Sportsma n Californ ia
PUBLISHER
James R. Baker
GENERAL MANAGER
John Rusnak
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Andy Walgamott
EDITOR
Chris Cocoles
CONTRIBUTORS
Mark Fong, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Tim E. Hovey, Cal Kellogg, Joe Sarmiento
SALES MANAGER
Paul Yarnold
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Janene Mukai, Tom St. Clair
DESIGNERS
Gabrielle Pangilinan, Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Emily Baker
DIGITAL STRATEGIST
Jon Hines
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Katie Aumann
INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER
Lois Sanborn
Volume 16 • Issue 11
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com
CORRESPONDENCE
Email ccocoles@media-inc.com
X @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine
ON THE COVER
As water temperatures drop with the arrival of fall, trout anglers should have no shortage of hot fisheries to explore. One such option is Prosser Reservoir near Truckee, which produced this nice cutthroat. (CAL KELLOGG)
MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120 Renton, WA 98057 (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com www.mediaindexpublishing.com
MAKE A FALL TROUT CALL 17
As air and water temperatures start to cool later this month and into the autumn, some of the year’s best trout fishing will take place. Cal Kellogg highlights six fisheries worth checking out to catch some trophy- and pansized rainbows and other species.
36
RAISING THE (NORTH) BAR
When four Sacramento-area buddies wanted to get in on a Bay Area saltwater fish fry, Emeryville-based Captain John Badger had just the place in mind – the honey hole outside the Golden Gate known as the North Bar. Longtime correspondent Mark Fong recaps the quartet’s sunny summer day spent fishing for stripers and halibut.
51 ABC’S FOR ARCHERY ELK
Most of the Golden State’s Roosevelt elk seasons take place this month, and big, bad bulls are one of From Field to Fire scribe Scott Haugen’s favorite big game critters to bowhunt for. Check out his tips for tagging out and then try out chef Tiffany Haugen’s slow-cooked venison recipe that can be frozen and easily reheated up at hunting camp.
59
GET READY FOR DOVE SEASON
Summer’s winding down, but the first 15 days of this month can be red hot for California’s early dove hunting season. Tim Hovey has made this an annual tradition to chase what’s known as the “gray rocket.” Hovey breaks down everything he does to prepare for hunting these ubiquitous and delicious upland birds.
13 The Editor’s Note: Let’s make fishing an Olympic sport!
15 Outdoor Calendar
27 How to troll NorCal lakes for landlocked kings
42 Sur f fishing for Southland corbina
67 Bird hunting through the pain – injury can’t slow down adaptive wingshooter
THE EDITOR’SNOTE
As I write this, I’m suffering from my usual day-after-theOlympics hangover. Pass the Advil, please. I suffer from this syndrome now every two years instead of four, since the next Winter Games (in Italy) will take place in just 17 months. But as we say au revoir to the Paris Summer Games –please don’t forget to check in on the Paralympic Games that will go on until September 8 – I can’t help but look ahead.
Los Angeles is set to host its third Summer Games in 2028. And after I watched Tom Cruise, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre transition the torch from Paris to L.A. during the closing ceremonies in France, a Facebook post got my attention.
The image: a man standing in front of the United States Capitol building holding a sign reading “MAKE FISHING AN OLYMPIC SPORT” with the iconic rings logo below.
“Heck, they’ve got everything else at this point. Why not!?” a reply stated after I shared the post onto our Facebook feed.
Do you believe in miracles? Perhaps someday the Olympics will award a gold medal to the best angler in the world. (FACEBOOK SCREENSHOT)
Indeed, and while it seems preposterous to include fishing in the same competition that features some of the greatest athletes in the world (we’re talking about you, gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky, hoopsters Steph Curry and A’ja Wilson), the Olympics has reached a new generation of sports fans with certainly nontraditional events.
Would the ancient Greeks, who first held what became known as the Olympics, or the French founder of the modern event, Pierre de Coubertin, ever expect that snowboarding, skateboarding and – I didn’t even realize this until the last few days in Paris – breaking (break dancing) would be awarding medals in the 21st century?
The Los Angeles Olympics will reintroduce baseball and softball to the docket in four years (perfectly reasonable in the diamondsports-loving USA). But how cool would it be to hold a bass fishing competition featuring anglers from around the globe casting for largemouth and smallmouth in one of the myriad famed SoCal bass fisheries (think Castaic, Casitas, Diamond Valley, etc.)? Can you imagine Snoop Dogg, who had the time of his life serving as NBC’s special correspondent in Paris, analyzing the bass action with medals on the line? What about ice fishing as a Winter Games thing? We’ve already had one Miracle On Ice in this country; why not this one?
Frankly, fishing is as global in interest as other sports that have become staples every four years. And there is some precedent in that angling was an unofficial Olympic event in, of all places, Paris, when the City of Lights listed fishing as an unofficial sport in the 1900 Games.
The International Confederation of Sport Fishing even has applied for fishing to be added as recently as the 2020 Tokyo Games. So there’s some movement there. Let’s make it happen! -Chris Cocoles
SEPTEMBER
1-15 First dove season dates
4-26 Northwestern Roosevelt elk general season dates
7 Shaver Lake Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org/derbies
11-22 Marble Mountains either-sex Roosevelt elk apprentice season dates
11-22 Marble Mountains Roosevelt elk general season dates
14 Zone Q1 mountain quail season opens
14 Opening of sooty (blue) and ruffed grouse seasons
14 Stillwater Classic catch-and-release fly fishing tournament, Crowley Lake; crowleylakefishcamp.com/ new-events/stillwater-classic
14-22 White-tailed ptarmigan season dates
21 Zones B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, B-6, all of C, D-6, D-7, X-9a, X-9b and X-12 general deer seasons open
21-29 Northern Zone bandtail pigeon season dates
25-Oct. 6 Mendocino bull elk season dates
28 Zone Q2 all-quail season opens
28 Zones D-3, D-4, D-5, D-8, D-9, D-10, X-8 and X-10 general deer seasons open
28 Oroville Salmon Festival; visitoroville.com/salmon-festival
28-29 Ram Open bass tournament, Folsom Lake; anglerspress.com/events/2024-folsom-lake-ram-open
OCTOBER
5 Most X Zone general deer seasons open
5 Zone D-12 archery deer season opens
5 Northeast Zone waterfowl season opens
5 Klamath Basin geese season opens 5 North Coast Canada geese season opens
5 Central Coast antlerless tule elk season opens
5 San Luis Reservoir either-sex tule elk season opens
5-6 Mojave National Preserve early quail season dates for hunters with junior hunting licenses
12 Zones D-11, D-13, D-14, D-15 and D-17 general deer seasons open
12 Cache Creek period 1 bull tule elk season opens
12 La Panza antlerless elk season opens
12 Bear Valley antlerless and bull tule elk seasons open
Zone X-9C general deer season opens 19 Zones Q1 and Q3 all-quail seasons open
25-27 Morrison’s Bonus Derby Weekend, Convict Lake; (800) 992-2260, convictlake.com/activities/fishingconvict-lake
26 Zone D-16 general deer season opens 26 Southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California Zones duck and geese seasons open 26 Balance of State Zone duck and geese seasons open
OUTDOOR CALENDAR
General bear season is open concurrently with general deer season in Zones A, B, C, D, X8, X-9A, X-9B, X-10 and X-12 and extends through December 29. In the portions of Zones X-1, X-2, X-3a, X-4, X-6a, X-6b, X-7a and X-7b open to bear hunting, the general bear season begins October 12 and extends through December 29.
deer seasons open this month in multiple California zones. (DAN RYAN/BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT)
The Kern River Valley awaits those adventurous vacationers such as this group on a whitewater rafting trip on the lower Kern River.
Lake Isabella full and beautiful after the reconstruction project to insure the safety of downstream communities from flooding.
Water sports and enjoyment are the name of the game in the Kern River Valley.
Conact the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce for free brochures, information and contacts.
BE THE FALL TROUT GUY
WHERE AND HOW TO GET YOUR AUTUMN RAINBOW FISHING FIX
By Cal Kellogg
I’m on the water somewhere chasing trout just about every week of the year. Every season has its own set of attributes and challenges, but if I had to choose one time of the year to target trout, it would be during the fall.
along with striper fishing in the Delta and lights-out rockfish and lingcod action along the coast, trout fishing can easily get lost in the shuffle. But that’s a mistake.
