California Sportsman Mag - August 2023

Sportsma n Californ ia

PUBLISHER

James R. Baker

GENERAL MANAGER

John Rusnak

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Andy Walgamott

EDITOR

Chris Cocoles

CONTRIBUTORS

Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Tim E. Hovey, Cal Kellogg, Todd Kline, Jeff Walters

SALES MANAGER

Paul Yarnold

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Lucas Hoene, Mike Smith, Zachary Wheeler

DESIGNER

Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker

DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Jon Hines

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Katie Aumann

Volume 15 • Issue 10

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 deep sea anglers hope for a massive lingcod to bite, but the bread and butter of these trips is reeling in lots of rockfish like this vermillion, which provide excellent table fare.

(CAL KELLOGG)

MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120 Renton, WA 98057 (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437

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WHEN FISHING ‘ROCKS’

When heading out of coastal California ports on deep sea fishing trips, everyone hopes to tie into a massive lingcod. But it’s the delicious taste of the myriad – and plentiful – rockfish species that you should be focusing on. Cal Kellogg detail how to fill your freezer full of snow-white filets.

27 STICK TO IT FOR SUMMER BASS

Tim Hovey is always looking for an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, and when a summer fishing session at a local pond beckoned, Hovey and a visiting buddy jumped at the chance to beat the heat and smash the bass. Tim breaks down one of the best lures to tempt largemouth during the dog days and recaps a memorable bassin’ experience.

35 CHANNEL YOUR INNER CATFISH CATCHER

Cal Kellogg returns for another great fishing seminar, this time praising the virtues of channel catfish. They’re a viable target for California anglers from north to south, and you can enjoy a great early morning or late evening session soaking stinkbaits, nightcrawlers and several other options for these bottom-dwelling whiskered delights. Kellogg shares how to fill your stringer.

61 PHONE A (FISHING) FRIEND

There’s no substitute for picking the brains of savants to enhance your experience in whatever activity you want to pursue. That includes fishing, and whether it’s a guide you’ve hired or even the wily older angler casting next to you on the river, Scott Haugen says don’t be afraid to ask questions from those who might know more than you. And for when you find success, Scott’s wife Tiffany Haugen rounds out their From Field to Fire column with a trout-covered bruschetta appetizer recipe.

While visiting family and friends in the Bay Area, on a lazy and warm summer Saturday, my sister and brother-in-law went over a few errands to run and asked if I wanted to tag along.

Most of the list was agreeable to my interests and/or psyche:

• A stop at a sidewalk/clearance sale for our favorite hockey team, the San Jose Sharks. (Sure, and I found a retro San Jose hockey T-shirt at 40 percent off.)

• A Costco run. (Down for it, as I needed some beer and where else can you snack on a few free samples while your stomach is grumbling?!)

• Lunch at perhaps the best sandwich shop I’ve been to, Little Lucca in Burlingame. (Check. Their delicious sandwiches – I’d opt for the Santa Fe chicken this time around –are big enough that I was able to save half for lunch the next day!)

• But between all those stops, my sister Charlene wanted to shop a bit at Walmart in San Jose. (That was an emphatic no for

me, as Walmart is as chaotic as Costco but without the free samples.)

As her husband Alan also grumbled at

that leg of the journey, Charlene agreed to drop me off somewhere on the way if anything interesting popped up. Sure

The scenes in a Bass Pro Shops store can be mesmerizing for those of us who love the outdoors, as the editor recently experienced in San Jose. (CHRIS COCOLES)

enough, as we exited onto San Jose’s Almaden Expressway, hope appeared. “Maybe Alan and I can check out Bass Pro Shops while you’re at Walmart?” Problem solved.

And while I’ve regularly visited outdoorsy one-stop shops such as Sportsman’s Warehouse and Cabela’s in recent years, I hadn’t explored Bass Pro Shops in a while. I was in awe on this day.

What amazed me as I walked the aisles wasn’t just the sheer size of the space, but the variety of items available – fishing gear

and hunting supplies, a massive selection of clothing, more snacks and other foodrelated than I was anticipating, and at least three grills that I may head back to upgrade with sometime in the near future.

I kept my credit card impulses in check and settled for a low-priced light rain jacket that will come in handy when I get back to my home in precipitation-heavy Seattle, plus a couple bottles of barbecue sauce.

I have to admit that while I sometimes scoff at the idea of long shopping trips, the Bass Pro Shops shoppers of the world who

love the outdoors and – as those fancy boats attest – dream of those big-ticket toy purchases are permitted to geek out in experiences like this one.

When Alan and I left after about 45 minutes of browsing, we found a shady spot in front of the store to wait for my sister. We agreed that all that was missing at this Bass Pro Shops was a pub to get a beer and a snack – maybe an answer to those $1.50 Costco hot dogs at its snack bar.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning. -Chris Cocoles

The editor was in awe at the variety of fishing gear on hand, not to mention the watercraft, apparel, accessories and the overall ambience of the store. (CHRIS COCOLES)

Adventures

(TODD

It’s all about the U! We continue to visit schools for Dylan. The University of Miami has a gorgeous campus. (TODD KLINE)

We’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek on what he’s up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor

This was a fun day with triple hookups for the kids. The dorado were small, but the memories we created were huge. (TODD KLINE)

I took a trip to Florida with my wife Tiffani and son Dylan to catch up with family members who still live in the Sunshine State. We hit the Florida Keys for some fishing fun and enjoyed gorgeous sunsets. (TODD KLINE) )

Tiffani and my brother Rory cruising the backwaters in the Keys.

