez savors the elbow room she and husband Joe had around their camp, with a reasonably nice view. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)

IT WAS SUMMERTIME, AND my husband Joe and I were in need of some backcountry therapy, so we ventured into the Eastern Sierras on a hiking and fishing excursion. Our hike would take us to several lakes around 10,000 feet in elevation. It would be a great way to get our legs and lungs ready for the hunting season ahead and hit some lightly visited high mountain lakes at the same time. As the miles passed under our boots, Mother Nature’s beauty encompassed us and I knew there was nowhere else I would rather be. Huge rocky spires still covered in snow towered above. Spring rains had brought vibrant lush green foliage and Skittle-colored wildflowers to the surrounding hills. Yellow, orange and purple butterflies danced about while they guided us up the

mountain. Birds sang, played, and bathed in the trailside snow runoff. A fluffy marmot scurried across a granite boulder in front of us. Nature’s beauty acted as a mild anesthetic, numbing the pain on our bodies – if only for a little while. As we crested the final ridge we began to feel energized. There before us lay an electric and blue high-mountain lake with sunlit diamonds dancing across the surface. Avalanche chutes were carved in the snowpack as waterfalls poured from them into the lake below. I’m not sure why, but colors always seem more brilliant in the backcountry. The view nearly took my breath away. Before long I saw a ripple break the surface of the water and felt an overwhelming urge to wet a line, but the fish would have to wait for now. With dark clouds

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building on the ridges above, we scrambled to find a campsite before the skies opened up. We two tired and happy backpackers weaved in and out of the dense pine forest and climbed across large granite boulders until we found a site. A perfect flat spot amongst the short green grass and wildflowers called to our tent. The spot had a 360-degree unobstructed view of pure beauty and would make a perfect home for the next four days. We quickly set up our camp like we have done a hundred times before. The tent was set, the water purifier hung, bear containers packed with food, and our essentials tucked away in their temporary homes. Looking out across the lake, we embraced the peace and solitude. But it was time to fish.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA THE SCRAMBLE DOWN TO the water’s edge was full of excitement and childhood wonder. Our lines were tossed in unison as we tried to decide what the fish would hit. Our spoons and jigs danced through the water until one of us felt the unmistakable tug on the line and a beautiful trout broke the surface. “Fish on!” echoed through the silence as I looked down the shore and watched Joe smile as he reeled in the first fish. Many more were to follow. As the sky started its nightly sunset ritual, we sat crossed-legged on the alpine grass and enjoyed the show. We dined on a gourmet meal of fresh brook trout amid the backdrop of twinkling stars appearing in the night sky and the moonlight reflecting across the lake. We snuggled together, listening to the distant waterfall and took in this perfect summer night. After a blissful sleep, the morning birds started to sing and gently stirred us from our mountain slumber. The cool air filled my lungs; I wiped the sleep from my eyes and heated water for my morning coffee. Joe and I perched ourselves on a rock and cradled warm mugs as we watched the mountains wake up. I swear that my coffee had never tasted so good. After breakfast, we laced up our boots, threw on our packs and grabbed our fishing rods. We hiked several miles from camp and decided to try our luck at a lake just under 11,000 feet in elevation. I tossed an orange-and-silver Krocodile spoon into the mercurial water, counted to 10 and began a pulsing retrieve. Suddenly, my line telegraphed a hit and the rod tip bounced in response. I gently leaned back and watched the rod arch under tension. I reeled in a vibrant blaze-orange-bellied brook trout that almost glowed in the crystal-clear water. With wet hands and a gentle release it shot back into the depths of its frigid home. Joe and I continued fishing along the snow-covered shore and selected a few brookies we caught for a shore 48 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

The trails will wear out your feet in these stretches of the Sierra, but they are well worth the workout to get this far away from civilization. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA Healthy rainbows and brookies abound in these remote lakes. (JOE AND NANCY RODRIGUEZ)

lunch. We climbed to a clifftop perch and ﬁred up the backpack stove. We sat in Mother Nature’s living room and ate a fresh trout lunch and gazed out across the lake below. We smiled and knew this memory would last a lifetime.

WITH FULL BELLIES FUELING us, we descended back to camp, stopping to try our luck at every lake we passed. We hit a total of five on our way back, and each one produced vibrant brookies and an occasional rainbow. Joe spotted a small creek entering one of the lakes and we couldn’t get there fast enough. The anticipation built as we scrambled across granite boulders and climbed through thick brush to get there. Our lures shot out across the water simultaneously, and as if on cue our rods bent in unison. The double hook-up made us smile from ear to ear. With light line, our drags screamed as the deep-shouldered brookies ran for deep water. Time drifted by as we ﬁshed the 50 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

This is what’s all about right? Catching a fat trout, cooking it up right there and enjoying an alfresco meal without any other diners nearby. (NANCY RODRIGUEZ)

inlet and caught more fish than we could count; each one seemed more vibrant than the previous. Mottled green backs gave way to bright red, vibrant orange and deep burgundy sides accented by white-tipped fins and colorful spots. As the sun started to set, our feet were tired from the day’s mileage, our faces and hands a little red from the high-altitude sun and our bodies fatigued from the thin mountain air, but we wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything. The backcountry had recharged our batteries, and we were ready to head back to reality. We left it behind for now, but we knew it wouldn’t be long before we’ll return. CS Editor’s note: Nancy Rodriguez lives in Cool, just east of Auburn outside Sacramento, with her husband Joe. She is an outdoor enthusiast who loves to fish, hunt and backpack. Nancy is on the hunt staff for Prois Hunting & Field Apparel for Women and enjoys inspiring women to get outdoors. 52 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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SIERRA Convict Lake usually gets a lot of attention around the late April trout opener, but both shore and boat anglers can continue to catch trout throughout the trout season. (MIKE STEVENS)

THE CONVICTION: A PRODUCTIVE LAKE POPULAR SIERRA FISHERY IS A TROUTHEAD’S DREAM By Mike Stevens

ne of the most scenic driveup lakes in the Eastern Sierra, Convict Lake is a very popular locale for anglers ﬁshing the late April trout opener, but the 168-acre gem will continue to produce stellar trout ﬁshing all season long. Convict Lake is located 10 miles

south of Mammoth Lakes in a bowl surrounded by imposing mountain peaks, and it’s heavily and regularly stocked with California Department of Fish and Wildlife rainbows, along with bonus supplemental stocks of larger-model rainbows and the monster German browns that call the lake home.

TAKE SHORE LEAVE Shore anglers can take advantage of the easily navigated trail that orbits the lake, making it almost completely

Convict Creek ﬂows out of the lake and is a popular spot for anglers. (MIKE STEVENS)

accessible by foot. Despite this wideopen access, there is plenty of foliage to keep you hidden from your shorebound neighbors, which helps pro-

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA vide a bit of solitude, despite the fact that you are fishing a lake visitors can’t get enough of. The most popular shore-fishing spot at Convict is the inlet tucked in the far corner of the lake, but you had better hit the trail early to get out there before anyone else does, since it’s no secret. A great option is fishing the shallow water surrounding the inlet with a fly-and-bubble rig, trout worms or jigs. The outlet area and the shore heading south and away from the marina is a great spot to pick off marauding rainbows by making long casts with heavier spoons like Thomas Buoyants and 1/8-ounce Kastmasters. This stretch is also good for sight-fishing early and late-season rainbows. The fish hang out in the shallow flats looking for water that’s a little warmer than that in Convict’s well-known offshore depths (up to 140 feet). Anglers targeting these shallow, calm-water fish should use lures that can land without a lot of commotion since these trout can be easily spooked. Casting a trout jig or worm well beyond where they are holding and slowly retrieving your offering through their zone can get you a quick limit before the crowds and

Convict routinely spits out nice rainbows. (CONVICT LAKE RESORT)

high sun send fish back offshore.