November, because the action can be incredible.
With so much happening across the north state during the fall months, including deer, bear, waterfowl and turkey hunting,
If you’re interested in trout, I strongly suggest you mark out some time on the calendar during the months of October and
WHY TO MAKE A FALL TROUT CALL
You may be wondering, What makes fall trout fishing so special? In short, it’s the instincts of the fish combined with changing conditions.
As the days grow shorter, nights become colder and water temperatures dip down into the lower 60s and upper 50s, trout understand on an instinctive level that the lean,
Fall trout fishing can be outstanding on California lakes, including Don Pedro. It’s home to some epic rainbows like this one caught during a trolling adventure with Captain Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing. (CAL KELLOGG)
FISHING
cold days of winter are right around the corner, and they react by feeding aggressively to build fat reserves to carry them through until the food chain sparks to life again in spring.
When water temperatures decline, trout that spent the summer in deep, cool water surrounded by baitfish and out of reach of a large percentage of the angling public move back to the surface, putting themselves in the crosshairs of near-surface trollers and bank anglers.
But as trout move shallow in the fall, much of the bait they spent the summer preying on scatters. Suddenly, trout that were surrounded by all the food they could possibly want find themselves actively hunting for scattered bait and other targets of opportunity.
Fall is the time of the year when basic tactics like topline trolling, fan casting from shore or soaking bait on
shallow structure produce trout all day long. Generally, the biggest question for NorCal trouters in autumn isn’t whether the trout will be on the bite, but rather where to go to catch them.
Let’s face it: The north half of the state boasts several dozen great trout
fisheries. Some of them are huge and well-known reservoirs, like Lake Shasta, and others are small and off the beaten path – think Little Grass Valley Reservoir or even Fallen Leaf Lake, in the shadow of Lake Tahoe.
If you’ve got a short list of destinations you’d like to try this fall, by all means work your plan, but if you’re uncertain, I thought I’d share a few of the slam-dunk spots I’ll be hitting in October and/or November to plant a few seeds in your mind.
NORCAL LAKES IN GOOD CONDITION
But before I get into specific waters, allow me to touch on the general condition of lakes and reservoirs across the north state region as of this writing.
Over the past couple months, I’ve done a good deal of traveling and trout fishing from both boats and kayaks, and I’ve been very pleased with the condition of our lakes. In general, our lakes are higher than they typically are at this time of the year. This means that there will be plenty of elbow room this fall, and boat launching won’t be an issue at most destinations.
Our lakes also seem to be exceptionally healthy in the wake of back-to-back robust winters. For example, I’ve been putting in a good deal of time guiding at Folsom Lake, and I don’t think I’ve ever marked as much bait as I’m seeing right now.
I was out in late August and marked
Eagle Lake is a must-visit destination for NorCal trout junkies during the fall, and this coming season is expected to offer the best fishing in many years. (CAL KELLOGG)
This is an example of a planted rainbow that spent an entire summer deep in a foothill lake feeding on shad before returning to the surface as a robust holdover. (CAL KELLOGG)
FISHING
a school of deep bait that was just short of 100 feet thick! And the rainbow trout I’ve been putting my clients on are taking full advantage of all the available feed. The trout are fat, football-shaped and when they hit the net, they often belch up a collection of freshly eaten pond smelt or threadfin shad.
And this isn’t just a Folsom Lake phenomenon. I’ve seen robust bait at a number of other Northern California impoundments too. Plentiful feed and cold water equals plentiful trout! Now, let’s start planning those road trips.
LAKE DON PEDRO
Don Pedro Reservoir on the Tuolumne River is the southernmost destination on my fall trout tour. With the more popular New Melones Reservoir right next door, Don Pedro gets overlooked by a lot of anglers, but I’ve always favored the latter.
I consider Don Pedro to be “Lake Shasta South” because of the diverse opportunities it offers. Like Shasta, Don Pedro is home to smallmouth,
largemouth and spotted bass, king salmon, kokanee salmon, plus rainbow and brown trout.
In terms of its coldwater fishery, Don Pedro is first and foremost a rainbow factory, and it offers outstanding fishing for ’bows averaging 14 to 20 inches, and ranging to 6 pounds and above!
While the reservoir’s kokanee and king populations cycle up and down, offering great action some years and slower bites others, rainbow fishing is consistent year in and year out.
I was first introduced to Don Pedro by Captain Monte Smith of Gold Country Sportfishing (goldcountryfishingguide.wordpress .com) more than 20 years ago, and I’ve fished it with him many times.
Since the lake is about three hours from my home, Monte is my boots-
on-the-ground source of Don Pedro intel, and I speak to him regularly.
“Pedro is in great shape, and we’ve hooked some really husky rainbows this summer,” Monte told me recently.
“I haven’t been devoting a lot of time to specifically targeting rainbows recently because there have been some really large kings on the bite, and we target the kings when the opportunity presents itself,” he added. “As we get into fall, I’ll be all in on the trout and I’m expecting really good fishing. When the water cools, the rainbows will return to the surface hunting shad and I’ll be fasttrolling for them with spoons.”
In terms of tactics, spoons such as Speedy Shiners and Speed Spoons are the top choice for hooking fall ’bows at Don Pedro. Early on, you’ll find the trout in the top 20 feet cruising
Shore anglers can score as well during the fall and winter. (CAL KELLOGG)
This young man used a Trigger Spoon Jr. to tempt this quality
Prosser Reservoir cutthroat. Prosser’s lack of fishing pressure makes this fishery near Truckee a viable option.
(CAL KELLOGG)
SPECIAL FOCUS Fly Fishing
FISHING
open-water areas, but as fall advances the bait will move inshore. This is when power trolling spoons around shoreline structure in both Don Pedro’s main body and in the long river arm offers heart-pounding action!
If you don’t have a boat, you can still get your trout on at Don Pedro. Locals swear by tossing out live minnows and drifting them 4 to 8 feet beneath a slip bobber.
While bobber fishing is a relaxing way to spend a fall day, some folks prefer a more aggressive approach. These anglers actively hike the shoreline while tossing shad-imitating spoons and Countdown Rapalas in shad pattern finishes.
A sleeper method for bank casting is teaming a 1-inch water-filled clear casting bubble with a light-colored fly like a No. 6 white Woolly Bugger. The
weight of the bubble allows you to cast long distances and the light-colored fly looks like a baitfish lolling along just under the surface. You can imagine what happens to the fly when a hefty rainbow hunting for bait comes along!
LAKE BERRYESSA
This Napa County impoundment wasn’t on my must-fish list of trout lakes for a long while, but I’m happy to report that Lake Berryessa is back in the trout fishing limelight, offering some of the best rainbow trout action in the state.
The lake is bustling with a strong population of fast-growing, hardfighting Eagle Lake-strain rainbows that nourish their muscles on a diet of threadfin shad. Last fall, the trout bite at Berryessa came on strong and the bite held up right on through winter
and spring.
I fished the reservoir several times from both boats and my kayak dating back to last November and was never disappointed. I caught dozens of rainbows ranging from 2 to 3 pounds, with my top fish over 5.
I got the 5-pounder trolling a Trigger Spoon Jr. 8 feet deep from my kayak using a hybrid leadcore setup. On the strike, the trout buried the rod with so much force that I had trouble extracting it from the rodholder. When I did free the rod, it was game on as the trout tried every possible tactic to shake the hook, from hard-slashing runs to jumps and power dives.
The hook was in a good spot and luck was on my side, or that big battler would have never seen the inside of the net. After admiring the big trout for a few seconds, I revived it and released it back into the lake.
Being close to both the Sacramento Valley and the Bay Area, a lot of talented trout anglers have visited Lake Berryessa this year and they’ve caught fish using a diverse array of offerings, including spoons, plugs, Apex Lures and soft plastics.
For me, the best options were Trigger Spoons, Trigger Spoon Jrs. and Metal Head Trolling Flies. Knowing the trout feed on shad, I stuck mainly to light over dark baitfish patterns and metallic patterns, and I enjoyed solid results every time I paid Berryessa a visit.
EAGLE LAKE
No list of fall trout destinations would be complete without a mention of Eagle Lake. For many hardcore trouters, including this correspondent, Eagle tops the list. As exciting as fall action at this Lassen County trout fishing cathedral can be, I’ve got some intel that indicates fall 2024 will be extra special.