KLINE)

Rory (left front, with friend Mike in the rear) lives in Florida, which means we don’t see each other too often. In fact, we had never taken a trip together – just the two of us without our families. But we headed to the Bahamas for a few days of brotherly fun. (TODD KLINE)

I caught this solid mutton snapper while tossing a jig from shore with my Okuma Travel rod. (TODD KLINE)

Back in Southern California, I am super pumped with my 2024 Triton 20XP, which I just picked up. This boat is an unbelievable fishing platform. (TODD KLINE)

Here’s Rory trying his luck from the shore in the Bahamas. (TODD KLINE)

Longtime friend Rob Branah and I caught up for a little frog fishing in Florida. We had a blast. (TODD KLINE)

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

AUGUST

5 Stampede Reservoir Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org/derbies

5-13 Dates for several archery pronghorn seasons; wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Pronghorn

12 Zone A (South Unit 110 and North Unit 160) deer hunting season opens; wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Deer

12-20 Early Owens Valley Multiple Zone bull tule elk season dates; wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Elk

15-18 Grizzly Island Period 1 antlerless tule elk season dates

17-20 Grizzly Island Period 2 spike bull tule elk season dates

19 Zones B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5 and B-6 archery deer hunting seasons open

19 Most D Zone archery deer hunting seasons open

19-27 Several general and apprentice pronghorn seasons open

20 Archery-only and falconry quail, grouse and chukar hunting seasons open; wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/UplandGame-Birds

25 Start of Ambush at the Lake fall fishing derby, Convict Lake; convictlake.com or (800) 992-2260

30 Start of Northeastern Rocky Mountain either-sex elk season

Several limited-entry elk seasons get started this month, including an Owens Valley bull hunt that runs from Aug. 12-20. (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE)

SEPTEMBER

1-15 First dove season dates

2 Statewide Free Fishing Day (no general fishing license required); wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/free-fishing-days

6-17 Marble Mountains Roosevelt elk either-sex apprentice season dates

6-17 Marble Mountains Roosevelt elk general antlerless and bull season dates

6-28 Northwestern Roosevelt elk general antlerless, bull and either-sex season dates

9 Shaver Lake Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org/ derbies

9 Zone Q1 mountain quail hunting season opens

9 Sooty (blue) and ruffed grouse seasons open

9-17 White-tailed ptarmigan hunting season dates

9-24 Lone Pine Period 1 tule elk antlerless archery season dates

13-24 Northeastern Rocky Mountain elk either-sex apprentice and general bull season dates

16 Stillwater Classic catch-and-release fly fishing tournament, Crowley Lake; crowleylakefishcamp.com/new-events/ stillwater-classic

16-24 Most Zones B and C, D-6 and D-7 and X-9a deer hunting seasons open

23 Zones D-3, D-4, D-5, D-8, D-9 and D-10 deer seasons open

23 Zone X-8 deer season opens

23 Zone Q2 all-quail season opens

For a list of upcoming bass tournaments, go to nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishingContests/default.aspx. General black bear season will open concurrently with the general deer hunting season in deer zones A, B, C, D, X8, X9A, X9B, X10 and X12 and extend through Dec. 31.

The Kern River in the Kern River Valley has always been the premier whitewater challenge for the rafting community.

But this year after record snowpacks it has set the bar a lot higher. Every trip at every class from Class 1 to 5 is 100% excitement. Trips are offered daily from lickety-split to overnight 2-day adventures by local professional outfitters.

Here Whitewater Voyages gives guests a taste of the Kern River. Check the local Chamber of Commerce’s website for outfitter companies and phone numbers.

STICKING IT TO LARGIES

FARMPOND BASS ARE HUNGRY IN SUMMER – AN ANGLER SHARES HIS TRICKS FOR CATCHING A FEW

By Tim E. Hovey

When I first discovered bass fishing in my early teens, I honestly found it frustrating. I struggled with figuring out their patterns. Lures and techniques that I successfully used to catch largemouth during certain times were essentially ignored at others.

It took me some time before I realized that bass are doing different things during different periods of the year. These activities directly affect the way they feed. Once I figured out their seasonal patterns, I kind of became obsessed with late spring and summertime bass fishing.

Largemouth bass are usually spring to early summertime spawners. They do feed during this time, but they put more energy into prepping for laying eggs and tending spawning beds. However, immediately after their reproductive requirements are complete, they go on a feeding rampage. This period is my favorite time to fish for them.

STICK IT TO THEM

Most crankbaits and spinnerbaits will get the job done in certain conditions. You can also get into finesse fishing with jigs and soft plastics. While I enjoy using these techniques for warmer-season bass fishing, my favorite way to fish this time of year

A lazy summer day, a small, fish-filled pond and a friend’s homemade lure can add up to a great day fishing for bass, a pastime author Tim Hovey is fond of. (TIM E. HOVEY)

FISHING

is using lures I call stickbaits.

Stickbaits are floating or slowly sinking hardbody lures that mimic smaller baitfish. I like fishing them close to shore and then fan cast out near structure. While these lures are essentially longer, skinnier types of crankbaits, these baits are where I started, and I will never tire of digging through the tackle box and tying on one of my favorites.

FIND THE COVER

After largemouth are done spawning, they look to refill their depleted reserves by feeding, and feeding aggressively. They like to stay near cover or structure where they can ambush baitfish. This is where I like to fish.

During the spring and summer, I have access to a few smaller ponds that hold a fair amount of bass. I like to visit this property to check on the spawning and to see when the bass “turn on” to feeding. Towards the middle of May, I noticed the bass were off their beds and cruising the shallows. It was time to fish!

I loaded up my gear and headed out. My goal was just to see how active

the fish were and to maybe spend an hour walking the shore. I had a friend coming to town the following week and I was essentially scouting for a return trip with my buddy, John. During one recent text exchange, he had mentioned that he had gotten into freshwater fishing last year and had yet to catch a bass. I was hoping to change that during his visit.

BITE IS ON

At the pond, I walked a bit before I started casting. I like to check out things first and plan a little route around the area. I located a nice spot that had limited surface vegetation. I tied on a bait a good friend of mine had made for me and got ready to fish.

I had to push through the fear of losing the one-of-a-kind lure. The previous year I was fishing in this same spot with another custom lure and lost it to an aggressive bass. I was heartbroken, but my buddy simply stated, “I can just make more; fish with them!”

I made my first cast about 8 feet on the outside of the reeds and let it sit there for about 20 seconds. There are times when bass are so aggressive

that they’ll basically attack anything that hits the water.

I twitched the lure a bit and then started the slow retrieve. Fifteen feet from where the lure had landed, it stopped abruptly. I instinctively set the hook and felt angry pressure on the other end. After a short run that pulled drag, the largie broke the surface, shaking his head vigorously.

