FISHING • HUNTING • TRAVEL CALSPORTSMANMAG.COM
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California
Sportsman Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 12 • Issue 9 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, John Heil, Todd Kline, Bill Schaefer SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER With health officials encouraging social distancing, Todd Kline headed out to Lake Mohave and the Colorado River to get on some solo fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. (TODD KLINE)
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 9
FEATURES 11
SAVING SPRINGERS Along the North Coast, spring Chinook are coveted and revered. “You can ask any tribal member right now, and they will tell you that one spring salmon is worth eight to 10 fall fish,” says one Yurok Tribe biologist. But with under 700 returning adults counted in a 2019 Klamath Basin survey, John Heil explains why protecting and restoring these sacred fish is so important.
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EASTERN SIERRA’S DELAYED TROUT PREMIERE One day after the state announced that Mono County – arguably the epicenter of the Eastern Sierra’s trout fishing scene – could kick off its delayed season, mostly locals were able to get out and try their luck. It provided a sense of normalcy – not to mention a lot of bites! – but the question now is, what will the rest of the year look like?
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TAKE OFFSHORE LEAVE With coronavirus restrictions being slowly lifted, more boat launch openings are allowing saltwater anglers to head out into the Pacific for what’s expected to be outstanding offshore fishing. Whether you want to target calico, yellowtail or bluefin, if you can get onto a socially distanced party boat, you can get in on the action. Capt. Bill Schaefer has the details.
35
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 45
ALONE ON THE WATER
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Todd Kline loves bass fishing outings with not only his family but also those who he takes on guided lake trips throughout the Southland. But during the COVID-19 pandemic that has discouraged even small gatherings, Kline showed us that solo fishing adventures are a great way to still get away and also stay safe. Tag along as he explores the bounty of largemouth and smallmouth to be had on the Colorado River’s Lake Mohave.
(TODD KLINE)
From Field to Fire: Alaska fishing adventure; miso-flavored salmon fillet recipe Why to not take naming your new hunting dog in vain
DEPARTMENTS 9 21 23 27
The Editor’s Note Outdoor calendar The Adventures of Todd Kline Photo contest winners
Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2020 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 6 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
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his Father’s Day will be the first without my dad around when in the past I could call him or, if I was even luckier, visit him in the Bay Area. So when that third Sunday in June rolls around, I’ll be doing a lot of reminiscing about our adventures together – whether it was fishing, puttering around in one of Dad’s old cars or our dinners at our rotation of favorite restaurants. But as these coronavirus pandemic stay-at-home orders continued and essentially cancelled spring, I started wondering when fathers and their sons would be able to enjoy some of that quality time I was lucky enough to share with my dad before he passed away in September 2019. For that reason, my psyche was encouraged when I wrote about the delayed start of trout season in the Eastern Sierra after concerns about COVID-19 postponed the April opener. Jeff Simpson, who works for the Mono County Economic Development Department, and his father John, both longtime Eastern Sierra residents, continued their decades-long tradition of fishing on opening day. And I was also inspired by our correspondent Todd Kline, who wrote about a solo trip he took to the Colorado River and Lake Mohave, where he enjoyed pulling in bass after bass. Social distancing by yourself is just as critical right now as sharing the water with your loved ones. We all need to find some hope during these difficult times. Whether it’s the reopening of trout waters or, as Bill Schaefer writes about this issue, getting out on salt off the Southern California coast, being outside on a warm June day and fishing makes us feel like there’s a beacon of hope. For our pal Jeff Simpson, it’s starting future traditions with his own two young children. “I debated taking the (4-year-old) out on opening day, but I think he’s just a tad too young. I’ll probably rent a pontoon boat so I can get my wife and 6-month-old baby in the shade while I troll around with my 4-year-old and have a nice time,” Simpson told me. “So really looking forward to that.” Here’s to us all having something to look forward to this summer. -Chris Cocoles
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Getting out with his dad Todd to fish for some bass during the coronavirus pandemic offered Dylan Kline some hope during such a difficult time for families everywhere. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2020 California Sportsman
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
When Trinity River spring-run Chinook like this one construct spawning nests – or redds – beginning in September (typically earlier than fall kings), they rearrange the stream bottom, which also improves the habitat for other fish and bugs. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
RESTORING THE KINGS OF SPRING THE KLAMATH BASIN’S EARLIEST RETURNING SALMON STOCK IS IMPORTANT IN MANY WAYS By John Heil
I
n Northern California, springtime is marked by wildflower blooms, bird migrations, swollen rivers and the return of the first salmon of the year to the Klamath River – spring-run Chinook.
This genetically based life history strategy of Chinook is not only critical to the diversity of the species and the economy for fishing, but also provides a vital source of food and other cultural value for indigenous people of the Klamath Basin.
“You can ask any tribal member right now, and they will tell you that one spring salmon is worth eight to 10 fall fish. They are that valuable. If I had two jars sitting here, you could see on the spring fish an inch of red oil and the fall fish sitting right next to it with
calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2020 California Sportsman
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA On Aug. 19, 2019, the Yurok Tribe, Green Diamond Resource Company and Western Rivers Conservancy celebrated a 10-year effort to preserve and place into tribal ownership about 50,000 acres of private timberlands surrounding four salmon-sustaining Klamath River basin streams, including Blue Creek. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
G P
almost no red ring,” said Keith Parker, a Yurok tribal member and biologist, referring to the two stocks’ fat content. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Damon Goodman agreed. Adult springrun Chinook do not feed while in the river, but rather rely on their high fat reserves that provides the energy to hold in deep pools over the long summer months before spawning. “This also makes spring-run arguably the most prized of all fish to eat in the Klamath River,” he said.
