FISHING • HUNTING • TRAVEL CALSPORTSMANMAG.COM
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California
Sportsman Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 12 • Issue 10 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, John Heil, Todd Kline, Nancy Rodriguez, Bill Schaefer SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER California’s state fish is the golden trout, and as Nancy Rodriguez and her husband Joe discovered in the Eastern Sierra, hiking out to catch these iconic native fish in the backcountry makes the trip even more memorable. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 10
ON GOLDEN PONDS Nancy Rodriguez’s dad turned 90 years old and light-heartedly challenged his daughter to finally catch a golden trout, the state fish of California and a revered wild inhabitant of its pristine backcountry lakes. So Rodriguez and hubby Joe set out on a camping and fishing adventure in the Eastern Sierra that they hoped would prove, well, golden for the family.
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(NANCY RODRIGUEZ)
FEATURES 11
PRESERVING PISCATORIAL PURSUITS THROUGH PADDLING U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists based out of Red Bluff have a pretty sweet office that they’re sometimes able to kayak around. Colleague John Heil joined a group paddling on Clear Creek in Lassen County as they researched its salmon, steelhead and trout populations, part of an effort to ensure fishing opportunities.
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CALICO LOOKING FOR LOVE Romance is in the air for calicos off the Southern California coast, but while these bay bass may have the spawn on their mind, they can be usually enticed with a variety of swimbaits as they canoodle in the kelp. And with COVID-19 restrictions lifted enough to allow charter boats on the water, anglers have an excellent opportunity to put a few calicos in the cooler. Bill Schaefer has the details.
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TARGET PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Scott Haugen is getting ready for fall hunts now by honing his shooting accuracy, technique and posture. How? By plinking steel, self-healing ground and anatomical targets, all of which help keep his shooting eye sharp in summer. And elsewhere in he and his wife’s monthly From Field to Fire column, Tiffany Haugen serves up a tangy pepperoni recipe for that big game or bird you bag later this season.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 9 17 19 21 29 47
The Editor’s Note Outdoor calendar Adventures of Todd Kline Photo contest winners North Coast lingcod, halibut bite hot Perfecting the “whoa” command essential for training gun dogs
Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. 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) 382-9220 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 © 2020 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 6 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE
Nancy Rodriguez’s golden trout adventure in the Eastern Sierra can inspire us to find our own quiet place in difficult times. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)
I
n a summer without baseball – though as I write this there is finally some semblance of a plan for the boys of summer to return to the diamond this year – and a summer fighting not only COVID-19 but also the ugly stain of racism in America, maybe fishing is what we all need. Certainly I was particularly inspired by Nancy Rodriguez’s story on her quest to catch her first golden trout (page 22). Rodriguez and her husband Joe found solace – not to mention guaranteed social distancing – in the Eastern Sierra. The trip meant so much to her. As Rodriguez mentions in the story, her dad recently turned 90 years old and a planned birthday celebration was canceled due to the pandemic. She was finally able to see her father after about a three-month hiatus while California was under stay-at-home orders. I know I’ve missed my family back in the Bay Area while I’ve sheltered in place. I already had to cancel two planned visits in the spring but am hoping to come down for Fourth of July weekend as restrictions have been lessened. Still, we all need to err on the side of caution. July 4 marks the first of two free fishing days the state has designated this summer (the other is set for Sept. 5 of Labor Day weekend). Hopefully families will follow the lead of the Rodriguezes and fathers and mothers and sons and daughters seek out quiet spots along a river or lake somewhere and wet a line. I plan to do the same that weekend, hopefully getting out to a local lake with my sister and brother-in-law and find a quiet spot to cast from. It likely won’t be as spectacular a setting as Nancy and Joe reached in the high Sierra wilderness. But even an urban fishery can be quite the placebo for all of us right now. -Chris Cocoles
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
Teresa Urrutia (left) and Melody Scarborough (right), recently hired biological science technicians for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Bluff office, kayak down Clear Creek with fish biologist Gabriella Moreno (center). (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
‘DREAM JOB’ TAKES BIOLOGISTS TO FISHY PLACES USFWS RED BLUFF STAFFERS USE KAYAKS TO RESEARCH CLEAR CREEK SALMON, STEELHEAD By John Heil
I
magine taking a kayak out on the water all day as a full-time job. Well, that’s exactly what U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staffers from the Red Bluff office do for a portion of the year. The work is critical for surveying Clear Creek for the presence of steelhead, rain-
bow trout and late-fall Chinook salmon nests known as redds. “We primarily use this information to try and evaluate the effectiveness of our ongoing restoration projects on the creek,” said Ryan Schaefer, a federal fish biologist. “These surveys give us a good idea where the fish are spawning and if they are using the gravel that we’re
putting in the creek to increase the available spawning area and hopefully help bolster salmonid populations. This is a great gig. There are days in this job when you think to yourself that I can’t believe they’re paying me to do this, and this is one of those days,” he said on a sunny, 70-degree day in February. Gabriella Moreno, a fish biologist
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
Moreno (right) measures redds along Clear Creek, while Melody Scarborough, a biological science technician, inputs the data on a GPS tablet. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
who recently graduated from Colorado State University, agreed. “This is my dream job. I’ve wanted to be a marine biologist since I was a little girl, and being out here kayaking and snorkeling every day is just so rewarding. It’s crazy that I get paid to do everything I love, from fun outdoor fieldwork to applying our research to conservation at the same time. It’s pretty unbelievable.” Fish biologist Charles Stanley said he feels like the team is all extremely committed to USFWS’s goals of preserving the resources for people. “I work with a great group of guys and ladies who are all highly trained and dedicated,” said Stanley. “I think that the work that we do is critically important and sometimes overlooked. No one knows we’re out here and doing this, but the ultimate results of people catching fish and enjoying the outdoors are the bene-
USFWS biologists Charles Stanley (center) and John Lang (top left), and supervisory fish biologists Mike Schraml (bottom left) and Laurie Earley prepare their kayaks for counting redds in February 2020. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
“This is my dream job. I’ve wanted to be a marine biologist since I was a little girl, and being out here kayaking and snorkeling every day is just so rewarding,” says Moreno. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
fit. I really enjoy the time out in the field, connecting with nature and being handson with the science that we do. I’m really proud and lucky to be a part of this office.”