I could see the lure solidly attached to the bass, and within another minute, I had him in the shallows and tired. I reached down and grabbed the 3-pounder by the bottom lip and held him up. He was a beautiful specimen, with a very full belly. The homemade lure hung from his face impressively.

I snapped a few photos and texted them to my lure-making buddy, with the simple title, “First cast.” I carefully removed the lure from the jaw of the fish and released him.

I fished for another 30 minutes and caught a few smaller bass, but I decided to leave the rest of the water for when my friend John arrived.

The following week, I picked John up at the airport and we headed out to have some fun. He had picked up the nonresident, three-day, hunting and

Small ponds are great places to spend a few hours chasing post-spawn largemouth. (TIM E. HOVEY)

FISHING

fishing license, so we were essentially good for whatever outdoor activities that were in season.

We grabbed lunch, dropped off his luggage and headed out to do some fishing. I had a few spots I wanted to try, but the plan was to end up at the bass ponds to throw some lures. John had done a fair amount of fly fishing in Colorado but was new to angling for largemouth bass. We had met about a decade before and shared an interest in shore fishing on the California coast, but he hadn’t really targeted much else, fishing-wise.

INTRODUCING A NEW BASSER

We eventually made it to the ponds, with nothing much of note happening before that. I looked through my tackle and picked a

couple of favorable lures. Not wanting to risk losing another custom lure, I rigged John up with an older Rapala and I tied on the same lure that had brought me luck on my last trip. We split up and started fishing.

After a few casts, I hooked up with a scrappy 1-pound largemouth. I was casting the reed line and watched the reeds shake slightly as the bass raced out to grab the lure. A classic ambush predator move.

I snapped some more photos for the maker of the lure and released the fish. Then I took a few moments to watch John to see if he was having any luck. He was bent over on the bank dealing with something. After a few seconds, he stood up and showed me his first largemouth bass. Less than an hour off the plane and he was already catching fish!

We eventually circled around and met up at the edge of one of the ponds. We traded fish stories and I was pleased to hear that he had caught a few more bass. We decided to fish our way back to the truck and then head back home.

MORE FISH TO CATCH

At the truck, we loaded up the gear

“When I first started targeting largemouth, I used the longer stickbaits and still fish with them today,” Hovey says. (TIM E. HOVEY)

Hovey’s buddy John Mattila scored a nice firsttime largemouth while they fished a couple ponds together. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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FISHING

and started to drive out. I passed a smaller pond and happened to notice several larger bass hanging out in the shade of a willow tree near the shore. John had mentioned that the largest fish he had caught was a little over a pound, but the fish I was watching were all double that size.

I told John to grab his rod and to slowly come around the front of the truck. At the shore, he made a few casts, but I could see he was reeling too slowly. A couple of the bass would follow the lure, but they weren’t interested.

“Drop the tip a bit and reel faster,” I suggested.

John made a great cast to the edge of the shadow that got the attention of all the bass waiting in the shade. He dropped the rod tip and doubled the speed on his retrieve. The largest bass in the group bolted out and grabbed the lure. After a short battle, I was taking photos of John and his very respectable 2-pounder.

Fishing trips come and go, but “I will never tire of tossing stickbaits next to the reeds of a pond and twitching that lure floating at the surface, just waiting for the summertime monsters to attack,” the author writes. (TIM E. HOVEY)

HAPPY DAYS ON THE POND

I’ve fished fresh- and saltwater all over the Western United States. I’ve made countless trips into Mexican waters to fish for the big pelagics that call the Sea of Cortez home. I’ve tangled with so many fish species

over a lifetime of angling that I have lost count.

But I will never tire of tossing stickbaits next to the reeds of a pond and twitching that lure floating at the surface, just waiting for the summertime monsters to attack. CS

Happy anglers pose for a largie selfie. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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A CHAT ABOUT CHANNELS

THE CASE FOR TARGETING CALIFORNIA’S MOST WIDESPREAD CATFISH, AN ‘AMAZING’ SPECIES THAT IS FUN TO FISH FOR AND TASTY ON THE TABLE

By Cal Kellogg

Consider the channel catfish. Depending on who you ask, these fish are either beadyeyed, low-down, liver-slurping bottom feeders, or sophisticated, hard-fighting gamefish. I suspect most folks who hold channel cats in

low regard have never targeted them seriously.

I’ve spent a lot of time targeting channel cats, and I can tell you from experience they are an amazing gamefish. Before I offer up some basic channel cat fishing strategies, let’s take a closer look at the species.

RESILIENT, TASTY, WILY

The first thing to know is that channel cats are prolific fish that can adapt to a broad range of different habitats, including big rivers, small streams, lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Native to parts of Canada, the East Coast and Midwest, these days they

Author Cal Kellogg caught and released this huge 23-pound channel catfish while jigging a spoon at Collins Lake last winter. Most Golden State channel cats aren’t this large, but there are plenty of goodsized ones for your pan or grill. (CAL KELLOGG)

have been planted widely, including in California, and are the most numerous catfish in North America.

They offer outstanding table fare and are grown commercially at fish farms all around the country. When you see catfish on a restaurant menu or in the local market, the filets almost certainly came from a commercially raised channel cat.

Here in California, you can find channel catfish in nearly every reservoir in the state and these fish are often overlooked. With the great trout and bass fishing available in the Golden State, relatively few anglers get out of the trout or bass rut. This is a mistake, since channel cats are the largest predator swimming in our reservoirs.

These fish have acute senses, live to ripe old ages and even have the ability to communicate with each

other using both sounds and scents. I don’t have the space to go into a detailed discussion of channel cat communication, but if the interest strikes you, a little online research will turn up some amazing information.

SIZING THEM UP

So how big do channel catfish grow?

Let me start out by saying the stories you may hear about 100-plus-pound catfish living at the base of dams of every large reservoir in the state simply are not true.

The largest channel cat ever caught was at Santee Cooper Lakes in South Carolina and weighed in at 58 pounds. Channels weighing 40-plus pounds are caught in the U.S. every year, but for practical purposes, average keeper channels in California go 2 to 4 pounds. A trophy is a fish over 10. A channel

over 20 is likely a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, but fish over 30 do exist and are caught just about every year.