One of the most knowledgeable and successful guides currently plying Eagle Lake’s waters is Tim Noxon of Fish Traveler Guide Service (fishtravelerguideserviceeaglelake. com). He was reporting October-sized
Collins Lake, northeast of the Marysville/Yuba City area, will begin kicking out limits of trout around Halloween and the action should extend through the winter. (CAL KELLOGG)
FISHING
rainbows ranging up to 4.5 pounds showing in catches at the time of this writing in late August.
“This is the best fishing of the season so far,” Noxon said. “The fish are gaining weight rapidly feeding on minnows. If this pattern continues, I expect 5- to 6-pound fish to start showing up.”
Say you’ve just hooked one of those 6-pound Eagle Lake rainbows – now what? Your drag better be light and your line fresh, because you’ll have an epic bulldog battle on your hands!
I’ll visit Eagle multiple times from late October into November and suggest you do the same if you have the opportunity. Late in the season, everything from threaded nightcrawlers to orange and gold Rapalas will work, but if you see me on the water, you can bet my rods will be armed with trolling flies. For tempting big, bad Eagle ’bows in fall,
Crisp air and big hungry trout is what fall trout fishing is all about! “If you’re interested in trout, I strongly suggest you mark out some time on the calendar during the months of October and November,” writes author Cal Kellogg (right), “because the action can be incredible.” (CAL KELLOGG)
trolling flies will seldom let you down. I like to have flies in a variety of colors, but orange, olive and brown are proven producers.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
I’m just getting started and I’m nearly out of space. Problems like this crop up because we live in one of the most trout-rich regions of the world! I’ll wrap things up by tossing out an extra three-pack of must-visit lakes.
The first is Collins Lake in the foothills northeast of Marysville/ Yuba City. Collins’ management team annually plants more than 30,000 pounds of trout, many of them 5- to 12-pound trophies, into the relatively small, 1,200-acre reservoir.
For the past two years, Collins has retained a lot of water, and a lot of the trout that evaded anglers dropped down into the main channel and
spent the hot summer months dining on the lake’s plentiful shad.
I hit Collins in early August and smacked several quality trout while probing the depths with Trout Trix Worms. Just as the holdovers start returning to the surface around the end of October, trout plants will kick in again and things will get exciting fast for anglers pulling Metal Head Trolling Flies, Trout Trix Worms, Rapalas, and Kastmaster spoons.
Trophy-size planters, muscular holdovers and a cup of Collins Lake’s famous ice cream? Count me in!
The second honorable mention fishery is Prosser Reservoir near Truckee. True, Prosser is small, but it is absolutely jam-packed with cutthroat to 18 inches and rainbows that flirt with the 4-pound mark.
In October, both species will be on the rampage, and they love to hammer spoons, whether tossed from the shore or trolled behind a watercraft.
For some reason, few people take the time to fish Prosser, so it’s possible that you’ll have the lake to yourself. If you see a big man and a yellow Labrador retriever grinding circles in a kayak out in front of the dam, it will probably be me!
We’ll end with Lake Camanche, east of Stockton. The lake is heavily planted from fall through spring, just like Collins Lake, so fall planters mingle with big numbers of holdovers that have been on a shad diet all summer.
Last fall and winter, I enjoyed great fishing at Camanche pulling Trigger Spoons and Trout Trix Minnows. White was the hot color for me, but other colors worked too. The trout I caught averaged 3 pounds and ranged up to 8.
I’m expecting a repeat performance this fall, and since the water level was relatively high this summer, the holdover action this fall may be even better than it was in 2023! CS
Editor’s note: Cal Kellogg is a longtime Northern California outdoors writer. Subscribe to his YouTube channel Fish Hunt Shoot Productions at youtube.com/ user/KelloggOutdoors.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
CRUSH END-OF-SEASON RESERVOIR KING SALMON
By Cal Kellogg
Several major NorCal reservoirs offer exciting king salmon fishing, including Shasta, Oroville, Folsom, Berryessa and Don Pedro. For many reservoir trollers, a big king salmon beyond the 5- or 6-pound mark is a coveted prize and a doubledigit Chinook a bucket-list fish.
Yet king salmon in general – and monster kings specifically – prove to be an elusive target for a lot of trollers in cold-water lakes. Too many times, when seasoned trout and kokanee trollers step out of their comfort zone and go on the hunt for big kings, the hunt ends in frustration.
Because there are plenty of big salmon to be had, especially in the late summer and early fall when fish in their final year of life attain their largest size, why do so many trollers struggle to hook up?
There is a cloud of mythology surrounding landlocked king fishing. I believe these myths, combined with a lack of understanding about the lifecycle of kings, are the biggest stumbling blocks confronting the would-be king salmon troller.
This season, my guiding partner Wes Ward and I, while only plying the waters of Folsom Lake a couple days a week, have landed two of the biggest salmon caught at the lake in 2024. The biggest king I assisted for my clients went over 7 pounds; the big fish Wes recently helped an
Author Cal Kellogg helps a happy client display a 7-pound king she successfully battled during a late-season salmon trip at Folsom Lake. The big fish nailed a spoon trolled 75 feet down near some structure in deep water. Now is a good time to get in on the action at multiple reservoirs. (CAL KELLOGG)
FISHING
angler subdue weighed in at nearly 11 pounds!
Why are we able to put our clients on incredible trophy kings like these while only fishing a handful of days per month but anglers who fish the lake regularly struggle to hook any at all? And when they do hook up, how is it that their salmon seldom weighs over 3 pounds?
I describe fishing for kings in lakes and reservoirs as a constant learning curve. For me, the curve dates back to the early 2000s when I caught my first big king, a fish of about 6 pounds that I hooked randomly at Lake Shasta while trolling a Shasta Tackle Kok-A-Nut behind a 6-inch dodger. Since then, I’ve devoted a lot of time to unraveling and understanding the seasonal movements, habits and temperament of these salmon over the course of the fishing year. Due to my time on the water, I’ve
been able to figure out a lot of truths about kings, but I’m sure I’ve got some things wrong. My beliefs will continue to evolve over time, because the learning curve never ends; or I should say, if you want to be the most effective king angler possible, the learning and detective work should never end.
Allow me to unfold what I currently believe to be true about king salmon and the all-important late summer/ early fall trophy fishery. My hope is that this info will help you become a more effective lake salmon angler and enable you to pop the giant oceansized king you’ve been dreaming of!
LATE-SEASON TROPHIES
I’ll start with a global statement about the Golden State’s king fisheries: King salmon lakes are in a constant state of flux in terms of the size and quantity of the fish available. In short, king salmon fishing at any given reservoir
goes in cycles.
Shasta was a Chinook powerhouse in the early 2000s. After that, it was Don Pedro that came on strong, churning out a lot of double-digit fish. More recently, Lake Oroville was ground zero of trophy king fishing in the northern end of the state.
At the moment, Lake Berryessa, Folsom and Don Pedro are all offering stellar action for big fish.
The quality of fishing at any given lake is dictated by a number of factors, such as the number of Chinook the California Department of Fish and Wildlife plants, the spawning success of the kings in the lake’s tributaries, availability of forage, fishing pressure, plus predation.
We can quantify the number of salmon being planted, but the other measures are unknowable and all we can do is wait and see which lakes offer the best king salmon action in
Fishing for feisty Chinook in freshwater lakes and reservoirs can be great fun, not to mention the only option for kings due to the closure of saltwater and inland river salmon seasons for a second straight year. (CAL KELLOGG)
FISHING
any given year.
Folsom is my home king lake, and what I’ve seen over the past couple years is this: Last spring and summer big kings were largely missing in action, but late in the summer we started catching increasing numbers of 10- to 12-inch fish while targeting trout. The biggest king I got last year came during a November trout fishing trip. The salmon went 24 inches and weighed around 4 pounds.
Beginning in late January and extending into early spring, I encountered big numbers of salmon holding on mainlake structure and feeding on pond smelt. The small salmon we’d seen the previous summer now averaged about 14 inches. In the morning, when the water was at its coldest, the pond smelt were inactive; so were the kings.
On sunny days, the water temperature in the shallows started ramping up around lunch time, which caused the smelt to move onto structure in 20 to 30 feet of water. As the kings followed the smelt, my clients enjoyed some lights-out afternoon salmon action while the kings darted around blitzing baitfish.
