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California
Sportsman Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 13 • Issue 9 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles
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CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Todd Kline, Lance Sawa, 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 Army Specialist Sagen Maddalena grew up in the Sierra community of Groveland in Tuolumne County with a passion for fishing and had great skills as a competitive shooter. This month, she’ll represent Team USA in three-position rifle at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. (SAGEN MADDALENA)
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4 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
CONTENTS
VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 9
FEATURES 29
A CURE TO CATCH MORE SALMON
From Field to Fire co-correspondent Scott Haugen has learned a lot during his work-and-play adventures in Alaska, especially when it comes to salmon fishing. And he also literally wrote the book on the art of curing eggs, a skill that can go a long way in your quest to limit out. Haugen combines the two to detail his process for turning roe into salmon candy. And then cook up your catch with Tiffany Haugen’s recipe to spice up your fillets!
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BE READY FOR BIG SURPRISES
One of the joys of a fishing excursion off the Southern California coast is you never know what you may hook up with. Sometimes it’s a far bigger fish than you were targeting – and your gear can handle. With a mantra of “Spool me once, shame on you; spool me twice, shame on me,” here’s how Capt. Bill Schaefer prepares to take on unexpectedly large fish.
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SURF FISHING’S UP – ON THE PACIFIC’S OTHER SIDE
We go back to Japan for another fishing tale from Lance Sawa, who spent plenty of time in his Southland youth joining his dad along the beaches to surf cast for halibut, sharks and more. Now on the other side of the Pacific in his new home country, Sawa headed over to Japan’s western coast to fish the shoreline and seek out dinner.
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SAGEN TAKES HER SHOT
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
After a COVID-19 delay, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics are set to begin July 23 and the world’s athletes are ready for their chance to chase medals and glory. One of them, Californian Sagen Maddalena, began her shooting career modestly, in her local Tuolumne County 4-H club, but she’s risen all the way to a Team USA member in air rifle. We check in with the U.S. Army specialist – who is also quite the fishing fanatic – as she goes for gold!
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The Editor’s Note: Cheering on Team USA The Adventures of Todd Kline Photo contest winners Outdoor calendar Images from California’s intensifying drought crisis Preventing dog fights
(SAGEN MADDALENA)
Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2021 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 6 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE
Sagen Maddalena wants to catch a really big fish someday. A shooting medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo would be quite a prize as well. (SAGEN MADDALENA)
I
n my long career as a sports reporter, I always tried to abide by the old adage of not rooting for the teams, players and coaches I covered. I used to always laugh inside when I covered University of Arkansas football games and shortly before kickoff the sports information director would announce, “This is a working press box. No cheering allowed.” And though many of my colleagues who were locals – and in some cases alumni of the school and fans of the teams – were clearly “homers” in what they wrote and broadcasted, they mostly adhered to the mandates during the games. Still, even I had a penchant for quietly hoping for good things and success for the athletes and coaches who were part of my beat. It’s only natural to root for positive karma when they’re nice people and while I dealt with some pain in the ass subjects, many were always honest, forthcoming, pleasant and even friendly to deal with – even when they were at their worst after a loss or bad performance. That said, I’ll have no problem rooting for Sagen Maddalena, the California native who will participate in the three-position rifle competition at this month’s Tokyo Summer Olympics (page 18). I really enjoyed my chat with Maddalena, who got her start in shooting sports modestly, but then walked on to her college rifle team and continued to work tirelessly to get better. Her story really inspired me about the importance of patience, determination and persistence. And she made me laugh too when I asked what was on her fishing bucket list. “I just want to reel in a big one. That’s all,” she quipped. “I can tell you about the ones that got away. I’ve got two of those, but I’m not going to say them, because nobody’s going to believe (the stories).” A gold medal would certainly be quite the trophy to reel in when she competes in Japan. And while I won’t be in a press box, I’ll be cheering for Sagen. Go Team USA! -Chris Cocoles calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021 California Sportsman
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s e r u t n e v d A
I was so stoked to get my new boat, a 2021 Triton 20TRX. (TODD KLINE)
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e’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek on what he’s up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor
I love the early-morning sunrises when taking the boat across the lake. (TODD KLINE)
And the best part of taking that new vessel on its inaugural trip is catching bass and getting it fishy for the first time. (TODD KLINE)
While throwing an underspin for bass, I hooked a solid bluegill. (TODD KLINE)
I had a good day fishing for redear sunfish. My five best fish went 13 pounds, topped by a 3-pounder. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com | | JULY JULY2021 2021 California Sportsman calsportsmanmag.com
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Seeing more happy clients breaking personal bests multiple times makes it all worthwhile. (TODD KLINE)
My wife and I celebrated our 20-year anniversary in beautiful Santa Barbara. (TODD KLINE)
These are the joys of guiding. This 7-year-old had never fished prior to this half-day trip with his mother. (TODD KLINE)
Bass are really feeding after their spawning season. (TODD KLINE)
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After almost a year away due to pandemic restrictions, it was great to once again call the live action of the Surfing America USA Championships. (TODD KLINE)
calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021 California Sportsman
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PHOTO
CONTEST
WINNERS!
Gary Strassburg is the winner of our monthly Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this shot of grandson Bradley and his first walleye, caught at Washington’s Lake Roosevelt. It wins him gear from various tackle manufacturers!
Our updated website has all of the new designs
Les Logsdon is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of he and his eastern Washington pheasant limit from last season. It wins him a knife and a light from Coast!
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For your shot at winning hunting and fishing products, send your photos and pertinent details (who, what, when, where) to ccocoles@media-inc .com or California Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.
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16 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
OUTDOOR CALENDAR
JULY
1 Rabbit and varying hare hunting seasons open 1-31 How Big is Big Fishing Derby, West Walker River; northernmonochamber.com 3 California free fishing day; wildlife.ca.gov/ licensing/fishing/free-fishing-days 3-12 Mono Village 4th of July Fishing Derby, Upper Twin Lakes, Bridgeport; monovillage.com, (760) 932-7071 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 31-AUG. 8 Fort Hunter Liggett either-sex elk hunting season
AUGUST
7-15 Most archery pronghorn antelope hunting season dates 14 Bullards Bar Reservoir Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org 14-20 Owens Valley Multiple Zone Archery-only bull tule elk hunt 17-20 Grizzly Island Period 1 apprentice antlerless archery tule elk hunt 19-22 Grizzly Island Period 2 apprentice archery spike bull tule elk hunt 21 Zones B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5 and B-6 archery deer seasons open 21 Falconry pheasant season opens 21 Archery-only and falconry quail, grouse and chukar hunting seasons open 21 Most D Zone archery deer seasons open 21-29 Most general and apprentice pronghorn antelope hunting season dates 27 Start of Ambush at the Lake fall fishing derby; convictlake.com, (800) 992-2260 Note: COVID-19 restrictions were easing at press time, but always confirm events before attending. For a complete list of bass tournaments statewide, go to dfg.ca.gov/FishingContests/default.aspx.