TALKIN’ FOOD SOURCES

Why are big channels hard to catch? It has everything to do with their diet. Smaller cats eat a wide range of forage items, including dead fish, plants and insects. When a channel hits 20 inches or so, they begin feeding on large forage items, typically in the form of other fish and crawfish. The bigger a channel grows, the size of prey it prefers goes up proportionally.

This fact makes channel cat fishing a bit like bass fishing. Those who fish baits for numbers of fish like, say, a Ned rig catch lots of smaller bass and occasionally pick up a bigger fish. In contrast, anglers throwing giant swimbaits don’t catch many small

Channel cats use their prominent whiskers to detect amino acids in the water, leading them to forage items. (CAL KELLOGG)

FISHING

bass. When they hook up, it’s typically something of trophy proportions.

I’ve also found bigger channel cats are more prone to suspended baits than the smaller models, but I’ll get into that in a bit.

RODS, REELS AND GEAR CONSIDERATIONS

Most California reservoirs offer open water fishing. Sure, when the water level is high you might be fishing in trees and brush, but normally our lakes are drawn down to the point where you won’t have to worry about a big cat wrapping your line in vegetation. This means you can use lighter gear than the stuff cat anglers use in other parts of the country.

I’ve caught plenty of big 10-pluspound cats on spinning gear spooled with 8- to 10-pound test. When you hook a big cat, the fish will typically make a good run or two before power diving and bull dogging along the bottom. A cool-headed angler with a reel featuring a smooth drag will win a fight with a big channel nine times out of 10 when using light- to medium-sized gear.

My gear is a mix of spinning

Slip bobbers are a must for suspending baits. Trophy-size cats often come off the bottom and actively seek out prey.

tackle that’s typically spooled with 20-pound braid and baitcasting gear spooled with 25- to 30-pound braid. I’ve switched over to braid because of its low stretch/high sensitivity properties, plus the fact it isn’t affected by UV light and lasts much longer than monofilament.

In terms of rods, I like a 7-foot stick

with a fast to medium-fast action. You want to see bites transmitted to the rod tip, but you also want enough backbone to wear down a big heavy cat.

Terminal tackle is important. You should be prepared to soak baits on the bottom using a Carolina-style rig consisting of an egg sinker paired with a 16-inch leader tipped with a hook.

I use 15-pound copolymer for my leaders. Breaking strength isn’t what motivates me to go with stout leader material; it’s the abrasion resistance it offers. Cats have sandpaper-like teeth, and when you battle a big fish, your leader will rub against the cat’s body and across the bony pectoral barbs.

For weight, a ½-ounce egg sinker is a good all-around choice for fishing on bottom. You’ll also want a few ¼-ounce egg sinkers in your kit for teaming with bobbers. Add a few medium-sized snap swivels for connecting leaders to the main line and you’re good to go.

Liver is a favorite bait of many channel cat anglers. Both chicken and beef liver work well and are easily obtained at the local market. (CAL KELLOGG)

While you’ll spend a lot of time soaking baits on the bottom, you’ll also want to have slip bobbers for suspending and drifting baits at various depths. Don’t go with small bobbers. You want something large enough to float a good-sized piece of bait teamed with a ¼-ounce weight.

(CAL KELLOGG)

Before I get into baits and tactics, we should consider hooks. I use 4/0 and 3/0 Kahle hooks almost exclusively. I stay away from smaller hooks since I release a lot of fish and I don’t want them swallowing the hook. I find Kahles generally hook cats in the mouth, making releasing them a breeze.

Finally, when I’m going on an overnight adventure, I like to have a few old-school fishing rod bells in my kit. During my last catfish trip on Lake Shasta, I was awakened by a ringing bell at 2 in the morning and enjoyed an exciting battle with a 10-pound cat while my wife slept.

BAITS

I’ve tried just about every bait you can imagine for cats, including commercially prepared concoctions and stinkbaits, but I’ve had my best

results using fresh or fresh-frozen offerings. Channel cats can taste the water around them and they key in on the amino acids released from both live and dead fish and crustaceans.

These days I use five different baits primarily. Nightcrawlers are a great offering I never leave home without. In clear water I fish a single ’crawler. In the winter when the water is cold and stained, I run with a multi-worm glob. Liver, either beef or chicken, is easy to obtain, puts out a lot of scent and appeals to cats of all sizes. Live shiners are an outstanding bait, if they are available in your area and legal to use at the lake you intend to fish. And sardine filets, either fished whole or cut into 2-inch pieces, have put a lot of keeper- and trophy-sized cats in my boat.

My hands down all-time favorite bait for channels over 8 pounds is a

crawfish tail with the shell split down the back to let out as much scent as possible. A big cat on the feed knows what a crawfish is, and they have a hard time passing one up.

PRESENTATION

When fishing during the daylight hours you’ll want to use your sonar to locate deep dropoffs adjacent to shallow flats. A flat featuring a submerged creek leading into deep water is an attractive travel corridor for catfish and such spots can be real honey holes.

After dark, you’ll want to put your baits on and over the flat, but during the day work deeper adjacent areas, where the cats shelter when the sun is high.

During periods of rain, inflowing seasonal streams can be real hot spots. For the best action, you’ll want to be

Once channel catfish reach 20 inches, they feed primarily on live and dead fish and crawfish. (CAL KELLOGG)

at the lake just after the creeks start flowing. The fishing conditions at such times are often wet and miserable, but the rewards can be great.

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll be fishing baits on the bottom, but you don’t want to overlook using bobbers to soak suspended baits. I’ve caught more catfish over 8 pounds suspended in open water than I can remember.

This May, while houseboating on Shasta, I landed several big cats suspended 12 feet down in water 40 to 70 feet deep. Big cats are predators. They often move up in the water column to hunt for prey.

I caught my biggest channel ever last winter right at dawn while jigging a baitfish-imitating spoon at Collins Lake in hopes of tempting a crappie. Instead, I found myself locked in an epic battle with a massive channel that weighed in at 23 pounds. The fish was only about 6 feet down in 30 feet of water! CS

When soaking bait, attaching a bell to your fish rod is a great strategy. (CAL KELLOGG)

This husky catfish gobbled a drifted nightcrawler under a slip bobber at Lake Shasta. “I’ve spent a lot of time targeting channel cats,” Kellogg writes, “and I can tell you from experience they are amazing gamefish.” (CAL KELLOGG)

TROLLING MOTOR MOUNT

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LEELOCK CRAB CRACKER

This new tool from Leelock will allow you to measure your Dungeness crabs to determine which ones are legal to keep. Then use the Crab Cracker to crack them in half, separating the two clusters from the shell and guts.