TROLLERS’ PARADISE Speaking of the dramatic offshore drop-offs all over Convict, they are ideal lines to follow while trolling from a private boat or one rented from the resort. Top-line trolling with minnow lures, streamer ﬂies ahead of a split-shot, or even classic big-water techniques like dragging a nightcrawler behind a ﬂasher can pull a submarine-model rainbow or brown out of Convict’s depths. Trolling with leadcore line is also

effective for boaters who want to get deeper in the water column. Float tubers will also kick along the drop-offs dragging streamers (Olive Matukas and Woolly Buggers rarely disappoint) on a sinktip flyline, chucking lures or dunking bait. Not to leave bait out, doughs like PowerBait, as well as nightcrawlers and salmon eggs are also deadly all over the lake; just adjust your leader length according to the depth you are targeting. Also, if you are launching your offering into an offshore abyss, swap your lead sinkers out for a water-ﬁlled casting bubble, allowing your bait to slowly sink through the water column rather than making a beeline for the bottom.

CONTESTS GALORE

Float tubers can thrive here in the lake’s steep drop-offs, where you can have a shot at one of Convict’s prized trophy brown trout. (MIKE STEVENS) 56 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Convict Lake hosts various ﬁshing derbies over the course of the season, with thousands of dollars of prizes lined up for winning catches. They kick off in the spring and occur all the way through the last day of the season (Nov 15). For more info on the derbies, ﬁshing, lodging and amenities available at Convict Lake, visit Convictlake.com or call (800) 992-2260. CS

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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SHAD AND STRIPERS

WITH THEIR SPRING RUNS ON, TIME TO FLY AND SPIN FISH FOR THESE FRISKY SPECIES By Bill Adelman

here’s good news and there’s bad news. Let’s get the bad news out first: There’s too much water in Northern California reservoirs. The good news? There’s too much water in Northern California.

Author Bill Adelman looks forward to this time of year, when both striped bass and shad are active feeders in Northern California rivers. (BILL ADELMAN) calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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60 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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CENTRAL VALLEY Reeling in a nice Sacramento River spring shad will be a fun feeling after a long and wet winter. (BILL ADELMAN)

The plethora of water is a plus in that it sort of solved the no-water concerns and filled most of our reservoirs. The debacle at Lake Oroville and its spillway earlier in the spring brought to light that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only our highways that need immediate attention. But letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk fishing. The shad and striper runs in the Sacramento River historically materializes in mid-April, the same time that shad show up in the Russian River around Sonoma County. This year it just might follow suit. The negative is that the amount of flow, especially in the Sac, will make it nearly impossible to catch shad

HOW IT USED TO BE Back in the day, reports ran amok that anglers fished four to five hours in the evening and easily caught and released a 100 fish each. About 35 years ago a story ran in the Sacramento Bee that quoted an employee of one of the well-known sporting good outlets who went out the night before and caught 100 shad in three hours. That did it. My scales were flying in every direction. The angler was contacted by phone and questioned about his veracity, which I do believe means the ability to fudge numbers without question. I just reminded him that it is physically impossible to catch that many shad in three hours, after which I did the math for him. At that point, he was spitting shad darts. End of conversation. BA

62 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

The best water temperature for shad is from about 58 to 63 degrees. The bite slows considerably when the low 70s are reached. (BILL ADELMAN)

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CENTRAL VALLEY with fly rods and almost as hard with spinning gear. Striper fishing will be doable, especially for the bait angler. We fly types will find it a bit more difficult, while the lure flinger will be subjected to the bible system. (Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the bible system? Seek and ye shall find.)

A BIT ABOUT SHAD Shad were railed west in the early 1870s and have since become a staple target for many who just enjoy the grab and then choosing to release these members of the herring family. As for the prospects for this springâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shad run, the best water temperature for shad is from about 58 to 63 degrees. The bite The beauty of the spring on rivers like the Sacramento, Feather and American is the chance to catch both shad and stripers on the same trip. (BILL ADELMAN)

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY slows considerably when the low 70s are reached, and shad will actually die off when the creeks hit the mid-70s. Just recall the heat wave of the mid-1990s, when dead shad were floating down the river in droves. Shad will take the river route that is most conducive to an accommodating temperature. The run on the Sacramento used to be phenomenal, largely due to the higher temps of the shallower Feather River. What with the fast flow in the Feather this year, that could change. On the Sac, the evening grab on the gravel bars near Princeton can be on fire, with both fly anglers and spin tossers doing quite well. Normally, shad run up the Feather to their historic spawning grounds, which is in the shallow riffles below the outlet hole. This activity usually begins in earnest around the second week of June

and runs through mid-July. From June into July is also a good time to fish the American River. Shad don’t normally even consider this creek until Memorial Day. If the flows stay above 2,000 and below 3,500 feet per second, conditions will be perfect for the wading angler in the American, which is heaven for the fly fisherman, as one need not cast 80 feet in order to catch fish. The spin angler must adjust the overall weight of his/her offering so that the swing is just off the bottom. Another advantage spin fishermen enjoy is using a bobber, a technique that has been in place for only about 50 years. Using a small painted jig head, add a 1or 1½-inch curly tail grub in a bright color. Estimate the depth of the fish and set the bobber to take advantage of this distance. Toss upstream into the flow and maintain

66 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

a mostly taut line as the bobber swings by your position in the water. Back wind as the bobber drifts downstream to the point where you decide enough is enough. The bobber will definitely indicate the strike, so by simply lifting and cranking means fish on.

EARNING YOUR STRIPES The two-rod California Department of Fish and Wildlife stamp can be a benefit when fishing two different species at the same time. Almost all of my shad fishing is done from a boat. The primary focus is to anchor up in a perfect lane for shad. Right at first light I’ll set my shad fly about 80 feet behind the boat on a shooting head and 8-pound-test leader, allowing it to just dead drift. Then I’ll stand in the bow with a 7-foot casting outfit and toss lures for stripers. It doesn’t take long to determine if fish are in the area. A good bite can last a couple of hours, and it will come and go during the day. If you lose the striper bite by around 10 a.m., try again in an hour or so. In the meantime, go back to nailing shad. If you’re using a fly rod, don’t stop working until the bite is located. Casting isn’t necessary, as the river flow will carry your offering downstream. Stop at about 50 feet and slowly fish downstream to about 100 feet, stripping line at around 3 feet at a time. When it’s on, bites will come in that zone. Don’t overlook the opportunity to still catch a striper. Any striper lure that is activated by the current will be the hot ticket. We’ll drop it back about 40 to 50 feet and place the rod in a holder at about a 45-degree angle. The flow will work your lure, and a striper grabbing under these conditions is extremely hard to miss. Try not to drop and step on your fly rod in the excitement of landing a striper. Yes, yes, it has happened. Good luck this season. CS

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

Celebrating Over 100 Years of Best in Boating

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CENTRAL VALLEY

THE RUN IS ON

STRIPED BASS HAUL SHOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST IN RECENT MEMORY By Mark Fong

triped bass anglers around the Sacramento and Delta areas are touting the spring run of 2017 as the best in many years. Capt. James Netzel of Tightlines Guide Service (888-975-0990; fishtightlines.com) has been putting his clients on great action all spring. California Sportsman caught up with Netzel, who offered up his top tips for trolling success: • Tides are crucial to Delta fishing. Netzel likes the window that begins one hour after a tidal change. The peak period typically lasts one and a half to two hours at a single location. He suggests running the tides to maximize the amount of productive fishing time. • Dirty water can hamper the trolling bite. In order for stripers to see and track the bait, Netzel concentrates on water with at least 18 inches of visibility. • Prime water temperature is between 57 and 65 degrees. • Striped bass are aggressive ambush feeders. Look for them on or near large shallow flats with deep-water access. Weedlines, tules and shoals that break the current are prime locations. • Netzel trolls both shallowand deep-running Yo-Zuri minnow plugs. When fishing shallow he trolls at a speed between 4 to 6 mph and lets out 120 feet of line. For deep trolling, he moves at 2.5 to 4 mph and lets out 70 feet of line. He uses these figures as a starting point. Depending on the conditions, he will adjust until he finds the right combination.