As I write these words in late August, we are starting to see two distinct year classes of salmon. There are 2-year-old fish that weigh from 2 to 5 pounds and a sprinkling of 3-yearolds that range from 6 to 10 pounds.
I think next summer and fall we are going to see some real hogs in the 8- to 15-pound class. After that, we’ll likely go back to square one in terms of trophy fish, as this has been the pattern over the course of past years.
THINK LIKE A FISH
One thing a lot of anglers overlook is the fact lake kings behave a lot like ocean salmon. They view the reservoir as their ocean, and at the end of their lifecycle they have a strong urge to run upriver to the spawning grounds. Successful king spawning has been documented at a number of north state reservoirs, including Folsom.
In their final stage of life, kings
The hottest spoon for tempting big king salmon for Kellogg this season has been his own Trigger Spoon in clown shad pattern, as seen here. (CAL KELLOGG)
Here you can clearly see the author’s downrigger weight tracking past several kings holding around a bait-rich hump. (CAL KELLOGG)
★ New patented EASY to use Bobber With A Brain Jr., ONLY automatic slip bobber in the world that requires no line stopper! You can fish 1 & 2 feet off the bottom automatically any depth, even 50 feet deep and it will not drift in 30 mph wind or jet ski waves!
★ Works in combination with any slip sinker and allows you to fish on and off the bottom at the same time on the same crappie or perch type rig!
★ Sold in three packs on e-bay and website: BobberWithABrain.net or SmartestTackle.com
★ Questions answered by Frank, inventor at Stackle23@msn.com
Now and Save
nwsport20
FISHING
prepare to run upriver, stacking up near river mouths and spending weeks or even months feeding heavily. These fish are instinctively gaining strength and size for the rigors of the spawning run to come.
If you think about the ocean fishery outside the Golden Gate, areas just beyond San Francisco Bay such as Duxbury Reef and Muir Beach have well-earned reputations for producing trophy kings late in the season. That’s because these are areas where fully mature salmon post up for their last extended feeding foray before heading up through the bay and into the rivers.
In reservoirs, you’ll typically find the largest kings in the lake holding near structure and deep dropoffs in the lake’s main body in close proximity to the mouth of river arms. A lot of anglers mistakenly think finding bait is the key to finding fish. That’s not necessarily true.
I would say working the correct location combined with using the right bait will put you in position to hook an exceptionally large king during the late season. If you’re finding schools of bait in the river arms in late season and early fall, it’s unlikely you’ll find a big salmon feeding on them because the largest fish in the system almost always position themselves in the reservoir’s main body, where they have access to structure and very deep water.
I catch most of my really big kings prospecting along the edges of submerged river channels. What I look for on the sonar is both the presence of bait and large fish holding around structure adjacent to the river channel.
If the level of the reservoir is dropping, as is usually the case in the late summer and early fall, you can rest assured that the main body structure will feature current. This current really stimulates the bite because it pushes schools of bait around the main lake body, plus it gives the salmon something to orient to.
Big kings love holding on deep-
When hunting for trophy lateseason kings, you’ll encounter plenty of quality fish in the 3- to 5-pound class like this dandy salmon. (CAL KELLOGG)
water structure in this situation. The structure acts as a current break, allowing them to lurk in relatively still water and burn minimal energy while waiting for the current to push baitfish in the form of pond smelt and/or threadfin shad past them.
Many anglers are conditioned to look for big bait balls and tend to ignore scattered bait. Don’t get me wrong: I love to find a huge ball of bait surrounded by predators, but day in and day out, I have my best success working around underwater structure that contains scattered bait being pushed around by current.
FINESSE GEAR BEATS OCEAN-STYLE TACKLE
When it comes to fishing gear, anglers can be just as fashionconscious as a hipster living in New York or Los Angeles. Right now, the cool kids in the salmon fishing game are obsessed with pulling ocean gear, including big 4- to 5-inch hoochies, full-size plugs and whole large herring. They usually combine these large offerings with huge, 8- to 14-inch-long 360-style flashers.
Does this ocean gear work? Yes, at times. During the middle of the summer and when the fish are scattered, this gear absolutely pulls in salmon and produces strikes. In the late season, with fish now holding tight to structure, surrounded by bait and after being subjected to weeks of fishing pressure, I’ve found bombing the fish with large ocean-sized gear to be less effective than finesse fishing with much smaller offerings.
For example, the biggest king to hit the deck of my guide boat during a week on the water engulfed a 1/8-ounce glow white spoon trolled naked without dodgers or flashers. The salmon was holding on an 85-foot-deep high spot adjacent to a 220-foot channel.
Think about the situation like this: Early in the season, you are often trying to pull fish into your spread as you troll open water. In the late season, with a little work you can generally pinpoint key areas where salmon will be holding. Those kings might be moving around a
FISHING
bit, but they are largely depending on the baitfish to come to them.
For this work, you don’t want a bunch of large noisy bells and whistles on the end of your line. The kings are looking to inhale a single baitfish, so that’s what you want to give them in the form of a naked spoon or trolling fly. Salmon are looking to feed, so they are very vulnerable to a small, fast-moving bait. The king feels the
vibration, sees the flash, and if it likes what it sees, it’s fish on!
GO DEEP
My approach for hooking late-season kings – from large- to trophy-sized fish – is deep trolling with medium to small spoons and flies. These offerings allow me to move quickly as I work key holding areas where I’m marking fish and bait.
I almost never run dodgers or a flasher late in the season. By August, large and experienced kings have seen a lot of big dodgers and flashers, and I think the salmon actually shy away from the flash and vibration emanating from these attractors.
My results indicate a stealthy, matchthe-hatch approach is the way to draw strikes from pressured, well-fed salmon.
My target trolling speeds when pulling spoons is 2.5 to 3.2 mph. This is too fast for some spoons, but Speedy Shiners, Speed Spoons, Trigger Spoons and Hum Dingers are all proven salmon slayers when trolled quickly.
SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS
Color absolutely matters. I’ve caught more deep-water salmon on UV finish spoons than non-UV models. Some of my favorite colors include copper/red, silver/blue, gold/chartreuse, fire tiger, purple/white, clown and glow white.
I typically start the day stacking two lines on two downriggers, each tipped with a different finish spoon. If the fish show a preference for a certain finish, I start changing gear and load the zone with that style.
Since I’m hunting for big fish, I run with 12-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. In terms of setback, you can often hook kings right off the downrigger ball, but I still position my lures 40 to 50 feet back. This allows me a bit of time to adjust the downrigger depth to the depth of the fish I’m seeing on the sonar.
A WEIGHTY ISSUE
A final thought concerns the weight of the downrigger ball I use: For speed trolling down 50 to 100 feet, it takes heavy weights to keep your downrigger cable nearly vertical. For me, 10-pound, fish-shaped weights are the minimum; 12-pounders are better. The fish weights track true without oscillation.
It’s really helpful if you can see your downrigger weights on the sonar screen. This way you can make fine depth adjustments based on the fish you are marking. CS
This huge-for-freshwater Chinook weighed nearly 11 pounds. The big fish was caught on a naked Trigger Spoon during an August outing on Folsom Lake. As the author writes, “If you want to be the most effective king angler possible, the learning and detective work should never end.” (CAL KELLOGG)
2.8L
BELLY UP TO THE NORTH BAR
BAY AREA SALTWATER TRIP LEADS TO POTLUCK BOUNTY
FISHING
By Mark Fong
Imust say there is always something special about taking a fishing trip to the ocean. I grew up fishing in the salt, but sadly, nowadays, I don’t get to go nearly as often as I used to. So when a few of my buddies asked if I could get a charter together, I was all in.
Chinook salmon have traditionally been the headliner of the summer ocean season, but with the fishery closed for the second straight year in California, avid saltwater anglers have quickly turned their attention to other species. After a quick text exchange with my buddies, we elected to spend a day drifting live bait in hopes of catching halibut and striped bass.
During the last few years, the number of six-pack boats operating out of San Francisco Bay has exploded. In talking to a few of my fishing contacts, the name that kept getting mentioned was Captain John Badger. Captain
John is the proprietor of Barbarian Sportfishing (510-750-4237). He specializes in San Francisco Bay and Delta small-party charters.
He’d be our guy.