July 3 is California’s first free fishing day of the year. No general license is required for anglers. (CHRIS COCOLES) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021 California Sportsman
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U.S. Army Specialist Sagen Maddalena competes in the smallbore rifle U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this year. The world-class shooter who also loves to fish has qualified for the three-position rifle event at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which begin this month. (MICHELLE LUNATO/U.S. ARMY/SAGEN MADDALENA) 18 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
HUNTING
TAKING AIM IN TOKYO CALIFORNIA NATIVE SHOOTER SAGEN MADDALENA HEADS TO SUMMER OLYMPICS By Chris Cocoles
S
agen Maddalena’s dad taught her about fly fishing in remote Sierra rivers, streams and lakes. Her experience with the local 4-H club taught her about patience and leadership. And her grandfather taught her how to shoot firearms safely and effectively. The result? A college education, military career and now, a spot on the U.S. Olympic shooting team and a trip to Tokyo this month. Maddalena, 27, and a specialist in the U.S. Army, qualified for the Summer Olympics in the threeposition rifle event after coming up just short in 2016 qualifying attempts.
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HUNTING
Ginny Thrasher. (GINNYTHRASHER.COM/MEDIA)
Kim Rhode. (PATTI WATKINS, INSPIRED STUDIOS, VIA USA SHOOTING)
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
A
mericans haven’t dominated Olympic shooting’s medal table historically as in other sports such as basketball, swimming and track and field. But Team USA has a recent trend of women who have made the podium. Jamie Lynn Corkish (nee Gray) won gold in 2012’s London Games’ three-position rifle event; Alaska’s Corey Cogdell-Unrein has two bronze medals in trap shooting in 2008 (Beijing) and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro); Ginny Thrasher was the 2016 Olympic champion in air rifle; and Sagen Maddalena’s fellow Californian Kim Rhode (six medals, three gold, in six different Olympics) is the sport’s most successful female Olympian and the only woman to medal in six consecutive games (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio). Rhode and Thrasher particularly have been great role models to Maddalena as she takes her shot at a Tokyo medal. “Kim Rhode, I remember we were competing at the world championships in Granada, Spain. And we were traveling back together to the United States. I can’t say exactly what she said, but it had to do with loving what you do and enjoying the moment,” Maddalena says. “She also talked about how qualifying is just the first step. Getting into that final and just enjoying it. At least that’s what I took out of it. I don’t know if that's what she was trying to relay, but that’s what I took from the conversation that we had. That was a big thing for me to learn, the enjoyment aspect of it.” Thrasher and Maddalena are somewhat rivals in their discipline, and the latter will try to follow up the former’s unlikely 2016 air rifle gold in Brazil. Thrasher also competed collegiately at West Virginia University, which for years has battled Maddalena’s alma mater University of Alaska Fairbanks for national team titles. “We competed together a lot and have grown up in the sport. When Thrasher was preparing for the 2016 Olympics I was tagging along with her and training with her, and it was really awesome to see how she prepared mentally,” Maddalena says. “She’s very good with routines and I guess you can say she has rituals in her preparation before she competes. That’s definitely something that I’ve learned from her.” CC
20 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
“Wearing the red, white and blue, that’s going to be where my thoughts are,” she says. “It’s a privilege and an honor, and definitely I’m excited to represent the Army, my state, my family.” It’s been quite a ride for Maddalena, who can point to her hectic but fulfilling childhood growing up in the mountains of rural Tuolumne County. She raised livestock, participated in a 4-H-sponsored rifle program, and was proficient enough to get recruited into a statewide service rifle team that ultimately led to an All-American shooting career in college. Rising all the way to Olympian status has made the journey even more satisfying. “(It’s) kind of like putting on that Army uniform. It makes you pop your chest a little more, bring your shoulders out and chin up,” she says of repping her country at the COVID19-delayed Tokyo games, which are scheduled to begin on July 23. “It’s like, ‘OK. Now I get to go to work. I get to show who I am among the greatest out there.’”
THE SIERRA COMMUNITY OF Groveland (population just over 600) is known as the “gateway” to Yosemite National Park, and it was an outdoor paradise for young Maddalena, who was born in Woodland, 15 miles northwest of Sacramento. Her dad Randy got her hooked on fly fishing, a passion that continues today, whether back home in California, in Alaska, where she competed on her college rifle team, or in Georgia, where Specialist Maddalena is stationed at Fort Benning. “My dad got me into fly fishing and I did a lot of that on the Tuolumne River, the North Fork, and just getting out on the woods; I loved that,” she says. “And hunting? Not so much. I did get out. I had a deer tag. I’ve had a bear tag. But I think I was attracted more to the fishing aspect of it.” Fly fishing with Randy was a chance to take in the spectacular wilderness surrounding her home.
