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ARACHNOPHOBIA:CDFW BIO vs.

CREEPY CRAWLIES

KINGS! TIPS FOR SACRAMENTO, FEATHER RIVER OPENER

HORSIN ’

’ROUND Si Sierra Packtrain P kt i Trips For Trout ALSO INSIDE

Otay Lake Bass Salmon Smolt Poachers Busted Brittany’s Botswana Safari

BEST OF

Saltwater!

Sea of Cortez Snapper SoCal Bluefin Tuna San Diego Sand Bass San Francisco Bay Stripers

ARCHERS PREPARE FOR DROUGHT SScouting ti Tips Ti For F A Dry Season

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Sportsman

California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 7 • Issue 9 PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Brittany Boddington LEAD WRITER Tim E. Hovey CONTRIBUTORS Bill Adelman, Brittany Boddington, Steve Carson, Jason Haley, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Albert Quackenbush, Bill Schaefer SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Becca Ellingsworth, Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Lisa Ball, Sonjia Kells, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker

MARKET 88 AT WOODFORDS STATION OPEN DAILY 7:00AM TO 6:00PM

INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines 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.

MARKET FRESH DELI CAFE • PROVISIONS PICNIC FOOD • FISHING BAIT • LICENSES

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ON THE COVER A run of 652,000 king salmon is predicted back to the Sacramento River this fall. Fishing opens July 16 on the Sac and other NorCal rivers, and despite low water conditions, a good summer and fall is anticipated by locals in the know. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 9

41

THE SALMON RUN BECKONS To hell with the drought! Central Valley fishing guide Manuel Saldana, Jr. (far left) is confident there will be enough water in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers to have a successful king salmon run. The season opens on July 16, and while limits will be hard to come by early on, a chance at some chrome-bright fish – locals refer to them as silver bullets – should be a tasty appetizer to the main course later in the fall.

(MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 17 35 49 61

63

79

89 97

Q&A with California-legal gun company owner Gordon Bond King salmon fishing preview Horsin’ around in the Eastern Sierras: Packtrain trips for trout Otay Lake is San Diego’s best largemouth option A stealthy bass angler spills his “secret” tips Southland sand bass bite should be buzzing From Field to Fire: San Francisco, San Pablo Bays’ striped bass; Tiffany Haugen’s steam-baked striper recipe The SoCal Bowhunter: Scouting in a drought for hunting season

DEPARTMENTS 13 15 15

33

The Editor’s Note The Dishonor Roll: Busting juvenile salmon poachers Outdoor Calendar Daiwa and Browning Photo Contests winners

FEATURES 27

DON’T CALL HIM SPIDERMAN Our intrepid Tim Hovey has fished, hunted and worked as a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in some of the state’s most rugged and dangerous areas. But even Hovey has a fear of spiders. So imagine his horror when he was pulling debris out of a net after field work and a hairy tarantula began crawling up his arm. This arachnophobia moment is one of several stories he shares of confrontations with critters that make us cringe.

65

SIMPLY RED In warm Baja California waters, where dorado, tuna, sailfish and marlin get

much of the attention from fishermen, a pair of majestic red-colored species have obsessed two north-of-the-border anglers for years. Head out onto the Sea of Cortez in search of those red ghosts and monsters known as mullet and dogtooth snapper.

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STAY TUNED FOR TUNA There’s every reason to believe bluefin tuna fishing is the best anyone who fishes off the coast of Southern California can remember. But why, our long-range expert Steve Carson asks, “do we keep receiving information that the Pacific’s population of bluefin is in critical condition, and drastic catch reductions are necessary on an immediate basis?” Carson tries to

figure out if this is an epic era of bluefin fishing – or the beginning of the species’ eventual demise in our waters.

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BULLISH ON BOTSWANA As far as southern African countries go, Botswana is being ignored by hunters since recent bans on elephant hunts and hunting public land in the country. But our Urban Huntress Brittany Boddington flew from her Los Angeles home to check out the scene for herself. As you’ll find out in her column, this is a country where you can still score the animal of a lifetime while hunting with private guides in a suddenly overlooked – and still stunningly beautiful – destination.

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 © 2015 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 JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

The editor (left) and friends take in the scene at Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (CHRIS COCOLES) t cost me a lot of money, but when you’ve been a Golden State Warriors fan as long as I have, you throw caution to the wind when you have a chance to go to Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

When a team that’s broken your heart and beaten you down for as long as my basketball team has rises to such glorious heights, you gladly spend the $450 on a nosebleed seat.

You grudgingly pay the parking lot attendant $30 to park as close to the exit as you can, even knowing what a parking lot the parking lot will be after the game.

And you happily – or at least fake it – exchange pleasantries with the concession stand lady who accepts your 27 bucks for the two 16-ounce beers you offered to buy your friend, after he was nice enough to drive through typical Bay Area traffic to get to Oracle Arena.

At one point, my buddy, who like me suffered through so many dreadful seasons from our favorite team, turned to me and said, “Remember in (the 1987 NBA Playoffs) when we went to a game and paid $15 for tickets?”

That hit home for me, given how times have changed. Things just seemed a lot more simple in 1987, when the Warriors made a rare playoff appearance and we could get seats on the cheap.

A favorite destination back in those days was a place called Parkway Lakes, just south of San Jose. There were two lakes with very little scenery around them and just a dirt parking lot and a trailer. But the fishing could be epic. You didn’t need a fishing license; rather, you were charged a nominal fee – probably less than a beer at that basketball game – to fish for trophy trout and catfish. My mom took me once to go night fishing and I didn’t catch a single catfish, but I went another day with a friend and we each caught three or four fat rainbows.

When I went to college at Fresno State and lived in Southern California and visited home, I didn’t have the time to get back there and wet a fishing line. But when I’d pass the exit off Highway 101 I would always glance over and get a glimpse of a few folks sitting in lawn chairs waiting for something to bite.

Now, after I watched on TV as the Warriors won their first NBA title in 40 years, Parkway Lake has been closed since 2011, my wallet is a lot lighter but my memories of bad basketball and great fishing have never been more clear. –Chris Cocoles

I

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JUVENILE SALMON POACHERS NETTED alifornia’s king salmon population is always a point of concern, and now with the state’s waters under assault by drought, it’s disturbing to see young fish destroyed so abruptly.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers, including the Delta Bay Enhanced Enforcement Project and Special Operations Unit members, working the Sacramento River discovered that three Sacramento men were netting juvenile salmon – the Sac’s low water levels made it an easier process – and then using the tiny fish as sturgeon bait.

According to a CDFW press release, the men allegedly took advantage of low water-exposed sandbars and the

BY CHRIS COCOLES cover of darkness on stretches of water in Sacramento and Yolo Counties. The three Sacramento residents, Tony Saetern, 25, Michael Anglero, 24, and Kao Saeyang, 28, were cited for unlawful use of salmon as bait and unlawful possession of salmon out of season.

Three other men were also found utilizing a hand light, dip nets and a Snapple bottle to catch and store salmon for bait.

Antelope resident Nai Poo Saechao, 36, and Sacramento’s Lai C. Saechao, 27, received citations for unlawful use of salmon as bait, possession of salmon out of season and possessing an overlimit of salmon. The third man, 23-year-old Vincent Sai Poo Saechao of Antelope, was cited for unlawful take of salmon.

“During this time of year, juvenile salmon are migrating downstream to the Delta and are vulnerable to this type of poaching as they seek shelter from prey fish close to shore,” Delta Bay Enhanced Enforcement Project Warden Byron Trunnell said. “Salmon season is closed on the Sacramento River, and nets are not an authorized method of take for game fish in inland waters.”

Let’s hope most anglers who fish California’s rivers understand the salmon runs are in fragile states. With water levels such a concern, the need to protect young fish and allow them to someday come back to spawn is more important than ever.

CDFW encourages anglers who spot suspicious activity in the field to contact the CalTIP hotline (888-334-2258) or to go to dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/caltip.aspx for more information.

C

California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers discovered tiny salmon were being netted and used as bait in the Sacramento River. (CDFW)

MIXED BAG

OUTDOOR CALENDAR JULY 1 First day 2015-16 hunting licenses are valid 1 General season opener for rabbits and varying hare 1-31 How Big is Big Derby, West Walker River (northernmonochamber.com) 4 Free fishing day in California (wildlife.ca.gov/ Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days) 16 Opening of inland Chinook salmon season in most waters 18 Stampede Reservoir Team Kokanee Derby (kokaneepower.org) 18 Feed the Fish Derby, Lewiston Lake (pine-cove-marina.com) 18 Packer Lake Kids Fishing Derby (graeagle.com/ announcements/packer-lake-kids-fishing-day) 25 Kids Fishing Festival, Mammoth Lake (kidsfishfest.com) 30 End of Dungeness crab season in Mendocino, Del Norte and Humboldt Counties AUGUST 1 Lake Almanor Trout and Salmon Derby (kokaneepower.org) 8 Archery deer opener in Zone A 15 Archery deer opener in several units 22 Crowley Lake Stillwater Classic (crowleylakefishcamp.com) 29 Lake Tahoe Salmon Slam tournament (freshkats.com) 29 Start of Mono Village Labor Day Fishing Derby, Upper Twin Lakes, Bridgeport (monovillage.com)

Dungeness crab season wraps up at the end of this month in Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte Counties. (CHRISTY JUHASZ/CDFW)

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BOND OF BROTHERS SIBLINGS FIND SUCCESS IN CALIFORNIA-LEGAL GUNS INDUSTRY

By Chris Cocoles

T

he company is based in Texas and the brothers are residents of the Lone Star State, but Gordon and Greg Bond are as knowledgeable as anyone in the firearms industry about California-legal guns and the strict regulations that have made them such a hot-button topic.

Bond Arms (817-573-4445; bondarms.com) was originally older brother Greg’s vision, and now these days run

by Gordon, it offers a line of Golden State-approved handguns, including six versions of 9mm and Colt .45s.

Gordon is no stranger to California and even used his time spent in the San Bernardino Mountains as an inspiration for a California-themed line.

We chatted with him about the roots of his passion for firearms.

bad reputation these types of guns have had for over 100 years of being a cheap, dangerous, throwaway gun.