A 2017 USFWS BLOG explained why snorkel surveys were so important (fws.gov/ cno/newsroom/featured/2017/snorkel_ survey). So why use kayaks now? “Well, the kayaks are an advantage because they can let us go through deeper water, obviously, and access more of the creek,” said Charlie Chamberlain, another fish biologist in the Red Bluff office. “They give you a little bit of a raised position if you’re sitting on your knees, which helps you see in the water a little better and cover more of the creek.” Using GPS tablets to record information biweekly when weather conditions allow, the team can mark new redds, revisit redds, characterize their age and get an idea how long they are visible, and avoid double-mapping them. In the
long run, it helps with accuracy about the run timing for the fish and to be more quantitative in their effort. “If we see anything that looks clean, maybe it’s just sunlight, maybe it is fish activity, we’ll call out ‘redd,’” Moreno said in explaining the process. “At that point, we will all hop out of the kayak, all look at it, come to a group consensus, and talk it through. If we all agree, we will mark it – we have a statistical-like random sampler on our tablet that will tell us if we need to take a sample or not. That way we are not biased, and 20 percent of the redds will get sampled.” “Once we have sampled it and recorded the GPS point, we are good to go. Or, if it has already been marked, we will just age it and put that into our tablet as well. It’s almost like we are lifeguards, like looking left and right, trying to survey as much as we can.”
FROM THE SURVEY RESULTS showing
where the redds are and how the fish are doing, USFWS personnel can then focus on how to alter the creek for better connectivity to the floodplain to improve the habitat using gravel supplementation and other management practices. However, when all is said and done, “the best habitat out here is the stuff that the creek has actually built,” said Chamberlain. “We’re trying to set the table for the creek to build those habitats. The redd survey gives us an index of how the populations are doing. It lets us know the distribution of fish through the creek. We compare that to the distribution of habitats. It helps us be better informed about the flow and gravel actions we ought to take.” “We’re trying to get an idea about the abundance of steelhead and late-fall Chinook salmon in Clear Creek,” added Schaefer. “We’re using the redd data we collect as an index to get that information. We’d like to know specifically how
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PROTECTING
WILD CALIFORNIA
“The best habitat out here is the stuff that the creek has actually built,” says Charlie Chamberlain, a federal fish biologist out of Red Bluff. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
many redds there are and where the fish are spawning. Restoration actions are occurring continually and we want to ensure we are using them to conduct sound management. The redd survey is an important component of the whole restoration process on Clear Creek.” CS Editor’s note: For more than 20 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, National Marine Fisheries Service and Western Shasta Resource Conservation District have been working to restore Clear Creek to improve habitat and recover populations of Central Valley spring-, fall- and late-fall-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead. John Heil is the deputy assistant regional director for external affairs in the USFWS Pacific Southwest Region headquarters in Sacramento. Go to fws.gov/cno for more.
Juvenile fall-run Chinook swim in the shallow waters of Clear Creek. (JOHN HEIL/USFWS)
Teresa Urrutia, biological science technician, pulls her kayak on Clear Creek on a warm day in February. “I think that the work that we do is critically important and sometimes overlooked,” biologist Charles Stanley says. “No one knows we’re out here and doing this, but the ultimate results of people catching fish and enjoying the outdoors are the benefit.” (JOHN HEIL/USFWS) 14 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR Editor’s note: Because of COVID-19 restrictions, all events should be checked for changes or cancellations. Below are events that had been scheduled in July and August, with websites/phone numbers for you to check for updates.