HUNTING Father and daughter would hike the Sierra and end up at pristine, sparsely fished spots where they could have the trout to themselves. Maddalena has so many memories of those days that she had to think about one that stood out. “I was with my dad and we went to a glacier lake that had browns. And it was up above Tioga Pass, above Lake Eleanor and Saddlebag Lake. It was a 10,000-foot lake and you started to hike, got above the tree line and you kept going up. And I did catch a few little browns,” she says. “But the beauty of it and just being able to get out there and the freedom of it and the ability to fish – just way up there in the sky – that’s a memory that always comes back. Especially doing that with my dad and going on that big, long hike, just being out there and doing some fishing on our own, was peaceful.” It was another family member who inspired her in a different activity that, like fly fishing, became an obsession. “A big part of it goes to my
G P
Maddalena, here with a California king salmon, first got started in shooting while participating in a 4-H club program, which led to an invite from a service rifle team, the California Grizzlies. (SAGEN MADDALENA)
Backcountry trips in the remote Sierra with her dad Randy were the norm for Maddalena, who sees correlations between fly fishing and shooting. “It’s the patience and the ability to just kind of be all there when you’re doing it,” she says. “You really can’t just let your mind wander.” (SAGEN MADDALENA) 22 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
D
grandpa. He kind of got me out there shooting and he showed me a lot of the safety part of it and the enjoyment of it,” she says. Young Sagen joined her local 4-H club and participated in the traditional raising of livestock. She started with sheep, then pigs, and she especially got into taking care of breeding goats. “My family owned horses so, of course, I did the showmanship and the equestrian aspect of it. And the first animal that I raised in livestock was a sheep. That was an experience,” she says. “From sheep I raised a pig or two. That was a blast. But I got into goats and I actually started to raise them. They had kids and did the whole thing. And I had a small business. I actually had to make a choice between shooting and raising goats. So 4-H opened a lot of doors.” Indeed, 4-H also sponsored a .22
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HUNTING long rifle shooting program that Maddalena was excited to enroll in. It was mostly a safety class with some competitive events that Sagen got literally fired up to excel in. “The big thing was, a junior service rifle team (the California Grizzlies) ran that program, or assisted in running that program,” she says. “It was kind of like a football team and they recruited juniors who were interested in shooting. ‘OK, I want to go a little further in this.’” Maddalena found herself competing – and holding her own – against older 4-H competitors. And then the invite came to join the California Grizzlies service rifle team. “Once I went to my first match there, I was hooked at that point,” she says. Still, as she was mostly homeschooled, Maddalena wasn’t sure if shooting could turn into something else. She wanted to enlist in the Army eventually, but preferred to get a college education first. That’s when her service rifle coach, Robert Taylor, had an idea that would change everything.
THE OLYMPIC GAMES TELL us so much about an athlete’s character – from Jesse Owens, the sprinter who stuck it to Adolph Hitler’s white supremacy rhetoric during the 1936 games in Berlin; to unlikely wrestling gold medalist Rulon Gardner; to the sheer dominance of gymnastics star Simone Biles. Maddalena may or may not join that select group as American gold medal heroes, but she found humor when asked about how quickly she caught onto shooting given how far she’s progressed since. “Not at all. Terrible,” was how she described her performance early on. “One thing that still sticks in my mind is the (4-H) instructor we had running the .22 program told everybody in the group in our lesson before we went to the range – and he was talking to me – was, to be able to shoot standing, you have to love standing. So I pretty
Maddalena celebrates her qualification for Tokyo, four years after coming up short for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games. “Just to make the team, that’s kind of like a ticket to the dance, right? It’s only the first step,” she says. (MICHELLE LUNATO/U.S. ARMY)
much told myself from that time on, ‘I love shooting standing.’” So she made sacrifices to get better. Between her practice time on the range and livestock duties, Maddalena admits she had little time to do what kids her age do and hang out with friends. She also credits her mom, Susan, for attending all those county fairs: “I’m pretty sure there were better things to do at that time,” Sagen says. “She sacrificed a lot to be there.” Sagen also was thankful Randy wasn’t a “helicopter dad.” He “never hovered” at events, nor got too involved in the proceedings. “It was my drive; it wasn’t their drive,” she says. “They were always just there to support, so I was fortunate to have that.” Maddalena was also inspired by her service rifle team coach Taylor, who offered some of the best advice of her life. “‘Look: You have a choice to make. You can be the best here; the best as a service rifle shooter,” Maddalena recalls Taylor telling her. “Or you can expand out and you can try shooting in college … You can (someday possibly) shoot in the Olympics and take your competitive nature out farther.”
24 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, one of the most storied rifle programs in the NCAA, checked a lot of boxes for a goal to strive for. The school also offered a program Maddalena wanted to major in (natural resources management), so together coach and athlete reached out to then Nanooks head coach Dan Jordan. “I told him I was interested, my experience and what I had under my belt, and I told him where I wanted to get to and the goals that I had,” Maddalena says. “I wrote it all out in an email and he gave me a call. He gave me a chance. He said, ‘You can come up here and compete as a walk-on.’” So with a borrowed .22 and an air rifle she purchased from summer job earnings, Sagen and her mom headed to Fairbanks, Alaska, to try out. Jordan liked what he saw. Maddalena made the team as a nonscholarship athlete and redshirted in the 2013-14 season. That time proved invaluable to watch her older Nanooks teammates in action at a prestigious program (UAF has won 10 NCAA team titles and finished second four more times). Match days meant Maddalena could watch the action from the sidelines.
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HUNTING “(It’s) kind of like putting on that Army uniform. It makes you pop your chest a little more, bring your shoulders out and chin up,” Maddalena says of representing Team USA in Tokyo. “ It’s like, ‘OK. Now I get to go to work. I get to show who I am among the greatest out there.’” (MICHELLE LUNATO/U.S. ARMY)
Then when it ended she’d stick around and get her own work in. “I’d watch them compete, shoot. They would pack up and leave and I would go on the range and shoot my match and be there until like 10 or 11 (p.m.) just shooting my match and seeing how I did amongst their scores. That’s how I pushed myself. They drove me to be better.” In her four years competing, Maddalena became an All-American in both air and smallbore rifle and earned her degree in natural resources management with a minor in forestry. She also immersed herself in the Alaskan lifestyle. Despite being a shooter, fishing was always Maddalena’s first love. Though she vows to come back someday and catch a massive Alaska salmon, she caught plenty of grayling and trout during trips to waters near Fairbanks. “I remember going out to the Clearwater (River) and I was out there fly fishing. I was walking back to the truck and thought, ‘Wow. My feet are cold,’” she says. “I had the waders on and the thick socks. I was
appropriately dressed. And I got back to the truck and was eventually able to unfreeze my shoelaces so I could get my shoes off. But I had a half-inch of ice underneath my socks built up.” It’s a feeling only an Alaskan – even a transplant from California – can truly appreciate. Maddalena savored her solo hikes when she packed her snowshoes and shotgun and headed out for some bird hunting. “I had a 12-gauge and I’d hunt for grouse for dinner. And my poor roommates; I’d sit on the back porch of our apartment and take the feathers out of the grouse,” she says with a laugh. “We had feathers all over the place. But that was my thing: just go out and start walking.” As for her time in Alaska’s outdoors, Maddalena used the word clarity to describe the overall experience. “You’re so close to just, I want to say nature, but that’s not the right word for it. You get into the truck and drive somewhere and then get out and start walking,” she says. “And you’re just 30 minutes from town. You can look up in the sky and the color is a
26 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
little more blue or a little more crisp. And I always really enjoyed that part of it. It’s just a different place.”