He survived the hard initial years and then wanted to sell the business, which I purchased in 2007.

We ramped up and changed our marketing from being a cowboy gun/ snake gun to a very viable personal-protection gun, and have grown by four times since we took over the business.

Greg hasn’t been involved in the business since I took over and is happily retired.

months they fired him. He saw some of the major safety and function flaws of that type of handgun, and after he was fired, he decided to design a much beefier, solid, well-designed, safer and more versatile handgun that he would be proud of.

He had no money or equipment, so he designed it on the kitchen table and then went from machine shop to machine shop to beg for time on machines to cut metal to build his first guns. He finally had working prototypes made and was heading to one of his first SHOT Shows. He then received a cease-anddesist letter from his old company saying he stole their

Chris Cocoles How did you get involved in the firearms industry? Your brother Greg started the company; what were yours and his relationship like as it pertains to growing this company?

Gordon Bond Greg started the business in 1995 and I was not involved in the business, except for helping with trade shows, until 2007 when I bought Greg out, which is when I entered the firearms industry. Greg did the hardest part by engineering and developing a much-improved better mousetrap than what was currently being built in this small gun segment.

He had trouble convincing people that this product was different and better, and had to overcome the very

CC Greg endured some legal issues with other companies but stayed the course, and it’s now paying off with a successful company. If you can discuss it, what happened and how important was it for the Bond family to remain strong during such a difficult time?

GB Greg was hired by a handgun company to streamline their production and product line, and after only eight

Greg Bond started a gun business in Texas in 1995, and from humble beginnings Bond Arms, with brother Gordon Bond (above) now running the show, has grown into a wellrespected company. (BOND ARMS)

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The company produces six California-legal custom handguns, including the Mama Bear (left) and Brown Bear, which are named for Big Bear, the Southern California resort town that owner Gordon Bond lived in for 10 years before going back to his native Texas. (BOND ARMS)

ideas, which he didn’t.

They kept him in court for two years and he had no money. But by the grace of God and Greg’s determination to

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se see this through, the jud judge finally threw it out aas a frivolous lawsuit and awarde awarded Greg a large sum of money; the company that sued him then went bankrupt so they wouldn’t have to pay him.

So now he gets to start all over again with no money, shop or equipment. He continued to struggle to build products until he got a business partner

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who helped him incorporate as Bond Arms in 1995 in GranGran bury, Texas.

It was a very slow and grueling process until Greg was able to buy his partner out, and then things slowly started to take off after people started recognizing how cool a product this really is.

Š2015 Olin Corporation

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CENTURY ARMS C39V2 CALIFORNIA-COMPLIANT SEMIAUTO RIFLE, AKA, THE AMERICAN AK Century Arms introduced the first 100-percent American-made AK rifle to the market five years ago, and is excited to now offer the newest addition to the C39 line of rifles, the C39v2, the American AK, to the California market. It is 100-percent American made with no imported parts, is built on a milled receiver machined from a solid 11-pound block of 4140-ordnance quality steel and uses the proprietary Chevron muzzle brake. Enhancements include a T-shaped magazine catch, compatibility with AKM furniture, a bolt hold-open safety, an enhanced dust cover and standard AK sights. The C39v2 is coated with black nitrite and uses the new RAK-1 enhanced trigger group. Its barrel has a concentric left-hand 14x1 metric thread and is ready for a variety of muzzle attachments. The rifle comes with bullet button installed, two 10-round magazines and a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Century Arms, the premier AK manufacturer in North America, has been in business for over 50

years. They provide quality firearms and ammunition at excellent prices to the American collector and sportsman. For more on Century Arms, visit centuryarms.com.

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We all appreciate Greg sticking with it through all the hard times, which has given us the opportunity to now grow it into a product that has a tremendous fan base and that just loves this wellbuilt and cool handgun.

GB Our biggest issue was not the droptest requirements – as solid as our guns are, that is not really a problem – but the fact that everywhere else our most popular calibers are .410/.45 LC, which is considered a short-barrel shotgun in California and could be a felony. We had to redesign part of the gun to make sure that a .410 barrel could not be fitted to the California guns.

CC In 1995, the company was born when your family had the idea that a Remington 95 O/U single-action Derringer could be converted from Old West-style to a more modern handgun. Did you and Greg have a sense of the Old Westtype of guns and appreciate the history of it while having the vision to put a modern touch on the handgun?

GB Greg had a good sense of the Old West-style guns, but he saw how badly they needed to be improved and did want to bring it into the modern world.

CC California has such stringent gun regulations; how has that impacted your production of California-legal firearms?

CC Do you take a lot of pride in that your products are American/Texas made?

GB Absolutely! We try hard to make sure every piece of metal, screw, pin, grip and every other part of our guns are made in the U.S.A. We will pay more to make sure we keep ours U.S.A.-made products. Even our ball caps are made in the U.S.A. They cost us more, but we stand firm on our commitment.

CC Two of your newer sets of California-legal guns are the Black Bear and Brown

California forests are threatened by nonnative insects and diseases. These invasive species can be trasported on firewood to new areas where they can become established and kill devastatingly large numbers of trees.

• Leave firewood at home – buy or collect firewood where you camp.

• Use firewood in the same county or region where it was cut.

• Bring only what you’ll need, and burn responsibly.

.org

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800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com Bear. What are the advantages of those weapons for California gun owners?

GB It’s a small, big-caliber gun and will chamber CCI shotshells, so it is still a snake gun. We actually had the opportunity to live in Big Bear Lake, Calif., for 10 years and loved the area, so when we were going through this process of making a California-approved gun I wanted to name the first one after Big Bear. From there the rest of the Bear family grew to include the Brown Bear, Mama Bear and Papa Bear.

CC What advice do you have for Californians who want to own a gun but are unsure because the regulations are so strict and regulated heavily?

GB Owning a gun in California isn’t as much a problem as just knowing the different rules and regulations on a county-by-county, city-by-city basis, but most of the local FFL gun dealers can give you information on those rules.

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CC How much are guns and shooting a part of your personal life. Do you target shoot and/or hunt?

GB We lived in a small town in west Texas and our after-school activity every day was going out shooting, so it has been a big part of our life for a long time. Most of my shooting these days is for training and teaching people how to shoot our guns. During my period of doing quality control and test firing of our guns here at the shop I shot over 40,000 .45-caliber guns.

CC What’s next for Bond Arms? Do you have any big plans you can share?

GB The more we get out, the more people we find who have never even heard of us, so we know we have a long way to go before we totally reach the market. But we have several new models coming down the pike and believe we will double our size again in just the next few years. CS

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“We have several new models coming down the pike and believe we will double our size again in just the next few years,” Gordon Bond says.

(BOND ARMS)

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AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR OFFICE WAS TREACHEROUS

TALES OF A BIOLOGIST

BATTLES WITH SNAKES, SPIDERS AND BEES COME WITH THE TERRITORY WHEN YOU WORK OUTDOORS

It’s the stuff that nightmares are made of. Our intrepid California state biologist deals with all sorts of critters in the field, but spiders like this tarantula can be his kryptonite. (TIM E. HOVEY)

By Tim E. Hovey

s a kid growing up in California, I remember always running around catching critters.

I would search the undeveloped areas near our house, looking for frogs, lizards and snakes. Along with stalking the land creatures, I had an almost obsessive interest in fish. Whether it was a resident creek or the nearby harbor, I spent a lot of time catching whatever swam in the water. This early fascination with the outside world was the driving force behind pursuing a career in biology.

Since fish and fisheries were my primary focus, I spent many years as a marine biologist after college. By 2000, I’d tired of almost a decade of working on boats, so I transferred to California’s

A

inland fisheries division to work on native fish species. As the state includes amphibians and reptiles in the inland discipline, I channeled my younger self, and once again am chasing frogs, lizards and snakes.

In a career where walking off the beaten path is the norm, I run into creatures of all sorts. For the most part, the interactions are passive and kind of cool. But on a handful of occasions, they’ve been anything but.

SNAKES I couldn’t tell you how many rattlesnakes I’ve encountered over the years.

Hiking and conducting stream surveys in the backcountry means I expect to encounter snakes. When I see them first, I usually take a few photos and

Ouch! It wasn’t a rattler but a seemingly harmless gopher snake that caused this bite. (TIM E. HOVEY)

move on. The issue occurs when I don’t detect their presence until I am literally right on top of them.

Last year I was walking a damp creek bottom in the late afternoon.

I had planned a night survey in the area and was walking the route to get my bearings. I walked to the end of a damp sand bed and stopped. I turned around to hike back and there, right next to the footprint I had just left, was a 3-foot-long rattlesnake. The cool sand and the dropping creek temperature probably made the snake inactive, keeping it from rattling. From the position of my footprint it appeared

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OF A BIOLOGIST

that I had just about stepped on the snake’s head.

While it is rare for me to get that close to a snake without it reacting – either by rattling or slithering away – I had another encounter where I probably should’ve been bit.

Leading a survey crew into a canyon on U.S. Forest Service property, I rounded a sharp corner on the trail and stepped right on a rattlesnake that measured around 4 feet long. The snake was stretched out as straight as a stick as it warmed itself on the trail.

As soon as my foot came down, I felt the softness of the middle of the rattler and quickly jumped forward. Again, the snake never rattled, even when stepped on. And instead of striking at the clumsy hiker’s foot, he simply slithered off the path.

To this day, I think most snakes would’ve struck at the threat; I feel very lucky I wasn’t bitten.

Ironically, the most aggressive snakes I’ve ever encountered have been nonvenomous. I was out hunting in San Diego County years ago, came around a bush and saw a cobra rearing up 4

You don’t want to be on the receiving end of this scorpion! (TIM E. HOVEY)

feet in front of me. Of course it wasn’t a cobra, but its behavior fooled my mind.

The red coachwhip snake reared up, flattened out its head and hissed loudly.

If that wasn’t enough, he started to chase me. I ran backwards 30 feet before the snake peeled off and escaped into some rocks. It was by far the most aggressive snake I’ve ever run into.

When my daughters were in grade school I would participate in career day.

I would come in with lizards and snakes

and explain to the kids what my job involved. I did it for six years, and about a month before each presentation I’d start looking for snakes out in the field to bring in and show the kids.