JULY
1 1-31
Rabbit and varying hare hunting seasons open How Big is Big Fishing Derby, West Walker River; northernmonochamber.com 3-12 Mono Village 4th of July Fishing Derby, Upper Twin Lakes, Bridgeport; monovillage.com, (760) 932-7071 4 California free fishing day; wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/ Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days 13 Zone A archery deer season opens 25 Kids Fishing Festival, Snowcreek Resort, Mammoth Lakes; monovillage.com, (760) 937-2942 31-Aug. 1 Bridgeport Fish Fest, Twin Lakes Resort; twinlakeresort.com
AUGUST
8 Zone A deer season opens 8-16 Owens Valley Multiple Zone Archery-only bull tule elk hunt 11-14 Grizzly Island Period 1 apprentice antlerless tule elk hunt 13-16 Grizzly Island Period 2 apprentice spike bull tule elk hunt 15 Zone B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5 and B-6 archery deer seasons open 15 Most Zone X archery seasons open 15 Stampede Reservoir Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org 15 Falconry pheasant season opens 22 Zone B-4 deer season opens 22-30 Apprentice pronghorn hunting season dates 22-30 Most pronghorn hunting season dates 28 Start of Ambush at the Lake fall fishing derby; convictlake.com, (800) 992-2260 TBD Fred Hall Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds; fredhall.com
July 4 marks the first free fishing day for California anglers. A general license is not required, though all other regulations must be adhered too and anglers fishing for sturgeon, steelhead or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River systems must fill out report cards. (CHRIS COCOLES) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
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I have been busy guiding and after half-day trips, I like to stick around to catch a few myself. Here are several beauties. (TODD KLINE)
s e r u t n e v d A W
e’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek on what he’s up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing. com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor
In the midday heat finding some shade is always welcome. (TODD KLINE)
I love seeing clients score their personalbest bass. This is a hawg! (TODD KLINE)
A couple of happy anglers on the boat makes it all worthwhile. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com| JULY | JULY2020 2020 California Sportsman calsportsmanmag.com
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Taking in a quiet early-morning scene in San Diego. (TODD KLINE)
I filmed some new footage with products from Okuma and Tackle Warehouse. (TODD KLINE)
I picked up a new summer toy: a surfboard from Stamps. (TODD KLINE)
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There have been some solid bluegill on lakebeds. While throwing the Coolbaits for bass I have caught some nice ones. (TODD KLINE)
PHOTO
CONTEST
WINNERS!
Tawyna Tompkins is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this shot she sent of son Braden and hubby Jason and their Columbia River spring Chinook. It wins her gear from various tackle manufacturers!
Justin Estremado is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of son Austin and his southwest Oregon gobbler, taken during a mentored hunt this past spring. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!
Pistol Bullets and Ammunition Zero Bullet Company, Inc.
For your shot at winning hunting and fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details 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.
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STRIKING GOLD IN THE HIGH SIERRA SPURRED BY HER DAD, AN ANGLER FULFILLS HER BUCKET LIST TROUT QUEST By Nancy Rodriguez
M
y breath grew short with anticipation as I watched my chosen fly, a Woolly Bugger, slowly drift in the soft current created by winter’s runoff into the high alpine lake. The towering snow-capped peaks encircling this basin were just starting to illuminate with the first signs of daybreak. The crisp mountain air chilled me as I gazed across the half-frozen lake struggling to free itself from Jack Frost’s icy grip. A curious marmot peeked over a granite boulder and gave me the earlymorning stare down. He was none too happy to have an intruder in his midst. Soaking up the beauty of morning in the backcountry, I spotted tiny flashes of gold suspended in the frigid water below. Giving my line a light tap bounced my fly just enough to pique the interest of a sleek gold-colored apparition that darted through the sparkling ice-crystal-covered water. A small swirl appeared on the surface just inches from my fly and my heart skipped a beat. One more twitch of my line and my rod tip arched like a divining rod pointing toward gold riches a few feet below. “Fish on!” broke the mountain silence. But this was not my typical “Fish on” call. This has been a bucket list fish for me for years and the incredible deep meaning behind this fish is not something I will soon forget.
MY DAD RECENTLY TURNED 90 and for most of my life I have known him to be a man who rarely shows his excitement, which is funny because I am the complete opposite. I get excited at the simplest of things. On most visits with him, I scroll through my latest fishing photos and show him some dandy catches – brown trout, rainbows, brookies, salmon, etc. His response was always, “Nice fish, Sweetie, but when are you going to catch a golden trout?” 22 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
She had to get up to the 11,000-foot level and hike through snow to get there, but author Nancy Rodriguez and her husband Joe were focused on catching their first golden trout during an Eastern Sierra backcountry trip. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)
FISHING
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FISHING
Even in July, when you’re this high up you’ll hit some snow. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)
On one of our recent visits, he mentioned it again and I thought, “It’s time to catch a golden trout!” It became a quest. My husband Joe and I took a long summer weekend and backpacked deep into California’s Eastern Sierra. The quest began at over 11,000 feet, a foreboding place these elusive fish call home. We had done our research
and knew this was an area that should hold fish, and so began the trek. After a few hours of labored breathing through increasingly thin mountain air, we found the perfect lakeside camp spot in a stunning granite basin. Like a choreographed dance, Joe and I set up our backcountry camp – tent, air mattresses, sleeping bags, clothes and essentials all tucked
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away in their own little spots. Our bear canister was packed to the brim with food and stashed away. I added a little female touch of mini Fourth of July lights to the tree above our tent and our home away from home was set. After purifying water and grabbing a quick snack, we took off to scout some of our targeted alpine lakes, as the trout opener was
FISHING
A string of festive lights brighten the author’s pine- and rock-sheltered wilderness campsite. (NANCY RODRIGUEZ) Finding pristine lakes like this one in the Sierra is almost as exciting as the fishing itself. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)
one sunrise away.