THE VALUE OF SPRING-RUN Chinook is more than just sustenance for tribes. “We are fish people and the river is the central focal point of our culture,”
said Parker. “Religion, culture, language and food all evolve synchronously, as it does in any society. When you remove any one of those from the equation, it has huge impacts on the other things. “When you look at our community, the river is our grocery store. We eat and survive off the river. In fact, we don’t have a grocery store in this community. A lot of people don’t understand; they will say if you don’t have salmon this year, just go buy hamburger. The problem is, we know from science that no matter where you are from, that over thousands of generations of human beings become adapted to a specific regional diet. So for tens of thousands of generations, we ate a lot of spring salmon with high lipid
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content.” The value of spring-run kings, however, goes further than that, when considering their genetic make-up. Dr. Andrew Kinziger, fisheries department chair for Humboldt State University, said the different life histories of Chinook salmon could help the species survive into the future. He believes in the “portfolio effect,” a term from the financial world, where one diversifies their investments to buffer against significant losses in one area. “The portfolio effect is also thought to apply in natural settings where we see a diversity of life histories in Chinook salmon in spring and fall types and in steelhead with summer
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA and winter ecotypes,” said Kinziger. “All these different life histories serve to build a portfolio that can buffer against environmental change. You can have one year when one ecotype doesn’t do well, but another ecotype might do better, so that buffers against poor performance of any one of the ecotypes.” Dr. Tommy Williams, a research fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, agrees with the idea of the portfolio effect, and points to another critical factor for fish. “The diversity of habitat types, both physical and ecological, is critical,” said Williams. “The diversity of habitat conditions and processes allows for the expression of a range of lifehistory types. Restoring connectivity within a watershed like the Klamath River provides access to historically accessible areas upstream of the dams. Additionally, dam removal reduces
Keith Parker wades into Blue Creek. With water so cool and clean you can drink from it, the stream is also an important thermal refuge for anadromous fish migrating upriver. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
“There has been a revolution in genetic sequencing techniques. This has allowed surveys of an entire genome of Chinook salmon and determination that the springrun ecotype is controlled by a single gene of major effect,” said Dr. Andrew Kinziger, fisheries department chair at Humboldt State University and who believes in “nature’s portfolio effect.” (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
constraints on physical and ecological processes, allowing for a more dynamic and diverse habitat portfolio. Large restoration projects like the proposed removal of four dams on the Klamath River are at the scale needed to start restoring the environmental portfolio required for diverse fish communities and expression of a range of life-history diversity.”
ONE DIFFERENCE ILLUSTRATING THAT diversity is the spring-run’s ability to spawn farther upriver and earlier in the season than their fall-run counterparts in rivers where no passage barriers exist. This creates a degree of both spatial and temporal segregation between fish of each run. Reliant on high-quality habitat, including cool water temperatures throughout the summer and deep pools that provide cover from predators, spring-run fish enter the river sexually immature and spend time holding and developing reproductive gametes in preparation to spawn. Their ability to construct nests 14 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2020 California Sportsman
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A spring Chinook reaches the end of its migration below Lewiston Dam on the Trinity River late last September. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
(or redds) beginning in September – typically earlier than fall-run Chinook – leads to a rearrangement of the stream bottom, which improves the habitat for other fish and bugs. After spawning, they die, leaving their decomposing carcasses, comprised primarily of nutrients from the ocean, to provide fuel to the productivity of the
stream and riparian zone.
THE KLAMATH RIVER BASIN was once the third largest producer of salmon in the United States outside of Alaska. Historically, the spring run was a primary component of its overall Chinook population. However, per Goodman, spring-run fish are now at a fraction of
Springers were once a primary component of the Klamath Basin Chinook population. However, per U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Damon Goodman, runs are now a fraction of historical levels. While a hatchery produces thousands of returning adults, natural-origin fish only number several hundred, as indicated by multi-agency dive surveys in the Klamath and Trinity River tributaries (seen here) in 2019. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS) 16 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA historical levels, with natural-origin fish at the lowest numbers recorded. Less than 700 were counted returning to the Klamath Basin in 2019. However, many efforts are underway to improve conditions for natural-origin spring-run kings. “For ecotypes such as the springrun Chinook salmon that are reliant on headwater habitats, restoring access to natal spawning grounds is likely to be one of our most successful restoration approaches,” said Goodman. One such project is the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, working in cooperation with PacifiCorp, to take ownership of four dams on the Klamath: JC Boyle, Copco No. 1 and 2, and Iron Gate. This partnership will restore formerly inundated lands and implement required mitigation measures in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations. The project will restore access to an estimated 420 miles of anadromous stream habitats.