One afternoon I was driving the backroads and came across a very large gopher snake, which was 5 feet in length. I jumped out and grabbed the snake and it instantly clamped onto my arm. I wrestled with it and finally stuffed it into a bucket. When I turned around the snake got out and climbed up under my truck; it crawled under the frame and disappeared. I tried for a half-hour to locate the snake but figured it had escaped undetected.

I drove the 80 miles home a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to collect the huge snake. An hour after I got home, my neighbor knocked on my door and excitedly pointed out a huge snake in the center of the road near my truck. I grabbed it and placed it in a large cage. I couldn’t believe that the snake had stayed under the truck the entire time I was driving.

SPIDERS Fortunately, when the author stepped in the path of this rattlesnake, it didn’t seem too miffed and instead minded its own business. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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I do not like spiders. And the bigger the spider, the less I like it. I understand their role in the wild environment and

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OF A BIOLOGIST

I know they’re important, but they seriously give me the creeps. I don’t run into them often, but when I do, I never seem to get used to it.

In the course of my job, I use several different types of seine nets, which are rectangular in shape, measure 10 to 30 feet long and have two guide poles at each end. When not in use they are rolled up so that they can be easily carried. After a trip, I usually drag the nets back, unroll them and clean them up for the next survey.

I’d just returned from a pretty rough hike in the backcountry and my 20-foot seine was loaded with debris.

I unrolled it and started picking out the large pieces. I was about halfway through the net when I spotted a round, furry cluster about the size of a golf ball in the middle of the net. I thought it was just another piece of debris and grabbed it. Almost instantly the debris became very animated, escaped my grasp and started quickly crawling up my arm.

Cue the screams!

A large tarantula had hitched a ride in the net and wasn’t very happy about being rolled up and tossed in the bed of the truck. In pure reactive terror, I flipped the spider off my arm. I grabbed a 5-gallon bucket – convinced it was still way too small – and coaxed the tarantula inside. Placing the bucket in the bed of the truck, I released the spider into the hills later that day.

BEES Even though I’ve been stung a handful of times throughout my life, I have no fear or apprehensions toward honeybees. I’ve encountered a few hives over the years, and my standard reaction is to back out and go around the area to avoid threatening them. However, in the last decade or so honeybees are not the only hive-building insects that I’ve had to deal with.

My first encounter with Africanized

The author’s office is full of critters that may not be too keen about their living room being entered.

Whether it’s a snake or bees or a spider, keep an eye out for what else is out there. (TIM E. HOVEY)

honeybees was during a bird survey several years back. I was helping our resident ornithologist do what is referred to as bird “point counts.” This survey method requires that you stand in spot for a specific amount of time and record the bird observations. After collecting the data you hike to the next spot and repeat the task.

We were hiking to another sampling area and walking along an old fire road when a bee, flying as fast as a bee can fly, hit me in the forehead. I saw it hit the ground and was looking at it when a second one hit me right above my ear. Two hit the ornithologist and two more hit me. Once they hit the ground it took a second for them to recover, but as soon as they did, they attacked. We ran back the way we came, and after about 100 yards, we reached the truck and jumped in. The bees continued to swarm around the truck so we decided we were done.

A second, more violent interaction occurred during a solo hike a few miles from my house. I was hiking down an old fire road and was about 200 yards

30 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

from my truck when three bees simultaneously slammed into my head. Remembering my previous encounter, I instantly turned around to quickly head back to the truck. Four more bees hit me in the head as I began to run.

Luckily, since I was only hiking a short distance, I had left the driver’s door unlocked. I raced to the truck, opened the door, jumped in and slammed the door behind me. Less than a second later, a large group of bees slammed into the windows of the truck. For five minutes the bees stayed close and flew around the cab of the vehicle, but I avoided major stings.

With all of that biologist/critter interaction, I feel fortunate that I haven’t had any serious issues. I understand that when I’m hiking around the outside world I’m going to encounter all forms of nature; it’s part of my job.

And to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. CS Editor’s note: Author Tim E. Hovey is a longtime biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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32 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS!

With this pic of son Colby and his Columbia River spring Chinook, monthly Daiwa Photo Contest winner Mike Davis wins a Daiwa hat, T-shirt and scissors for cutting braided line.

It also puts him in the running for the grand prize of a Daiwa rod-and-reel combo!

Hangin’ loose after a Hawaiian hog hunt pays off with a hat for Chris Bell, who is our monthly Browning Photo Contest winner!

For your chance at winning Daiwa and Browning products, send your photos to ccocoles@media-inc.com or California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.

calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2015 California Sportsman

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34 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

PUT ON THE CROWN HERE’S HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE SACRAMENTO’S KING SALMON SEASON

The author caught this king on the Sacramento River near Verona. The season is scheduled to begin on July 16. (BILL ADELMAN)

By Bill Adelman

B

luegill and crappie on a microlite rod; spots and smallies on sort of a light rod; largemouth on a medium rod; stripers on a heavier rod; and sturgeon on what we used to refer to as a pole-vault rod.

What do all of these have in com-

mon? Matching the hatch to suit the fish. Set off to the side, however, is the mighty Chinook salmon. If you’re a fly guy and your buddy is a spin guy, he’ll make about two-dozen casts before you make your first.

The key here is preparation.

As we string our fly line, thinking of a particular leader and deciding on just the right fly, mental anticipation

runs high. It’s all part of the plan. We truly enjoy this prefishing ritual.

Fast forward to mid-July. Our mental preparation is in high gear as we begin to set out our basic salmon tackle. Having a conventional rod rated for 20-to 25-pound test, quality reels loaded with 20-pound-test mono and a review of all our tackle is necessary, even though we know

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FISHING the exact location of everything in our one, two or three tackle boxes.

Just how many times are you going to check on your swivels, dollar sinkers, spreaders and leader material? Do you think your treble hooks got dull just sitting in the box? Touch them up just once more. Reclean all your spinner blades and reoil the reels. One of your reels will be loaded with braid from last season, so pull off about 30 feet and check for any imperfections. Yes, this is all part of the trip.

Now, onto the boat. Geez, will it ever end? Soon there’s nothing left to do – but oh wait, where’s my huge salmon net? I hope it’s still in storage.

Feather opens on July 16 and runs through December 16.

Best times in this area are from about mid-August to mid-October.

The American River is a plethora of confusion. Advice Expect hooked Chinook to run, so don’t panic when a big fish isn’t quite ready to here is to go to get to the boat without a scrap. (BILL ADELMAN) the California WHEN YOU GO Department of Fish and Wildlife On the lower Sac starting from Freewebsite (wildlife.ca.gov) or pick up port upstream to Knight’s Landing, a hard copy of CDFW’s freshwater trolling and anchoring are the prerules handbook and decipher it. ferred methods of fishing. Let’s anRegarding limits, it appears all chor first. creeks have a two-fish limit. There A depthfinder is critical in loalso is a special regulation for the cating the right water. The rigging filleting of salmon, which is too for lure fishing is to tie the spreadlengthy to mention, so check out er directly to the main line, add Section 1.45. about 3 feet of 20-pound leader on Take particular note of the hanthe long arm and directly tie on a dling of the head of a hatchery salmKwikfish, mostly size K14. Do not on, as well as the identification of the add another clip or swivel. On the clipped adipose fin. Even though the short arm, tie on 18 inches of 10- or fillet regs were loosened a tad from A collection of fishing gear needed for a successful 12-pound leader, add a swivel and last year, we still cannot fillet the fish Sacramento salmon outing should include the popular K14 Kwikfish (top left), but spinners and use a dollar-style sinker that’s just on the water unless you’re a legally spoons work well too. (BILL ADELMAN) heavy enough to hold the bottom. licensed guide.

You’ll need 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-ouncThere are also identification reSUMMER FORECAST ers to complete your selection. Drop quirements.

For 2015, the anticithis rigging into the pated harvestable run water beside the boat of king salmon in the and allow the current Sacramento, Feather to activate the lure so and American Rivers – you can determine if for both hatchery and it’s running true. Drop natural spawners – is it back until you feel estimated at 195,596. the sinker hit bottom, I’ll be totally happy if walk it three or four my season gets just the times until the line is six. It looks as though about 45 degrees to the Yuba is closed to the water, place in a salmon all year. Talk rod holder and wait. about putting a dampSpinners are very er on the prep process! effective at times.

But check out the regWe’ve adapted our ulations for the salmtechnique to a downon fishery. The general Holding the rod while trolling is preferred by the author so he can quickly determine whether rigger, which allows season on the Sac and a salmon has just bit, or if it’s another snag pulling out line. (BILL ADELMAN) for exact placement of 36 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING the lure.

This is where we use the braid.

Tie on a barrel swivel of at least 40-pound test, add about 4 to 5 feet of 20-pound mono and tie on a regular heavy-duty swivel. To this, add a spinner. Drop the line back about 12 to 15 feet, clip onto the downrigger cable about 2 feet above the weight and lower until it hits bottom.

Place your rod in a holder and reel down just tight enough so that the line doesn’t snap off on its own. When this one goes off, speed is of the essence.

There will be some slack at the take, so don’t stop to feel a fish; crank!

As the fish will be very close to the boat, give it what it wants.

Don’t panic at the ferocity of the first few runs and don’t have the drag set too tightly.

We’ll troll Kwikfish and spinners, but not at the same time. With plugs, the most productive troll is downstream in an “S” pattern, with the plug about 80 feet behind the boat.

The twitching of the rod tip will tell you when the speed is just right. It’s best to hold the rods yourself; when you hook a tree, it’s much easier to determine the problem and turn around to correct it.

Spinners can be trolled with trolling weights, both up- and downstream. Again, hold the rod.

CALIFORNIA’S PRIZED TROPHY FISH The power of the grab and the fight is what draws many anglers to chase kings. The state-record 88-pounder came from the upper Sacramento.

Enjoy the outing, coffee and crullers and the occasional hook-up. The throbbing of the rod, the shaking of the head and the full body jumps are really why we’re here in the first place; that and throwing some fish on the grill.