TOKYO
MARKS AN ENDGAME to Maddalena’s journey from rural California to Japan via Alaska. All the 4-H lessons, the service rifle team success and her perseverance to make it work at the college level will come to fruition when she heads across the Pacific later this month. Specialist Maddalena loves her current career in the Army. When she’s not training – she missed out at 2016’s smallbore rifle Olympic Trials before joining teammate Mary Tucker as Team USA’s 2020 air rifle participants – Maddalena sometimes instructs young shooters and fellow soldiers as an Army International Rifle Team member. “It wasn’t anything that was in the family (as a military background). But I’ve always been patriotic, I guess. Just growing up and being in that rural community and always looked up to the sacrifices that soldiers gave,” she says. “I wanted to be a part of that, and so to have that opportunity to be a competitor and shoot nationally, to compete around the world and represent the Army and my country at the same time, that’s hands down a huge drive. A huge reason why I compete.” And what about that upcoming competition in Tokyo? “Just to make the team, that’s kind of like a ticket to the dance, right? It’s only the first step. However, it’s a step that can be hard to get to,” says Maddalena, who referred to her 2016 near-miss as a “taste.” “And now, having more than that taste and really getting it in my grasp and getting that ticket to go, it really doesn’t feel like anything special. It’s like, ‘OK. Now I get to go to work. I get to show who I am among the greatest out there.’” CS Editor’s note: For more on USA Shooting, go to usashooting.org. The Tokyo Olympics shooting competition website is at olympics .com/tokyo-2020/en/sports/shooting.
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calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021 California Sportsman
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FROM FIELD...
FISHING
FROM FIELD...
Author Scott Haugen cured over 1,000 pounds of coho eggs last summer. Here he’s bleeding fresh skeins, using multiple cures on baits cut to size and starting the air drying process with two previously cured batches. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
ALL ABOUT THE CURING HOW ONE SALMON ANGLER EXPERTLY PREPARES HIS EGGS By Scott Haugen ’ve never seen it done like that before!” It was a statement I heard over and over last summer while working at a fishing lodge in Alaska. Part of my duties included curing salmon eggs, a responsibility I insisted on. I’m picky when it comes to fishing eggs, even in Alaska. What caught me by surprise were the number of veteran egg-curing anglers who commented on my process. Most said they’d never even
I
“
thought of doing it the way I did. I’ve been curing salmon and steelhead eggs for over 50 years, and my goal is always to optimize the color and texture of the end product. For five weeks last summer I cured several pounds of coho eggs a day, as they were the primary bait used by clients to catch silver salmon. Wherever upcoming salmon fishing trips may take you, save those eggs and try this curing approach.
MY EGG-CURING PROCESS starts by quickly killing each fish that’s caught and
immediately snapping a couple gill rakes. You want the blood pumping or quickly flowing before it coagulates, which can compromise not only the meat, but the eggs as well. Once the skeins are free, cut an inch or so off the narrow end, making sure to remove all coagulated blood. One bad bait can ruin an entire batch, and having blood-free eggs to start with is very important. Next, force all the blood out of the vessels in each skein. With a paper towel, blot any remaining blood from the skein.
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FISHING
... TO FIRE
Summer heat isn’t just about the rising temperatures. Tiffany Haugen likes to infuse spices into fish fillets, including this surfperch she caught off the Northern California coast near Eureka. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
FOR SUMMER FISH, SPICE IS NICE By Tiffany Haugen
I
t’s the middle of summer, and with the heat comes more time on the water. Hopefully that means more fishing! Up and down California’s coast – and from the beaches to the mountains – there’s no shortage of species to pursue this time of year. And because fish can vary
in size, have a few ideas of how you want to cook them before you even head out. If a batch of small trout make it home, they may be ideal to stuff and toss on the grill, giving everyone a whole fish for dinner. If you bring home salmon, maybe fillet them, which makes four to six servings per fillet. If the fish you brought back are in many sizes, try baking, smoking or grilling them, and then flaking the meat into dips, salads or chowder. This versatile recipe works with any fish, and it’s perfect served over a spicy batch of fried rice. 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2 teaspoons minced ginger 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion ½ teaspoon red chili flakes 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce Fillet fish into serving sizes and remove
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pin bones, then pat fish dry with a paper towel. In a large skillet, heat coconut oil on medium-high heat. Sauté ginger, garlic, chives or green onion, and red chili flakes for two minutes. Add sesame oil and soy sauce to the skillet and lay fish skin side up on the ginger mixture. Cook fish three minutes and gently flip skin side down. Cook three to five more minutes or until fish reaches desired doneness. Remember, thicker fillets will take longer to cook. Serve over fried rice and garnish with additional chives or green onions. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.
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FISHING In order to optimize the eggcuring process, split big skeins lengthwise, up the center, then cut bait-sized chunks into the curing container. This maximizes the retention of connective tissues, thereby optimizing bait quality and performance. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Next, sprinkle a thin layer of egg cure into the bottom of a plastic or glass curing container, just enough to cover it. Last summer I used many brands, and settled on Pro-Cure’s Wizard Egg Cure in Double Neon Red and their Flame Orange Bait Cure. Clients could choose their eggs, and these were the ones they repeatedly went to day after day, and both produced high numbers of salmon all season long. Grip a skein at the large end, hold
it over the curing jar and cut into baitsized chunks. If the skein is small, simply start cutting at the narrow end, as this optimizes egg retention due to maximized skein being intact. The more membrane that’s intact, the firmer the bait will cure up and the better it will fish.
ONCE YOU REACH THE point on the skein where the baits become too big, cut up through the center of the
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skein that’s hanging down over the container; start at the bottom and continue to the top. This gives you two strips of skeins to now cut into bait sizes. When the layer of cure is covered with fresh cut baits, add more cure. Sprinkle just enough cure to cover the baits, as too much can result in chemical burns or hard discolored baits. Continue cutting and layering baits and cure until the jar is full or you’re out of eggs. Cutting your baits into the size you’ll be fishing does two things. First, it maximizes the surface area of each bait being cured, thereby optimizing their color. Second, it saves time when on the river. Fewer things frustrate me more than watching anglers fumble with whole, cured skeins when fishing. They’re messy and it wastes time. Instead of having to cut bait-sized chunks, clean the knife or scissors, apply the eggs, then wash your hands and work area every time you need a fresh bait, all you have to do is grab a pre-cut bait and get back to fishing. They’re already air-dried to ideal firmness, so there’s minimal mess.