MARCHING THROUGH FIELDS OF snow, we were in awe of the grandness that surrounded us. Rocky spires towered above; wildflowers were starting to bloom through patches of snow; a brilliant blue blanket stretched overhead as far as the eye could see. We moved from lake to lake and
were thankful that only half of them still had caps of ice. We would have open water to fish! As we crept around each shore, we spotted gold shimmers suspended under the surface that would quickly vanish the second they caught our movement. My heart raced with excitement and anticipation, and I prayed that the next day I would be
able to scratch “catch a golden trout” from my bucket list. That night we slept a bit restlessly as our hearts pounded extra hard searching for oxygen in the thin high elevation air, but that didn’t slow us down when the alarm went off. As I gulped down my coffee in the morning darkness, I couldn’t lace up my boots fast enough. Joe laughed
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FISHING
“I bent down and gently slid my wet hand under its belly and brought it into a world it had probably never seen. A tear rolled down my cheek as I whispered, ‘This is for you, Dad.’” (NANCY RODRIGUEZ)
The experience is even better when you chase California’s rare but iconic state fish, the golden trout, with others. Joe Rodriguez shows off one of his catches over the long weekend. (NANCY RODRIGUEZ) 26 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
at me and said, “Slow down, crazy girl; they’re not going anywhere.” I couldn’t help but giggle. We grabbed our prerigged rods, shouldered our much lighter daypacks, pulled beanies over our ears and started trekking to our predetermined spot. The crusted snow broke with every footfall and our steamy breath spiraled upward as we watched the alpine world wake up. With pounding hearts, we reached the last ridge on our morning trek and there before us was a magnificent lake suspended in a granite bowl. The shore was frozen and ice crystals covered every bush and blade of grass. As the tips of the granite peaks changed colors from pink to peach to gold, I took it all in – the grandness, the silence, the awe-inspiring beauty. It’s amazing how small and insignificant you can feel staring at the vastness of nature’s gifts.
THE NEXT MOMENT WAS one I will never forget. Joe looked at me and said, “This is it. Catch your golden trout.” He kept his line dry because he wanted me to cherish that first fish moment. I dropped my pack, released my hook from the eyelet and drew my arm back for the first cast of the day. With a soft landing, the small fly danced on the soft current of the inlet and I wondered if this would be enough to entice these shy fish. My body was tense with anticipation as the fly danced along. A small swirl broke the surface as I twitched it ever so slightly and … smash! The mountain silence was broken as “Fish on!” echoed across the lake! My 4-pound test ripped deeper into the icy depths as I kept steady tension on the line so my barbless hook wouldn’t free itself. My heart was exploding with excitement as the fish and I danced in the morning light. Leading and following, I cautiously brought the fish to shore. I bent down and gently slid my wet hand under its belly and brought it into a world it had probably never seen. A tear rolled down my cheek as I whispered, “This is for you, Dad.”
FISHING CALIFORNIA’S ICONIC FISH
T
he golden trout is the state fish of California and, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, is “widely regarded as one of the most beautiful trout in the world … and has long been recognized for its unparalleled beauty.” Do you have golden trout on your bucket list? With a little research and a healthy sense of adventure you can cross this fish off it. There is a place in California called the Golden Trout Wilderness, after all, which is located in Tulare and Inyo Counties within the Inyo and Sequoia National Forests. Go to sierrawild.gov/wilderness/golden-trout for more information on the area. For more on golden trout, check out wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/inland/california-golden-trout. NR
Nancy’s first golden led to many more over the long weekend. (JOE RODRIGUEZ)
The beauty of this fish was like no other. It shimmered in a suit of gold and contrasting spots, with a blazered lateral line sparkling on silky skin. The glow from the fish and disbelief in my eyes must have certainly resembled an intrepid miner when the first gold nugget revealed itself in a worn and weary pan. Indeed, after a lifetime of
wondering, I held gold in my hands. After a quick moment of admiration and a few words of gratitude, I gently released the golden back into its underwater world. I knew that memory would never leave me.
WE SPENT THE NEXT couple of days hopping from lake to lake, catching countless fish, soaking up starry
skies and enjoying all the gifts the backcountry has to offer. After years of waiting, I was finally able to show Dad the photo of “our” first golden. “You finally caught a golden trout!” he exclaimed with a smile and wide glowing eyes. “That’s fantastic, Sweetie! You just made my day.” And that moment made mine. CS
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FISHING
NOW SERVING UP BOTTOMFISH BUFFETS NORTH COAST HALIBUT, LINGCOD, ROCKFISH BITES SHOULD STAY HOT THIS SUMMER By Chris Cocoles
L
ike so many professions, fishing guides like Tony Sepulveda had their own pratfalls and issues stemming from the COVID-19 shutdown. Eureka-area guide Sepulveda lost the five weeks he usually spends guiding striped bass trips in the Central Valley’s Sacramento River system. But the state’s loosening of restrictions in recent weeks has included allowing charter boat captains to begin booking trips again. Good timing for Sepulveda, who operates Green Water Fishing Adventures (707845-9588; greenwaterguides.com). The fishing action off the North Coast has been strong and should get even better through July and into August. “It’s been great. We’re fishing lingcod and halibut, which have been the mainstay here,” Sepulveda says. “Salmon has been a little slow, but everything has been clicking really well.”