Good luck and tight lines! CS

The author hoists a trophy Sacramento Chinook. Despite low levels due to the drought, the river could still come through with a good season. Fishing opens in mid-July and runs through December. (BILL ADELMAN)

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FISHING

HELL OR LOW WATER, ‘THEY WILL COME UP’

Don’t fret about the possibility of low water in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers. If there’s water in the rivers, even less than anyone wants, the salmon will make their annual run upstream to spawn. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

THE DROUGHT’S A REASON FOR CONCERN, BUT NOT CRISIS MODE AS SACRAMENTO SALMON SEASON OPENS

By Chris Cocoles

Y

es, California is in a drought.

Yes, the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, two prime king salmon waterways, have been affected by the conditions. No, some Central Valley fishing guides aren’t in a panic over it.

“We’re predicting to have a good run, just like last year or even better,” says Yuba City-based fishing guide Manuel Saldana, Jr., of MSJ Guide Service (msjguideservice.com; 530-301-7455).

The season for fall Chinook begins on July 16, and a run of about 652,000 kings are expected into the Sacramento River. Of course, water levels in both the Sacramento and Saldana’s preferred fishery, the Feather, is always a topic of discus-

sion as California’s ongoing drought saga heads into another summer and fall of king salmon fishing.

“It’s still good,” Saldana says of the pending conditions. “Everyone’s nervous. There’s one thing that we tell people about salmon, ‘They will come up (the rivers).’ Even if there is

really shallow water, and they won’t just stay out there. They proved it last year when I was navigating in half the water and these salmon had enough water to get through. They will come up in the Feather and the Sacramento.”

Saldana will improvise if need be

A sardine shortage could impact Sacramento River salmon anglers’ ability to add a bit of meat to their Kwikfish. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2015 California Sportsman

41

and travel further north as the salmon heading back from the ocean seek out cooler water. He emphasized that while another species he targets regularly, Delta striped bass, will turn around and head back after they spawn, the kings are, of course, on a one-way trip from saltwater to freshwater.

“Salmon go in one direction: up.

And that’s it. They don’t hit a place like Colusa and say, ‘We’re going to spawn and come back.’ Fall and winter fish – they just keep heading up and spawn and die.”

But the big X-factor – as it usually is with kings – is what the water temperatures will be like as summer progresses. And this is a drought-related concern, though not the crisis that it could be made out to be. Last year, the Feather’s temps got a little higher than most guides would like.

“But as soon as that water got into the 50s, at 57, 58, it got better and better and better,” Saldana says.

“They just started jumping into the nets. I went on that run in mid-October and into November.”

What a successful season can boil down to, Saldana says, is being open to changing your approach on a year-to-year basis. Scents and techniques that worked one season may not be the flavor of the month with

One of the keys of fighting king salmon throughout the summer and fall is to not stubbornly rely on tactics that worked in the past. Mix it up when you have to adjust to the conditions. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

lower and warmer water.

“You had to be a little more stealthy. The water was lower; the salmon could see you and feel the boat. So you really had to change your tactics and key in on certain points in the river,” Saldana says.

“I’ve seen them when I’ve been side-drifting and it’s super shallow; they go right around you. We were using that technique in the Feather and we just had to change it up. You just have to look at your area, the river and its structures and figure out where they’re going to be and where your opportunities will be best.”

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Saldana has been fishing these waters for a while now, and he ex-

A SARDINE SHORTAGE For guides like Manuel Saldana Jr., catching salmon with sardine-wrapped FlatFish and similar lures is a tried-and-tested method. But in the spring, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced a suspension of commercial sardine fishing in state and federal waters off the California coast until at least July 2016.

“This may be an end of an era, but fortunately, the tough management decisions were made several years ago,” said Marci Yaremko, CDFW’s representative to the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

“The stock is in a state of decline, and now is too low to support large-scale fishing.”

Saldana certainly took note of that announcement and the concern about the baitfish’s availability.

“I have to make sure I’ve got my sardines,” he said. “At least I have some from last year that I saved. When I saw that (fishing was shut down commercially), are you kidding me?”

As CDFW reported upon releasing news of the ban on commercial sardine fishing, “Pacific sardine is considered to be an important forage fish in the Pacific Ocean ecosystem and is also utilized recreationally and for live bait in small volumes. CDFW protects this resource by being an active participant in this comanagement process.” –CC 42 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING

A total of 652,000 king salmon are expected from the Pacific into the Sacramento River this fall. (MSJ

pects the 2015 run to have a similar pattern as last year: a late push of kings. A surge hit the Feather River, providing a lot of fish caught well into November.

In a normal year, the Feather gets fished first with the likelihood that some remaining springers will get caught, before he moves to the Sacramento.

“I saw some fish in the Feather and went to scout it out a little bit and said, ‘They’re here and there are more coming.’ So I just stuck to it and started working at it,” Saldana says. “Then all of a sudden I got in a FlatFish bite and the water temperature dropped. I had enough water to navigate. And they just kept coming.

I have the exact same feeling we’re going to do it again.”

So what about the early part of the season? In July and August, he’ll likely fish around Chico in the Sacramento River, and around the July 16 opener, he plans to fish the

GUIDE SERVICE)

44 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Feather River’s Thermalito Afterbay outlet below Oroville Dam in search of springers.

Those first couple days can be the best in that setting since there’s been no fishing pressure “until the fish get wise,” he says.

Just don’t expect to be pulling in limits after a short time on either of the rivers.

“In July and August, fish will start trickling up. Early in the year, what happens is you might not get as big a quantity of fish, but you’ll get the quality on early trips,” Saldana says.

“A lot of times you’ll get what we call the little silver bullets; those early ones are nice and clean. Later on, you’ll get more numbers.”

EARLY AND LATE TACTICS When Saldana fishes the rivers early before the sun comes up, he’ll go with an old king salmon staple of back-bouncing sardine-wrapped FlatFish. But when the sun comes

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FISHING

Limits may be hard to come by when season gets going, but quality trumps quantity when the salmon cut this nice. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

up, he’ll switch to roe, either back-bouncing it vertically in holes, boondogging it, or a newer technique of using a bobber and spinning the roe.

“You get less hangups when bobber fishing,” Saldana says. “It allows you to kind of stay off the fish instead of going over them.”

When fishing more of the evening hours, roe is used first and then he’ll switch to his FlatFish setups.

This is what hard work and patience can get anglers who fish the Sacramento and Feather this king salmon season. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

Whatever the tactics, Saldana figures the run will get better later. And he urges to not get too stressed out about the fear of empty rivers void of prized kings.

“That’s one thing about those fish;

46 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

they will come up and do their thing,” Saldana says. “If you give them a little bit of water, they’ll get through …

The only way the salmon are not going to be there is, literally, if there is no water, virtually none.” CS

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Photography Trips, Fishing Trips, Golden Trout and more!

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FISHING TRAVEL BY PACKTRAIN TO THE STATE’S MOST STUNNING WILDERNESS TROUT FISHERIES

A packtrain transports horse riders and their gear into the spectacular, lake-rich high country of the Eastern Sierras. (FRONTIER PACK STATION)

By Chris Cocoles

G

etting to the Eastern Sierra backcountry can be a challenge, unless you have experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or just happen to have horses that can get you (and your fishing gear) from point A to point B. One Bishop-based outfitter has all your concerns covered.

“When you get up to the mountain, you want to hike or fly fish. There are

only two ways to get up there: you either hike or you go on horseback,” says Rhett Harty of Frontier Pack Station (888-437-MULE, 6853; frontierpacktrain.com). “So we’ll pack all their stuff, get them up the mountain and set up camp. That’s kind of the core business we do.”

The company, which was established by brothers Kent and Dave Dohnel, carries the motto, “You are the boss!” Guests can customize their trip to their specific itinerary. It could mean fishing for native golden

trout in a remote lake or stream. It could be checking out wild mustangs that roam free in Truman Meadow Area in the Inyo National Forest. It could be hiking or simply taking in the beauty of the Yosemite National Park and Ansel Adams/Minaret Wilderness. It could even be the popular yoga trip for those who want to mix horseback rides in the wilderness with a spiritual twist. There is a lot of ground packtrains can cover in a widespread area.

One of the special trips Fron-

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Ever fished the Owens River?

Might just be time to...

The Other Side of California DEATH VALLEY & THE EASTERN SIERRA

One of Frontier’s signature excursions is riding out to the Truman Meadow Area in Inyo National Forest to watch wild mustangs frolic in freedom.

(FRONTIER PACK STATION)

INYO COUNTY www.theothersideofcalifornia.com

BIG PINE, BISHOP, DEATH VALLEY, INDEPENDENCE & LONE PINE

50 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

tier Pack Station offers is a five-day golden trout trip that begins at June Lake in the Eastern Sierra to the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Fishing stops along the way include Thousand Island Lake and the headwaters of the iconic San Joaquin River for golden/ rainbow trout hybrids, brookies and rainbows of Rush Creek, and the signature stop, Alger Lakes for wild golden trout that can measure out between 12 and 16 inches.

“The golden trout trips are kind of the core of the business. You can only catch golden trout (high) up in the mountains to specific places.

You’re talking 10,600 feet (at Alger Lakes),” Harty says.

“It’s a unique experience to catch these fish. And it’s not like they’re little either; these aren’t 6-inchers.

You’re catching trout that are a different color from anything else that you catch. And you really can’t catch them anywhere else. These fish aren’t really pressured, but you have to work for it.”

Watching wild mustangs roaming free is another memorable excursion.

“Our first trip of the season (in early June) it had rained on us and hailed on us. Then it was beautifully sunny. It was cold and then it was warm. And all the while we’re observing these mustangs,” Harty says.

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FISHING

Anglers can cast flies for various species in lakes and creeks at or around 10,000 feet, including a rare chance to catch native golden trout at Alger Lakes. (FRONTIER PACK STATION)

The good life in the backcountry of the Eastern Sierra means partying with friends on a custom horse-pack trip with all your meals taken care of.

(FRONTIER PACK STATION)

“We saw two stallions fighting; we saw an older stallion racing a younger stallion around the group. You talk about a horse race; we watched these horses run for probably 4,000 yards in a dead sprint, and they went by us while still sprinting. You saw (American Pharoah win) the Triple Crown (this year). We saw a real horse race.”