A salmon’s primary goal is to spawn, but its decomposing carcass also releases marine nutrients into streams, making them and riparian areas more productive. (JAKE SISCO/USFWS)
This would arguably be the largest river restoration project on the planet, with spring-run Chinook salmon being a primary beneficiary. Conservation efforts are also underway to improve fish habitats below dams. “To help with the conservation of (the) spring run, we are working with our partners to develop and apply creative approaches to streamflow management “To help with the conservation of (the) spring run, we are working with our partners to develop and apply creative approaches to streamflow management to improve their chances of survival,” said Goodman. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
to improve their chances of survival,” said Goodman. One example he provided was work recently published in the Journal of Ecological Engineering, which proposed an approach to release water from dams in a way that mimics elements of natural flowing rivers. “We predict this would greatly improve spawning and rearing conditions for spring-run” Chinook, he said of the study. “We have also worked with our partners to develop strategies to better manage water temperatures below dams to promote survival of spring-run Chinook salmon through the summer months in areas where they can no longer access their historic headwater habitats. In addition, we closely monitor water temperatures to evaluate the success of these management actions using an adaptive management feedback loop to improve future water temperature management strategies. We are hopeful these efforts will pay dividends in the long run.” CS Editor’s note: Restoring upstream and downstream passage for anadromous fishes is a primary focus of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program, through efforts such as the National Fish Passage Program and California Fish Passage Forum. John Heil serves as the deputy assistant regional director for external affairs in the USFWS Pacific Southwest Region headquarters in Sacramento. For more, go to fws.gov/cno.
18 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR Editor’s note: At press time, California was under a modified “stay at home” order from Governor Newsom. For the record, below are events that had been scheduled in June and July, with websites/phone numbers for you to check for updates before going. JUNE 6
JULY
Ocean salmon season starts from the Oregon border to Horse Mountain 13 Rush Creek Cleanup and Barbecue, Silver Lake Resort; silverlakeresort.net, (760) 648-7525 20-21 Fred Hall Father’s Day Fishing Tournament, Mammoth Lakes Basin; (760) 934-3416 27 California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Trout Fest, Hot Creek Hatchery; wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/hatcheries/ hot-creek, visitmammoth.com/events/trout-fest-hotcreek-hatchery 27 New Melones Lake Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org 28 Bridgeport Trout Tournament, Bridgeport Reservoir and the East Walker River; bridgeportfishenhancement.com, (760) 616-4214 29 Start of Hangman’s Cash Weekend, Convict Lake; convictlake.com, (800) 992-2260
1 1-31
Rabbit and varying hare hunting seasons open How Big is Big Fishing Derby, West Walker River; northernmonochamber.com 3-12 Mono Village 4th of July Fishing Derby, Upper Twin Lakes, Bridgeport; monovillage.com, (760) 932-7071 4 California free fishing day; wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/ Fishing/Free-Fishing-Day 13 Zone A archery deer season opens 25 Kids Fishing Festival, Snowcreek Resort, Mammoth Lakes; monovillage.com, (760) 937-2942 31-Aug. 1 Bridgeport Fish Fest, Twin Lakes Resort; twinlakeresort.com
TBD Fred Hall Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds; fredhall.com
Convict Lake is the site of the Hangman’s Cash Weekend fishing derby, beginning on June 29. (ALICIA VENNOS/MONO COUNTY TOURISM) calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2020 California Sportsman
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s e r u t n e v d A
As many of us have been staying at home, it had been a few months since I have surfed. But with the beaches reopened and the surf pumping, I had to get out there. (TODD KLINE) I was so stoked to get the family out of the house and on the boat when Riverside County’s Lake Perris reopened. (TODD KLINE)
My son Dylan and I enjoy the day on Perris. (TODD KLINE)
I love fishing with Coolbaits products, which I used to score this beautiful largie. (TODD KLINE)
W
e’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek on what he’s up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor
An underwater look at the PowerPole that keeps my boat stable in shallow water. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com| JUNE | JUNE2020 2020 California Sportsman calsportsmanmag.com
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Another favorite fishery of mine, Diamond Valley Lake, opened and I had a great day there. (TODD KLINE) It’s hard to beat Senkos for postspawn bass. (TODD KLINE)
Here’s a big hawg from Diamond Valley. (TODD KLINE)
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Kirby Cannon is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this shot of wife Molly Francis and her Oregon springer. It wins him gear from various tackle manufacturers!
Laurie Gwerder is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of her father-in-law Loren James and her son Kaleb and their pair of Washington mule deer, taken on the same day last season. It wins her a knife and light from Coast!