The Crab Cracker has been designed so that it sits nicely on top of a 5-gallon bucket, perfect for when you clean crabs. The bucket gives you a stable base, which makes it easier to clean – the guts and shell go into the bucket, making cleanup a snap. Crabs cleaned this way take up half as much space as whole crabs, so you can cook twice as many in your kettle.

The Crab Cracker is a unique tool made from solid aluminum, and comes in handy for cleaning Dungeness crabs.

GET A RISE OUT OF FULL LAKES

By Jeff Walters

California is full of water. In fact, there is so much water that most anglers don’t know how to take advantage of this newfound opportunity. With high-water levels in all the state’s reservoirs, there is an abundance of new fishing areas to explore. Once dry and open woodlands are now submerged, along with thousands of miles of otherwise open shoreline. Fishing in these areas can be a huge problem because it is like casting

into a rose bush; you are going to get snagged. All that brush that grew up on the shoreline didn’t just go away, it’s still there, waiting for you to get snagged on it. So how do you find the right spots? Let’s find out.

The water coming in has mostly been snowmelt and cold, so this made spawning season a little strange because the fish want to spawn but the water was still too cold. So, they headed to shallow waters that can get warmer faster – areas near rock piles, boat launches, brush piles, tree lines, etc. This is where you want to be.

HOW ANGLERS SHOULD CHANGE TACTICS TO WORK THIS SUMMER’S HIGH WATERS

ON THE ROCKS

When walking the shoreline, look for more rocky areas. There are many different reasons why, with some explained below. For instance, it’s harder for brush, trees and shrubs to grow in the rocks, which helps eliminate the problem of getting snagged. The only problem with fishing near the rocks is safety. Make sure you don’t take chances and fall in, and always watch out for snakes.

Fishing rock piles – either from shore or on the water – is always a fun time, and with the sun warming

With Kern County’s Lake Isabella and other reservoirs now filled to the brim with water, anglers will have to change their tactics and approaches accordingly. (JEFF WALTERS)

the rocks, these areas draw in a lot of fish. Finding areas where the sun warms the rocks and boulders and then fishing there can be rewarding.

FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL

Bouncing a football jig with a big juicy trailer is very effective for bass. Dropshotting a Texas-rigged Senko-style plastic worm is a good technique as well. This way you can feel the weight as it bounces off the submerged rocks that are out of your view.

One amazing type of lure to use is a fat-bodied offering that resembles a crayfish warming up on the rocks below. There are many different styles, colors and sizes of crawdad imitations on the market, as well as depths they will fish at. Since we all know crayfish live on the bottom, we want to get deep. That is why fishing off the rock piles is the best; plus, there is less chance of getting snagged.

BEACH DAY

Long sandy beaches that reach out into the water are also a great spot for all species day or night. In places where trout are stocked, these areas are a magnet in the early morning and evening, when the bugs start to hatch and move. Because the fish are there to eat the bugs, 80 percent of the fish will be looking for food in the water and not so much on the surface, à la fly fishing with a dry fly pattern. You really don’t have to worry too much about snagging up in submerged brush piles either, because not much can grow in pure sand.

You want to stay away from inlets. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but this is where all the trash and debris that washed into the lake comes from. There are large amounts of soot, floating timber, submerged debris and trash. Not the perfect area to fish. Save this area for later next year.

BRUSHING AROUND

Stalking the trees and submerged brush is not for the faint of heart. You really need to be on the water for this type of action, unless there just

Jason Walters caught this nice 6-pound bass at Lake Perris State Park. Largemouth anglers will have lots more shoreline to work. (JEFF WALTERS)

BEST OF

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Anglers like Matt Magone, here with a nice largie from Hemet’s Diamond Valley Lake, might have to change it up a little or work harder to score their fish. But more water is always a good thing after the drought hardships Californians have endured.

happens to be a favorable position from shore. The object here is to find the outer reaches of the branches and brush and fish about a foot in front of that. That is why it is difficult but very rewarding. Crappie and other panfish love to hang out in these areas.

Targeting crappie or other panfish usually calls for a lighter, more finesse style of jig fishing with longer, lighter jig rods, lighter line and small jigs. This will allow you to get up close and personal with fish hiding and spawning in the brush and trees. Bass will be found just outside of that area, so bring bigger, heavier tackle for those larger fish.

When out exploring your favorite water, always look for these tell-tale signs and try your luck by changing up your bait or lure till you find something that works. These are exciting times when it comes to fishing the higher water levels in the summer. Just remember to be safe, look for dangers and always have a fishing buddy with you. CS

Cook Inlet Fishing and

(JEFF WALTERS)

A ROCK-SOLID OP

ONE OF THE BEST BANGS FOR YOUR CALIFORNIA ANGLING BUCK IS ROCKFISH, AND HERE’S HOW TO LOAD UP ON ’EM

By Cal Kellogg

Let’s face it: Saltwater charter boat trips are more expensive than they’ve ever been, and taking a private boat out on the salt isn’t as cheap as it used to be either.

Of course, sportfishing is done for sport, not necessarily with the expectation of bringing home something for the table. Yet, if you’re like me, you want to have some fun, feel some headshakes and score a fresh fish for dinner – or better still, several memorable dinners.

For sheer excitement, great table fare and filling an empty shelf in the freezer, there is no better bang for your saltwater angling buck than a late-season coastal rockfish trip. Yes, I said rockfish, and yes, I’m aware you stand a good chance of bagging a big lingcod or a limit of lingcod on a coastal bottomfishing trip. At the risk of tooting my own horn, over the years and with a lot of coaching from charter skippers and deckhands, I’ve developed into a very good, perhaps exceptionally good, lingcod angler. I’ve brought more California lings beyond 20 pounds over the rail than I can remember. I’m planning to do a lingcod-specific article down the road where I’ll share many of my secrets to lingcod fishing success with the readers of California Sportsman, but right now, we’ll stick with rockfish. Let’s get started.