Do-it-yourself trips are popular with many outdoorsmen and -women, but there’s also something to be said about an outfitter who will adhere to your specific needs, set you and get you into some California’s most spectacular country.

“It’s stunning. There are only a few places where you can get some of (the scenery) and you have to work for it,” Harty says. “You think you’re in the trees and all of a sudden you get to clearing and then you’re in the mountains. I’ve been doing this for eight or nine years and I’m still blown away when I get into the mountains.” CS 52 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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It might be a loaded bass craft ready to take on double-digit Southland largemouth. Or perhaps it’s a jet sled for tackling Sacramento River fall-run Chinook. Whatever the size, whatever the species, you’re ready to earn a captain’s greeting from your fishing partners.

But what’s a boat without the proper swag to make your fishing experience a perfect one? You need the best fishing rod, the bass-slaying swimbait, the top-of-theline sunglasses and the most effective protection from Mother Nature.

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plenty of water to explore. Mountain lakes like Tahoe are a great place to troll for Mackinaw or brown trout.

San Francisco Bay will soon be full of kings entering the Golden Gate on their way to spawn in the Central Valley rivers. Do you live closer to Los Angeles? Try the Eastern Sierra’s large lakes like Crowley or Convict. This month is an ideal time to catch some hard-fighting rainbows before the kids get out of school and the area is buzzing with tourists.

So as you prepare to hitch your new outdoor toy onto the trailer, seek out the nearest launch and christen it with its maiden voyage, take a look at the diagram we’ve put together. You can’t go wrong with any of the equipment we’ve showcased. Good luck as you plan to enjoy the Golden State’s lakes, rivers and saltwater fisheries. CS

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FISHING

LEVELS HANGING IN AT OTAY SAN DIEGO LAKE HAS MORE WATER, BASS THAN MANY OTHER RAIN-STARVED RESERVOIRS

Otay Lake was about 75 percent full at press time last month, making it one of San Diego’s best options for bass this month. The largemouth are in the weeds and will bite topwater baits like Pop-Rs. (BILL SCHAEFER)

By Bill Schaefer

A

s summer heats up the inland valleys of San Diego, Otay Lake is heating up as well. The reservoir is holding probably the most water of all the San Diego lakes, percentage-wise.

At 75 percent full, the tules are in the water and the launch ramp has all lanes open. As for the largemouth, they are being caught on everything from topwater baits in the morning to various plastics off main lake points in the afternoon. Hard and soft jerkbaits have been producing some good-sized bass all day.

There are some giants to be caught at this lake, and a lot of 4- to 6-pound fish too. There is a lot of weed growth coming in, but if you can work around it, or on top of it, you will score some bigger fish. One

hint is to fish the gap between the tules and the weed growth with Texas or dropshot worms.

In the morning, work topwater baits along the tules of the main lake.

Try Pop-Rs, TD Pencils, Spooks or your own favorite. Sometimes the bass want a spitting bait, and sometimes they want a walker. Even buzzbaits have been raising some fish. As the sun gets higher in the sky go to jerkbaits. Smaller Japanese ones have been the ticket, but old favorites like the Smithwick Rogue will work too. Don’t leave your spinnerbaits at home either; after all, the bass are chasing shad.

In some areas of the lake the weeds are so thick that they’re matted on the surface.

Some anglers are scoring on frogs or are throwing a soft jerkbait or fluke. Dragging their lure across the

top of the matted weeds produces an explosion as the bass hiding underneath come up for their bait. They’re using a fairly fast retrieve across the weeds, and no weight. If you come to the smallest hole in the weeds and pause for just a second, usually the bass take that chance to take the bait.

There have also been some breaking fish, mostly in Otay’s Harvey Arm. Small schools of bass are roaming the lake and chasing around the balls of bait. Watch for the birds diving on the scraps. Topwater baits like the TD Pencil or Rebel Pop-R will do the trick. One successful avenue to catching bass has been small flukes thrown weightless on the breaking fish. Small 1- to 3-inch grubs on a small jighead will also work well on these fish. You never know if these fish will be a 1-pounder or a 5-pounder; it’s always exciting! CS

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62 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

QUIETOLOGY 101

BREAKING RADIO SILENCE ON STEALTH-MODE BASS TACTICS

The author keeps boat noise to a minimum in clear, shallow water, particularly on pressured fisheries.

(JEFF WARNER/XFACTOR TACKLE)

By Jason Haley

P

ardon the pun, but not wanting to give up any competitive advantage on the lake, this is something I’m normally quiet about.

Have you ever heard a conversation from halfway across the lake because every angler in a boat seems to be yelling? Me too! It often involves beer, but not always. Then there are the bassers – including some of the most experienced ones I know – who bang the sides of the boat, slam lids, throw the trolling motor down or rattle through tackle at precisely the wrong times.

But does any of this really matter when it comes to improving your catch? You’re darn right it does!

Keep rods and other gear out of the way to ensure quiet while working prime spots for big bass. (SCOTT CROSBY)

BOAT-SHY BASS Bass are dumb, right? Well, yes and no. In a private pond that gets fished once per year, perhaps you’ll get the best of a gullible opponent. But there’s a reason why long casts often work best, particularly in clear, pressured water. Bass – especially the big ones – usually feed best when everything around is totally natural. They’re accustomed to human presence followed by artificial food sources plopping down and rattling by. The bigs are usually caught when all is just right and a choice cast is made.

STEALTH MODE This is what I call my approach. It’s acting on the hunch that the attractive spot I’m coming up on holds quality, active bass. I cut the big motor well in advance of the shoreline to avoid waves, lower (not drop) the trolling motor slowly and quietly, then close the distance. I start on high speed before switching to low speed to avoid alerting any fish.

I want my first cast to slide in

rather than plop. Hooking a fish on the outside of the school might require touching the trolling motor a few times during the fight to avoid drifting directly over the sweet spot.

As I work my way in and around, I’m careful to speak in normal or even quiet tones. One partner started taking my cue and whispering. I could barely hear him, and that may have been a little much. The key is to just avoid yelling, even if you’re all jacked up on morning coffee.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING Quiet is not as critical in deep or even dirty water, as noise can actually help bass find your lures. But it’s essential when sitting on top of fish in shallow, clear water. If you’re

fishing the back of the boat, never rummage through your tackle bag and change baits while your boater is slipping up on their A-spot. You may catch a few smaller fish, but it’ll generally be game over for the big one your partner was stalking. I’ve even noticed small waves lapping against the side of the boat can adversely affect bites. There’s not much you can do about boat traffic or breezes, but watch the fish turn on as soon as that noise dissipates.

Of course, mistakes do happen.

You’re going to kick something, drop the pliers or rattle the Pringles can.

But while ringing the dinner bell can get you in a biting mood, it just never seems to work on bass. CS

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64 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

BAJA’S RED GHOSTS & MONSTERS AMID THE SEA OF CORTEZ’S MULTITUDE OF GAME FISH, TWO ANGLERS OBSESS OVER SNAPPER

By Tim E. Hovey

I

first met my friend John Smith at the back of an organic chemistry class while we were both in college. He was easy to spot in the early-morning class, dressed in his pressed ROTC uniform. He’d walk in a few minutes late, weave his way to the back of the class, take a seat and promptly fall asleep.

Within months of our first meeting, John and I were traveling the roads of Baja California and fishing for science. At the end of that first year we were both part of an elite fishing group that flew down to La Paz to catch specimens for research projects. For a couple of college students who loved to fish, it was a trip of a lifetime.

THE FIRST MORNING of the trip, we gathered at the beach of Los Arenas and climbed into our assigned pangas. We fished hard for three days and enjoyed every single minute. We caught species we had never even seen before and landed a handful of game fish. It was during this fishing trip to La Paz that we first encountered the pargo.

The name pargo is a general description given to describe several species of snapper inhabiting the Gulf of California. While there are over a half-dozen different species of true snapper that anglers can catch in Baja, the two giants that probably garner the most attention are the dogtooth snapper and the mullet snapper.

At the end of our first day of fishing, while most were offloading dorado and tuna, John and I were drawn

The author fights a fish in the Sea of Cortez. Amid all the game fish of Baja California’s waters, two species of bright-red snapper fascinate he and friend John Smith the most. (TIM E. HOVEY)

to a boat at the edge of the fleet. The captain had tossed two large fish in the sand near the shore. The bright reddish-brown fish were strikingly different in appearance than the other game fish. The smaller of the two was a 30-pound dogtooth snapper. The fish was over 3 feet long, dark red with shades of brown and a mouthful of large canine teeth. The side of the fish was scarred up, the result of having lost the battle to escape to the rocks.

The second species in the fillet pile was larger than the dogtooth and was an indescribable shade of red. It had huge yellow eyes, scales the size of a silver dollar and a tail wider than

a broom. This was a mullet snapper, and John and I were fascinated.

When you come to such an amazing angling location as La Paz, you most certainly want to tangle with the more popular game fish that cruise the Sea of Cortez.

During the drive back to the hotel, fishermen talked of catching dorado, tuna, sailfish and marlin. While I listened to stories of who caught what, all I could think about were the two red fish lying in the sand.

As the trips to Baja piled up, John and I started to learn just how tough these two species of snapper were to catch. The mullet snapper has incredible eyesight and shies away

calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2015 California Sportsman

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FISHING from larger hooks and thicker line.

During peak times of the year, huge schools of this species will gather and tease fishermen as they rise to the surface in huge red balls – only to shun most offerings – and then sink below the surface and disappear. I called them the red ghosts.

The dogtooth snapper uses brute strength, savage teeth and rocky caves to elude fishermen. Often hooked on trolled live baits, they’ll grab the lure with an explosive surface take.

In the seconds that follow, the hooked dogtooth snapper will head for the rocky caves to escape. Unprepared anglers unable to overcome the strength of the escaping fish will be left with dashed hopes

and frayed lines. To John and I, these two species definitely represented the highest angling challenge of Baja.