Stripers are agressive feeders that spend a lot of time near large shallow ﬂats with deep water access. (BILL ADELMAN) Local guides like Capt. James Netzel think this spring’s striper run around the Delta and Sacramento River will be one of the best in a very long time. (JAMES NETZEL/TIGHTLINES GUIDE SERVICE)

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY • Netzel utilizes a variety of different colors of baits. He touts a red-headed, silver-bodied combination as his first choice. In dirty water he prefers chartreuse, and for clear water silver with a dark back gets the nod. To add further attraction to the bait, he adds a matching straight-tail worm to the rear treble. • Having the proper tackle will make your fishing more enjoyable. A good striper trolling rod must have a soft tip and strong backbone. Netzel relies on the new FSTR 795 rod from Cousins Tackle. He uses linecounter reels so that his clients can easily let the correct amount of line out each and every time. • And finally, each reel is spooled with high-visibility 30-pound FINS braid and is topped off with a 3-foot leader of 20-pound Gamma copolymer. CS Editor’s note: The striper run is ex-

Trolled plugs that resemble minnows in various colors are the usual ticket to bringing home a limit of stripers. (MARK FONG)

pected to continue throughout May and well into June. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the recreational fishery for

striped bass is open year-round, with a daily bag and possession limit of two fish and a minimum size limit of 18 inches in length.

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www.tohatsu.com 70 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SAFE AND VAULT STORE Safes have been used to protect personal property and valuables for centuries for one good reason: they work. At SafeandVaultStore we offer the finest in property protection, whether you’re looking for a gun safe, a wall safe, a portable cash box, or a standalone vault. Developed to protect valuables from being destroyed in a fire or other natural disaster, or stolen during a burglary, home safes can be locked and provide much greater security than simply placing valuables in a “safe place,” which may actually turn out to not be safe, from any threats to security. They are the ultimate theft deterrent, as even an amateur burglar can gain entry to a home or business with relatively little effort. Imagine the same thief confronted with a home safe; faced with such secure protection, he’s likely to move on to other, easier targets. For gun owners, SafeandVaultStore carries a wide array of gun safes in all sizes – essential for any responsible gun owner, they are an effective way to prevent deadly accidents. A small gun safe, hidden in the bedroom, provides easy access to handguns during an emergency, while keeping the weapon itself secure. At SafeandVaultStore we offer a wide range of security products designed to protect against the elements, as well as criminals. Fire, hurricanes, and other disasters are, in many parts of the country, more of a danger to sensitive documents and delicate valuables than theft. Protect yourself with a fire or waterproof safe.

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calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

72 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

CENTRAL VALLEY HUNTING For longtime friends Adrian De Orta (left) and author Tim Hovey, it’s moments like this one - celebrating a harvest of tasty pig meat - that make the hard work of hunting hogs in heat worthwhile. (TIM E. HOVEY)

TURN UP THE HEAT

USING TEAMWORK TO FLUSH OUT A WILD BOAR FROM THICK COVER By Tim E. Hovey

ur late start had us on the property well after sunrise, and the forecast was calling for temperatures in the high 80s, tolerable for those sitting in the shade sipping a cold one but a challenge for doing anything physical outside. I knew that and so did Jose, but we didn’t care. We each had a pig tag in our packs and we had the rest of the day to ﬁll them. After over a decade of friendship, Jose De Orta and I have had plenty of adventures in the outdoors. When I’m out hunting, I’m usually hunting with him and his

son Adrian. They hunt as hard as I do, and I know when the De Ortas are at my side, we’ll hunt in any type of terrain, from sunup to sundown. This would be a big challenge.

I DROVE TO THE north side of the property where we had planned to hunt. After ﬁve solid years of drought, the terrain looked bleak. The lush chaparral and oak woodlands were brown and the hills – covered with dead grass – looked depressing. Swirls of dust wafted across the plains and it seriously didn’t look at all inviting. We pulled to a familiar spot, grabbed the riﬂes and started the

hunt. After hiking the hills and kicking through two pig beds, we returned to the truck an hour later, sweaty and empty handed. We sat on the tailgate and chugged ice-cold water from the cooler. I had parked in the only shade around and though the wind was warm, it felt good. I glanced further north and saw a huge lone oak near the base of a hill. Behind the oak and halfway up the slope was the only spot of green around. If you weren’t familiar with the area, you’d have no idea that a farm pond sat between the oak and the green patch. That’s where we were headed next.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY I drove up slowly and parked below the pond levee. We looked the area over and decided on a quick plan. The dirt mound we were hiding behind formed one side of the shallow pond on the left. The massive oak tree sat near the right bank and provided the only shade around. A narrow strip of dark earth was very noticeable on the back bank, evidence of the spring that fed the pond. At the head of the spring and in stark contrast to the parched, brown terrain was the bright green stand of wild grape I had seen from over a mile away. A year earlier, Jose and I had kicked up a large boar from the green bush, and for obvious reasons we had nicknamed the spot “the pond.” Despite ﬁve shots from Jose, that boar had escaped. The plan was simple and familiar: Jose would set up under the huge oak at the right of the pond and I’d

A wallow near cover is a good sign that boars are nearby. (TIM E. HOVEY)

74 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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CENTRAL VALLEY hike around to the top of the spring bush and kick through the bed. If pigs were bedded in the wild grape, hopefully they’d ﬂee towards Jose. I grabbed my lever-action .3030 and slung it across my body so I could have my hands free to make the hike. Jose grabbed his riﬂe and a set of shooting sticks and set up in the shade of the giant oak. He nodded that he was set and I headed out to kick through the bed. I circled around to the left of the pond. While I walked, I spotted two sets of fresh pig prints in the soft mud near the edge of the water. One set was huge and it looked like a boar had been at the pond earlier that day. It took me about 15 minutes to get into position. I was about 30 feet from the pig bed and getting ready to make some noise. The wind was barely moving but hitting me right in the face. I looked through the binoculars to make sure Jose was

De Orta (rear) also spends a lot of time taking in the outdoors with his son, Adrian. (TIM E. HOVEY)

76 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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CENTRAL VALLEY ready. I knew if we kicked pigs out of the brush, the action could happen quickly. Jose returned my wave. I unslung my .30-30 and checked the action. While I wanted to push pigs towards Jose, I also wanted to be prepared for whatever was going to happen next.