VERY EARLY ONE MID-JULY morning, I met up with my buddies Paul Boudreau, Ian Rigler and Mike Barton for the drive down to the Bay Area. We all piled into Paul’s truck and a few hours later we arrived at the Richmond Marina. We were met with a cool overcast Bay Area morning, which was certainly a welcome relief from the ongoing heat of the Sacramento Valley.
At 6 a.m. sharp, Captain John and his deckhand, also named John, picked us up at the guest dock. There we exchanged pleasantries and made introductions. Once aboard Captain John’s 28-foot Farallon, he made course for the bait receiver located on the San Francisco waterfront.
On the way I had the opportu-
nity to chat with Captain John. He said that the fleet had located several nice groups of halibut and striped bass outside the Golden Gate on both the North and South Bars, where we would fish.
When we arrived at Pier 47, the line to get bait was short. After picking up several scoops of live anchovies, we were quickly back underway and motored past Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island and under the Golden Gate Bridge. I couldn’t help but marvel at what I was taking in. To see the city and San Francisco Bay from the deck of a fishing boat is an awesome experience. But the main event awaited us.
AS WE APPROACHED THE North Bar, I could see boat after boat stretched out in the distance. Big party boats, six-packers and private boaters – it seemed the entire fleet was here. The weather was beautiful and the swell was minimal.
Located just outside the Golden Gate, the popular fishing area known as the North Bar yielded stripers and halibut for author Mark Fong and friends on a recent charter trip. (MARK FONG)
FISHING
Captain John carefully followed his GPS to a series of waypoints, all the while watching his fish finders for activity. Meanwhile, John the deckhand meticulously prepared the gear.
Being somewhat of a tackle junkie, I was impressed with the gear that Captain John had provided for us. Having high-quality equipment really enhances the experience and makes fishing worry free. From the Avet reels and high-end live bait rods to the Owner hooks, everything was spot on.
After a brief test drift, Captain John instructed us to bait up and lower the gear. It wasn’t more than a few minutes into the drift before Mike was hooked up with a nice fish, a feisty striped bass that had engulfed his anchovy. After a spirited fight, Mike had the fish boatside, where deckhand John quickly netted it.
Even before the excitement of the first fish of the day subsided, it was my turn to get bit. After just a few seconds and from the way the fish was fighting, I knew that I was hooked up with a nice halibut, and I was super excited about it. After several powerful runs, I had the fish in range and with one scoop of the deckhand’s net, the fish was in the boat.
Soon Ian and Paul joined in on the fun too. The action continued, as Captain John made repeated drifts and
Barbarian Sportfishing skipper John Badger (left) was happy to hook up Paul Boudreau with a perfect eating-sized California halibut. (MARK FONG)
The San Francisco skyline lies under the marine layer on what would become a sunny day in the Bay Area. (MARK FONG)
FISHING
always adjusted and moved to ensure that we were fishing the best water. This process repeated itself throughout the day. Most of the action came in brief flurries of craziness.
When the fish are biting, time just seems to fly by. Before I knew it, we had a nice bunch of fish and were on our way back to Richmond.
BACK
AT
THE DOCK,
Captain John and deckhand John carefully prepared and cleaned our catch for us. Halibut and striped bass are excellent table fare and I was so impressed by the way they took care of our fish to ensure they would be fresh and delicious. Aboard the boat our fish had been put on ice and when we took our commemorative photos, they were placed on a cool, wet fish mat rather than simply strewn across the hot dock surface.
All in all, it had been a very memorable trip. Our group had a wonderful time fishing with Barbarian Sportfishing and we are all eager to fish with Captain John again. CS
Editor’s note: Follow Barbarian Sportfishing at facebook.com/barbariansportfishing.
Mike Barton shows off a nice striper. “When the fish are biting, time just seems to fly by,” author Mark Fong writes. (MARK FONG)
The guys – Barton, Ian Rigler, Fong and Boudreau – had a productive day and brought plenty of delicious table fare back to their Sacramento-area homes. (MARK FONG)
You don’t need superlong rods or heavyduty tackle to get in on some great surf fishing along Southern California beaches. Hard-fighting corbina can be just a short cast off the beach. (JOE SARMIENTO)
BUSTING SURF GHOSTS
HARD-FISHING CORBINA WILL TEST YOUR LIGHT LINE ON SOCAL BEACHES
By Joe Sarmiento
The California corbina is the fish that inspired me to learn how to fish the surf.
I read an article that called this fish “The Ghost of the Surf.” It talked about how hard it was to get these spooky fish to bite. But when they bit, you were treated to a heart-pounding thrill ride of a fight. I was fascinated at how such a prized game fish could be caught right off the beach.
I was so fired up after reading the article that I went out that weekend
in search of the ghost. I picked a beach in south Orange County. Looking back, it wasn’t a good choice. I didn’t know. I didn’t catch anything, hook anything or even see anything. I needed to do some homework.
As fate would have it, a surf fishing seminar was coming up at my local tackle shop. I went and listened intently to the speakers. I carefully studied their pictures. I took note of the rod and reel setups they brought. When the seminar was over, I didn’t feel totally clueless anymore. Better yet, I won a raffle for a guided session with one of
FISHING
the speakers, Robert Danelen. Robert and I exchanged contact information and connected later to make fishing plans. The day of our trip, he took me to a spot in Malibu. Robert showed me how to find sand crabs and recognize where there was structure in the water that might hold fish. That day was the real beginning of my journey toward catching corbina. In this article, I’ll try to jump you forward in the learning curve so that you can get there faster in your own journey.
GEAR AND RIGGING BASICS
Some people hear surf fishing and it conjures up an image of 11-foot-long rods casting big baits as far out from shore as possible. That’s not what corbina fishing is about. Corbina action happens near shore – maybe 20 feet and in. Use a light rod that’s a comfortable length for you to cast. I use the 8-foot-long Fishing Syndicate FSG SP 800M (rated for 8- to 14-pound line and 1/4- to 5/8-ounce lure rating). I pair this rod with a Shimano Nasci 2500 spinning reel. The reel is spooled
with an 8-pound monofilament line.
I’ve seen people talk about using trout setups for corbina. I wouldn’t recommend it. I broke a trout rod bt using it in the surf. It’s fine until you snag some “salad” (seaweed) and a wave sucks it out. A better choice is a rod you might use for freshwater bass.
In terms of rigging, I use a Carolina rig with a half-ounce slider and a bead on the mainline tied onto a swivel. I’ll go lighter on the weight if I’m sight fishing for corbina, but that’s postgraduate-level tactics. Let’s just try to get you on your first one for now.
From the swivel, I use about 18 inches of 4-pound fluorocarbon line and tie it off to a size 8 Owner Mosquito hook. Sometimes I have to go down to a size 10 hook if the fish are being really finicky, or if there are only very small crabs around to use for bait, which leads me to my next point.
FINDING BAIT
Corbina will eat a variety of forage, but in the summer months your best bet is tracking down some sand crabs.
As the water warms, sand crabs will be evident in the sand. Notice where the smooth, hardpack sand gives way to bumpy areas? Those are likely sand crab beds. You may even see the crabs’ antennae peeking out from the sand in a receding wave.
Good places to look are near hard structures like jetties or pier pilings. If you are walking barefoot, you may notice the sand turn from firm to squishy. There’s a good chance there’s a sand crab bed there in the squishy
If you spot a hole like this one at low tide along the beach, know that it will likely hold fish when the water comes back in. (JOE SARMIENTO)
Sand crabs make for effective bait, and you can find them right on the beach. Keep them in a simple container or for longer in a cooler bag with an ice pack. (JOE SARIMENTO)
FISHING
sand. It will get more obvious when the tide reaches that spot.
To gather crabs for bait, there are collection devices (rakes and scoops) sold in tackle shops near the beach. They work, but you don’t need one to successfully get sand crabs. I use a hard plastic colander I found in the kitchen section of a Marshalls department store for $5. Once I’ve found a crab bed, I just scoop a bunch of sand into the colander and sift it out in the water. It’s kind of like panning for gold.
I really like dime-sized crabs for bait, but you want to always collect a variety of sizes of crab. You never know what size the fish are keying in on. I put my crabs into a plastic, pintsized ice cream container with holes that I drilled in the lid.
You can keep crabs for a day if
“When you miss bites, you will often find the whole butt end of the crab gone,” author Joe Sarmiento writes. “What you want to do is hook the bait near the digger – up from the bottom to the top – giving yourself the best chance of hooking fish when they bite that end of the crab.”
you store them in a cool, dry place. If I’m collecting crabs for a trip the following day, I put them in a lunch cooler bag with a blue ice pack inside.