SET SAIL

The rockfish limit is 10 fish. Two latesummer charter trips and a vacuum

Colorful, hard-fighting and delicious on your dinner table, rockfish provide California saltwater anglers with some great fishing opportunities. This angler used white shrimp flies to score a dandy 10-fish daily limit consisting of three vermilions, six olives and a bocaccio. (CAL KELLOGG)

FISHING

sealer will keep you in snow-white filets all winter long! But I think it’s a great idea to start your rockfish fishing career aboard a charter boat. The skipper will put you on the fish and the crew will set you up for success. Later on you may want to graduate to targeting rockfish from your own boat, but the time you spend on a charter boat will cut the learning curve significantly.

GEAR CHECK

The first consideration to hooking rockfish doesn’t concern end tackle. Jigs and baits are sexy and we love talking about them, but a proper rodand-reel combo is the cornerstone for success. The ideal rockfish rod is 7 feet, 6 inches to 8 feet in length. Some anglers go for highend graphite rods, but not me. You need sensitivity, but you also need durability. For this reason, composite Ugly Stick Tiger rods with their E-glass, skin and graphite core have been my hands-down choice for years. They perform exquisitely and won’t break the bank.

Your rod needs to have a fast to

medium-fast action, meaning you want some play in the tip but also enough backbone to handle weights up to 16 ounces, as well as big, bulldogging rockfish.

WEIGHT IT OUT

When I mention 1-pound weights, a lot of freshwater anglers who have never plied the salt break out in a cold sweat. If this describes you, repeat after me: weight is my friend!

Here’s why: The closer you keep your presentation to vertical, the better off you’ll be. Keeping your line near vertical gives you the best possible feel for the bottom. If your line is going under or away from the boat at a steep sloping angle, it’s easy to drag the bottom. Remember, it’s snaggy down there. Rockfish, especially big ones, live in and around gnarly jagged rocks. If you’re dragging, you’re snagging!

Balance your rod with a baitcasterstyle reel spooled with 65-pound braid. A levelwind reel is one option; some guys swear by traditional star drags and others want a lever drag. All these options come down to personal preference. In the end you want a reasonably fast reel with the ability to hold 200 yards of braid, along with some backing.

HOLD THAT LINE

Why braid? Braid is indeed expensive, but it’s absolutely essential for topnotch results on the water. Braid has nearly zero stretch, which means it offers exceptional sensitivity. You’ll be able to easily feel your sinker making bottom contact 180 feet down. This translates to less dragging, less snagging and less lost gear.

Braided lines are also much thinner than mono. This means you can get more line on a smaller reel, allowing you to utilize smaller, lighter reels. Seldom do you see the massive 6/0 Senators on the rail that were once the staple of yesteryear’s rockfish aficionados.

Indeed, I’d have to say the biggest innovation in terms of bottomfishing tackle over the past 30 plus years has been the widespread adoption of braided lines.

FISHING SHRIMP FLIES AND JIGS

The tried-and-true offering for rockfish up and down the California coast is the shrimp fly rig. It’s not as exciting as swimbaits or as macho as dropping $18 metal jigs, but shrimp flies flat out catch fish.

For the uninitiated, shrimp flies are actual crude flies made of hair, feathers or synthetic materials tied on

Anglers work nearshore rocks north of the Golden Gate with shrimp flies for rockfish and lingcod. (CAL KELLOGG)

Big vermilions like this put up a tough, tackle-testing fight. (CAL KELLOGG)

BEST OF CHARTERS

3/0 to 8/0 hooks. Two of these flies typically come attached to a pretied leader. The flies are attached via two short droppers. The top end of the leader sports a swivel for attaching the leader to your main line. The bottom of the leader has a snap swivel where you attach your sinker.

Forever and a day, shrimp flies with yellow bodies and red streamer material were the benchmark. I don’t think I ever used any other color scheme until I was 35 years old.

These days, anglers and tackle manufacturers have acknowledged that sometimes color does make a difference. At this point I wouldn’t dream of going out without red and

yellow, all-white and white and blue flies. I’d say white is now my favorite, but white and blue is a strong color scheme too.

Back in the day – MC Hammer was on the radio and the A’s pounded the Giants in the 1989 World Series – we tipped our shrimp flies with thin strips of squid. Squid still works great, but so do soft plastic grubs and Berkley Gulp! grubs. For me, it’s tough to beat a 2- or 3-inch white or pink Gulp! grub.

These baits are made of soybeans and put off 400 times more scent than traditional soft plastics. Some folks think Gulp! outperforms natural baits.

PRESENTATION OPTIONS

Plenty of anglers present their shrimp flies in the middle of the water column and pick off suspended rockfish. This approach works great, but I like to keep my flies near the bottom because the rockfish down along the bottom tend to be the biggest fish available.

Here’s how I present my flies: I free spool the rig all the way to the bottom, controlling the drop with my thumb. When I feel the sinker make contact. I engage the reel and make two cranks. At this point I simply mooch the flies, typically without added action from the rod, but at times I will lightly wiggle the tip.

If I don’t get hit within a minute, I make another crank, wait 30 seconds and make another crank. If the rig makes it up 10 cranks without a bite, I drop back down and start again. When I do hook up, I reel the fish up very slowly at first to give another fish a chance to grab the second fly.

Most days the best way to round up a fast limit of rockfish is to work along the bottom with shrimp flies, but metal bar jigs can work wonders if the fish are really turned on.

I typically carry a selection of diamond jigs ranging from 6 to 12 ounces when I go out for rockfish. Color does matter when it comes to jigs, but you don’t need a vast array. Glow white, purple, silver and blue and orange are my favorites. If I could only carry one color, it would be a toss-up between the glow white and the blue and silver.

Jig fishing success is all about making the proper presentation with the proper jig. You choose the weight of the jig based on the speed of the drift and depth of the water. You always want to use the lightest jig allowed by the conditions on any given day.