AS I STOOD ABOVE the wild grape bush, I could see fresh pig sign around the edge. I grabbed a few small rocks and tossed them into the bushes, but nothing moved. The wind swirled and the smell it carried was pungent and undeniable. The musky odor of wild pigs hit me right in the face. Before I could do anything else, the bushes started to shake violently. A huge boar exploded from a dirt bed deep in the green shrub. For a few seconds the pig bounced around the thick vines looking for an escape. I glanced down to Jose and yelled out the magic word, “Pig!” The huge boar busted through the vegetation and headed downhill towards the pond and Jose. I took two steps to higher ground to watch the hunt. Instantly, I saw a problem. The pig was on a dead run and headed way left of where Jose was positioned and he wasn’t aiming his rifle. The weeds around the pond were high, so while he could hear the pig busting a path through the dead vegetation, he couldn’t see him. I knew he had no shot to kill this pig. I pulled the hammer back on my .30-30 and shouldered it. I easily found the dark body of the retreating pig in the scope. Jose was well to my right and safely out of the line of fire. The crosshairs danced on the boar and I pulled the trigger. A puff of dust rose from the pig’s rear. This did nothing to slow him down. As I kept the rifle shouldered, I ejected the shell and chambered a second. The boar was headed straight away from me and about 90 yards out, so I placed the crosshairs between his ears and again pulled the trigger. The shot felt perfect and the

pig stiffened up, tumbled and cartwheeled to a stop in a cloud of dust. Jose quickly made his way to the downed pig. I cleared my rifle and took a deep breath. Kicking pigs out of their beds is definitely exciting, and I was happy we finally had meat for the cooler. I pushed through the dead grass and followed the pig’s last steps. I found blood where I had first hit him. It wasn’t much and I knew the injury wasn’t lethal. The second shot hit the boar right between the shoulder blades, killing him instantly. I looked back to the bedding area and then over towards the pond. The tall grass made it hard to see the water. The dead vegetation surrounding Jose’s set-up spot made it impossible for him to have seen the escaping pig. We dragged the large boar into the shade of the large oak and got things ready to part it out. The pig was a fighter and displayed deep scars on his back and a split ear. He had lengthy cutters, one of them chipped and jagged. Once boars reach their second year and start fighting other boars, they usually become solitary and bed up alone.

After I tagged the pig, we laid out a tarp and began parting out the boar. I pulled the truck close, and with the exception of dragging the large pig 40 feet into the shade of the oak, the ﬁeld dressing and meat handling were very easy. It was a satisfying end.

WE PACKED THE COOLERS full of wild pork and stowed the gear. With the temperature closing in on 90 degrees, we decided to call it a day. Back at our pickup spot, we split up the meat and, as always, talked about when we could get out again. To me hunting is all about who I hunt with. I pay very little attention to ﬁlling tags or taking limits. When I think of trips past, I remember good times, camaraderie and great friends. I seriously doubt I would ever run the hills looking for pigs without Jose. Hunting wild pigs in California is challenging and exciting (not to mention open throughout the year). Seeking out bedding areas near watering holes when the weather heats up is a great place to start. If you decide to kick through their beds, be prepared for fast action and stay safe. Lone boars are alone for a reason – I

Hovey managed to kick out a big boar from this bed. (TIM E. HOVEY)

78 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY never approach a pig bed without a loaded ﬁrearm and an escape plan. The meat is lean and can be prepared a variety of ways. Above all, make sure you head out with good friends. I remember this particular trip for a number of reasons. However, the most vivid memory of this exciting pig hunt will always be having my good friend Jose there with me. CS

De Orta is happy to take home some delicious boar backstrap to ﬁll his freezer after a hot hunt. (TIM E. HOVEY)

Despite a late start, high heat and a busted push, the guys ﬁnally got the boar they were looking for on this hunt. (TIM E. HOVEY)

80 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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GARY REEDER CUSTOM GUNS is proud to announce the release of the second book on handgun hunting, HUNTING HANDGUNS AND THEIR CARTRIDGES. This book covers every aspect of handgun hunting in 25 chapters and with almost a thousand pictures. John Taffin, America’s # 1 gun writer, says of Gary Reeder... “There is a long list of men, Handgun Hunting Heroes I have been privileged to know and who have inspired me with their writing, their handguns, or both. Such men as Skeeter Skelton, Bob Milek,, Lee Jurras, Steve Herrett, John Lachuk, Larry Kelly, J.D. Jones, Hal Swiggett, Mark Hampton, John Linebaugh, Hamilton Bowen, and of course, Gary Reeder. All of these men are giants when it comes to handguns and no one has had more effect today than Gary Reeder. Personally I know Gary to be a man of great talent, simple honesty, a big heart, and a humble spirit. I am proud to call him a friend. This book is the closest thing to The Complete Book of Handgun Hunting available thus far. In the book you will find the history of hunting handguns, his work with developing both handguns and cartridges, hunting adventures and much more. Pay close attention to what he says for like the others on my list of Handgun Hunting Heroes, he has been there, done that, and speaks from experience.” The new book HUNTING HANDGUNS AND THEIR CARTRIDGES is available from Reeder Custom Guns for $40 delivered, and having your book signed is available for the asking. To order your book, call 928-527-4100.

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82 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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CENTRAL VALLEY

A Caribbean take on cooking California feral swine, the author’s wild boar barbacoa on tortilla shells. (JEREMIAH DOUGHTY)

MAKE YOUR BOAR SOAR By Jeremiah Doughty

hile out deer hunting last season I was blessed with two big wild boars. I’d shot my deer and as we were taking our pictures and starting the drag out, we heard that telltale sound of wild pigs: grunt, oink, grunt. We scanned the forest and suddenly five pigs came bounding over the ridge in front of us. We knew our pack out would get a lot harder and heavier after I raised my rifle and dropped two big boars. I went from having 80 pounds of venison in my freezer to well over 200-plus pounds in a matter of minutes. The first thing I did when we got back was to take the front shoul-

der off one of the hogs and start my favorite recipe for feral hogs, wild boar barbacoa. It’s simple and packs amazing ﬂavor, so enjoy.

INGREDIENTS 4 pounds pork roast loin ½ cup cilantro, chopped 1 cup red onion, sliced Two chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped 2 cups game stock or beef stock Two jalapenos, chopped Two limes, juiced 8 ounces of green chilies Four cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon cracked pepper 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano Pinch of salt ½ teaspoon red pepper ﬂakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS Mix pepper, cumin, oregano, salt and red pepper. Rub mixture evenly on all sides of pork roast. Turn slow cooker to high and add remaining ingredients and mix together. Add pork to mixture and put lid on and walk away for eight to 10 hours. After cooking, remove pork and place in large glass bowl; shred meat with two forks. Add meat back to liquid in slow cooker and mix together. Remove and place on your favorite tortilla and cover in your favorite toppings. CS Editor’s note: For more on the Wild Chef, Jeremiah Doughty, check out his website (fromfieldtoplate.com), like him on Facebook (facebook.com/Fromfieldtoplate) and follow on Instagram (fromfieldtoplate) and Twitter (fromfield2plate).

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

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Lake Isabella is back in the Fishing Business Big Time! THE LAKE ISABELLA ANNUAL FISHING DERBY WAS RECENTLY HELD WITH THE TOP PRIZE GOING TO A TROUT WEIGHING IN AT OVER 13LBS AND 30+ INCHES IN LENGTH. With the lake waters back to normal, excitement and participation were up for the 28th annual derby. The Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce sponsored derby raised and stocked thousands of pounds of “Tail Walker” trout in Lake Isabella, one of southern California’s premier warm water fisheries. While fishing was good for the derby entrants, they left the majority of these stocked trout, many up to 15lbs, still to be caught in the coming months. But, of course, fishing is only one of the attractions for the beautiful and scenic Kern River Valley. Located just East of Bakersfield, the valley is known as the “Gateway to the Sequoias” Trail of 100 Giants, the Sierra’s southern most grove of Giant Redwoods. The Kern River is a world wide renowned white water rafting and kayaking river with several rafting companies operating river trips from 1 hour “Lickity Splits” runs to 1 and 2 day excursions. With the river at near record levels, this season promises to offer once in a life time excitement for rafters of all ages. Golfing, Hiking, Mtn. Biking, Bird Watching, wind surfing, and of course, the ever popular Jet Skiing, are a few attractions in addition to fishing.