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FISHING
QUIETLY, MONO COUNTY BEGINS DELAYED TROUT SEASON By Chris Cocoles
A
Fishing returned to Convict Lake and other Mono County trout waters on May 23, about a month later than usual due to COVID-19 restrictions. Angling pressure was far less than usual for a Saturday on Memorial Day Weekend. (ALICIA VENNOS/MONO COUNTY TOURISM)
sense of normalcy returned to Mono County with the May 23 delayed trout opener, though it was anything but routine. “I counted 10 boats when we got on the water around 6:30 and there were 25 boats on when we got off the water at like 11,” local angler Jeff Simpson says of his experience at Bridgeport Reservoir. “Usually we’ll have a couple hundred on the water.” Given that daily life and activities in the Eastern Sierra are still limited due to the statewide COVID-19 shutdown and the quick announcement on the trout opener, which was delayed from its usual last-Saturday-in-April start, the lack of angling pressure was understandable. “For the most part, it was just locals. I think the quick decision by the state didn’t allow for a lot of people to plan ahead,” says Simpson, who works for the Mono County Economic Development Department in Mammoth Lakes. “Most people out on the water were either locals or drive-ins from Nevada – within a couple-hour radius.” Indeed, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife put out a press release on May 22 – Mono County sent a letter to CDFW to request the season beginning before the original May 31 target date after the delay – and then announced fishing could begin the following day of Memorial Day weekend. The short notice was among the reasons why the trout opener wasn’t heavily fished. Campgrounds and lodging were closed throughout the long holiday weekend, as were
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FISHING
These Silver Lake boats were beached for what would have been the first month of fishing season, but the hope is that with the water now open, they will get more use in summer. (MONO COUNTY TOURISM)
several boat launches, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ramp at popular Crowley Lake. The following week private campgrounds and RV parks reopened in Mono County, though a decision regarding the reopening of area lodging was postponed at press time. “I think there were a lot of people upset because they didn’t get a heads up, tourist-wise. There were a few local businesses that were caught off guard. And I think there were businesses that thought this was a great idea,” Simpson says. “It’s like with everything going on right now,
people think we’re either going too far or not far enough one way or the other. So it’s kind of mixed feelings.”
AS WITH THE LONG-TERM impacts that the virus will have on our lives, the prospects of summer in the Eastern Sierra are unknown. Surely more and more visitors will find a way to make the trip to Mono County – neighboring Inyo County also announced it would be open for fishing on May 28. There are several scheduled derbies throughout the summer calendar, and while the plethora of events that were scheduled for the
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opening weekend in April, Simpson says all tournaments and derbies are tentatively on for now. “I think (event officials) want to hold on as long as they can and see what the regulations are from the state and see if they can still move forward. Obviously you can still socially distance when you’re fishing,” Simpson says. “But I think if there’s a dinner afterwards or a weigh-in ceremony (it could be problematic). So at this point derbies are still on the books for the summer with the asterisk that that can obviously change at every minute.” Simpson expects fishing to be
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FISHING
Kayak anglers like this one at Bridgeport Reservoir had a lot of space on opening day, but locals hope it will be safe enough to attract more out-of-town visitors as summer approaches. (JEFF SIMPSON/MONO COUNTY TOURISM)
solid throughout the Eastern Sierra. Many of his trips will be hikes into the backcountry to fish remote lakes for wild trout. Meanwhile, Mono County still plans to follow through with a delivery of hatchery trout from Oregon’s Desert Springs Hatchery that will be stocked in 18 drive-in county fisheries. “We’ll start doing that in phase 3 in the governor’s plan, which is as soon as lodging is open. We’ll start bringing fish down right away and spend $100,000. That’s what we always do and again will this year,” Simpson says. “We’ll have mixed size – so anywhere from 2 pounds to 6 pounds – and mixed loads.” Everything is looking solid in terms of water levels, considering two of the last four winters have featured heavy snowfall. “The runoff is already happening at the West Walker River, so that time when the water gets super muddy has already passed,” Simpson adds. When California hits phases three and four and restrictions begin to be lifted fully – much of the state remains between phases one and two – you can expect the usual summer rush of fishing fanatics that the local businesses desperately need. But it’s
unclear just when that will be. “The word’s out that the fishing is open again, so we’ll just have to wait and see. I think I have a good mindset on what’s going to happen with this situation, which is unprecedented in every manner,” Simpson says. “So we really don’t know what the consumer behavior is going to be like. All the intricacies that COVID has interrupted have changed for everyone.”
FOR THE LOCALS WHO got back to fishing on that warm May Saturday, it was cathartic. The Simpsons – Jeff and his father John – are longtime residents of Mono County who have been fishing together on opening day for the better part of 30 years. “It was fantastic. It was also eerie, because there wasn’t that mad rush of people lined up at the launch trying to get their boats in the water,” Jeff Simpson says. “We were the only people there and we could take our time backing in and launching and making sure everything was fine. You weren’t worried about where you were going because there weren’t many boats in the water.” While trolling, John caught the first couple of Bridgeport Reservoir brown trout. Finally, Jeff bounced
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back with his first brownie of the season, and the guys caught and released a few more fish before the heat of late May finally chased them off the water around 11 a.m. “You get that first hit when you’re trolling and it’s game on – that rush of catching your first fish of the season,” Simpson says. “And it was a brown of about 2 pounds – all of the first we caught were of really nice size.” For the scattering of fellow anglers on Bridgeport and fishing other local lakes and rivers that day, this was just one step in a process that everyone is going through these days. Simpson recognized so many faces in the boats he and his dad passed on the lake. Everyone was practicing social distancing, so the communication among them was lots of waves and hand gestures of how many fish were caught. So given the turmoil of recent months, is there some optimism for the first time in a while? “I think so. I think everyone is looking forward to getting back to normal and having a nice summer season,” Simpson admits. “It was good for my mental psyche. Just being out on the water and doing a normal activity was absolutely incredible.” CS
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FISHING
SOCIAL DISTANCE SOLACE AT MOHAVE A SOLO TRIP TO THE COLORADO RIVER RESERVOIR FEATURES EPIC SMALLMOUTH AND LARGEMOUTH FISHING By Todd Kline
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ike many California sportsmen, I have been on lockdown, social distancing for about 45 days during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. I have been spending time with my family and staying close to home, plus all my nearby Southern California lakes were closed. So I was itching to get out and clear the mind. I needed a trip badly and wanted to get out to the Colorado River. I was waiting for the hotel to reopen at Katherine Landing at Lake Mohave Marina so I could stay there, as it is a great location. Once the lodge reopened, I reserved a room and prepared to head to the desert. I got a room with a kitchenette so that I would not have to leave the room once I arrived to avoid contact and still practice social distancing. I packed my Igloo cooler with some food and hit the road.