It’s easy to get carried away once you figure out how to find and collect sand crabs, so be aware that California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations limit the number of crabs in your possession to 50. Also, it’s worth mentioning you must have a valid fishing license to fish on the beach. CDFW has a new mobile app, making it easier than ever to make sure you have yours on you.
LOCATING CORBINA FISHING SPOTS
So now that you have the right gear and the right bait, let’s figure out where to fish. First of all, you want to find beaches that are more sandy than
rocky. The reason why that first beach I tried was a bad choice is that the whole beach was gravelly. Corbinas like smooth sand. Also, beaches that have a very gradual slope are better. A long, shallow shelf gives them a lot of terrain to work with to find their forage.
The incoming tide is the best time to fish for corbina. Ideally, get to the beach at or just before the low tide. I have an app on my phone (Tides Near Me) that lets me know tidal information. If you get there at or just before low, it gives you time to collect sand crabs and fish more of the incoming tide.
I told you how to identify a crab bed. Likely fishing spots are where there is a crab bed in front of structure (holes and troughs). Structure lets the fish conserve their energy versus having to work harder in unprotected surf.
When you first start doing this kind of fishing, it may be difficult to identify structure when it’s already filled in with water. A good strategy is to be there during a negative low tide so that you can see the structure where fish will be later when it fills with water.
Once you find structure, look behind you to get a reference point to find it again later. When my group of surf fishing buddies compares notes, we talk about where we fished by those reference points.
Sometimes you’ll be walking along the beach and corbina will just pop up on one of their jaunts onto the sand. Or more likely, you’ll see or hear a splash as they flip and turn back towards the water after seeing you. Don’t get too excited. The best thing you can do is walk past where they showed up and prepare to fish. Congratulations. You found them. Now let’s try to catch one.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
We’ve got our gear, bait and have found a spot. Now what? Before you do anything, check your drag. A light, smooth drag is critical to success. You can’t horse these fish in. You could if you used bigger hooks and heavier line, but then you’d never get bit. So before you even start, make sure your drag is properly set. Even if you already
(JOE SARMIENTO)
FISHING
did it in the parking lot, do it again!
Now pin on a bait. When you miss bites, you will often find the whole butt end of the crab gone. What you want to do is hook the bait near the digger – up from the bottom to the top – giving yourself the best chance of hooking corbina when they bite that end of the crab.
They will still find ways to eat your bait without getting hooked, but don’t get discouraged. Be encouraged that you did everything well enough to get them to bite! Pin on a new one and keep fishing.
The first thing you want to do at the water is determine which way the current is going. The waves will come at you straight on, but there’s always a current going left or right. Once you
determine which way it’s going, you want to cast upcurrent so that the flow takes your bait to where the fish may be. If you can figure out where to cast so that the current delivers your bait into a hole or trough where they’re waiting, you are well on your way to hooking one. Time your cast so that you’re landing just behind the crest of a wave. This gives your bait the most time in the zone to get bit.
Once you’ve casted and your bait is in the water, reel in just enough to come tight on the line. You always want to be tight. If not, you’ll miss bites. The waves will push your bait back toward you. Take up the slack.
Don’t give up on a cast too soon. You’ll be surprised at how close to you corbina will bite. Sometimes, when
they are sliding up on the beach, I’ll leave my bait on the sand and wait for the next wave. That wave might bring a corbina with it that will pick up my bait. If you feel a bite but it doesn’t hook up, pause before reeling back. Maybe they missed it and your bait is OK. If another bite doesn’t happen, check your bait to make sure it’s still good.
A BITE, THEN A FIGHT
Soon you’ll start to get into a rhythm knowing where to cast and understanding where corbina bite. Once they do bite, don’t swing. Often, you’ll start to feel a nibble before they fully bite; wait on it. You want them to take it and run. Once the rod loads up, then you can raise it up and back to set the hook.
Their first run is the best. Let them go and just enjoy the ride. Allow the rod and reel to do their job and put that fish to work. Look around you; if there is a big lip or a steep slope where you are standing, you want to work yourself towards a more gradual sloping area to land your fish. If you are near any hard structure, work your way away from it.
Gain line on the fish as each wave brings it toward the beach. The corbina will probably run out a few times before it’s sufficiently tired enough to land it. The end comes when you can bring it far enough up the beach on an incoming wave and the water drains out behind it.
Congratulations: You’ve just caught your first corbina! Unhook it, get your picture and get it back in the water. Sometimes if it’s a long fight, you’ll need to hold the fish facing into an incoming wave long enough for it to catch its breath. Once it has the strength to swim away, it will.
Now that you’ve caught your first, try to get a bigger one. If you’re lucky enough to land a fish of 20plus inches, you are in an elite club of anglers. Good luck! CS
Editor’s note: Read author Joe Sarmiento’s blog at socalsalty.com.
The author with a nice shore-caught corbina in Southern California. “I was fascinated at how such a prized game fish could be caught right off the beach,” he writes. (JOE SARMIENTO)
BEARING DOWN ON A BULL
UP-CLOSE ARCHERY ELK TACTICS THAT WORK
By Scott Haugen
I’d been calling for over 15 minutes, but the bull bugling in the timber above wouldn’t budge. The forest floor was too dry and the wind was wrong for me to try and get any closer. The next time the bull bugled, I cut him off with a bugle of the same cadence, just louder and more raspy at the end. That did it.
The elk reacted to the challenge and ran down the mountain. I’d already ranged the possible shooting lanes, so I sat, released on the bowstring and was ready to draw.
When I saw the bull’s rack twisting and turning through the brushy trail, I drew when its head went behind a fat fir tree. The bull didn’t see me until I stopped it with a cow call inside 20 yards. But by that time it was too late. By mixing up cow and calf calls, along with youngsounding bugles and finally an older challenging bugle, I was able to pull this bull away from its cows and into bow range. The next eight hours would be spent packing meat.
With September’s archery elk season going full speed, here are some more helpful tips to beat the heat, and the bulls.
DAYTIME ACTION
Hunting timber during the middle of the day, even on hot days, can be productive. Listen for cows and calves talking, as they often get up and browse at midday and communicate with one another at this time. This is when you can move in close and start making the same sounds. Follow
Roosevelts are the biggest-bodied subspecies of elk, yielding a lot of great-eating meat. This bull wouldn’t budge, so Chris Stewart played the wind and called his way to within bow range. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
... TO FIRE
Just about any game you harvested last season can be slow-cooked and added to spaghetti for an easy meal at hunting camp.
MAKE DINNERTIME EASIER AT HUNT CAMP
By Tiffany Haugen
Looking for a tasty meal that’s easy to freeze and take to upcoming hunting camps? This is it!
The great thing about slow cooking venison is the meat can be added to virtually any meal. Slow cooked with a jar of salsa, this venison recipe is inspired by leftovers, garden bounty and the love of spaghetti.
Deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, wild boar – even turkey and other upland birds –all work great with this recipe. It screams California, field to fire style!
Several more cups of seasoned vegetables can be added to this one-pot meal too. Using elbow macaroni makes this a freezer-friendly entree. And taking prepared frozen foods made from wild game to camp
not only provides a quick, healthy meal, it makes the benefits of hunting last all year.
3 to 4 cups venison, cooked*
8 to 12 ounces elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons olive oil
One onion, diced
One bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, puréed
One or two large tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 cup tomato juice or V8
Salt and pepper to taste
Slow cook the venison and chop into bite-sized pieces. Cook elbow macaroni, al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Sauté onions for five to 10 minutes. Add bell pepper
and garlic, sautéing another two or three minutes. Add juice and bring to a low boil. Add cooked venison and noodles and bring to desired temperature. If needed, add a bit more juice or a drizzle of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley right before serving.
*SLOW-COOKED VENISON (OPTION)
Place venison roast, neck meat or shanks in a slow cooker. Add 16 ounces of your favorite salsa or spaghetti sauce. Cook on high heat for four to six hours, or until the meat separates easily from the bone. Separate all meat from any cartilage and sinew, chop and set aside for a garden noodles and venison meal, or refrigerate or freeze for another recipe.
Leftovers of meal-size portions can be put in sealable baggies and frozen. Come hunting season, just pull out a package, take it to camp and you have a quick, mess-free, tasty meal that takes only minutes to reheat and enjoy.