IN 2008, WE planned a trip to La Paz to The dogtooth snapper is known for a maw full of teeth and brute fish the azure blue strength, a combo that‘s frayed more than one angler’s line. (TIM E. HOVEY) waters off the coast of Los Arenas. We booked a threesnapper. Ending the trip by chasing day fishing package and arrived with the big red monster of the gulf was high hopes. Unfortunately, the first fine with me. two days of fishing were extremely We rigged up the large trolling slow. We searched the usually very rigs, baited them with whole ladyfishy waters around Cerralvo Island fish and dropped the bait behind the and fished hard those first two days, boat. The captain guided the panga only to return to the beach with around the perimeter of the island in empty fish boxes. about 60 feet of water. Liquid shadOn day three, we headed to the ows and large dark shapes were visioffshore island to catch bait. Once ble in the clear water below. We were the hold was full, John and I decidin the right place, with the right bait, ed that we should try trolling for dog and we were ready.

A fleet of fishing boats returns to the beach of Los Arenas from an excursion, which turned out to be an epiphany for the two anglers, given the exotic species they caught. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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FISHING After two passes with no action, the captain was swinging wide for a third pass when a large and violent splash erupted behind the boat. Less than a second later, John’s rod bent sharply, and even though the drag was tightened down, the reel began to scream.

John realized that the next few seconds would decide who won this battle. He grabbed the rod, leaned back hard and squeezed the reel to slow the escaping line. Seeing the strike, the captain simultaneously pointed the panga toward open ocean, assisting in fighting the fish with the boat.

John and Tim show off dogtooth and mullet snappers caught out of the Sea of Cortez. Fishing for the colorful snappers known collectively as pargo has become an obsession for the longtime friends. (TIM E. HOVEY)

68 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

For the first minute, it was a stalemate. The fish’s enormous tail pulled hard against the drag, the rod and John. No line was given and none was retrieved. And then the battle turned. John grabbed the handle and took three quick turns, gaining a few feet. The captain again gunned the panga for open water and John gained a few more feet.

With the fish tiring and the jagged rocks out of play, John fought the large red fish back to the boat.

With one last lift, John’s first and last fish of the trip came to gaff.

You likely could’ve heard our celebration back at the launching beach, 7 miles away.

During the fight, we had drifted off the island and we were just about to run back in to troll our last big bait, but then the red ghosts appeared. A large red cloud rose to the surface about 40 yards away. I grabbed my 30-pound outfit, already rigged with a small bait hook, put on one of the smaller baits and tossed my rig into the center of the cloud.

At first, absolutely nothing happened. The small baitfish darted around and then began to dive, looking for cover. I was watching the line as it twitched and then began to move. I let several seconds pass as line peeled off my reel. I then locked it up and set the hook.

Despite living in the same environment, the hardest part about catching a mullet snapper is getting them to bite. They rarely try to escape into the rocks and if you can fool their incredible eyesight and keep them hooked, the battle can tip in the angler’s favor.

As soon as the fish felt steel, the red cloud dispersed. The hooked snapper took off and peeled line off for 45 seconds before easing up. I could feel him thumping his broom-like tail trying to escape. I kept the pressure on, but with every line gain, the fish would take double that back as he headed for deeper water. The captain looked at

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FISHING me and said, “Grande pargo!”

We were now a mile from the island, and even though the school had been less than a foot from the surface when the snapper took my bait, none of us had seen the hooked fish. My rod continued the rhythmic thumping as the snapper kept fighting. All I could think of was a hook that could easily fit on a dime was the only thing connecting me to this fish.

I finally began gaining line and could feel that the fight was about over. John looked over the side and saw the large snapper on its side 20 feet below.

“Dang, that’s a nice one!”

With a final pull, my first and last fish of the trip, a huge mullet snapper, was gaffed and heaved over the side.

AFTER A FEW photos, the bright red snapper was added to the fish box

The hardest part about catching a mullet is getting one to bite. Even if a school is hanging out on the surface, they will ignore lures – though Tim’s bait caught this one’s eye (TIM E. HOVEY)

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FISHING alongside John’s beast. We fished hard that last day, but the two red fish were all we caught.

That didn’t matter to us. Back on shore, we walked the sand beach among the other pangas to see what others had caught. It was clear that the last few days on the gulf had been slow.

Back at our boat, two other captains were admiring our catch of the day. A few years earlier, John and I had been on this same beach when we first encountered the red giant.

After a few trips, we finally figured out the techniques and caught two nice specimens of pargo ourselves.

I love fishing the Sea of Cortez.

I’ve caught all the popular big game species available over the years, but photos of John and I with our large red fish remain some of my favorites. To share a boat with a good friend and fish the pristine waters of Baja will forever be some of my fondest memories. CS A happy John Smith with his dogtooth snapper caught in Baja. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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FISHING

GEARING UP FOR MEXICO PICKING THE RIGHT TACKLE FOR A BAJA FISHING TRIP

By Tim E. Hovey

A

fter the excitement of booking a fishing trip to Baja finally sinks in, most anglers will go through the anguish of trying to figure out what gear they need to bring. The well-prepared will want to be ready for anything ... which usually leads to overpacking. Believe me, I’ve been there. I’ve shown up on the shores of the Sea of Cortez with so much gear that guides seriously thought I had a few more anglers assigned to my boat.

After several trips south of the border to fish, I quickly realized I wasn’t using half of what I packed. From those early experiences, I settled on a refined list of rig sizes that seems to cover a majority of the big game fish Baja offers:

light line-class rig. I’ve caught everything from small mackerel to use for bait, to 100-pound sailfish with this rig. It’s ideal for line-shy game fish like pargo, and can handle many of the nearshore species like roosterfish, cabrilla and triggerfish. It’s also my go-to rig when fishing the shark buoys for dorado.

30- TO 50-POUND OUTFIT This midsized rig is perfect for trolling larger artificial baits like Rapalas and tuna feathers. Most of the larger game fish I’ve caught in Baja have come on this rig. When we’re fishing for marlin or sailfish, this is the setup the guides usually grab. Put on a rod belt and this outfit will be perfect for large yellowtail and yellowfin tuna. It’s a great universal rig for a majority of the big game fish you’ll encounter in Baja.

20- TO 30-POUND OUTFIT In the world of Baja, this is considered a

60-POUND OUTFIT OR LARGER

I added this rig to the arsenal after losing a huge dogtooth snapper in the rocks years ago. When you target large game fish in relatively shallow water, you’ll need something sturdy. An outfit with a heavy drag and 60-pound-class line is needed to literally keep these toothy beasts from making it back to their rocky lairs. This rig can also work as a pelagic trolling rod.

I think terminal tackle is more of a personal choice. I always take a healthy selection of different-sized hooks and several different colors of trolling lures (Rapalas). I also take a wide selection of casting lures, spare spools of line and an assortment of weights. And you can never go wrong bringing a dozen or so sabiki rigs for catching bait.

If you’ve booked a trip with an outfitter, give them a call a few weeks before you arrive and ask them what gear they suggest you bring. I’ve always found several of the outfits in Baja to be extremely helpful when it comes to gear and angling information. CS

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FISHING

RETURN TO GLORY? water, but they suspend two-thirds of the way up off the bottom, usually about 20 to 40 feet below the surface.

The females drop their eggs and the males fertilize them as the currents carry them to the bottom. The best part of all of this is that the fish feed voraciously during their spawn.

Once you locate some, take a good look at how deep the meter marks are.

Then cast and count down your lure, click your reel in gear and use a steady retrieve. You need to pay close attention; the sand bass will eat your bait on the sink at times and you won’t even feel the bite. Varying the count will find the fish. Then stick with that count for endless action.

For tackle, any light to medium saltwater tackle will work, but I like to use heavy freshwater bass gear – usually a 7-foot, 6-inch triggerstick with a Daiwa Lexa 300 loaded with 15-pound Maxima Ultragreen line. Spinning tackle in this same range will do just fine too.

Plastic swimbaits are really all you need, and ones by Big Hammer, MC Swimbaits, Reebs Lures and Western Plastics in any of your favorite colThe author’s son, Bricen Schaefer, caught ors will work, but sardine, brownbait this nice Imperial Beach-area sand bass. or solid pearls are some of the better The gold spot under the eye means the fish patterns to have in the boat. Jigheads is in spawn mode. (BILL SCHAEFER) should be about ¾ to 1 ounce in size.

The fish average about 2 pounds, but there are giants up to 6 or 8 pounds out here. They will eat the iron as well, so don’t forget to have your jigstick on the boat. White, blue-and-white, scrambled eggs and straight chrome are just a few colors that the big boys will eat. Bait will work here, but there really isn’t any need for it, unless you’re hoping for a bite from a rare yellowtail or white seabass

By Capt. Bill Schaefer that cruise through the area.

At its peak, there will be hundreds of private boats and t’s July and the already warm ocean waters usually all the sport boats fishing out there, so be patient. Find bring the sand bass spawn to Southern California. an area to explore and watch the meter for the fish. At The summer spawn of the feisty barred fish can one point, the spawn will be going off from Santa Barbamean wide-open action for anglers. The last couple of ra to just south of the border, so there’s plenty of room years have been a little slow for sand bass, but the unusufor everyone to have fun and catch a ton of fish. Try the ally warm waters we’ve had so far this year should return Huntington Flats and Imperial Beach Flats, two of the the fishing to the glory days.

Southland’s best areas. CS The sand bass spawn over depths of 80 to 100 feet of

WARMER PACIFIC WATERS COULD LEAD TO A SAND BASS EXTRAVANGZA

I

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FISHING

CONTRADICTING INFORMATION? FOR HOW ENDANGERED BLUEFIN TUNA POPULATIONS ARE SAID TO BE, THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF THEM OFFSHORE THESE DAYS Veteran offshore angler Bob Hoose of Penn Reels and a member of The Tuna Club fights what was ultimately a losing battle with a monster bluefin tuna near Catalina Island in early June. The whopper bluefin was estimated at 200 pounds and could have established a new record at the venerable club.

(THE TUNA CLUB)

By Steve Carson

T

he last several years have seen the best bluefin tuna fishing that California and northern Baja anglers have seen in living memory. This year the action is shaping up to be even better, and the average size of the fish is much larger.

Besides what anglers are catching and seeing, spotter planes are able to locate schools of bluefin containing thousands and thousands of fish, continually moving into California waters.