WITH THE CURING JAR full, place in a cool, shaded place, like the corner of a shop or refrigerator. Rotate the jar every six to eight hours. There’s no need to shake the jar, as you want the cure to slowly precipitate through all layers of eggs. If you have a big container of eggs curing, you can gently roll them around on the final rotation to ensure all surfaces of the baits are covered in cure. After 36 to 48 hours, remove the eggs, drain and let air dry. I like putting them on plastic racks or a piece of plywood. Don’t put them on metal, which can taint the smell. Never in the curing process should eggs be exposed to sunlight, as this will darken them and weaken cell membranes. Once dried to the point where baits are tacky to the touch, they’re ready to fish. Keep finished eggs refrigerated for up to a month, or freeze
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FISHING Cured eggs ready to be drained then air dried. The batch soaked for 48 hours and the container was flipped every six to eight hours. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
for longer term storage. It’s best to cure eggs and then freeze them. Don’t refreeze eggs; the membranes may burst as they contract and expand in the thawing and freezing process, which makes them easily break down and fall off the hook when fished. THE KEY TO ANY well-cured egg is starting with a blood-free skein. Next, cut eggs to bait size and cover in cure. Keep eggs cool and shaded and handle with rubber gloves if worried about contaminating them with oils from your hands. Remember that a salmon’s sense of smell is measured in the parts-per-billion range, so no precautions are an overkill when it comes to achieving the perfectly cured egg. CS Editor’s note: To order signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book, Egg Cures: Proven Recipes & Techniques, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
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FISHING
SOBERING SCENES AS DROUGHT INTENSIFIES
A TRIP THROUGH NORCAL REVEALS LITTLE SNOW, SHRUNKEN RESERVOIRS AND RIVERS, AND WORRIES OF MORE FISH DIE-OFFS
By Chris Cocoles
A
s I packed up my belongings at a hotel in Medford, Oregon – my pit stop on a trip from my Seattle home to the Bay Area – I saw a sobering live Facebook video from our pal James Stone, the president of the NorCal Guides and Sportsman’s Association (ncgasa.org). Stone took viewers on a tour of
the Sacramento River boat ramp at the old Steelhead Lodge in Colusa. He pointed to where the water level should be at this time of year compared to how low it is now as the state grapples with drought conditions that experts say could get even worse. “You’re looking at about 4,000 cfs here in Colusa, California,” Stone says on his video. “Water temperatures are over 70 degrees. They’re sublethal for
all salmonids … And you’re gonna see a large die-off of salmon this year. You’re gonna see some of the worst (water) temperatures we’ve ever seen, at least in my lifetime in 40plus years. So be prepared for it, and hopefully (I’m) wrong.” As my pup Emma and I got back on southbound Interstate 5, I kept thinking about Stone’s depressing expectations for water levels and the The lack of mid-June snow on 14,000-plus-foot Mount Shasta was a telltale sign of what I would see along the way. (CHRIS COCOLES)
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FISHING
We exited I-5 at Lakeshore Drive in the community of Lakehead, just about where the upper Sacramento River enters Shasta Lake, one of the state’s critical reservoirs. (CHRIS COCOLES) This boat dock has seen better days, as has this stretch of water. (CHRIS COCOLES)
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Fu Ba wa
The meandering Klamath River flows past a rest area just south of the OregonCalifornia border. Winter snowfall in the river’s headwaters was far below normal and downstream there’s been an ongoing dieoff of young salmon due to a parasitic infection enhanced by the drought. Some Klamath farmers’ fields won’t be irrigated for the first time in a century. (CHRIS COCOLES)
We did break the Charlie Creek Bridge loitering rule as we stopped to get a look at what little water was below. I doubt there would be any immediate worries about jumping, diving or fishing from this bridge. (CHRIS COCOLES)
Further south in Shasta’s main body, the far Bridge Bay marina had lots of boats but not a great amount of water to explore with them. (CHRIS COCOLES)
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FISHING
After early-afternoon temperatures cracked triple digits, a Popeye's chicken sandwich was needed and enjoyed on a shady picnic table at Anderson River Park, where the Sacramento River quietly flowed past. (CHRIS COCOLES)
The Sac from Red Bluff’s perspective. At press time, the Sacramento Valley lowlands and 33 percent of the state are in “exceptional drought,” the worst category,and up from less than 10 percent in May as summer hits and conditions intensify. (CHRIS COCOLES)
Emma did her best to keep cool as we took a short walk down a path to the park’s swampy fishing area along the river, highlighted by the kayak kid who gleefully told someone out of my sight that he had salvaged the frog lure he was tossing. (CHRIS COCOLES)
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FISHING effect they may have on an already perilous salmon run. So I decided to make a few detours and check out stretches of the Sacramento River, Shasta Lake and even Folsom Lake during a planned trip to visit my niece Ashley, her husband David and their newborn son Weston in the Sacramento metro area. As these photos show, it wasn’t much more positive than Stone’s assessment on the Colusa stretch of the Sac. In other words, California desperately needs wet and snowy winters going forward. CS
Lik Fo –a at is con
En route to Folsom and then Ashley’s house in Citrus Heights the next day, we stopped by the Jiboom Street Bridge near downtown Sacramento. Branches of downed trees rose above the surface of the Sac. (CHRIS COCOLES)
Kayakers and paddleboaders enjoyed the hot sun on Lake Natoma, located along the American River just south of Folsom. (CHRIS COCOLES) 44 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
Th let wi so lef to
(CH
Like Shasta and Oroville to the north, Folsom Lake’s dwindling water supply – all three reservoirs were hovering at 40 percent or less of full capacity – is ground zero for the state’s drought concerns. (CHRIS COCOLES) The state park ranger graciously let us in to take a few photos without paying the day-use fee, so I hastily took photos and then left the park. It was depressing to soak in the views of the lake. (CHRIS COCOLES)
This really stood out to me, given the surroundings on this June afternoon. (CHRIS COCOLES)
After snapping this last photo, I walked back to the car shaking my head and wondering how much worse it can get before it gets better. California just experienced a five-year drought, followed by some wetter years, and now the pendulum has swung back to dry – and how. (CHRIS COCOLES) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021 California Sportsman
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FISHING
BE READY FOR BIG SURPRISES WITH A MANTRA OF ‘SPOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU; SPOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME,’ HERE’S HOW ONE CAPTAIN PREPS TO TAKE ON UNEXPECTEDLY LARGE FISH By Capt. Bill Schaefer
S
o, you are out there fishing for your favorite species and then you hook the fish of a lifetime – a giant by any measure. Considering that there are so many fish species that coexist in different areas, you always have that chance of a big surprise. You just have to be ready to land it and your tackle should be ready too. Let’s look at some of the problems that you might face when hooking a giant. You may be skilled enough to play the fish out on lighter line, but if you lose one, you may go to heavier tackle for the next cast. I had been fishing a reef for bass and then noticed large marks on the fish finder screen. I was sure they were yellowtail, but I ignored them. Then I hooked a fish that spooled my Daiwa Lexa 300 before I could even think about chasing him with the boat. I grabbed a larger 400-size Lexa, which has more line capacity, and was strung with 60-pound braid. I tied on the same swimbait I was previously using and then hooked and landed an 18-pound yellowtail. They were on the hunt for food and ate my swimbait, which happens
Brett Delong hoists a nice lingcod taken on a swimbait. Often, anglers will carry a rod and reel setup that can handle the fight of an average grade of fish, but what if something much bigger comes a calling? (BILL SCHAEFER) calsportsmanmag.com | JULY 2021 California Sportsman
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FISHING more than you might think. We even hooked and caught a few more because beforehand we had prepared to move up in tackle size.
BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING If you hook and get smoked by a giant fish at least once – hopefully not twice! – then you had better grab that larger rod you brought to send the next bait down. You do always bring
one with you, right? You never know what might be down there. A school of white seabass may have moved into the area. Here’s a perfect example of this scenario: I was fishing with the late Al Kalin, former owner of Kalin Lures, on the seaward side of San Diego Bay’s Zuniga Jetty. We were catching spotty after spotty until all of a sudden the bass stopped biting.
Author Bill Schaefer landed this giant 28-pound sheepshead on a swimbait, and it was only 2 pounds off the state record. Because moments like this could be missed when fishing too-light setups, Schaefer carries stouter gear to upgrade to when bigger fish are biting. (BILL SCHAEFER)
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I then hooked a fish that almost spooled me on my light bay gear before coming unhooked. Al had a little heavier tackle and landed a small white seabass; then another and another. I too had heavier tackle for when we ventured to the kelp later, but in the meanwhile was able to contribute to the white seabass count that swelled to 23 and included fish to 18 pounds.
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FISHING BIG ONES ON THE BAY The bays and harbors off the Southern California coast are no exception to this phenomenon. Always carry a heavier rod-and-reel combo for those times when you stumble across larger fish than you had planned on targeting. Spool me once, shame on you; spool me twice, shame on me. You can always stumble across large halibut in the bays. For these fish, have a heavier rod set up with a wired jighead. I use a piece of single-strand 30-pound wire – about 6 inches long – and wire one end to a loop and the other to varioussized jigheads. The wire is about the diameter of 4-pound monofilament and helps prevent halibut from biting off. A large halibut can suck in your entire lure and when you set the
hook, your line breaks off on its teeth. If you wire one rod and then throw that rod after that, or even before that, the wire will pass the teeth and usually end with a successful landing of that tasty fish.
HOLD THAT LINE
Many saltwater bass anglers are already prepared when they have rods with monofilament as well as braid, but you also have to think about line capacity. A giant fish can spool you in a second, even with a braided line. As an example, we took a trip into the La Jolla boiler rocks for calicos. I was throwing a swimbait with braided line, but on a smaller-capacity reel. I hooked and landed a 33-pound white seabass – but only with some luck. He almost spooled me a few times before
“I am someone who likes to be able to just pick up the next rod I need and throw it out,” says Schaefer, here with a big yellowtail. “It’s that old tournament fishing habit, I guess, but it’s a good habit.” (BILL SCHAEFER) 50 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
tuckering out. If you keep getting broken off when fishing a reef, it’s time to go up in line size and capacity. You may be hooking one giant lingcod after another. You want to land those big ones, so start with a heavy line and lots of it, or quickly change over. The bass on the reef that you’re fishing might be line-shy and I can’t blame you for using light tackle to help get bit, but the second you get rocked, go up in rod, reel and line size. You need the right tackle to land those surprise fish.
GEAR CHECK
Let’s review what tackle you should take along. I usually bring a halfdozen rods aboard – sometimes more. I normally carry the entire spectrum when out for salty bass: Daiwa DXSB Swimbait rods in 10- to 30-, 12- to 40- and 20- to 50-pound test with Lexa WN 300 and 400 reels loaded with Maxima Ultragreen monofilament in 12-, 15- and 20-pound test. From there, I use Daiwa and Maxima braided line from 30- to 65-pound test on Daiwa Proteus WN rods. I cover the entire spectrum I need with about five or six rods. This includes my jig stick, a Daiwa Proteus WN rod in 8 feet, 10 inches, and a Lexa 400 strung with 65-pound braid and a top shot of 30-pound Maxima Ultragreen. You may even find a use for that rod and reel sitting in the corner of the garage, the one you think is too heavy. Break it out, line it up and bring it with you on the next trip. I’m someone who likes to be able to just pick up the next rod I need and throw it out. It’s that old tournament fishing habit, I guess, but it’s a good habit. You don’t really need a ton of rods; just carry one that’s heavier than the rest. That way, you can easily switch to heavier tackle, which can make the difference when that unexpected surprise trophy decides to make your day special. CS
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SURF’S UP FOR A BEACH ANGLER SOCAL SHORE TRIPS WITH FATHER LONG AGO FUEL FISHERMAN’S SEARCH FOR NIBBLES ON FAR SIDE OF THE PACIFIC By Lance Sawa
W
henever the California weather was good and my dad and I had the time, we would go surf fishing. A couple of rods and some jigs were all that we had to carry along with us. The light weight of the equipment helped if we had to walk any distance to the water. We didn't have any one place we preferred; instead, we would drive along the beach looking for some type of structure. Sometimes it was a street water runoff outlet or a river mouth; others, we’d spot a group of rocks in the middle of a sandy beach. A couple of times Dad heard about certain spots from his friends where someone had
Now living in Japan, author Lance Sawa headed to the west coast of his new country to surf cast into the Sea of Japan, rekindling memories of Southern California beach fishing with his dad. (LANCE SAWA)
caught a big fish. We fished broken, rotten piers and even the outlet to a power plant, and no, I never saw a three-eyed fish! Once we had arrived at our spot and dressed in shorts, we left our shoes in the car. Sand can get scorching hot in the California summer, so sometimes we had to run into the water to cool off our feet. Only then was I able to take in the scene: The gentle sound of the waves crashing against the sand and slowly melting and sliding back into the sea; seagulls chatting to each other as they fly overhead; the salty air swirling around as the cool ocean water laps at our feet. Over the years I’ve heard and seen many fish being caught from the California beach – from halibut
to sharks, white seabass to barracuda. Though I only ever caught barred surf perch, I was still happy with that. My dad did catch a smallish halibut once and a short sand bass another time. Everything was catch and release for us when we went surf fishing, as we didn’t want to carry any fish around with us. I remember us trying different lures and baits from time to time – perhaps a fillet of anchovy or a piece of squid on a leadhead would finally get us that big halibut. Surely a flashy lure would get us a barracuda. One time we even brought out live bait and let it sit past the surf, hoping for a large fish to devour it. In the end it was always a grub-tail lure that caught the most fish.