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Anglers who don’t mind paying a fee and practicing catch-andrelease bass ﬁshing with barbless hooks will be rewarded with a lot of action at San Diego County’s Lake Barrett. (BILL SCHAEFER)

WORTH EVERY PENNY YOU HAVE TO PAY A FEE TO FISH AT SAN DIEGO’S LAKE BARRETT, BUT CHANCES ARE YOU’LL CATCH AND RELEASE A LOT OF BASS By Bill Schaefer

ake Barrett, a San Diego east county ﬁshery where anglers pay a fee to ﬁsh, is among the Southland’s premier bass destinations. Average creel counts could be 10 times higher than other local lakes, with anglers catching

up to 100 fish a day. Those days went away for a while when the water level dropped so much that the lake was a small percentage of itself. Yet the fish population seemed to survive as it waited for the lake to refill. Indeed, winter rains lifted Barrett and the ﬁsh are loving it, as are

the anglers who ﬂock here to wet a line. Last year, the water level was down to the main body of the lake. Both large arms were high and dry. The lake was about 85 feet from spill at this time in 2016. But Barrett is about 35 feet from spill and rising. And even better, both arms are getting fuller by the day.

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

SOCAL Most standard bass plastics will get ﬁsh to bite at Lake Barrett. (BILL SCHAEFER)

COVER ABOUNDS With all the brush in the water, expect the fish to move right into it. They love the security of the sticks and trees, as well as the rocks, and Barrett has it all now. Don’t be afraid to throw right into the thick cover with a worm or jig. The longtime favorite here is the Yamamoto Senko, which is heavy enough to sink into that thick brush without a weight but light enough to not get constantly tangled. That means scoring bass after bass. Where do you go once you get on Barrett? Just pick an empty shoreline and start fishing. The bass are everywhere, so there is no wrong choice here. Whether it’s rock or brush or gravel shoreline, they all hold fish. May should have the bass

coming off their spawn and cruising the shoreline in search of shad. The lake holds northern-strain black bass, and it’s one of the few waters in California that has them. Barrett bass are ferocious and mean, and they ﬁght and pull like little freight trains.

CHOOSE YOUR BAIT Crankbaits can do well, as can spinnerbaits and jerkbaits, both hard and soft. Early mornings should have a topwater bite going, and everything from the classic Pop-R to a Booyah buzzbait will work. As the weeds grow in around the shore buzzbaits will at times work all day. Rocky points can be cranked, since the weeds are thinner and the heat of the day is held by the stones, which

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY LAKE HOSTS TROUT DERBY Lake Gregory, located in the mountains just north of San Bernardino, is hosting its Summer Kickoff Trout Derby on Saturday, May 27. Unlike in previous years, when the event featured tagged trout, this month’s edition features a grand prize of $3,000 to be awarded for the longest trout caught and presented live at the facility’s boat house. Cash awards will also go to the anglers who catch the second ($1,500) and third ($500) longest trout. The derby takes place between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Entry cost is $25 for those who register online, $35 for those who sign up on the day of the derby. Registration information can be found at lakegregoryrecreation.com/lake-gregory-classic-trout-derby. CS 88 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

keeps the bass near. All the plastics you could think of throwing work here, so if you have trouble with a certain set-up, then practice here. Split shot, drop shot and Texas-rigged worms all work. If you don’t get to throw jigs very often, this is the place for you to try, and you’ll gain conﬁdence in them real fast. For tackle, the rods and reels you use elsewhere will work. The only difference is that the water is stained here and the bass are not line shy. And with all that brush and rocks in the water, you need something that can withstand the occasional rubbing against abrasive cover. I load my Daiwa Tatula reels with Maxima 12- to 20-pound Ultragreen mono, but if I am going into the deep brush, I use the Daiwa or Maxima braided line in the 50to 60-pound range. You won’t lose anything with this power.

LET ’EM GO One other important factor to remember about Barrett is that it is a catch-and-release lake and you must use barbless hooks. And yes, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife does come out and

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SOCAL check. You do not have to squeeze down the barbs on everything in the boat, but once tied on, you must take pliers and flatten the barb on that bait. No waiting, they will cite you for it. The lake also holds other fish, like crappie, various sunfish, and catfish. Although these are great-eating fish, you have to let them all go too. The crappie population seems small, but you will catch them around the rocky points. The sunfish here are giants, many as big as a dinner plate, and sometimes the “bass” that bites

your bait is one of them. Catﬁsh often come as incidental catches while largemouth ﬁshing. But the real targets at this lake are the bass.

HOW IT WORKS What is also special about Barrett is the way you gain entry. You have to be led in by the lake staff. Keep in mind that the drive in includes crossing two small streams and navigating bumpy terrain. But the journey just gets your adrenaline pumping, as everyone knows it’s time to go when the gate opens. Though you can’t bring your own

IF YOU GO Passes to fish Lake Barrett are sold via TicketMaster.com and are reasonable compared to the fishing you should enjoy. It’s $20 for shore fishing or with a float tube, plus TicketMaster fees. Boat rentals for up to four people costs $80, plus fees. You must be over 16 to fish alone, but any age is OK with a parent. Don’t forget your fishing license either, which is also required to fish at Barrett. For more info, go to sandiego.gov/water/recreation/reservoirs/barrett. CS

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boat, there are 25 rentals available (see sidebar), each of which can hold four anglers, though many prefer to fish with just one buddy. There is also room for float tubing and kayaking, and there is plenty of water for all crafts to fish. The lake doesn’t get a lot of pressure, so it is great fishing the entire season, usually running from May through September. There are no concessions on site, so you must bring in your own food and drinks. It can get really hot in the summer, so make sure you have plenty of water and use caution since you are a long way from help. When everyone plays by the rules, this lake is an amazing place to experience. Its unique atmosphere and fishing make it a very memorable place to fish. If you want to get your kids into bass fishing, make an impression on your boss or show off to a friend, you will catch and release a lot of bass at Lake Barrett. CS

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SOCAL

FUN (AND WORK) WHILE IT LASTED

In his younger days, the blue waters of the Paciﬁc off the Southern California coast were a boating and ﬁshing playground for author Tim Hovey and friends. (TIM E. HOVEY)

A FORMER BOAT OWNER REMEMBERS HIS VESSELS By Tim E. Hovey

hey say that the two happiest days of a boat owner’s life are the day they buy their boat and the day they sell it. Having owned two boats myself, I can say with absolute certainty that this saying is not only true but should be printed at the bottom of your bill of sale.

THE JAVELIN My ﬁrst boat was a 1956 Javelin, a ﬁberglass-over-wood 17-foot cruiser. Memory has washed away the horsepower of the old Mercury outboard, but I do remember it resembling an old toaster. Despite being advertised as the perfect lake boat, I had other plans. It was an impulse buy and purchased with almost no previous

boating experience, so with even less common sense than usual I had every intention of making the little wooden boat a coastal island hopper. I had owned the boat less than four hours when my friend Dan convinced me that we needed to head for the islands off Santa Barbara. I never gave the idea of making the 26-mile crossing a second thought, but we launched in the harbor and pointed the bow towards Santa Cruz Island. We had no radio, no anchor, no life jackets and no tools. Luckily, the ocean was calm that day and the little boat came up on plane perfectly. With the throttle pinned forward, the engine sounded smooth and strong – that is, until it completely quit without warning. As we coasted to a stop in the Santa Barbara Channel, I made my way

to the engine to remove the cowling. The sheet metal cover wrapped around the center of the engine was held in place by two clips. After I loosened the clips, I lifted the cover over the outboard and a wing nut fell from inside, bounced once on the transom and then made its way to the bottom of the ocean. I knew enough about engines to know that losing parts out in the middle of the channel was deﬁnitely going to hamper our return. After some investigating, we ﬁgured out that the nut had held the timing magneto in place. We moved it back manually and were able to get the engine started again. Dan held the part in the proper position as we limped back to the harbor. During my second outing in the Javelin, an electrical problem caused

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

SOCAL

Hovey started out with a 1956 Javelin (left), a bit small for ocean ﬁshing, then graduated to a more modern craft, a 20-foot Mako. (TIM E. HOVEY)

us to cut the trip short after an older connector contacting the transom during left turns would cut the engine out. It took us four hours to get back to the harbor and we made only wide-arcing rights. On my ﬁnal trip in the boat, a rogue wave crashed over the bow and cracked the windshield. With over 100 gallons of seawater sloshing around inside the Javelin, we slowly motored for the safety of the harbor, where I trailered the craft for the last time. Two weeks later I sold the boat to a couple who wanted something small to ﬁsh a local lake. I wouldn’t own another boat for 15 years.