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t hit the North Coast as hard it has more populated regions of California, but there are still cases in and around Humboldt County, so like most business owners Sepulveda is doing what he can to ensure the safety of anglers who fish aboard his six-pack boat, the Shellback. Face coverings and hand washing
Many of the halibut being landed off the Northern California coast are in the 10- to 20-pound range, but as this lucky angler experienced with a 58-pounder, there are also some big fish to be had. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)
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FISHING stations are now a big part of every trip. Most fishing boats get an intense cleaning after each time out on the water even when we’re not in the middle of coronavirus precautions, but it’s even more of a priority now to help prevent the spread of the illness. (After trips) we’re trying to bleach everything down,” Sepulveda says. “We’re also trying to maintain space,” he adds about social distancing whenever possible. The good news for Sepulveda is that trip reservations are filling up fast. And why not with the fishing so solid right now? “We’re full pretty much every day and we only had about three empty seats for most of July. And we’re thinking August will fill up by then,” Sepulveda says. “We’re pretty solid for the whole summer.”
HOT HALIBUT
Lingcod are biting as well, and longtime guide Tony Sepulveda says everything from frozen bait to swimbaits and jigs are scoring lings. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES) 30 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
The waters off the Northern California coast contain both California and larger Pacific halibut, and they’ve been the main event for most trips. Limits – three for the former species, one for the latter – have been common for those aboard the Shellback. “It’s really been some of the best Pacific halibut fishing we’ve ever seen,” Sepulveda says. “Not real big ones necessarily, but a lot of 10- to 20-pounders. (Recently) we got one that was 58 pounds, so that was one of the bigger ones around.” On another recent trip, the boat came back with five halibut over 30 pounds, topped by a 37-pounder, so big fish can be had, but there’s just as much quantity as quality right now. Many of the fish being caught are between 200 and 300 feet down, with frozen herring the bait of choice while drifting. “The (commercial fishing) draggers in the water started talking that they were getting a lot of bycatch halibut in their nets – the most they’ve ever seen – and sure enough, there’s a lot of them out there,” Sepulveda says. California halibut limits are also
FISHING common. On a recent trip toward the end of June, six guests landed their limits of 18 total halibut by 11:30 a.m.
LIMITING OUT ON ROCKFISH Prized lingcod and rockfish are also providing almost daily limits and should continue to do so well into July, as long as the weather cooperates. “We’ll use a lot of frozen baits, swimbaits, shrimp flies – all that stuff,” Sepulveda says. “We’re just getting started. The weather should get better and we’ve got that to look forward to.
And the fishing should stay great.”
SALMON OFF TO SLOW START There weren’t high hopes for salmon runs returning to the coastal rivers this year. The Klamath forecast of 186,600 adult Chinook was lower
than what was projected in 2019, which prompted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to temper big expectations. “Who knows? I know there are some fish to the north of us. They’re catching some up in Brookings (in Oregon), and Shelter Cove (an hour or so south of Eureka) has some fish,” Sepulveda says. “But for whatever reason they’re just not here right now. But that can change at any minute.” CS Editor’s note: Follow Green Water Fishing Adventures at facebook.com/Green-Water-Fishing-Adventures-Tony-Sepulveda-201765639888892. Limits of yelloweye and other rockfish have been the norm, and that’s expected to continue throughout the next month and beyond. “We’re just getting started,” Sepulveda says. (GREEN WATER FISHING ADVENTURES)
calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
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FISHING
CRACK CALICOS’ KELP CODE WITH SPAWN-READY BAY BASS IN THE STRINGERS, HERE’S HOW TO HOIST ’EM OUT By Capt. Bill Schaefer
T
he news last month that sportfishing boats finally were released to fish saltwater areas after being grounded by COVID-19 precautions was great timing for anglers. Private boaters who got an early jump on the charter services had the time of their lives, whether they were fishing inshore bays or way offshore on longer outings. Species from bay bass and halibut to calicos, yellowtail to tuna – both yellowfin and bluefin – have been hitting the decks of boats up and down the Southern California coast. I’ve been out chasing the calicos and yellowtail in the kelp and here’s one of the things you can do to have a lot of fun right now.