LAST SPRING, MY SON and I did a trip to Katherine Landing (928-754-3245; katherinelanding.com) and we said we would make it an annual trip. Unfortunately this year with the pandemic, my son’s school is now online and he is doing more work than ever. So he was not able to join me and make the trip. Upon arrival, I noticed that all the staff members were wearing masks and
Lake Mohave, an impoundment of the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam, was a great place for author Todd Kline to socially distance on a solo bass fishing trip recently. The fish were biting. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2020 California Sportsman
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FISHING
Katherine Landing is a popular boat launch for accessing the reservoir. (TODD KLINE)
You never know what you might be sharing the area with – even some burros. (TODD KLINE)
The Lake Mojave Lodge at Katherine Landing, located just across the California border in Bullhead City, Arizona, is a great base for exploring what the area has to offer. (TODD KLINE)
I was assured that they were making sure that the facility was very clean, which made me feel comfortable and that I could relax in my room. This resort rocks; the ramp was literally about 400 yards from my room. Once checked in, I launched and stayed local for the afternoon, as it was very windy. The moon was full and I expected to still see some fish on beds. But it wasn’t the case. The fish had spawned already, but the fishing was great. The water temperature was about 68 and the lake was as clear as ever. I decided to target postspawn smallmouth, and on
The water clarity makes for a fascinating bass fishery to explore. (TODD KLINE)
the first day I caught all smallies and no largemouth. I targeted them with Coolbaits, drop-shot Roboworms, and an Ima Flit jerkbait in bluegill color. I was looking for bass in areas where they would have spawned and main lake points. They were there.
ON DAY TWO I woke up early and hit the water. The wind was blowing once again and I decided to target largemouth. I would fish for them near the coves. In the morning I caught some nice largemouth, again using the Ima Flit jerkbait in bluegill, and I landed a
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few more on the Ima Finesse Popper in baby bass in the back of the coves that were protected from the wind and would allow the popper to work right. By midmorning the wind died down and the lake went glassy. I relocated and found a flat with grass in about 8 to 12 feet. I threw the baby bass popper over the grass and got on one of the best topwater bites I have had for smallmouth. In a few hours, I caught about 15 solid fish. It was sick! With many of the bites I could see the smallie get under the bait and then smash it. It was epic.
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FISHING Kline used a swimbait to entice this nice smallie. (TODD KLINE)
The lodge’s moonlight view wasn’t too bad either when Kline rested after a long day of fishing. (TODD KLINE)
I started to work my way back in the afternoon towards the ramp and fished outside points. I was able to sight fish cruising smallies while throwing a 4-inch Desert Craw Roboworm on a drop-shot rig to catch them. This was also super cool to watch them eat.
ON MY FINAL DAY, I decided to try some
The frog setup the author fished with slayed plenty of bass. (TODD KLINE)
“I needed a fishing getaway like this in a big way during these crazy times,” Kline writes. (TODD KLINE)
frog fishing and see if I could catch some nice largies. I ran areas that had structure in the water, whether it was wood or tules. My first fish of the morning was a decent largemouth that came on a shaded bank. The second bass was a major surprise. I caught a solid smallmouth next to a tree on the frog. At the time, that was the only smallie I had ever caught on a frog and I was so stoked. That day I caught two more smallmouth on a frog. One of them was when I started to burn the frog back to the boat and I saw the fish come flying out at the bait. I stopped reeling and popped it once. Boom! It was killer. As the temperatures really heated up, I ran areas that had shade pockets and kept throwing that frog. It was a slow grind, but I caught about 15 largemouth throughout the day. The frog bite is the holy grail for us anglers and I was stoked to catch bass on the lure. There were a couple of times a bass would show itself but not eat the frog. I would quickly grab my rod rigged with a Yamamoto Senko and toss it to the same area. This put a few more fish in the boat.
AS THE SUN SET, I headed back to the ramp. I stayed the night and then hit the road in the morning after a good night’s sleep. I appreciated the staff at Katherine Landing for making my stay relaxing, safe and a great trip. I needed a fishing getaway like this in a big way during these crazy times. CS
Both largemouth and smallmouth were hitting the swimbaits and frogs Kline was chucking from his boat. (TODD KLINE) 38 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
Editor’s note: Todd Kline is a San Clemente-based fishing guide who can be reached at toddklinefishing.com and (714) 333-8576.