However, we keep receiving information that the Pacific’s population of bluefin is in critical condition, and drastic catch reductions are necessary on an immediate basis.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife was eagerly poised and ready to totally shut down bluefin fishing in California waters. Luckily, bluefin are a federally managed species and CDFW is usually mandated

to follow the federal lead.

The California bluefin catches during early June were unprecedented since the period around World War 1, and when Zane Grey was writing about his angling exploits near Catalina Island.

A typical story from this year was related by Tuna Club member Bob Hoose. Last year, Hoose broke the International Game Fish Association world record for yellowtail in the 12-pound line class, and is a veteran offshore angler who is not prone to exaggeration.

“We were about 5 or 6 miles off the east shore of Catalina,” Hoose said. “The boat pulled up on a foamer of big bluefin going 100 pounds or better. My buddy hooked up on a mackerel using 50-pound Dacron line, as Tuna Club rules dictate, and 60-pound-test fluorocarbon. After fighting the fish for an hour, it chewed through the leader.”

The action was just beginning.

“A short time later, we pulled up on another spot of fish and brailed some live squid, which caused the fish to boil all around the boat,” Hoose said. “My other buddy hooked up on

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FISHING an even bigger bluefin on a mackerel with 60-pound fluorocarbon leader and again got chewed off after a long fight. Yet another spot of fish came up, and we chummed another bunch of live squid, which again made the fish go totally bonkers. I hooked up a really big bluefin on a small mackerel using the club-required 50-pound Dacron line on a Penn Squall 16VS two-speed reel, 60-pound Berkley Pro-Spec fluorocarbon leader and a 3/0 circle hook.”

Hoose was in for quite a fight with the bluefin, which lasted just shy of two hours.

“We had it almost up to the boat.

Right at the last minute, the fish rolled over on its back and came back around the opposite way; the hook just dropped out if its mouth. This was a huge fish, in the 200-pound class, and would easily have been a Tuna Club record. I’ve never seen so many tuna; it was just like the old

days. We only hooked three fish all day, but every one of them was well over 100 pounds.”

Hoose added, “The yellowtail bite at Catalina has also continued to be good for 25-pound fish, if you have the live squid. We even caught and released a 150-pound black seabass on the surface iron. It hit right up top on a Tady 45 jig, and was very tough to land on the 9-foot jigstick I was using.”

NEW LIMITS LOOMING? In other bluefin news, as of this writing, CDFW has not formally adopted the new reduced, two-fish daily bag limits that were decided by federal authorities. On a technical legal basis, that means that anglers may still keep 10 bluefin per day in California waters.

Party boats are already enforcing the two-bluefin limit, but some private boaters are still following the current letter of the law. It is only

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a matter of time, and the new regs were supposed to be finalized before July 1.

Interestingly, Mexico has not yet opened its waters to recreational take of bluefin, although the commercial season has already closed, as the quota has been reached early due the extreme abundance of bluefin.

It is very apparent that the stock assessments being used to manage the eastern Pacific bluefin fishery are in need of updating.

Meanwhile, yellowfin tuna have also been caught in the waters off California already, and the yellowtail action along the coast as far north as Long Beach has been reminiscent of the 1950s. No doubt 2015 will be a fishing season to tell your grandchildren about. Get out there and go fishing. CS Editor’s note: The author loves hearing from California Sportsman readers; contact him at scarson@sunset.net.

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FISHING

FROM FIELD ...

There are many ways to fish for stripers in the waters of San Francisco and San Pablo Bays, but trolling bait, like this anchovy behind a squid, or hoochie, is becoming one of the most effective. Trolling allows an angler to cover a great deal of water, and it’s hard to beat the look, smell and feel of a real meal. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

DIVERSITY BY THE BAY SAN FRANCISCO, SAN PABLO BAYS OFFER PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR STRIPER FISHING

By Scott Haugen

W

hile pursuing halibut in the southern end of San Francisco Bay, my buddy, Don Newman, and I happened upon stripers as well.

This came as no surprise and, in fact, most of the time we were si-

multaneously targeting both species.

Stripers are more opportunistic feeders than halibut, so once you find them, the action can be fast-paced.

Working the flats around San Francisco International Airport on down to Candlestick Park yielded some good fish over the course of the morning, and Newman has nailed

many bass in this stretch over the years. We didn’t find any monsters while trolling the bay, but they’re out there. Perhaps with some bigger tide changes we’d have found fish, but as it was, trolling was our only option on this day.

In addition to bait, there is a huge diversity of lures one can use when

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FISHING

Brought to you by:

... TO FIRE

A TASTY FISH WRAP

By Tiffany Haugen

A

fter a day of striper fishing, nothing beats a good fish fry. Cut into small pieces, chunks of striper meat coat nicely with batter or a dip in egg/flour/breadcrumbs and fry up very quickly; the result yields a sweet, moist, tender treat. As tasty as fried stripers (or any white-meated fish) may be, however, there are alternative cooking methods for these versatile bass.

Fish is one of the healthiest proteins, and in order to keep the whole meal healthy, try steam-baking your next batch of stripers in parchment paper or foil. In the oven or on the grill, cooking fish in sealed packets locks in moisture and infuses flavor throughout the meat.

With individual portions prepared this way, serving and cleanup are a breeze.

When filleting stripers or any fish caught in warm water, remove all bones and skin from the meat. Rinse away any slime or scales, prior to cooking.

Ingredients For each packet: 4 to 6 ounces striper chunks/fillets Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes 2 teaspoons finely chopped chives or onions Three to four leaves fresh basil, chopped Parmesan cheese for garnish 10-inch-by-10-inch square of parchment paper or foil Preparation • Place fish chunks/fillets in the center of parchment paper or foil.

• Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

• Top with remaining ingredients.

• Fold parchment paper or foil, sealing

90 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

all edges.

• Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven or on a medium-hot grill for 10 minutes.

• Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s latest book, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489.

This and other cookbooks can also be ordered at tiffanyhaugen.com.

Tiffany Haugen is a full-time author and part of the new online series, Cook With Cabela’s. Also, watch for her on The Sporting Chef on the Sportsman Channel. Follow her on Instragram, Facebook and Twitter.

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chasing stripers. Black bass crankbaits trolled 10 to 12 feet off the propwash are highly effective. When trolling in deeper water, P-Line Predators, deep-diving broken-back Rebels, and Bagley’s Monster Shad and Bang-O-B plugs are all good choices.

But trends in the bays reveal that trolling bait is becoming the most effective fish-producing approach, simply because it’s the most effective and efficient way to cover large amounts of water and find stripers.

In the evening, we moved into San Pablo Bay, launching out of Loch Lomond. From here we spent time casting lipless vibration crankbaits around the Marin Islands and neighboring shorelines. The noisy rattle chambers drew fish from afar and elicited vicious strikes. With fish narrowing down where they travel and congregating in these waters, casting was more productive than trolling, especially once we located a school.

WORK THE TIDES

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The prime times for casting crankbaits is around the last hour of an incoming tide, through the high slack and into the first two hours of an outgoing tide when bass gather around shore structures to feed.

For this approach, the flats in front of San Quentin and the Brothers Islands are good bets. In addition, holes known by locals as the Brick Yard and Red Rock also offer anglers prime casting opportunities and allow for working the tops of the rock pinnacles at high tide.

Ironically, some of these same areas are good for deep-water fishing.

On another trip with Barry Canevaro, we launched out of Richmond Marina and spent time around Buoy 5 and the Sisters.

Here, we drifted with the tide and fished in and over rock pinnacles.

We timed it to hit the incoming tide, mainly the maximum ebb current and about three hours into the incoming tide. Canevaro positioned the boat to be carried over the pinnacles on the incoming tide, allowing us to

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93

FISHING walk the baits up the reef behind us.

“Avoid dragging the bait up these rock walls,” offered Canevaro. “This will only get you hung up. Instead, pump the bait, keeping light contact with the bottom; the bite usually comes atop these pinnacles,” he noted, pointing at the colorful screen of his depth finder. He was right.

The Rock Pile near Alcatraz and the reef at the South Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge are also good places to dead-drift bait over. With such a vast array of water and species to fish for, Canevaro has proven himself over the years as a highly diversified guide, capitalizing on present conditions and fish behavior to make the most out of each trip. It was fun fishing with and learning from a man of his caliber, all done in waters new to me.

This summer, don’t be afraid to diversify your striper fishing approach.

Be it trolling, dead-drifting bait or

Author Scott Haugen had a great day trolling

casting plugs, each and casting a mix of presentations for San tactic has its place.

Francisco Bay stripers, In addition to the and was elated with the fishing tackle, perfine-eating meat he came away with. (SCOTT HAUGEN) haps the best investment you can make is a depth finder, which will allow you to study the details of bottom structure and can help you decide not only where, but how to fish.

With summer here, make time to get on the bays and explore their great fishing opportunities. Not only are stripers hard-fightMore Salmon & Steelhead, send a ing and fun to catch, they’re incredicheck for $29.95 (free S&H) to Haugen ble on the table. CS Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit scotthaugen.com.

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NO RAIN? ADJUST TO IT

THE DROUGHT SHOULDN’T DRY UP YOUR PREPARATIONS FOR ARCHERY DEER SEASON

By Albert Quackenbush

D

ust and dirt have taken over the landscape where lush, green trees used to stand.

Waterholes are drying up. Wildlife is spread out.

Should you give up on deer hunting this year? Should you not practice with your bow as often? My answer is no, and what’s more, those are the wrong questions to ask. The right one is, How do you scout and prepare in conditions such as this?

It’s a combination of research, planning and hiking, along with other things that you must do to give yourself the best possible chances at finding wildlife in a dry year.

First off, don’t get overwhelmed with all the data (or lack thereof) out there. While there are good places for information (California Sportsman, The SoCal Bowhunter blog, etc.), the best is what you learn in the field.

Grab your binoculars, lace up your boots, find a trail and hike it. Getting out there is half the battle, and you might be surprised at what you find.