LAST MONTH, INSHORE FISH were dealing with the worst red tide in years and I predicted that as soon as it disappeared, fishing would take off and the calicos would charge the kelp. It’s time for them to start their spawning dance, and the coloration on the bass confirms they’re in the mood for love. Calicos are roaming Southern California waters in hungry wolf packs, ready to attack your lures. They are filling up for their spawn and hitting live and artificial baits. Early morning’s gray light is the best time to score a giant. The fish are
When calicos color up, it means the spawn is near for the bay bass species. It’s also a time when wolf packs roam the kelp. Mike Malm shows that a fluke can work well for enticing the fish to play. (BILL SCHAEFER) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
33
FISHING a little more aggressive in the low-light conditions. There has been a ton of bait against and in the kelp, so all you need is some current to get things going. If the situation is ideal, I’ll start off with the iron right off the bat to see if a big one will come up and take it. I’m throwing a Daiwa Lexa 400 loaded with 60-pound J-Braid and a top shot of 30-pound Maxima Ultragreen. Attached to the end is a Tady 45 in either green/gold or scrambled eggs. My second choice is a larger weedless swimbait in a brown bait color. Use 60-pound braid straight to a Mustad weedless, weighted swimbait hook. Big Hammer, LK Lures, Reebs, Big Pancho and Reyes swimbaits all make some great options to throw. After a little bit of time I’ll assess the situation and note how many strikes I’ve gotten or fish I’ve put in the boat, as well as check the sunlight situation. The sun can definitely put the fish down a tad or under the stringers. But as I said, these fish are roaming in wolf packs and they will come up to the top if hungry enough. I may drop in size to a 5- to 7-inch swimbait such as a Yamamoto Heart-Tail or Big Hammer weedless swimbait on a weedless head, usually ½ ounce or so. Colors will vary with how light it is and how the water is colored as well. I like to go darker in low light and various other light colors in cleaner water.
MANY ANGLERS ONLY ATTACK calicos from outside the kelp. That is, they will let their boat drift along the front west edge of the kelp, but not venture into the patch. They will score some bass, but the fish will eventually be in the thicker kelp, making for far better fishing if you go in after them. Drifting over the sparse stringers will let you get right in their living rooms. And they can hardly resist a free meal going right over their head. You’ll often bring up a hooked fish and five or six others will try to steal the lure from them. I’ll throw a weedless bait out
Given their association with kelp stringers, it’s good to go with weedless baits. (BILL SCHAEFER)
across the stringers and race it back across the surface, only pausing occasionally at cracks in the kelp. If you throw down the alleyways, you will get some bass to hit, but if you come across them, you are covering more stringers in a cast and increasing your odds of a strike. Remember to try different speeds and don’t worry about going too fast.
34 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
A calico can chase any bait down no matter how fast you go. A little faster doesn’t let them inspect it. They just think it’s going to get away. “I have to eat it,” they think. “I have to attack it.” This fishing should continue for several more months – depending on water temperatures – and only get better. As I mentioned, the bigger calicos will eat the iron, but remember
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FISHING that the yellows may pop up in the kelp or just outside as well. I’ve seen them several times already, but haven’t been lucky enough to score one yet. Still, I have had several nice fish on the iron.
I WANT TO LEAVE you with a few last bits of information about the kelp and ocean current. You can use a tide calendar to see if there will be current the morning you fish. But, ocean currents can be different than the tides. A small tide doesn’t mean the current will be wrong for fishing. I feel that a current that’s down and in towards the beach is the best for calicos. This type of current pushes the baitfish into the kelp and that gets them going. Up and in is also good. Always judge by underwater stringers. Floating kelp can be affected by the wind. Any current should get the fish going to some point, so get out there and have some fun! CS
Author Bill Schaefer with a nice topwater calico taken on a weedless swimbait. “I’ll throw a weedless bait out across the stringers and race it back across the surface,” he writes, “only pausing occasionally at cracks in the kelp.” (BILL SCHAEFER)
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calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
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F
HUNTING
FROM FIELD...
Safari Press offers a line of quality targets featuring a detailed, anatomical layout on the reverse side, making them perfect for all big game hunters. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE SUMMER SHOOTING PRACTICE MADE EASIER WITH THESE PRODUCTS By Scott Haugen
E
ven with all there is to do this time of year, preparing for hunting season should certainly be on your list. If you’re a big game hunter, now is the time to be scouting, setting trail cameras, exercising to get in shape, and shooting your guns. When shooting, we want to have
fun, but we also want to maintain good form and make every shot count. Of course, safety is of utmost importance. Here are some safe and fun target options that can be instrumental in helping achieve all your shooting goals.
CIRCUS TARGETS Steel targets take shooting to a higher level, compared to shooting at station-
ary targets. As a result, while simultaneously implementing gun safety, skills are being built and shooters learn how to shoot at moving targets. Skills like shooting with both eyes open, tracking moving targets, or even quick, safe speed loading, can be attained by shooting at these fun moving targets. Shooting at moving steel targets in an offhand position will help develop
calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
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HUNTING by adding more ground meat to the mixture. Be sure to keep track of exact ingredients so you can replicate your creation.