Editor’s note:
To order signed copies of Tiffany Haugen's popular book, Cooking Big Game, visit scotthaugen.com for this and other titles.
(TIFFANY HAUGEN)
HUNTING
‘SLAY’ ELK WITH THESE CALLS
If you don’t like operating diaphragm calls, you’ve got to try Slayer Calls Enchantress Push Button Elk Call. The range of cow and calf sounds this call allows you to make, plus the quality of every note, will give you immediate confidence, which is what kills elk. I know many hunters who rank this as their new favorite elk call.
I’m a fan of diaphragm calls and Slayer’s new Clearwater Series consists of seven custom reeds, each with its own specifications. Latex thicknesses, tension and stretch are precise and designed to deliver accurate sounds based on tongue and air pressure. An aluminum dome ensures proper placement on your palate, thus controlling air flow while articulating your tongue and preventing the gag reflex.
If using diaphragm calls is new to you, start with the light-pressure reed. If you’re a veteran, you’ll quickly work your way up the Clearwater line and immediately see the application each and every diaphragm call has. Their Archangel Acrylic Elk Call creates incredibly accurate bugles. The crisp range of sounds made me a believer the first time I used it, and bulls responded. Learn more at slayercalls.com. SH
up those sounds with bugles and you can get bulls active, even bugling and coming to calls.
EVERYONE KNOWS IT’S WINDY
If there’s a stiff wind, hunting downhill into rising, midday thermals can put you within bow range. As evening temperatures cool and heavy air drops, hunt uphill toward where elk bedded or headed to feed at night. Hunt all day, daylight to dark. You didn’t wait for elk season just to sit in camp.
Always monitor the wind. Elk have one of best senses of smell in the animal kingdom. You’ll never fool an elk’s nose. Elk hunting is an aggressive sport and we’re usually sweating within minutes of starting to hike. By midmorning we’ve sweated and airdried multiple times, so the best way to prevent an elk from smelling you when hunting on the ground is by keeping the wind in your favor.
Keep a wind-check bottle handy and use it often. If closing on a bull and the wind shifts, back out and come in from another angle or return another day. You can fool an elk’s eyes and ears, but never its nose.
TREE TIME
Hunting from a treestand is a good way to play the wind. Since air
Author Scott Haugen has packed out many elk and rarely is it easy in the steep terrain, as pictured here in the Coast Range. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
(SCOTT HAUGEN)
HUNTING
travels like a river in a directional current, the elevation will help keep your scent off the ground. The higher your treestand, the better. If wind, dry ground and the habitat keep you from getting closer to elk, or if they’ve been educated by fellow hunters, consider using an elk decoy. Elk decoys can be used from a stand, blind or when hunting on foot. They’re great at pulling in leery bulls and keeping an approaching animal’s attention off of you for those last critical moments before the shot.
When using decoys from a treestand, position them so an approaching bull has to pass by you to reach it, thereby offering a shot. If hunting solo on the ground and trying to call in a bull, placing a decoy in front and to the side of you ensures you’ll see what’s happening and allows you to change positions as needed. If hunting with a buddy, have them move and call with a cow decoy behind you, basing their moves on an approaching bull’s demeanor. I love many of the Montana Decoys elk decoys; they’re light, look lifelike and work – believe me.
A FULL DAY
Stay out all day to hunt timber, shaded canyons and north-facing slopes. Take a quick nap in the hottest part of the day, snack as you go, and hunt until dark. You’ve worked too hard to waste time in camp, and you can’t kill a bull if you’re not where the elk are.
Take time to closely study elk sign, listen to how herds communicate and assess the conditions before making your next move. Pay attention to the little things and base your next move on what you’re seeing and hearing. That’s how you can take your elk hunting skills to the next level. CS
Editor’s note: Want to learn how to skin and cape an elk? Order Scott Haugen’s best-selling instructional DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, at scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
Getting a glimpse of a mature bull in the thick habitat they thrive in is rewarding – it’s even more rewarding when you put it all together and notch your tag with one. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
The first 15 days of
GET READY FOR DOVE SEASON
HERE’S HOW TO PREPARE FOR CALIFORNIA’S POPULAR UPLAND BIRD HUNTS
By Tim E. Hovey
For upland bird hunters, this is our time of year. Despite the summer heat, we wingshooters are focused on the fastest game bird in California, the mourning dove. We check and recheck plans with family and friends, get our gear ready for the opener and, above all, get out and
scout locations.
The California mourning dove opener is September 1 and the hunt extends for 15 days. A second season opens up on November 9 and runs until December 23. The daily bag limit is 15 birds per hunter, with triple that in possession.
This season, I started to think about how I prepare for chasing the gray
rocket. For me, not much has changed in the order, and year after year I run through the same tasks. However, it occured to me that a new hunter – or hunters – just getting into dove hunting may benefit from reading about what I do to get ready for the season. When it comes to dove hunting preparation, these are the steps I follow to put more birds in the bag.
September and a six-week stretch from early November to just before Christmas are dove hunting seasons in California. Tim Hovey (far left, with Rito Escamila and Jose De Orta) looks forward to this upland bird hunt every year. (TIM E. HOVEY)
HUNTING
BUY SHELLS WHENEVER YOU FIND ’EM
As we all know, California is a leadfree state. This means that only nonlead ammo can be used to pursue game animals during a hunt. In past years, nonlead shot was tough to come by. We’ve seen a slight rebound of manufacturers supplying the Golden State with steel shells in preparation for dove hunting. However, if you’re planning to head out on the September opener, it wouldn’t hurt to start accumulating boxes of shells early. In today’s world, my motto is always buy them when you see them.
SCOUTING
Probably the most important part of my dove hunting preparation is getting out before the season to scout new spots, old spots and areas I’ve been wondering about. Dove flights may vary year to year and to make sure we have a successful opener, I carve out some time to be on the ground in the areas I want to hunt.
For new spots, I look for a consistent water source near roosting trees. At dawn, mourning dove will leave the roost and head towards water. If hunters find these areas, they can set up between the roosting areas and the water source and do well. If there is a food source nearby, I’ll place this spot at the top of the list. Dove are granivores and eat the seeds of wild grasses, weeds and herbs. Planted fields of sunflowers, safflower, corn and millet will also draw birds into feed.
During your scouting trips, it’s important to be at your spots when the birds are flying. It’s not uncommon for the dove flight to slow or even shut down completely when the day heats up. Hunters scouting spots should be on-site at first light to get the best idea of natural bird movement.
PRACTICE AT THE RANGE
I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. Hunters who don’t do much shooting between seasons struggle when birds
One variable to remember when preparing for a California dove hunt is to load up on nonlead ammo ahead of time, since it’s not always easy to find the required shotshells. It’s also wise to have a backup shotgun handy. (TIM E. HOVEY)
“Placing motorized decoys in an open area will catch the attention of flying birds over 100 yards away,” Hovey writes. “Surrounding the moving decoys with static dove replicas will ease even the most wary of birds.” (TIM
E. HOVEY)
HUNTING
come racing in at first light. The two things I see most are not leading birds enough or stopping the swing of the shotgun at the shot. Each error will end with the same result: a clean miss behind the bird.
A few weeks before the season opens, I plan a practice weekend with family and friends. We grab a few boxes of clay pigeons and head out to the desert for some shooting practice. While hand-tossing clays
doesn’t come close to matching the speed of a dove racing through the sky, it helps with establishing leads on moving targets and proper shotgun movement during the shot. It doesn’t take much practice to bring back that shooting muscle memory, something you want to have in place well before the opener.
BRING A BACKUP
I can’t remember when I started doing
this, but I’ve been bringing a backup shotgun on most upland hunts since my 20s. I’ve also lost count of how many times I’ve had to rely on that spare. I’ve also convinced many in our regular hunting party to do the same. Malfunctions, broken parts or just dirty guns can easily be traded out for a fresh shotgun without interrupting the hunt. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a shotgun issue during the opener and not being able to participate in the hunt.
CHANGING THE GAME WITH DECOYS
I’m lucky enough to have started hunting before the use of decoys. We scouted, found spots, set up near the flyway and did well. But placing decoys, both static and motorized, where flying birds can see them has absolutely changed how we hunt.