DON’T BE CAMERA SHY When the animals won’t appear in daylight, you can set up some trail cameras. Finding water is going to

be a key factor, and while you might not find a waterhole on a map, a good starting point would be looking at lush, green foliage in valleys. They may or may not have visible water, but it can pay off, even if there is just a trickle of a stream. The main issue is that these valleys may be miles from where you were intending to hunt. You can choose to hunt the same spots you normally would and not see many deer, or you can hike in a greater distance and improve your chances.

This is where those trail cameras will help. Set them up in these remote locations and come back in a month to see what is on them. Place them with care, because you don’t want them facing into the sun and you also don’t want to catch 4,000 photos of a tree branch swaying in the breeze. Consider that other people may be hiking here too. My suggestion is to hide your camera well in as remote a location as you can and then leave it alone for at least a month. I also like to spray my cameras down with scent-killer. The hardest part is it will take some work to get them in the places you want.

LONG-RANGE PRACTICE Archery practice is something I don’t

The author surveys a very low waterhole in Southern California during a preseason scouting trip. Finding water of any kind provides a clue to possible deer use of an area. (ALBERT QUACKENBUSH) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2015 California Sportsman

97

If it looks like poison oak, assume it is poison oak. However, when searching for a drinking source for deer during drought conditions, a good starting point is to look for lush, green foliage in otherwise dry valleys.

(ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

hear much about when it comes to scouting, and normally I wouldn’t mention it, but with the lack of water in many of our hunting areas we must practice at longer ranges.

I wasn’t much of a believer in practicing at 70 to 90 yards for a long time. I didn’t have to since I was hunting from a treestand. Hunting on the ground offers some challenges that you simply must prepare for. I may not shoot at a deer at 90 yards, but I will practice often at those long ranges.

That not only allows my 40-yard shots to feel like I’m cheating, but it also introduces some more options when hunting. You can’t always take a 30- to 40-yard shot when hunting in California. Sometimes the only shot opportunity is at 70 yards, and if you aren’t comfortable shooting at that distance, one of two things may happen.

Either you won’t take the shot because it’s too far, or you will take the shot and run the risk of seriously wounding an animal, but not killing it.

The latter is not even an option for me, so I continue to practice. Perfect practice will allow you to be a better shot.

ADJUST ON THE FLY

The effects of the drought on water sources are clear given the almost dried-out waterhole the author found on his scouting trip. (ALBERT QUACKENBUSH) 98 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Recently, I was practicing at the El Dorado Park archery range and met a new bowhunter who had originally found me on ArcheryTalk. New bowhunters learn by example; if you are practicing often, they will see that. He wanted to ask a few questions about his set-up and I invited him to come shoot with us. He opted to hang back and shoot on his own at first, but he watched us carefully.

If you are constantly adjusting your set-up, others will think they need to do the same. My approach to shooting at the range is to shoot.

I make my adjustments by myself.

Once I hit the range, I am ready to send some VAPs into the foam. This young man was eager to learn and a quick study. He listened carefully and improved almost immediately.

We have now been shooting together for a few weeks and I am taking him scouting to show him the ropes.

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HUNTING

It feels good to give back and see our bowhunting lifestyle grow.

Aim small, miss small or, better yet, don’t miss at all! I practice on a small target most of the year. When summer hits, I change things up. Instead of just having a dinner platesized target for me to hit, I put a 3-inch circle to aim for. If I aim small, I must focus and take my time.

Recently, I was shooting with some friends and routinely hit inside a 2- to 3-inch circle each time from 20 yards. While we noticed that I was taking my time, leveling out and shooting within a 10- to 15-second window, one of the other guys was shooting very rapidly and not hitting the bullseye. We made it a friendly competition, talked some smack and laughed the afternoon away.

Lautoua Lo sights in his HHA Optimizer Lite Ultra bow set-up at the range in preparation for deer season.

Lack of water in many areas during this deer season means it’s a wise idea to practice at longer ranges.

(ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

I learned a couple things that day about my shooting. First off, my patience is strong. Second, I must practice shooting a bit faster for those opportunities that must be taken.

100 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

PATIENCE A MUST A pig will not sit there and wait for you. They are constantly on the move and you must act quickly. Shooting a deer is a different story and usually

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HUNTING

they will give you more time than you think. Be patient and make that first shot count!

If you want to get out and have a little fun with your friends, and possibly get some good eats, rabbit season opens July 1. It’s great fun and also very good practice. As previously mentioned, if you aim small, you will miss small.

Even bowfishing can be great right now. With the water levels lower than they have been in a very long time, bowfishing with your buddies is a great way to pass the time away this summer. It’s great practice, great fun and helps rid the lakes of overpopulated carp.

Drought or no drought, hunting will continue and we will simply have to work harder at the range, find water and find the animals. No matter what, it will be a challenge and I am looking forward to it. That might sound crazy, but I say bring it on. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be as much fun.

Besides, when we finally do get some consistent rain and a few years pass by, the hunting opportunities should increase and we will have worked hard and it will be a great time to hunt. CS Editor’s note: For more on the author, check out socalbowhunter.com.

Bowfishing with your buddies is another great way to get in some time with your archery gear. (JERRYE STILLMAN/USWFS)

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DON’T FORGET ABOUT BOTSWANA DESPITE A SWEEPING BAN ON HUNTING, THIS AFRICAN GEM STILL OFFERS SOME OPTIONS

By Brittany Boddington

H

unting in Botswana has declined dramatically since the government halted the pursuit of elephants in the country.

Botswana has always been known for its high-quality elephant and was a major safari destination until the nation’s 2012 decision to make the practice illegal as of last year.

The government also banned hunting on public land, which meant that a lot of outfitters

The sun sets over the horns of Brittany Boddington’s oryx. Despite Botswana’s banning of elephant hunts and hunting on public land, there are plenty of opportunities to stalk game on private land in this southern African country tucked among more trendy destinations like South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

and guides moved or changed their programs.

Nowadays, most of the world is under the impression that this means Botswana is no longer a viable hunting destination.

That is incorrect.

There are huge chunks of private land with minimal fences that have wide varieties of game. I wanted to check it out for myself, so I went to visit Boka-

moso Safaris (bokamososafaris.com/ english). They are a four-hour drive from Maun Airport, an international hub in northern Botswana, in a nice spot they call their “little paradise.”

The lodge is incredible, featuring teak furniture hauled in from Zimbabwe and thatch roofs brought up from neighboring South Africa. No expense was spared in the construction of the lodge.

The hunting area is 60,000 hectares, or about 231 square miles,

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roughly half the size of the actual city of Los Angeles, with a huge amount of naturally occurring plains game and a few uninvited guests, like the elephants that broke in while I was there. The area is full of lions and leopards, and the guide estimated that there were 12 male lions living in the area, and which come and go as they please.

I was hunting plains game, with an emphasis on kudu and eland. It was May, midfall in southern Africa, and still extremely hot during the day, though temperatures mellowed out at night. The area had good rains last year and was abnormally lush and green, making visibility difficult.

But the animals were fat and happy.

The sand there is soft and red, making for a great leg workout for those of us who don’t spend much time walking on beaches. The first day we went out to shoot the gun, a .375 H&H from Legendary Arms Works, and then drove around to get a nice look at the area.

We got lucky and caught a glimpse of the five elephants that had broken into the area overnight. They managed to damage 25 kilometers of fence line by weaving their way in and out.

They seem to enjoy the destruction.

We also saw a beau-

tiful male lion that had most likely entered from the park to the north.

The lion did not seem the least bit concerned about our presence and put on a nice show for us by slowly walking past and roaring as he went.

The eland and kudu were not easy to find and most were already running by the time we spotted them.

SWITCHING IT UP After countless failed stalks in the intense heat, we decided to switch tasks and

The author found this massive snakeskin shed from a banded cobra. Her party all stepped more carefully after this, just in case. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

The area of Botswana that Brittany hunted, near the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, was green and lush, which was not typical for that time of year, as normally the leaves would have started falling by May. The heavy rains earlier this year helped keep the brush a vibrant green. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON) 106 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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The author’s zebra that almost slipped away into the darkness of the thick brush. Luckily, the Bushman trackers were able to follow the tracks as the sun went down. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

go for zebra since we were spotting a lot of them. We saw a herd from the road and slowly crept into the thick brush. The Bushman tracker kept his eyes fixed on the sand and showed us with his finger which way the zebra were moving. I was amazed at his tracking abilities in the soft sand.

He could tell when they were stopping or eating or running. We made a slow, steady stalk for what seemed like an eternity until I caught some movement ahead out of the corner of my eye. The zebra were all around us but next to invisible in the thick brush. My guide, Henri Voster, ducked down low and used his binoculars to get a better look at the herd.

There were two zebra directly in front of us; he said either of them would be perfect for me so I could shoot whichever one I could see clearly.

I got up on the sticks, and al-

Brittany got a lot of assistance from her professional hunter, or PH, Henri Voster and a Bushman who helped her track down the animals in the thick brush of Botswana. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON) 108 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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though the shot was close I could only see stripes, so it was difficult to tell where the shoulder was. I waited for the zebra to take a step forward; when it did, it was in a little window of brush. I could see the shoulder clearly and took my shot.

The zebra jumped at the shot and took off with the rest of the herd. I was worried my shot was misplaced, but the trackers assured me that it was hit hard. We followed the tracks of the herd and found a blood trail. By this time it was just starting to get dark.

We tracked the zebra until the light was just about gone and finally walked up on the zebra, which was down in the sand. Thankfully it died before we lost all the light or we would have struggled to follow it in the dark.

There’s an old saying that “meat brings meat.” After the initial struggle we got the zebra, and shortly after that we were able to get a gemsbok and a springbok.

There is no shortage of beautiful animals in Botswana, and my trip was a success in the sense that I can now confidently recommend this

With a backdrop like this, hunting in an underrated, beautiful and safe African nation like Botswana, harvesting a springbok is just a small part of the overall experience. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON) 110 California Sportsman JULY 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

southern African nation of just over two million as a hunting destination for plains game safaris.

Botswana is safe, picturesque and full of animals. I would recommend this option for a first safari or for something different if you have already hunted in other African countries. The moral of the story is that Botswana is open for hunting, so check it out! CS Editor’s note: The author is a Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer.

For more, check out brittanyboddington. com and facebook.com/brittanyboddington.

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