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Since I’ve since moved to Japan, I wanted to experience this kind of fishing again.
AFTER A YEAR OF not being able to go ocean fishing, I started looking into the fish counts and other local information as a reference point. A storm was over the area along the Sea of Japan, off the west coast of the island of Honshu, but right before it touched land a large number of fish were being caught along the beaches. The catch was diverse too: some flounder, rockfish and, most of all, sillago, also known as Japanese whiting. Sillago are great to eat; they have soft white flesh, which gets eaten with the skin most of the time because the flesh will fall apart when filleted. By the next day the storm had blown itself out, so I left for the hour-and-a-half drive to the beach in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, north of Tokyo. In the mirror I could see the snow still on my local mountains. I stopped once along the way at Joshuya bait and tackle shop to pick up supplies. The store had even more information about the local conditions and details about all the fishing that was in season, including surf fishing. As I was looking and somewhat confused by the sheer number of choices, I happened to start chatting with a woman who was a boat captain. She helpfully showed me a few things and pointed me toward some good spots where she liked to fish. When the subject of bait came up, she firmly talked only about artificials. The perinereis clam worms – or rag worms – normally used for bait were a bit too much for her. After I thanked her, we went our separate ways and then I bought some rag worms with one of the advertised rigs.
A trip to a local bait and tackle shop not only offered gear and rag worms to stock up on, but Sawa picked the brain of a local woman about tips to score some fish from the shore. (LANCE SAWA) 54 California Sportsman JULY 2021 | calsportsmanmag.com
WITH FRESH BAIT AND a popular rig to fish with, I set out for the location my new friend suggested. It was a large stretch of beach just beyond a popular fishing pier. There were many people
The day after a storm had passed through, the author found a lot of competition for fishing spots … (LANCE SAWA)
fishing, perhaps because the storm was finally gone and they could once again get out on the water. Driving along the beach there were plenty of places with structure and even parking spots, but also lots of other people out fishing. I don’t like crowding other people, so I continued to drive down the shoreline until I saw a little beach road. It looked to be going toward the water and I took the chance. I thought, worse comes to worst I’d just have to turn around. The little beach road took me along a small farm and past more little beach roads, but sure enough, it ended right at the water’s edge. There was a little breakwall and raised parking – a perfect location. Japan’s ocean water is a bit too cold for me and I decided to wear boots rather than going barefoot like my dad and I did back in California. Japanese surf fishing setups are also a bit different than what I used to use. The weight is on a wire that separates the hook line from the main line to decrease tangles. When I got down to the water it was just as cold as I remembered it, but with fresh bait on the new-to-me rig, I made my first cast. I had read that the best method for surf fishing was to do a run and gun, which is simply just walking the beach as I used to do so often on the other side of the Pacific. Cast a few times, and if you don’t have any luck, then you just move down the beach and keep doing
... But this backroad led to a spot where he could fish in relative anonymity. There, a flounder bit his rag worm setup. (LANCE SAWA)
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The flounder and a few smallish squarespot rockfish made for a nice meal back home in Nagano Prefecture. For Sawa, it felt like the old days with Dad back in California. (LANCE SAWA)
that until you catch something or run out of sunlight. I got nothing over a couple casts, changed the bait and moved down the beach a bit. I’d cast and slowly drag the line in, then wait for anything chasing the bait to bite. I dragged the line and waited, then I got a bite but I was a bit too fast to set the hook and the fish and bait were gone. This was my first time using rag worms, but they aren’t too different from earthworms. The worms’ two large teeth sticking out were a bit frightening, but I didn’t get bit. Of course, the fish hadn’t bit enough of the bait in the water either!
I TRIED ONCE MORE. With fresh bait on the hook I began to slowly drag the setup back in. I got another bite in the same area, but this time I waited a bit too long and whatever was on the other end stole the bait. Time to rinse and repeat: put on a fresh bait, cast, drag and wait. And I got another bite, but this time I hooked into it. The fish and I had a short fight and soon a little flounder came out of the surf. After all those catch-and-release moments with my dad, I knew my son Nico would love to see it, so the fish went into a bucket to take home. After all that excitement, no more fish were interested in my rag worms in that spot, so I continued to walk
the beach until I began to get a bit too far from the car. I started heading back and a few more times on the way I tried more casts, but there was no more action. I guided the car back up the beach road and decided to try the first area again, the one that had been so busy when I first arrived. There were less people now, making it worth my time to give it a shot. Whenever I fish somewhere new I try to talk to anyone else who’s fishing. Local knowledge is always the best intel, I have found over the years. They can give you pointers that no one else can. As I was doing this, I saw a familiar face; it was the same woman from the store and she was fishing the area she had suggested to me. It was great to see her fishing there. I asked if she had caught anything. She said she ate lunch first, so she’d just gotten there but hadn’t caught anything yet. I thanked her again for all the earlier advice. The new spot had even more breakwalls protecting the fishing area. I started to again walk the beach until I got to one breakwall, fished it and got a light tap, but whatever was on the other end quickly dropped it. I tried again almost on top of the breakwall and a fish took the bait this time. I was engaged in another quick fight and this time it was a small squarespot rockfish. This too went into
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the bucket with the flounder. This fish made me think maybe everything was still hiding in between the rocks because of the storm. I continued to fish that breakwall, but didn’t get anything else. The first time I had to cast far away, but it too had a squarespot for me. One last breakwall landed me two more squarespots, one close to the beach and another that bit almost as far as I could cast out. But with all my bait used, it was time to head home.