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FISHING
THE COAST IS CLEARING AS MORE BOATS ARE ABLE TO HEAD OFFSHORE, SOUTHLAND SALTWATER FISHING SHOULD BE WIDE OPEN
With California’s restrictions for fishing starting to loosen up, anglers who can get aboard a boat heading off the Southern California coast should have a plethora of species to target. The yellowtail bite looks like a good bet in June. (BILL SCHAEFER)
By Capt. Bill Schaefer
S
o another month of coronavirus lockdown has passed and things are loosening up in regards to fishing. Even as restrictions and regulations are constantly changing and keep coming in waves, leaving us to ask questions, what we can focus on now is that we can all just go fishing in one way or another. At this writing we still could only fish with family members, even though many were adopting their fishing buddies as relatives, but hopefully as you read this that is finally over because summer beckons. Sport boats will have the next hurdles
to make when they’re able to book charters. As we finally got to go in boats out on the bays and the Pacific Ocean, there were some issues with the worst red tide seen in years. Red tides are an algae bloom that chokes off the oxygen in the water. Since it only goes down about 20 feet, the fish tend to go out deeper. Inshore bass could be found in about 75 to 100 feet of water on rock piles, along with good-eating rockfish. So I stocked up for fish tacos. Calicos were biting 1.5-ounce jigheads with brown bait swimbaits I threw at them. Squid, shrimp and tons of anchovy – as well as red crab and sardine
– are everywhere off the coast of Southern California right now and attracting hungry diners. The water temperature will be up to 70 degrees and higher, and as soon as the red tide dissipates completely, the fishing should explode.
YELLOWTAIL HAVE BEGUN BITING around all the islands adjacent to the coast. The Coronado Islands in Mexican waters just south of San Diego have been a major hot spot. Some yellows have been taken off floating kelp paddies as well. Tuna are starting to hit the decks of the private boats that can now chase them. Bluefin have been the main
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FISHING target of most anglers, although a few yellowfin have been taken as well. Commercial boats, along with private boats with a lot of range, have come in with albacore. But they are out about 75 to 100 miles, although a few lucky boats have found them nearer
to shore. Hopefully, by now they are in even closer since it’s been way too long since we’ve seen them. Still, all indications seem to predict another good year for tuna. And if the sport boats can adapt to the new rules and start fishing soon, they should do
well right off the bat, if they haven’t already done so. Last year the June fishing was full-steam ahead, with everything biting for anglers. You could choose almost any type of fishing and be able to fulfill any wish you had. This year should be good as long as the rules don’t change again. Remember, the border is closed to Mexico, so if not open there will be no fishing in Mexican waters for a while. But the bays – both inshore and offshore – should be available on some scale.
BAY BASS AND HALIBUT fishing has been
Fishing for plentiful calico bass should be strong in the kelp beds by now, but don’t be afraid to check deep structure just off the visible kelp. (BILL SCHAEFER) 42 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
extremely good. Spotted bay bass have comprised the bulk of catches. A couple anglers in San Diego Harbor can land anywhere between 50 to 100 fish. Other bays up and down the coast have been doing quite well also. Shortfin corvina have also been on the catch list, and some really nicesized halibut have been caught as well. Small plastics, spinnerbaits and crankbaits do well for the bass. Corvina and halibut hit them too, with live bait another option for the latter species. Sand bass will be headed into their spawn in the next few weeks, which should make for nonstop action once you get on a school of fish. All up and down the coastline they will do their mating dance in about 100 feet of water, but they will be suspended at 40 to 60 feet deep. Look for the schools on your meter. Plastic swimbaits on a jighead in almost any color will do the trick for these guys. Calicos should be charging your local kelp too, as soon as the water clears up and water temps are consistently in the 70s. Last year around this time saw wide-open topwater action in most kelp beds, so here’s hoping for another solid June. At first light throw lighter-weight jigheads with swimbaits. Race them over the kelp stringers and watch the calicos explode on them. This action went on for months last year and should continue this summer as well. Once you try this it’s
FISHING hard to put the topwater rod down. The yellowtail have already shown, since they are not really affected by the red tide. Offshore areas are best for them right now. As soon as the red tide clears, they should slide into the kelp beds as well. Along with the yellowtail there have been some giant bonito and some barracuda caught. These fish are always fun on the iron and those giant oceanic bonito put up quite a battle and will really test the drags on your reels. All these fish have been taken on the iron jigs and live bait.
They’re a little further out from the bays, but albacore will make for a good option for long-range boats. (BILL SCHAEFER)
IT’S TIME TO GO fishing again after a spring restricted by stay-at-home orders, so when you can, get out on the water and enjoy the outdoors. Just make sure to keep to the rules your county has set and we will get to keep enjoying fishing for our favorite species. Tight lines to you all. CS
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F
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FISHING
FROM FIELD...
ENJOY AN ALASKAN ADVENTURE ADVENTURE EXPERIENCE EPIC COHO SALMON FISHING, BEAR VIEWING AT EGEGIK RIVER By Scott Haugen
W
ith fishing opportunities being limited and/or delayed in California due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is another option amid all this uncertainty: Head north to Alaska and fish with me in August. For nearly 15 years I’ve been fishing Bristol Bay’s Egegik River. While the coho salmon fishing is as good as I’ve seen anywhere in the state, you’ll also experience brown bears, bush planes, remote streams, thousands of crimson sockeye salmon on their spawning beds, and world-class grayling and char fishing. These are some of the other adventures that keep calling me back to the Egegik.