To fish jigs effectively, you’ve got to cast them. This means you’ll need to be on the bow or stern of the charter boat. You want to cast your jig in the direction the boat is drifting. This gives the bait time to sink to the

Chunky black rockfish like this are ready biters, but the key is to keep your line as vertical as possible to avoid snagging up in their rocky homes. (CAL KELLOGG)

FISHING

bottom before the boat is on top of it. You cast, spool the bait down and then engage the reel and burn in some slack. As soon as the jig comes off the bottom, lift it upward and let it fall while retrieving line. When it taps the bottom again, snap it upward and retrieve line as it falls.

The time when you are lifting, tapping and retrieving line is your quality bottom time. Once the boat moves over or past the jig, burn it up and make another cast.

If you continue jigging once the boat has passed the bait, you’ll drag and snag.

Sometimes you will feel a fish grab the jig as it drops. When this happens, reel hard and set the hook. Most of the time, especially when you are first getting started with jigs, you won’t feel a bite on the drop. Instead, when you lift the bait, you’ll come fast to a fish. Don’t hesitate when you feel a fish; crank the reel

The tools of the trade for rockfish success include shrimp flies, Berkley Gulp! grubs for tipping the flies, heavy sinkers and diamond jigs in a range of sizes. (CAL KELLOGG)

Rockfish provide plenty of thrills in the form of bent rods and head-shaking action. (CAL KELLOGG)

Kathy was working a Gibbs Minnow jig along the bottom when this vermilion came knocking. Writes author Cal Kellogg, “When you hook into a 6- to-10-pound vermilion, you’re in for a fight and the big battler will produce a dinner for two, with meat left over.” (CAL KELLOGG)

and get the fish off the bottom, lest it foul the line in the rocks.

GETTING JIGGY WITH IT

Jigging, while not as productive as shrimp flies, on most days does tend to produce the biggest rockfish. Near-shore big blacks love chrome and blue jigs, while in deeper-water areas big vermilions have a soft spot for glow-white jigs.

Vermilions are my favorite coastal rockfish. I love their bright red coloration, they hit hard and try with all their might to stay on the bottom. When you hook into a 6- to10-pound vermilion, you’re in for a fight and the big battler will produce a dinner for two, with meat left over for a sandwich the next day! CS

Editor’s note: Cal Kellogg is a longtime Northern California-based outdoors writer. Subscribe to his YouTube channel Fish Hunt Shoot Productions at youtube.com/ user/KelloggOutdoors.

PHONE A (FISHING) FRIEND

By Scott Haugen

Taking our angling skills to another level means spending time on the water and learning. And learning means trying new gear, fishing different places, even fishing different ways. Learning new techniques can be challenging because we often keep doing what’s worked for us over the years.

I was recently fishing with a buddy.

SHARING IDEAS, FISHING UNFAMILIAR GEAR AND LEARNING NEW WATER WITH OTHER ANGLERS CAN BOOST YOUR GAME

We were targeting steelhead in a small coastal stream that was tannic in color. The water level was perfect. It was a slow-flowing, shallow stream, one that required stealth and finesse. We had fished all morning without a bite when my buddy suggested going back upstream and covering the same water but with different jigs.

We’d both fished our go-to 1/8-ounce jigs under a float all morning. So, I went to a Maxi Jig

with a bead body, while my buddy downsized his jig to a 1/16-ounce model he’d made himself. By the end of the run we both caught fish. I had been ready to go home before rerunning the stream, but my buddy kept me going and his suggested changes worked. There are more cases where fishing with friends taught me something, and vice versa.

LAST YEAR A FRIEND invited me to go

No matter your level of experience, fishing with a friend or a guide can greatly expand your fishing knowledge. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

FISHING ... TO FIRE

BRUSCHETTA-INSPIRED WAY TO ENJOY YOUR CATCH

By Tiffany Haugen

When you need a little bit of fish to go a long way, or have leftover fish to add to a dish, think bruschetta. Toasted bread with a flavorful topping can be a great starter served traditionally with the topping on the bread or deconstructed and served beside freshly toasted croutons. Add some chopped onion and cucumber, mix them together and you create a memorable panzanella, or bread salad.

Any cooked or canned fish will work in this recipe and added ingredients offer endless variations. It’s great with trout because it’s such a mild meat, but we’ve enjoyed it with steelhead, salmon and even bottomfish.

1 cup cooked, flaked trout

2 tablespoons tomato, finely chopped

2 tablespoons black or Kalamata olives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

Salt and pepper to taste Fresh chives for garnish

Remove skin and bones from cooked fish and flake into chunks. Remove seeds and pulp from tomato before finely chopping. In a medium bowl, mix tomato, olives, capers, basil and garlic until thoroughly combined. Gently mix in fish and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garlic Parmesan croutons (see recipe below) or slices

of toasted baguette with fresh chives for garnish if desired.

GARLIC PARMESAN CROUTONS

Two slices bread, cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon granulated onion

¼ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Spread croutons on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 10 to 14 minutes, or until crisp. Turn once halfway through cooking for an even crisp.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

Get creative with your summer fish haul and create an Italian-flavored appetizer with Parmesan-infused bruschetta or simply serve it as a salad. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

FISHING

fall Chinook fishing. He asked that I leave all my gear home so I could use his and offer feedback. He’d been struggling to catch fish and it didn’t take long for me to figure out one of the problems, which was that he wasn’t fishing where the fish were.

The path we kept trolling was laden with lines on his depth finder from where he’d fished the last several trips, but the fish we saw rolling were closer to shore. I suggested we go bobber dogging and move to where the fish were showing. It worked. When asked, my buddy said he hadn’t thought about fishing the shallows, as he’d always just trolled that section and caught fish. The water was warm and there were lots of boats, and in this case a change in position and delivery made the difference.

One May, two buddies joined me on a spring Chinook trip. I had the boat and gear; they each brought bait. One brought cured eggs, the other, two

varieties of cured eggs, sand shrimp, chunks of sardines and herring, and a can of tuna packed in oil. My go-to egg cure didn’t produce that morning. But when I added the oily fish to the eggs, things changed. The egg/sardine chunk combo produced springers when we back-bounced, as did the tuna when wrapped to back plugs that we backtrolled.

FISHING WITH OTHERS, EVEN a guide, offers a different perspective. Sometimes it’s as simple as them bringing different gear or bait, or reading the water on their terms. Other times it’s an all-out lesson of fishing a new technique.