AFTER AN HOUR ON the road I could see my local mountain again. It still had snow on its peak, even though I had been baking in the beach sun all day. A mountain Sakura cherry blossom tree along the road home was in full bloom, even though places like Tokyo were long done with the Sakura season. At home I started cleaning the fish as Nico came home from school. He likes to sit and watch me clean them. He knows all the fish names, even if I have never brought that type of fish home before. There was just enough fish for one meal, which is perfect because my son loves to eat the fish I bring home. I didn’t catch any sillago this trip, but now I know where and how to catch them for next time. Maybe I should buy some grub-tail lures when I get back out and see what I can catch with them. CS
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HUNTING
Noted dog trainer Jess Spradley works with his wife Tifanee Spradley – also a veteran trainer – to get a pair of Labs tuned up. Each trainer closely watches and controls their dog in order to optimize training time and curtail any conflicts. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
DOG FIGHT PREVENTION By Scott Haugen
I
opened the door, my pup shot through my legs, and before I knew it, there was a dog fight. I broke it up as quickly as I could, but it wasn’t easy, or pretty. My pup suffered some bad bruising and hair loss on his chest and front shoulder, but fortunately, no stitches were needed. The door I’d opened led into our garage, where I was temporarily housing a buddy’s stud dog, which
had just finished eating. The bonehead mistake was one I’ll never forget, and goes to show that most dog fights are the result of their owners not paying attention; guilty as charged. Fortunately my male pup, a strong-headed 8-month-old at the time, bounced back. “Regardless if you have a male or a female dog, a fight can happen,” states noted professional trainer Jess Spradley of Cabin Creek Gun Dogs (cabincreekgundogs.com) and who is
a familiar name to these pages. Spradley trains year-round and is around a lot of dogs, not just his own, but those of fellow trainers and clients, too. One time I joined him on a two-day training session where he had nearly a dozen dogs, and brought along two handlers to help change out dogs, feed, water and kennel them. “Own a dog long enough and there will be a fight, and you should always assume there’ll be a fight, even if your dog has never been aggressive,” is what
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HUNTING Following a hunt or training session, it’s a good idea to leash your dog if other dogs are around. Get it water or food, then kennel it, in order to avoid a potential fight. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Spradley tells folks. “Your dog might be easygoing and never edgy, but if your buddy has an aggressive dog, it can cause a fight. Be very watchful in these situations because it could change your dog’s demeanor for the rest of its life.”
RULE NUMBER ONE: DON’T ever let a dog run out the door ahead of you. They’re jacked up to get outside, and if they meet another dog face to face, it could turn ugly real fast. Rule number two: When letting your dog out of the truck, make sure it exits slowly, not bursting out the kennel or truck door. This is a common mistake at hunting locations where people gather, as well as campgrounds, parking lots and public parks. “If you have a type-A-personality dog, always keep a close eye on it,” continues Spradley. “You’ll recognize the personality type as soon as they come home, and you’re not going to change a strong-headed dog, but you can easily manage it. There will be times you need to get physical with
type-A dogs because if you don’t, they’ll continually push to gain that alpha position. If you don’t think you’re in command of your dog, you’re probably not, and that’s not a good thing.” Something you’ll notice early on, and Spradley agrees, is that when you’re in charge of a well-trained dog, it’ll submit to not only your verbal commands, but your body language and even your facial expressions. But you must establish this leadership role early, as it’s the best way to control a dog and prevent future fights.
WHEN HUNTING YOUR DOG with other dogs, keep a close watch. “If I’m hunting with someone and I don’t like how their dog acts, I’ll either go hunt on my own or put my dog away for a while,” offers Spradley. “After so many kills, we trade out. This takes time, but is easy because the last thing you want is a fight on a hunt.” After a hunt is when Spradley sees the highest number of dog fights. “These fights are the result of dog
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owners letting their guard down, letting the dogs run around the trucks, mingling freely like the hunters do, and that’s a big mistake. After a hunt dogs are tired, hungry, thirsty, often sore, and sometimes irritable, and those are ingredients for a fight. Keep your dog at heel all the way to the truck and immediately put it in the kennel.” With the pandemic, a growing number of people have gotten dogs and are taking them on walks in public areas. I no longer go to some of my favorite public training areas because so many people have dogs off-leash. It’s a catastrophe waiting to happen, but they don’t know it. “A strange dog should never loosely interact with your gun dog,” advises Spradley. “Socializing is important, but advocating that dogs should run up to one another and start playing is a recipe for disaster. I never let strange dogs approach my gun dogs, not even if they are on a leash because those aren’t relationships I want my dogs to develop.” It’s worth noting that some dogs can be even more possessive while leashed.
DON’T TAKE SPRADLEY wrong; he’ll be the first to tell you dogs need socialization, but be smart about it. “Get your dog with a buddy’s dog, never a strange dog,” he offers. “Start socializing when the pup is young because they need to know and be able to trust other dogs. Be smart; keep them around same-size and ageclass dogs, and make the introductions slowly while both dogs are on leash.” Spradley devotes serious time to training his dogs with other dogs they’ll be hunting with, so they get to know one another. “I’ve never seen a gun dog puppy that was born to fight,” Spradley concludes. “If they do pick a fight, it’s likely because they had something bad happen to them at some point and simply don’t want to be around another dog. And when there is a fight, break it up right away because the last thing you want is a dog getting away with this type of aggression.”
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HUNTING Author Scott Haugen trained his two pudelpointers, Echo and Kona, to hunt together, and they do so for upland birds, waterfowl, shed antlers and more. Here they enjoyed a day in the sooty grouse woods. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
As I learned the hard way when my pup ran out the door, make absolutely certain there’s no opportunity for a chance encounter with another dog. This applies when letting your dog out at home, walking it on the beach or running in a park. Watch those blind corners, be mindful of other owners letting dogs out of their vehicles and always have your dog on a leash whenever there’s the slightest chance for an encounter. By paying close attention and anticipating situations you find you and your dog in, you can avoid the majority of potential fights. Then again, be ready to quickly break up a fight, because the more you train and hunt around other dogs, the more likely it is to happen. That’s just part of being a dog owner. 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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