TWO SEASONS AGO, SOME buddies and I flew into one of my favorite remote streams. Since it was flowing more clear than I’d ever seen it, spotting Arctic grayling and Arctic char was simple. We landed multiple char in the 8- to 10-pound class, and I lost one pushing 15 pounds. We also battled the biggest grayling on average I’d seen anywhere, with three fish landed over the magic 20-inch mark.
Join one of the country’s top outdoor writers, Scott Haugen, on an Alaskan adventure you won’t forget. He took this limit of coho salmon by casting a Mag Lip, just one of the many ways these fish can be caught on the magical Egegik River. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
We even watched a giant brown bear chasing salmon and saw five other bears fishing that day. Back at camp, dinner was delicious as usual, and we all shared stories late into the night. By 6 a.m. I was awake and going over my new cam-
era equipment before heading to one of my favorite places in all of Alaska: Brooks Falls. My previous two trips to the falls yielded some of my best photos of brown bears. This time, however, I was armed with two Canon 5D Mark
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FISHING Tiffany Haugen says bringing home a big fish such as a salmon means you can try multiple recipes on its meaty fillets, including this misoinfused dish. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
... TO FIRE
THINK OUTSIDE THE (FISH) BOX By Tiffany Haugen
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hen it comes to new and exciting ways to cook fish, think outside the box. Many of us get stuck preparing our prized catch the same way meal after meal. It’s understandable that you may not want to risk using unfamiliar ingredients on
something you worked so hard to attain, but think of what you might be missing out on. The great thing about catching a big fish – like a salmon – is that it can be divided up and seasoned in many different ways. If there are a few recipes that sound intriguing, try cutting the fillets in half – or even thirds – and try the new recipe on smaller portions of fish. Label them and invite your friends and family to taste-test. Try to stay away from recipes that have a lot of ingredients that you don’t have onhand or won’t use again. If you haven’t tried miso before, it’s an amazing ingredient to keep in your refrigerator for all sorts of cooking options. Miso is fermented so it will last a long time; a tablespoon or two will make a quick broth-like soup, or it can also be used in stews, salad dressings, sauces or marinades as a salty/umami element. 1 fillet salmon 1 tablespoon miso 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon honey One sheet roasted seaweed or one 5-gram snack pack
46 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
SPICY MAYO 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon chili sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, optional Rinse fish fillet in cold water and pat dry. Place fish in an ovenproof dish or foil pouch. In a small bowl, combine miso, butter, rice vinegar and honey. Spread miso mixture evenly over salmon fillet. Crush or tear seaweed into tiny pieces and sprinkle on top. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 15 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature of the fish reaches 135 degrees. Serve with spicy mayo.
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, and other titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.
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FISHING IV cameras and two prime telephoto lenses. I was rewarded with the best brown bear shots of my life and I can’t wait to go back again this summer. If you’re into watching brown bears and wildlife photography, you’ll find no better place to encounter such experiences. At the height of activity, 11 brown bears occupied the falls. More bears could be seen downstream, also fishing. The forest, surrounded by tall and lush green grass, flourished, with endless bear trails carved throughout. There was no shortage of bears using these trails. On our 25-minute flight back to camp, we saw moose, caribou, and where a pack of wolves had walked over a sandy flat on the tundra. There is abundant wildlife here.
THE NEXT MORNING, EVERYONE in camp caught limits of coho just upstream from the lodge, then hopped in a boat for a journey downstream, where we saw more brown bears, caught some
FISH WITH SCOTT HAUGEN IN ALASKA
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riter Scott Haugen will be at Becharof Lodge On The Egegik River during the entire month of August, and you can join him! Not only will you get to fish with this longtime author, but you can also accompany him to Brooks Falls, where you’ll experience Alaska’s ultimate brown bear viewing adventure. You might even go on a remote flyout, or a trip downriver to visit the village of Egegik. To learn more about fishing the Egegik with Haugen, visit scotthaugen.com, and look at the Egegik River Camp link, then drop him a note at sthaugen@yahoo.com for more details. Be sure to ask about the California Sportsman Magazine discount! CS
sockeye and enjoyed the unique beauty of this region. On the final day, we spent our time on the famed Egegik once again, where we fished for coho from daylight to dark, just as we had done during the first day of our trip. Catching our fivefish limit of silvers was easy. On the Egegik, you can fish with bait, which means the bite can be spectacular. One time my buddy who stood next to me hooked a coho every single cast for three hours and four minutes, straight.
The Egegik is calm, simple to wade and easy to fish, making it one of the Last Frontier’s premier coho streams. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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Once you catch your five-fish coho limit here, you can keep fishing catch-and-release style. I’ve had several 70-plus-silver days in August. With so many salmon to be caught – and given the nature of the shallow, wide-flowing Egegik – they can be pursued numerous ways. Whether you’re a new angler looking to learn specific fishing styles or a veteran eager to perfect a technique that’s unfamiliar to you, there’s no better way to achieve success than while catching fish.