I help at a fishing lodge in Alaska every summer, one where the coho fishing is as good as it gets. The river is easy to fish and coho can be caught many ways. Over the years, dozens of anglers have booked trips there to specifically learn how to twitch jigs.

One of the guides at the lodge, David Stumpf, is the best twitcher I’ve seen, and he’s a very patient teacher. But in the end, most of the anglers go back to twitching the wrong way – jerking up quickly on the jig and letting it slowly fall.

“A slow pickup and quick fall is what you want because the fish hit the jig when it’s dropping,” Stumpf always teaches. But people just don’t listen and they go back to snagging fish with the quick upward jerk of the rod as soon as Stumpf leaves them alone. I’ve watched it many times. In order to learn, you have to pay attention and be willing to change.

I know a group of guides who make it a point to fish together at least one time every year. Yes, they’re competitors, but if they book large groups of anglers, they call one another for help. Because they want their customers to have success, they work as a team to be the best they

You might have a favorite plug to troll for trout, but don’t be afraid to try something new. On this day, trout were hammering 3.0 Mag Lips. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

FISHING

can be. I’ve fished with them multiple times on their buddy trips and their goal is to enlighten one another. They share secrets within their inner circle and as a result, each guide catches more fish all season long. It’s a great team concept and a prime example of how fishing with a friend can truly expand your knowledge base.

SHARING NEW IDEAS, FISHING with unfamiliar gear, even learning a new stretch of water, are just some of the things that can expand your knowledge and make you a better angler. This summer, phone a friend, go fishing, and learn all you can along the way. It’s fun, and in the end, you’ll catch more fish. CS

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, Bank Fishing For Salmon & Steelhead, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

Full-time author Scott Haugen believes the learning never stops. He took this whopper coho after switching to casting plugs, when twitching jigs failed to produce. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

TIME TO RAMP UP GUN DOG TRAINING – SAFELY

By Scott Haugen

For gun dogs, and gun dog owners, August is a month of transition. Temperatures are hot and it’s easy to make excuses not to get outside and work your dog. But with bird hunting seasons coming up soon, it’s a crucial time to dedicate consistent training time and preparation.

In order to get your dog proper conditioning work, commit time

early in the morning and late in the day. Conditioning your dog when temperatures are cool is a must, for the safety of your pup. Dogs are driven and many don’t have an “off” switch, meaning they’ll push themselves to the point of exhaustion. If this is done in intense heat, it can be fatal.

RUNNING IN FIELDS IS good for sprint work and gets your dog’s feet tough and in shape. But be careful if tossing

bumpers. Dry grass fields can be very slick and if your dog sprints to fetch a tossed bumper, it can lead to hip and leg injuries. I like running with the dogs, doing controlled bumper work and command training in dry fields. This allows them to hone their skills, build strength and acquire pad toughness, while I have control along the way.

For physical exercise, I like swimming dogs and running them uphill. Uphill runs build back-end

Bird preserves open this month and create good opportunities for you and your dog to get ready for fall hunting seasons. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

strength and are a great cardio workout. I’ll toss bumpers up steep hills to get the dogs running in short bursts, or road them from a mountain bike, ATV or truck – but not too fast. Again, do this early or late in the day when it’s cool, and be sure to have plenty of water.

Swimming is a great way to get your dog in good physical condition. As with humans, swimming for dogs is low impact, leads to far fewer injuries and keeps their body temperature down. Long swims in calm water are safe and efficient this time of year. Having dogs swim beside you on a canoe or a paddle board works well. If you’re a swimmer, get in the water with them; they’ll love it. You can also toss bumpers a long way, several times. Just don’t confuse conditioning in water with training in water. Conditioning in water consists of extended swimming times and distances. Training in water is where specific behaviors are taught or enforced, usually following an aggressive water entry.

NOW’S THE TIME TO also make sure all your dog gear is in top condition. Last hunting season I noticed Kona was getting rubs from his collar. Figuring I had the collar too tight, I adjusted it and we kept hunting, but still he had rub marks on his neck. That’s when I looked closely at the plastic e-collar and noticed it was splitting around the holes on the underside. The hard, dry cracks are what caused the chafing. Start with a new, clean collar; they’re cheap. And be sure to check that the posts in e-collars are secure so they don’t fall out.

Whether your dog will be wearing upland or waterfowl vests this season, put them on and let your dog run around. This can even be done inside the house where it’s cool. Watch the dog closely to see if it bites or scratches at any specific point. It’s good to train with a vest on too, but know that your dog is usually so focused, it likely won’t stop if the vest is uncomfortable or rubbing. Check the vest to make sure it’s not rubbing under the legs. If it is, either trim the vest or keep

exercising the dog – minus the vest –in order to shed extra pounds so the vest fits come hunting season. Do not exercise or train your dog with a vest on when it’s hot outside, unless you’re in cool water.

In August, bird preserves open up throughout the West. This can be a great primer for you and your pup. Be sure to hunt early and late in the day, when temps are cooler. Not only will this be safer for your dog, it will ensure more bird scent lingers on the ground in the heavier air, increasing your dog’s success. Preserves are a great way to brush up on specific needs. If your dog is gun-shy or breaking, go with a buddy and have them shoot so you can focus on handling your dog and correcting any problems.

A BIG CHALLENGE IN late summer is training the gun dog trainer – you – to do the right thing. It’s easy for us to get lazy because days are hot. You might not want to get up every morning before work, and you might be too tired to train after you get home. Set

Swimming is low impact and one of the best ways to get your dog in shape. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

a schedule based on the weather and what your dog needs to achieve. If your pup is overweight, you have to get those pounds off before hunting season. If your dog needs to sharpen specific skills, dedicate yourself to making it happen.

Sessions don’t have to be long, but they do need to be consistent and serve a purpose. I work my dogs seven days a week, twice a day this time of year. I do it early and late in the day when it’s cool, and I keep sessions short and fun. Swimming work can go longer and will depend on the health of your dog. I usually swim my dogs three days a week in August, for 20 to 30 minutes each time.

With hunting season less than a month away, you owe it to your dog, and yourself, to be ready. CS

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his basic puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com. Follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Avoid training in the heat of the day this time of year, and keep sessions short when it starts to get warm. Be sure to have plenty of water handy. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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