THE MAKO With two small-craft certiﬁcations under my belt and years of experience running boats during university research, I purchased my second boat, a 1985 Mako 20-foot center

console in 1998. I had researched every inch of the Mako and made sure the craft was safe and what I wanted. From the foam-filled unsinkable hull to the redundant bilge system I installed myself, the boat was small but mighty. Safety gear, lifejackets, two radios, a GPS unit, flares, and provisions were all packed into a single tote and stored in the bow compartment. On top of the physical safety items and the years of polished boating experience, I also made sure to sign up the Mako with Vessel Assist, an ocean tow service that would come out and rescue you if needed. I rigged the Mako to be a fishing machine. I welded four more rod holders to the T-top, increasing the rod capacity to 10. I installed a custom offshore bait tank so we could carry live bait to the fishing grounds. I added a fishing chair for my wife,

Cheryl Hovey prepares the Mako on a memorable trip south of the border to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. (TIM E. HOVEY) 94 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Cheryl, and reconfigured the front seat to function as a fish box. I rewired the entire boat, adding a fish finder and long-range antenna. Finally, I designed and built a custom console tackle storage system to hold three tackle boxes in a handy but out-of-the-way location on the center console. With everything dialed in, I began exploring the coastal reefs and fishing spots. On the third trip out, Cheryl and I were drifting a spot called the Clam Beds. The ocean was like glass and it was an awesome day to be on the water. I remember feeling proud of how the boat had cleaned up. I glanced over to the rod in the rod holder and watched it suddenly bend sharply. Ten minutes later I loaded a 23-pound halibut into the fish box. During the spring and summer, Cheryl and I would take the boat out just about every weekend, weather permitting. We’d take friends and family out to fish the coast when they were in town visiting. On one trip, my good friend Ron Klaver was fishing with us when we started talking about Mexico. By the end of the day we had plans set to trailer the boat south of the border. In late spring, we trailered the Mako down to Puertocitos, a small town 30 miles south of San Felipe on the coast of the Sea of Cortez. After a full day of travel, we launched the Mako the following morning to explore the offshore islands. Ron and I had fished this area during our col-

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SOCAL lege days and it was great to get back to the Gulf of California. We spent the next two days fishing Baja with our own boat and doing whatever we wanted. We caught skipjack tuna, triggerfish and a few small grouper. We’d spend the day on the water and evenings back at camp enjoying good company and fresh fish tacos. It remains one of my favorite trips to Mexico.

WINDS OF CHANGE In January 2000, Cheryl and I found out we were expecting our first child. With a baby on the way, I knew the use and storage of the boat would be a financial burden on our new family. I had also grown tired of constant boat work and maintenance. It was definitely time to sell it to someone who could use it more than I would. Cheryl and I spent many enjoyable weekends fishing off the coast of San Diego and Oceanside in the Mako. The boat was stable, reliable and safe. Above all, I knew its limitations. I’d check weather sites and ocean conditions before planning a trip. A good friend with decades of boating experience once told me if the swell in feet was a quarter of the length of your boat, stay home. I’ve never forgotten that. My time on the Mako was far more enjoyable and safer than my time on the Javelin. The purchase of these two boats came at very different periods in my life. When I think about the Javelin, I don’t think about how much fun I had during that time. I think about how lucky I was that during each outing I was able to get my friends and I back alive. The craft was clearly too small and frail to be anything more than a harbor dingy, but I didn’t have the experience or knowledge to know that. Still, I learned a great deal from owning the Javelin. I learned that the ocean is unforgiving and that preparedness and attention to safety should be a priority before heading out. In fact, most of the boating

One of the joys of having your own boat is ﬁshing, and when in Southland or Mexican waters, you don’t know if you’ll catch (clockwise from top left) barred sand bass, halibut, grouper or yellowtail. (TIM E. HOVEY)

safety practices I carry with me today come from the lessons I learned on the Javelin With more boating experience and knowledge, my time on the Mako was more enjoyable and considerably safer. I paid close attention to weather and ocean conditions, making sure I stayed within the limitations of the craft and myself. I also felt an obligation to keep everyone on my boat safe.

CAN’T TAKE THE MEMORIES I love ﬁshing, and getting out there on my own boat is a freedom that I still envy to this day. I doubt I will ever own another ocean vessel. I don’t live close to the coast anymore,

96 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

and I know ﬁrsthand how much work and maintenance is involved in keeping a vessel ocean ready and safe, although that doesn’t stop me from checking out the new models at Bass Pro or occasionally looking over the classiﬁed section. The day I sold the Mako was a great day. I sold it for more than I paid for it and I knew the two young men who bought it would get years of use out of it. Watching it drive away, I thought about the two best days of a boat owner. I knew I’d miss my time on the Mako, but it was the right thing to do. I now live by a different motto: What’s better than owning a boat is having a good friend who owns a boat. CS

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BEST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

DAD’S SALMON FISHING FRENZY CRAIG BODDINGTON’S B.C. TOURNAMENT FEATURES LUCRATIVE PRIZES

By Brittany Boddington

King salmon regularly exceed 30 pounds in the British Columbia waters around Rivers Inlet, which is the home base for the author’s dad Craig Boddington’s ﬁshing tournament, scheduled for August. (BLACK GOLD LODGE)

’ve always seen my dad as a hunter, so the thought of him as a fisherman is new for me. I’ve recently learned about The Craig Boddington Salmon Fishing Tournament, although I am a bit late to the party since this is the eighth year that this event has been held. The tournament takes place August 4-7 at the Black Gold Lodge in Rivers Inlet, British Columbia. The concept is pretty simple: You catch the biggest fish and you win, but the prizes are not what you would expect from a fishing tournament. Thanks to my dad’s involvement, the prizes are predominantly hunting related. The event is structured so that everyone wins something, but the lucky angler with the biggest fish gets first pick of the swag, which includes a trip to South Africa on a plains game hunt or a tahr hunt in New Zealand!

B.C. HIDEAWAY Jim Rough runs the Black Gold Lodge (604-941-3228; blackgoldlodge.com), and if you have never seen it, then you are in for something special. Rough has assembled a massive, 53,886-square-foot ﬂoating lodge, which is entirely portable. At the end of each season, he breaks it down into seven pieces and uses two tugboats per piece to move it to a safe location for the winter. It is essentially a ﬂoating vacation destination. He designed the place to appeal to ev-

eryone, with units that contain their own living rooms so groups can have privacy and common areas where people can mix and mingle. Rough says it was destiny that caused him to create the Black Gold Lodge. He went on a fishing trip with friends in search of tyee – what locals call Chinook salmon over 30 pounds – and was told that Rivers Inlet was a wonderful place to fish. He stayed with two friends on a 22-foot boat and had a fantastic experience. The next year he went back again but wanted to get a spot of his own, and due to a fortunate turn of events, one guy was ready to sell. He started the lodge with one building and just kept adding to it. Black Gold is now one of the largest floating lodges in B.C.