... TO FIRE
1 pound ground wild game ½ pound ground pork 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt 1/3 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/3 teaspoon pink curing salt* 19mm pepperoni casings
Amp up pepperoni flavor by adding more seasoning, or tamp it down by boosting the amount of ground meat to make it palatable for those more sensitive to spiciness. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
CREATE PEPPERONI PERFECTION By Tiffany Haugen
P
epperoni can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Be it from a big game animal or game bird, make sure the meat is cleaned. Making good pepperoni does not mean using poor quality, dirty or bloodshot meat. Once you have the techniques and equipment mastered, the flavor possibilities are endless when it comes to making pepperoni sticks. Using ground pork with wild game meat keeps the pepperoni sticks from drying out too much. The pork also acts as a neutralizer for taming wilder tasting meats like waterfowl. When making pepperoni, keep things simple for the first few go-arounds, then get creative by adding unique seasonings
Remove all fat and silverskin from wild game and grind in a grinder using the medium grind plate. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate eight to 12 hours. Secure sausage attachment to a grinder or jerky gun. Stuff the barrel of the gun with pepperoni mixture. Cut casings to desired length and slide on to the horn of the jerky gun. Fill casings and twist ends or pinch together to keep meat mixture from coming out. Place pepperoni sticks in a smoker set to 185 degrees. Smoke six to 12 hours or until pepperoni sticks reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Replace smoke chips up to three times during the smoking process. If desired, pepperoni sticks can be smoked three to four hours and finished in a 160-degree oven or food dehydrator. Keep pepperoni sticks refrigerated up to a week. Vacuum seal and freeze for longer-term storage. *Pink curing salt can be found at Smokehouse Products.com and Cabela’s.
and different meat combinations. If you want to taste-test the flavors before stuffing the casings, simply fry up a sample in a small pan. Flavors can be amped-up by adding more seasonings or made milder
40 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen's popular cookbook, Cooking Big Game, send a check for $20 to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order at scotthaugen.com.
calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
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HUNTING
Self-healing targets are fun to shoot and build multiple shooting skills. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
shooting skills surprisingly fast. The reason is that, unlike stationary targets, moving steel targets force you to shoot within a given time. In other words: Making the moving steel targets do what they’re supposed to – rotate, spin, drop, bounce back, etc. – requires they be shot quickly at a specific time. Having a friendly competition shoot with another person at the same target will force you to concentrate and shoot even faster. With moving steel targets, your shooting window may only exist for a split second, and timing your trigger pull is key to success. While focusing on the timing of your shots, form, safe gun handling, target acquisition and follow-through are all being naturally honed. Circus targets are referred to as such because they’re fun – like games you might see at the county fair or a circus. But these targets are specially built to handle loads from a .22 to a high-powered rifle. Even shotguns
and handguns are perfect for steel target shooting. Looking to develop personal defense skills, where catlike reactions are mastered? Moving steel targets can help you do just that. If looking to build shooting skills on moving targets and increase your reaction time, steel targets can help. My personal favorite steel targets are made by MGM Targets (mgmtargets.com). Their Auto Popper, Spinning Target, Whirly-Gig and Plate Racks are of top quality and are an important part of my practice shooting sessions. MGM has even created steel targets for fun competition among shooters, like Steel Football Target, for .22 shooters.
SELF-HEALING GROUND TARGETS Another fun target option is a simple one that’s tossed on the ground and then shot. Constructed of a self-healing material, these ground targets can handle over 1,000 rounds and hours of fun. Cabela’s Ground Pounder and Do
42 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
All (doalloutdoors.com) are two options for self-healing targets. A great feature of these targets is there’s no setup. Simply toss the target on the ground – with a safe backdrop – and start shooting. The harder the ground, the more spinning, bouncing, rolling and aerial stunts will be performed by some of these targets. Some of the Do All self-healing targets are affixed to a stand and move upon bullet impact, but return to the same position for the next shot. Many shooters use .22s on self-healing targets, but .38 caliber and 9mm pistols can be used, too. Even centerfire rifles can be used on them, making longer-distance shooting fun. Due to their lack of energy to get the ground targets moving, rimfire rifles are best used on flat, dry ground, as the bullets pierce the target; be sure there is a safe backdrop in these situations. If you shoot the edges of the tar-
HUNTING
When it comes to steel targets, there are many options. These two models, which are made by MGM Targets, are perfect for high-volume practice with .22s and small-caliber centerfire rifles. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
gets, especially the sphere models, you’ll get a bit of movement with a rimfire rifle, which can be good for youth and beginning shooters. But if you want to realize the full effects of the ground targets, shoot them with centerfire rifles and pistols. Not only will ground targets help you develop target acquisition skills as they sporadically move across the ground with each hit, they’ll get you shooting faster and more accurately. These targets are fun and addicting to shoot, so bring plenty of ammo.