Placing motorized decoys in an open area will catch the attention of flying birds over 100 yards away. Surrounding the moving decoys with static dove replicas will put even the most wary of birds at ease.
Seeing the decoys, birds will often slow down to investigate or even come in and flutter to land. In and around the decoy setup is where I prefer to place new hunters. Slower birds will give new hunters a chance at success.
KEEPING STILL, STAYING COMFORTABLE
Most birds have incredible eyesight. To up your odds for success, dressing in a camo shirt and staying still when birds approach will yield the best results. We like to set up small hunting chairs in the shade to conceal our presence during the hunt. Staying comfortable during the flights will help keep you still and ready when birds approach.
These early-season dove hunts often occur during hot days. We bring coolers filled with water and everything we need to stay cool and comfortable during the hunt. Hats, sunscreen, comfortable shoes and plenty of shells are all among the gear we
The author likes to bring rookie hunters – whether young or older – out on dove outings to introduce them to the sport, which he did with his wife Cheryl. (TIM E. HOVEY)
“Nothing
make sure to bring during the opener.
BRING ALONG A NEW HUNTER
Lastly, I make it a point each season to take out a new hunter. Passing this activity to someone new will ensure that hunting will carry on. Frequently, when people find out I hunt, they ask questions about how to get started themselves. I always make them the same deal: If they go through the steps of getting their hunting license, I’ll take them out. Some stick with it, some don’t, but at the very least they were able to experience a hunt for themselves.
As summer comes to a close, get out there and look for mourning dove. Spend some time figuring out their pattern and find a spot to sit for the openers. Invite some friends, old and new, and sharpen up your wingshooting. Nothing beats watching the sun peak over the horizon and seeing those birds begin to fly. Shoot straight and enjoy the moment. CS
TEXAN HOLSTER WITH MAG AND FLASHLIGHT COMPATIBILITY
beats watching the sun peak over the horizon and seeing those birds begin to fly,” Hovey (with daughters Jessica and Alyssa) writes about dove season. “Shoot straight and enjoy the moment.” (TIM E. HOVEY)
WHEN SITTING OUT A SEASON WITH AN INJURY JUST WON’T DO
AFTER ROTATOR CUFF TEAR, WINGSHOOTER ADAPTS TO HUNTING BIRDS WITH LIGHTWEIGHT SHOTGUN
By Scott Haugen
Iwrite about gun dogs in this column, but this one’s for the bird hunters who might be experiencing what I am, physically speaking. And it starts with a hunt.
RATHER THAN HEAD THROUGH the middle of a dew-laden meadow, a buddy and I walked the edges. A creek trickled down one side of the field. Hardwoods adorned in fall colors painted the hills on the opposite side.
The first rooster erupted and my buddy dropped it. Fifty yards up the creek, his shorthairs stuck another point. A ringneck flushed over the stream, where a payload of 11/4-ounce No. 5s from my little double hit the mark.
The dogs continued up the creek. I followed, still holding the fresh rooster in my hand. A few more steps and the dogs were on point. When a rooster erupted through tall willows, frantically cackling, I raised the shotgun with one hand, followed it through the brush then dropped it when it lined out in a small opening. The one-handed shot wasn’t planned, but it was necessary. Three weeks prior, I incurred a severe tear to my left rotator cuff. I shoot right-handed and raising my left arm above my
A severely torn rotator cuff couldn’t stop author Scott Haugen from hunting last season. Thanks to a lightweight shotgun that allowed him to move and shoot, he had some great upland hunts, including this one for Hungarian partridge. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
HUNTING
shoulder was impossible, and painful. I knew going into this hunt, as did my buddy, it would set the tone for the rest of the season. That’s why he let me borrow his Benelli 828 U. “It’s super light and if this doesn’t work, I don’t know what gun will,” he said.
The moment I touched the little 20-gauge, I liked it. The sleek, lowprofile design felt like it was custom built for me. It was so comfortable to grip, light to shoulder and fast to swing that I couldn’t wait to shoot it.
A week beforehand, I had taken my standby semiauto 20-gauge out to shoot a few clays. I struggled as my shoulder was too weak and sore to hold up the gun. But thanks to the lightweight, ergonomic fit of the 828 U, my fall outlook had just gotten brighter.
THAT AFTERNOON, WE TARGETED Huns, a type of European partridge. The flats we hunted were tucked into the bottom of giant granite peaks
jutting into the sky. The rock-covered mountains surrounded us and screamed Western hunting action. I was thankful for being able to shoot a gun that allowed me to keep going.
As the sun dipped below the towering mountains, we worked into a slight breeze. Grasshoppers blanketed the tops of the tall grass we hunted. They were especially thick along the brushy edges, at the bottom of the mountains. These high-protein food sources are the focus of many upland birds in the fall. Once the first hard freeze hits, the grasshoppers are gone, and birds know it. We inspected the crops of the first brace of Huns. Both were full of grasshoppers. The rest of the evening was spent scouring the edges of the grass and brush line. Hun numbers were good, the shooting even better.
Growing up in the Northwest, the allure of upland bird hunting fascinated me. Pheasants were first introduced into the continental U.S.
in the 1880s less than an hour from where I grew up. Shooting a limit of roosters on my way home from high school in the late 1970s and early ’80s was common. Ringnecks thrived then. We used to have them in our backyard. Sadly, they’re all gone now.
WIELDING THE 828 WITH comfort and shooting it with instant accuracy, my confidence grew. I picked up one for myself, just in time to head for the mountains in search of chukar.
Every chukar hunter knows the best action happens at the top. Approached from above, chukars hold in rocks and when they flush, it’s most often downhill. Though the fast swinging and shooting action would test my shoulder, it was also the best position for me to be in; shooting downhill was the least painful position, and shooting uphill, the worst.
The hardest part of chukar hunting is the ascent. It’s not an endeavor meant
If an injury threatens to take away the upcoming season, like it did for the author, consider investing in gear that helps. Haugen found Benelli’s 828 U to be perfect for the job. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
HUNTING
grew up hunting ringnecks in his Willamette Valley backyard. Today, travel and time are required to shoot a good wild rooster anywhere on the West Coast, something he didn’t want to miss out on because of a shoulder injury. He traveled out of state on this hunt last season.
for weak legs and hunters carrying extra pounds. The more fit you are, the more prime habitat you can reach and the more gratifying and productive the overall experience will be.
Once at the top, it’s downhill from there. Working your way down a ridge may take half the day. Zigzagging back and forth, letting your dogs work the wind, is a great way to tackle razortopped ridges. Sometimes there are flats or rolling hills on top, and often chukars thrive in them. Gentle habitats give you a mental boost, knowing you can hunt them all day long if needed.
Last season saw a good chukar hatch throughout much of their range in the Northwest. This made for fast action on multiple hunts. My first shot with the 828 U at a fastflying chukar dropped it in the rocks. I rushed and missed the second shot.
The next covey the dog pointed held tight. This time I made a conscious effort to slow down. My
first shot came quick, folding a partridge in a cloud of feathers. I had more time on the second shot, pulling the trigger just as a chukar headed straight away. Another hit.
THE INSTANT I TORE my rotator cuff, I knew it was bad. “You have a hole the size of a quarter and nothing will fix it but surgery,” the doctor told me after looking at the MRI.
When he told me I’d need an operation within a year’s time, I smiled and replied, “So you’re telling me I can hunt this fall and winter, and get surgery after the season?”
He looked over his wire-rimmed glasses, no smile on his face, shook his head and scoffed. “Yeah, just let the pain be your guide and realize there are things you simply won’t be able to do, like raise your arm above your shoulder.”
That was all I needed to hear.
The other guns I tried shooting early
in the season after my injury were too much to handle. Benelli’s 828 U gave me hope. Not only was it an instant fit, but it just plain dropped birds. I’m not much of a target shooter. Nor am I a gun writer. My experiences as a full-time writer come with hunting and killing. The more birds I shoot in a range of conditions and situations, the more I learn about the gear I’m using. Even when my shoulder heals, I see myself continuing to shoot the Benelli 828 U. Though it’s light and easy to maneuver, the recoil is slight. It’s simply a shotgun that performs and feels great doing so. This gun kept me hunting, and I’m glad because I couldn’t imagine my dogs having to miss a single day, let alone a whole season. CS
Editor’s note: Watch author Scott Haugen’s basic puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com. Follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
Haugen
(SCOTT HAUGEN)