A NEW IDEA The salmon tournament came about after Jim and my dad were ﬁshing

together and started to brainstorm about how to combine hunting and fishing. Dad did an article on the area and Jim came up with the plan for the tournament. My dad considers this his hunt for king salmon, explaining that unlike simple fishing, where you just cast a line into the water, with kings you have to hunt for the perfect spot or the perfect shelf. “This has kind of become my meat hunt for the year,” my dad says. He fills his freezer with delicious salmon every year at this tournament. His wife Donna also fishes, and they have both caught fish over 33 pounds! The area is spectacularly beautiful, with the forest coming right down to the beach, where grizzly bears join in for some fishing every now and then. If you get lucky, you might even see some whales in the harbor while you fish. The tournament will feature three

calsportsmanmag.com | MAY 2017 California Sportsman

calsportsmanmag.com

BEST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Craig Boddington (right) and Black Gold Lodge owner Jim Rough were longtime ﬁshing partners who teamed up to create a tournament that offers prizes to every angler who catches a king. (BLACK GOLD LODGE)

days of fishing with an entry fee of $1,000, but the best perk is that everyone gets a prize. There are typically more prizes than competitors, so as long as you sign up and catch a fish, you should be able to pick from the extensive list of prizes, which includes hunts and fishing trips from around the world. The fish are weighed on a digital scale and the winner gets first pick of prizes. Then second place gets to pick a prize, and so forth down the list. With prizes like hunting trips to Africa just waiting for that big king you land, the Craig Boddington Salmon Fishing Tournament is a no-brainer summer option! CS Editor’s note: For more information on the Craig Boddington Salmon Fishing Tournament, check out blackgoldlodge .com/tournament. For more on Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer Brittany Boddington, go to brittanyboddington and like at facebook.com/ brittanyboddington.

Boddington (with wife, Donna) has been the face of his tournament for going on eight years this summer. (BLACK GOLD LODGE) 100 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

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102 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING Author Al Quackenbush takes a shot with his homebuilt AR-15, which is still a work in progress but has become a DIY bundle of joy. (ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

‘ARe’ You Ready To Build Your Own? A HUNTER’S D.I.Y. PROJECT SHOWS HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE A CUSTOM AR-15 FROM PARTS

By Albert Quackenbush

ue to government legislation and Americans buying into the idea of the Second Amendment, firearms were flying off the shelves last year, especially in California. One rifle at the top of that list was the AR-15, and rightly so. Being ignorantly deemed an “assault rifle” fired up people, and the shopping spree was on. After careful consideration, I opted to build my own, since I had an 80-percent lower already and because I love a good project. Inspiration came from shooter friends who had also built their own, and from listening to the Going Ballistic with Ryan Cleckner podcast, where Cleckner and a cousin each tried to build a complete AR-15 as inexpensively as they could.

I researched uppers, triggers, BCGs, charging handles and picked the brains of my friends. It can be intimidating if you let it, but it can also be thrilling – and addicting!

THE FIRST STEPS Starting out with an 80-percent unpainted lower receiver and a lower parts kit that I had had for a while, I decided I wanted to build a riﬂe that I could take varmint hunting. I opted for a 5.56 upper to allow me to use 5.56mm ammunition and the ever-popular .223 round. Now, which upper was I going to go with? After some lengthy searches, one caught my eye. It looked awesome but I wanted more information, so I emailed Hardened Arms and was blessed with a fast response from Stephanie. Not only is she the

sales and marketing manager, she is also a proficient shooter. She shared the benefits of the upper I was drooling over (16-inch, 556 M4 Mel 1/9 Tactical 10-inch Quad Rail Upper) and also detailed the newly released LumaShark (check out the Hardened Arms website for some great info on it). This upper is complete with four Picatinny rails so I can mount my scope, sights, bipod, and other accessories easily. Score! Retailing at $209.99, it was a great buy! (All of my parts were purchased and assembled prior to December 2016.) Hardened Arms shipped quickly and I was amazed when I unboxed it for the first time. It looked even better in my hands!

GETTING THE DETAILS RIGHT My friend Mike is a recreational

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103

HUNTING

Ordering certain parts can sometimes take a while, but patient, creative builders can be rewarded in the long run. (ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

shooter, and he surprised me with a charging handle and a set of sights. He was excited I had ďŹ nally decided to build my own AR after years of talking about it. The BCG, or bolt carrier group, was purchased through Palmetto State Armory (great site for deals on parts) for $89. If I had waited a few

more days, I could have purchased the BCG and a charging handle for the same price that I paid for the BCG prior. If you order something from PSA, be prepared to wait a while. I had to wait a few weeks, but many people I talk with say that it might take upwards of 30 to 45 days to get your or-

104 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

der. If you cannot wait that long, prepare to pay more but get it quicker. With the new swal (yes, that is laws spelled backwards), I could not have a telescoping butt stock, so I chose to use your average A2 buttstock. My coworker, Duane, had one sitting in his range bag and offered it to me. Unfortunately, it was miss-

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105

HUNTING

The best feeling is being able to take your new weapon out to the range, watch it ﬁre cleanly and feel comfortable in your hands. (ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

ing a gas tube and butt-plate screw. I ordered replacement parts and the stock is now functioning properly.

A NECESSARY ACCESSORY We law-abiding gun owners hate it, but I am also adding a bullet button to my AR-15. The way the AR is being demonized by the government and the media is crazy, but we have to comply with the law. I have until January 2018 to make my switch, but I’ll soon be adding the AR Mag Lock bullet button to my set. It retails for $54.95 and it will make my rifle legal and make it more difficult to drop out a magazine. Great. You can find the controversial new regulation on the California’s Department of Justice website (oag. ca.gov/firearms/bullet-button). Along with the bullet button, I now have to add to, remove or replace my pistol grip. Installing the lower parts kit was a challenge. The trigger assembly is from Stag Arms and it took some wiggling, tapping and elbow grease to get it set right. I think I lost feeling in the end of my thumb for nearly two

weeks after (no exaggeration). After it was all together, it began malfunctioning. It was sticking and would “double click” and not fully release. With frustration creeping in I researched the issue. I even mentioned it to my friend Bill, who just happens to be a firearms expert. He had never heard of what was happening, so I brought my rifle to his house. We spent the better part of an hour going over it when we figured it must have had a burr of some sort catching the hammer. Five strokes with an emery board and it worked like a charm! Who knew?

LAST ADDITIONS Magazines are everywhere you look, and when the AR Stoner 10-round magazines went on sale at MidwayUSA, I too picked up a few! The last piece of the AR puzzle to be placed was adding the optic. I spoke with a few AR-15 owners and this was one of the most subjective choices in the process, as it typically is. I wanted a simple red dot that would work well for the initial build but without breaking the bank. After

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testing out a few, I chose the FieldSport Tactical Mini Micro Reﬂex Dot Scope Sight with QD Quick Riser Mount. It’s simple, easy to install and easy to adjust, providing good visibility and quick target acquisition. It works well for out to 50 yards, but I will test it out further. I purchased it from Amazon for $29.99. Overall, I am very happy with how the AR-15 build turned out. I took it to the range and it ﬁred cleanly, felt great in my hands and gave me an even stronger love for our Second Amendment rights. That said, I immediately knew there were going to be upgrades needed. If I was going to hunt with it, I would probably need a better scope, scope rings, a bipod and a better trigger. Plus, if I were going to camo it out, would I paint it, dip it or use a different process? Follow along in my next article about how I upgraded certain parts and what I have to do in 2017 to make my AR-15 build California compliant. CS Editor’s note: For more on the author, check out socalbowhunter.com.

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108 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

Antler Introduction

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Dogs can be a valuable tool when it comes to ﬁnding deer and elk sheds. Here, author Scott Haugen’s dog Echo, a Pudelpointer, catches her breath during a blacktail shed hunt in Western Oregon. Properly taught, it’s amazing how many sheds a dog is capable of ﬁnding. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

unting for shed antlers is one of the fastest-growing pastimes of deer and elk hunters. If looking to take your shed hunting success to another level, train your dog to search for them. While picking up antlers, or any bones, comes natural to most breeds, there are things to teach a pup that will help it become more productive in ﬁnding sheds. Following is a program I’ve used to help teach my dogs the “rules” of shed hunting.