ANATOMICAL TARGETS As a former science teacher with a biology background and a lifelong hunter, I was elated when anatom-
ically correct big game targets made it to the market. When it comes to shot placement, the next best thing to dissecting an animal to learn about organ placement is studying anatomical targets. The best targets are crafted from actual photographs, with vitals and other internal anatomy overlaid on the image. From the heart to the liver, lungs to the spine, shooters can get a clear understanding of where these internal parts lie in relationship to bones and outer body contours. Caldwell’s Natural Series Targets (caldwellshooting.com) offer a whitetail and turkey target, complete with overlaid bone structure. Safari Press (safaripress.com) also has a
44 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
wide range of anatomically correct targets including North American and African game. They are exceptional. The vitals and entire skeleton are “hidden” on the backside of these targets, so you can’t see them when shooting. Summer is a great time to hone those shooting skills and further acquaint ourselves with the guns and gear we’ll be using come hunting season. With all the target options out there these days, there’s plenty of reason to get out and have some fun. CS Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time author whose many books on hunting and fishing can be ordered at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
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HUNTING
JUST SAY ‘WHOA’
Routinely teaching your dog to “whoa” during everyday life will pay off come time for the hunt. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
By Scott Haugen
A
s a kid I grew up watching the cartoons of the late 1960s and ’70s. I loved Bugs Bunny, and a favorite character from those Looney Tunes shows was Yosemite Sam, the ruff, gruff, outdoorsy fellow who was always on a mission. And no matter what animal he was riding – horse, mule, camel, elephant – he could never control them. Sam would belligerently shout to get the critters moving, but could never stop them on command. “Whoa!” he’d start. Quickly the
number of whoas increased, as did their intensity. Eventually, Sam relied on force to get the animal to obey, followed by an uncontrollable shout of, “When I say whoa, I mean whoa!”
AS I WRITE this, we’re in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Like you, I’ve spent a great deal of time with my dogs the past two months – 24 hours a day, to be exact. While working with Kona, my 4-year-old pudelpointer, a few days ago, I caught myself channeling my inner Yosemite Sam, saying, “When I say whoa, I mean whoa!”
I laughed out loud, then looked around to make sure no one saw me. I turned red, broke out in a sweat and couldn’t believe I had resorted to that childhood expression. It was the biggest slap in the face a dog trainer could receive, and nonetheless it was self-inflicted. Teaching your dog to “whoa” is one of the most important commands it will ever learn. A firm whoa is a command that allows us to redirect our dog’s attention and results in the dog becoming instantaneously steady. It’s a tool we use to influence, control and protect our dogs.
calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2020 California Sportsman
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HUNTING If you’ve been cooped up with your dog at home, you’ve likely noticed it follows you everywhere. It won’t take its eyes off you. It wants to know what you’re doing, where you’re going and what it can do to please you. It’s almost a nervous nature that consumes the dog, and this is a perfect time to instill the whoa command.
The whoa command should stop a dog on the spot and overpower any urge it has to continue creeping forward, no matter how enticing its target. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
WHAT I’VE LEARNED through living in isolation with my dogs is that every moment is a teachable one. A dog’s learning should not be relegated to a set place at a certain time each day. When it comes to teaching dogs, every moment is valuable, especially when it comes to whoa. If the dog tries busting through the door when you get home, whoa it, and that will allow you to lead the way. If it jumps into or out of the truck before you command it to, whoa it. If it jumps on guests or others, noses up to the dinner table, gets too close to food while you’re cooking in the kitchen, chases birds at the window, struggles when putting on its collar or digs into its food bowl sooner than you’d like, whoa it. If a dog’s not taught what to do, or what not to do, it’ll never learn.
WITH KONA’S RECENT uncharacteristic breaking of whoas while in the field, it didn’t take long to discover what was happening. You see, we’d been living in remote Alaska for around nine months, in the tiny town of Hyder, which has a population of less than 50. We weren’t restricted to being indoors, but this past winter we received over 25 feet of snow, and as a result, it was the least amount of hunting my dogs have experienced in their lives. As the snow slowly melted and training could resume outdoors, the biggest migration of birds I’ve ever seen started moving through the region. I’m talking thousands of birds. These birds became a distraction during outside training times, so I failed to gain control of Kona when it
started. As a result of my negligence, it took some time and effort to reteach Kona how to whoa when his adrenaline was flowing. Fortunately, the dog quickly caught on. Teaching your dog to whoa can be done many times a day, in many places. If you’re around traffic, teach your dog to whoa and heel when walking. Never let your dog bust out of the truck the moment you open the door, for they could burst into traffic or jump right into a dogfight if there are other canines around. When going up and down the stairs,
48 California Sportsman JULY 2020 | calsportsmanmag.com
don’t let your dog pick up speed and rush ahead of you. Instead, control it with a whoa and you keep the lead. Anytime your pup gets excited, whoa it. When someone knocks at the door, when you’re vacuuming the floor, when a cat runs by, when squirrels and birds are on the bird feeder; these are all opportune times to use the whoa command.
TEACHING YOUR DOG to whoa does not have to be limited to formal training sessions either; many times a day it can be achieved spontaneously. The key to
HUNTING Safety is a primary reason to teach your dog to whoa. When around traffic, other dogs or in snake country, you want your dog to immediately freeze when it hears you give the whoa command. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
successfully teaching your dog to whoa is you getting the results you want. Is a two-step whoa OK with you? Is a creeping whoa acceptable? Ideally, for me the whoa command should result in an instantaneous stop on the spot. No creeping, no false steps, no putting the ears down and trying to get away with something they know they shouldn’t. I want my dogs to stop on a dime – period – no matter what they’re doing. Teaching your dog to whoa will pay big dividends when on the hunt. It’ll keep it from chasing big game or getting tangled with skunks, porcupines or snakes, and it will result in a well-behaved dog, wherever you go. When it comes to teaching your dog to whoa, consistency is key, and the time to start is now. CS Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
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