FISHING It’s common to catch hard-fighting coho in one spot using an array of approaches. One morning I stood on a rock and landed and released over 30 fish by way of twitching jigs, rolling cured eggs, dangling a jig beneath a float, casting spoons, spinners, and stripping streamers on a fly rod. Bead fishing can also be phenomenal on the Egegik. And casting a 3.0 and 3.5 Mag Lip has enlightened me to the long lost art of fishing with plugs from the bank, something that was popular among salmon and steelhead anglers back in the early 1970s.
THE ACCOMMODATIONS I’VE BEEN going to all these years, Becharof Lodge, has recently changed management. The new Becharof Lodge On The Egegik River (becharoflodgefishing.com) is headed by one of the longtime guides who helped run the operation for the past decade. They’ve gotten rid of the tents and added two-story buildings and more flush toilets, making everyone’s stay more comfortable. There’s even electricity with slow, but working, internet access. Ray, the man whose cooking keeps bringing people back to this magical place, is still there. His shore lunches taste better
Fishing for coho is only part of what this adventure has to offer – there’s photographing bears and other wildlife too – but it might be hard to tear yourself away from the river with the potential for salmon catches like this, taken in less than two hours one morning. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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than ever. On the Egegik River, when it comes to salmon fishing, the learning never stops and the beauty and tranquility of this special place are truly unique, even by Alaskan standards. There are many reasons I keep coming back and I’m thrilled to be spending all of August on the river this season. I’m hoping some fellow readers of California Sportsman can join me. CS Editor’s note: Follow Scott Haugen on Twitter (@ScottHaugen) and Instagram (@scotthaugenoutdoors), and like at facebook.com/thehaugens.
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HUNTING
DON’T TAKE NAMING IN VAIN
When calling your dog, it should elicit an immediate response. This starts with a strong name your dog will recognize its whole life. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
By Scott Haugen
A
s a new gun dog puppy owner, one of the most important decisions you can make is what to name your dog. What you decide to call your pup should be based on one thing, and that’s getting a quick response from your dog when you call his or her name. To achieve a quick reaction from your dog when calling it, pick a hardhitting, one- or two-syllable name. Good examples include Jake, Sage, Cassie, Bella, and so forth, because of the hard consonant sounds each has. When raising, training and, eventually, hunting with your dog, you want instantaneous responses when you call its name. Not only is this necessary for obedience, but also for safety purposes.
Having a dog that immediately responds to your call will help keep it from running in front of a car, getting tangled up with other dogs, and even keep it from pursuing snakes, big game animals and other critters you don’t want it messing with. Their name should be so ingrained in them and should be so familiar with it, that when you sternly call or shout their name they should instantly respond. Don’t want your dog to pee on a certain spot, eat food off the counter, or jump on strangers to lick their face as they approach? A hard-sounding name can be the ticket to thwarting such behavior.
NOT LONG AGO I was at a dog-testing event. One gentleman had a great-looking dog, but it was very
disobedient. To top it off, it didn’t know its own name, which was clearly evident in its lack of response when the man tried communicating with it. “I let my little daughter name it; she liked Felicity,” the man shared. That’s a cute story, but it wasn’t the best of choices for a hunting dog name. Don’t let children name your dog, unless that name rocks a hard resonance. We chose Echo and Kona for our gun dogs’ names. It took the family a few days of getting to know Echo’s personality before we finally agreed on a name that fit her. Kona was a different story, as his name was chosen before he even came home. My dogs, as with all well-trained canines with solid names, instantly respond when I sternly say or shout
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HUNTING their names. They also quickly react when they’re leisurely called to, as when coming in from going potty or roaming and playing in the yard. Calling in a dog from leisure time is much different from sternly, loudly calling them in order to get an instantaneous reaction. The key in picking a dog’s name is to understand the name is actually a command. When you call the dog or demand its immediate attention by calling its name, you’re actually saying – in one word – “Hey dog: stop doing what you’re doing right now and start making your way in my direction, immediately.” Of course, a dog would not grasp that sentence, but it will respond to its name, fast. Be sure to pick a name that does not rhyme with a training command. Kit is not a good name because it rhymes with “sit.” Joe isn’t a good name either, as it rhymes with “whoa.” People names make great names
Being aware of your pup’s behaviors, looks and body positions, and knowing how to clearly communicate with your dog based on these signs, will make you a better trainer, and your dog, happier and very disciplined. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
If you have more than one dog or know you’ll be hunting with friends who have dogs, make sure the names don’t sound similar. Also, avoid picking names that rhyme with training commands. Here, author Scott Haugen shares a fun upland hunt with his dogs Echo and Kona. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
for dogs, or you can name them after an object or their actions. Echo, for instance, we named because of the way her cute little bark echoed through the house. Kona, with his black shiny coat, was named after our favorite black sand beach in Kona, Hawaii.
AVOID GETTING CAUGHT up in long, fluffy names or names with multiple soft syllables for your dog. This isn’t like naming your child these days. You need to decide on a name a dog will respond to, no matter the situation in which you’re calling it. Naming your dog isn’t a popularity contest; rather it’s a deliberate, wellthought-out decision. After all, when it comes to a dog’s name, you want one it will recognize and respond to its entire life. CS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook. 54 California Sportsman JUNE 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