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HUNTING WHEN YOUR PUP’S eight or nine weeks old, give it an antler. Saw off a piece of an antler to initially explore. Avoid giving the pup a big shed with multiple points, eye guards and burrs, as you don’t want it to get poked and have a bad experience. Introduce the antler while the pup is laying down, so it’s not walking with it, where it can possibly trip on it or drop it, then get poked. Lay down with your pup, get it excited and let it mouth the antler. As the pup chews the antler – taking in its smells and feeling the hard texture – rub its ears, back and neck and offer words of support. Encourage it to bite, lick and chew on the antler. This will get it excited and know that it’s OK to behave in this way. After a minute or two, take the antler away. If the pup starts to lose interest sooner, take the antler and move it around, getting the pup ex-

cited about it, then take the antler away. The goal is to take the antler away from the pup when it’s excited and wanting more. This will help build a desire. A few days later, repeat the session, making sure to lay with the dog, not letting it run off with the antler. The idea is to get the pup excited about the shed, not running off with it and taking possessive ownership of it. Again, take the antler away after only a minute or two, while the pup is wanting more.

AFTER A COUPLE months, introduce larger sheds to the pup. If your pup is sensitive, you may want to saw off the tips of the antlers so the pup doesn’t get poked. At this time, before the pup’s baby teeth start falling out, it’s good to encourage the pup to pick up a shed, rather than handing it to the dog. Carry the pup and place an antler on the ground, with the tines pointing

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As a pup matures, progress from giving it a chunk of antler, to an antler with the tips cut off, to a small antler with tips and burrs on it. This will allow the pup to gradually get used to mouthing an antler, and ensure it doesn’t get poked and shy away from picking one up. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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HUNTING down. Back up 5 feet, put the pup down and give a command to go to the shed. The pup will likely run to the shed, which is why placing it with the tines down is important, so it doesn’t get poked. As the pup gets used to the larger shed, give it a shed with the tines fully intact. Even a shed with burrs around the bases and eye guards can be introduced. Some pups are ready for this at three months, some at six or seven months. Some pups, as their baby teeth start falling out, may quit picking up a shed for a couple months, which is OK. To keep them excited, give them a fake shed – rubber or plastic – so they retain sight recognition, then reintroduce the real shed at six or seven months of age, when their adult teeth are ﬁrm. Throughout this whole process, never let the puppy chew on the shed for more than two minutes. Al-

ways take the shed away when the pup is fully engaged, making certain to praise the pup. This will let the pup know it’s doing the right thing, and keep it wanting more. If you want your dog to retrieve sheds, refrain from buying any of the antler chew toys on the market; they can be used to train with, but don’t use them as chew toys.

ONCE PUP’S COMFORTABLE walking around with the shed in its mouth, maybe even fetching it, wash the shed of any human odor, handling it only with rubber gloves from that point. You want the dog to recognize the antler by its natural smell, not your odors which are transferred to the antler when handling it with bare hands. Roughing it up with abrasive paper will help freshen the antler’s scent. Now hide the shed in the yard, taking the pup on a lead, and guiding it to the area where the shed was placed, ap-

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proaching from downwind. Get the pup close enough to smell the shed, and when it does, offer encouragement. Get it excited to find the shed, let the pup pick it up, walk a few steps with it, then take it away. The purpose is to let the dog know their job will be to find and give you the shed they find in the woods, not lay down and chew on it or run off with it. As in all training, be positive with your pup. This is all new to them and they have to be taught what’s good, bad, right and wrong. With a little time, consistent training and positive feedback, the innate ability of dogs to locate sheds can be greatly accentuated, taking their level of success to an impressive level. CS Editor’s note: To watch some basic dog training video tips by Scott Haugen, check out his Facebook page, or visit the blog at talltimberpudelpointers.com.

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CALIFORNIA GUN DOG BREEDERS DIRECTORY 4K LABRADORS (559) 289-1695

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Walla Walla Valley | Umatilla County, Oregon | Hunting and Timber Ranch

3,531.41 acres nestled in the Foothills of the Blue Mountains. A premier destination for hunters.

Asking Price: $4,275,000

Contact Mark Grant Phone: 509-520-1906 mark.grant@heritagelandgroup.com

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116 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

CO. PROFILE

EVERYTHING FOR TROLLING BUT BAIT COMPANY NAME Troll-Master LOCATION Brandon, Fla. CONTACT INFO (800) 274-1656 troll-master.com

hen it comes to downriggers, anglers who have relied on them for successful trolling couldn’t go wrong with using the products developed by New Jersey-based Penn Fishing Store. But about a decade ago, Penn discontinued its iconic downriggers, then known as “Fathom-Master.” Troll-Master, a Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, company that produces downriggers, accessories and hydrodynamic line releases, approached Penn about four years ago with an idea to take over manufacturing the product. These great downriggers were not available for a while. But all of our parts are identical to Penn’s originals and are interchangeable; this way we are able to support thousands of anglers nationwide who still use Penn Fathom-Masters. It seems that our biggest challenge is when people recognize the product but see a different name; they think it’s a knock-off or something. This is not a knock-off but rather the same product: Penn-approved, assembled and tested in the U.S. We also support thousands of older Penn units, as far as service, repair and parts. We did introduce a few new features, such as hydrodynamic line releases and a new dual adjustable rod holder attachment that allows to set both tubes at a perfect angle. We sell through our website, troll-master.com, as well as Amazon and our dealers. We currently have about 30 dealers nationwide that carry our products. We are deﬁnitely

looking to grow the geographical area of our distribution. We are looking for dealers to help us grow and make our products available to their customers. We are happy to serve our angling community by offering high-quality products at affordable prices, and we

also cover all our products with our 10-year warranty. We launched just last year and the response has exceeded our expectations! Look for us at the 2017 ICAST Show (booth 3668) from July 11-14 in Orlando, Florida.

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CO. PROFILE

ISLAND, OUTFITTED COMPANY NAME Island Outﬁtters LOCATION Victoria, B.C. CONTACT INFO (866) 915-4254 islandoutﬁtters.ca

n 1994, Island Outfitters started charter boat fishing out of Victoria, British Columbia. Today, we offer fishing adventures out of Victoria, Sooke and Port Renfrew. With a fleet of six fully equipped charter boats ranging from 25 feet to a 30foot Grady White and nine fully licensed and certified guides, the boats offer outstanding fishing year-round for both salmon and halibut. If freshwater fishing is what you are after, check out Island Outfitter’s Cowichan River cabin on 5 acres of prime fly fishing riverfront. Depending on time of year, you can take a guided trip with Nelson or Ward, both licensed guides, and fish for rainbows, browns, steelhead and salmon while drifting down the river in a 16-foot

Willie or Koffler drift boat. We also offer jet boat charters for coho and steelhead on numerous Vancouver Island rivers. Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll arrange a fishing trip that specifies your needs. For both Port Renfrew and Cowichan trips, Island Outfitters has your accommodation handled. Our fully equipped cabin accommodations are the perfect home base for your next chartered fishing trip. A beautiful cabin becomes home when the fishing day is over! Since the beginning, Island Out-

118 California Sportsman MAY 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

fitters has been offering customers an outstanding selection, excellent service and knowledgeable information on fishing and hunting. The retail store in Victoria supplies everything you need for fishing, hunting, shooting and more. As well as fishing tackle, Island Outfitters has a huge selection of firearms, ammo, optics, electronics and archery. Being local for over 20 years, Island Outfitters is sure to set you up with your outdoor needs and everything you need to offer you the ultimate West Coast adventure. CS

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