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Sportsman

California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 7 • Issue 12 PUBLISHER James R. Baker PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Brittany Boddington LEAD WRITER Tim E. Hovey CONTRIBUTORS Bill Adelman, Brittany Boddington, Steve Carson, Simon Guild, Jason Haley, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Bill Schaefer, Mike Stevens SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Sam Rockwell, Sable Talley, Liz Weickum PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER A September burst of rain and steadily dropping water temperatures in the Sacramento River have created high hopes for strong king fishing in October as the samon continue their spawning run.

Some nice fish have been caught so far, and this month should be even better. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com 8 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

CONTENTS

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 12

43

QUACK ATTACK

We’re worried about water in our state, as multiple drought stories point out this month. But the hope is enough artificial water and an expected rainy season will flood the fields of the Central Valley and other waterfowl hotspots. If there’s water, camo-clad hunters in one of the nation’s most productive states for ducks will break out the decoys, build new blinds and turn loose their retrievers beginning this month. Bill Adelman – at left with a weighty Golden State strap – provides tips for opening day and beyond. (BILL ADELMAN)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 15 23 27 33 41 59 65 103 107

Mammoth-area skiing, fishing legend Dave McCoy on turning 100 years old Drought ravages San Jose’s Guadalupe River salmonids How California’s quail, doves handle lack of rainfall A big game hunter adjusts to the lead bullet ban California State Duck Calling Championships results Urban Huntress: Brittany’s first Australia hunt How to plan the right New Zealand hunt, part II of IV Embrace underrated skipjack tuna SoCal bonito, barracuda and bass fishing

DEPARTMENTS 13 37 39

The Editor’s Note Outdoor Calendar Daiwa, Browning Photo Contests winners

FEATURES 53

FIND YOUR BUCK If you’ve hunted in California’s inland areas, summer’s high temperatures don’t go away without a fight.

October can remain pretty warm to hot, just as rifle seasons beckon in several zones. In their latest Field to Fire entry, Scott and Tiffany Haugen cover how weather affects October hunting, then they get out their cedar plank for a delicious venison recipe.

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SALMON STOCK UP Guide Manuel Saldana Jr.’s location in the Marysville/Yuba City area gives him access to both the Feather and Sacramento Rivers. Low water has hampered navigation on the Feather,

but Saldana’s boat landed some quality fall king salmon on the Sacramento last month, and with water temperatures expected to drop in October, he says this could be the time to hit the water. Find out his game plan for this month.

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MAMMOTH TROUT TALES Mike Stevens continues to dial you in on the vast fishing opportunities Eastern Sierra waters provide in the fall, with a fraction of the pressure the mountains get in the summer. This month, Stevens focuses on the Mammoth Basin, a collection of lakes that include the Twin Lakes, Mary, Mamie and George, all of which offer something a little different. But if you have the

time, hit them all up for a memorable trout experience. Mike shares his best autumn approach

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COUSIN JIM’S YELLOWTAIL ADVENTURE A busy schedule had prevented our lead writer Tim Hovey from getting out into the Pacific to take advantage of the remarkable surge of yellowtail fishing off the California coast. When a family function allowed Tim and his cousin, Jim, to take Jim’s boat out of Ventura, it was a no-brainer as a trip to Anacapa, part of the Channel Islands, provided the family with some tasty treats back on the mainland. Find out what they caught on the briny blue!

California Sportsman goes digital!

Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Only $1.89 an issue. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Send address changes to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 3829220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2015 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE Currently, Golden State fishing licenses expire Dec. 31, regardless of when you bought one.

The California Sportfishing League is trying to change that.

(CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE)

W

e’ve all been there at one time or another. We see something and it tempts us to want to buy it. I sure didn’t need another Oakland A’s jacket last spring, yet when a keen Columbia rain slicker was on sale, I got suckered in and bought it. I can’t tell you how many trips to Costco have included a case of energy bars or bulk package of honey barbecue chicken wings that I’ve thrown into my cart when I had zero intention of adding that to my usually modest shopping list. But we’re human; we spy something we maybe didn’t plan to buy five minutes earlier, then break out the credit card five minutes later.

But if we do that and help the local economy, shouldn’t we get our money’s worth too? Kudos to groups like the California Sportfishing League (sportfishingconservation.org), which hopes to convince the Game and Fish Commission to transition from a calendar-based system – if you purchase in April for the trout opener, it expires on Jan. 31 – to a 12-month license, regardless of when you buy.

Thus, this month if Joe from down the street calls and begs you to come along with him to get in on some of the peak Sacramento River Chinook fishing (see our report in this issue), your purchase of a license would be valid through October 2016, if the commission acts to change the current regulations.

“The high cost of fishing has contributed to an unprecedented decline in annual fishing license sales,” said California Sportfishing League executive director Marko Milikotin. In 2013 the Department of Fish and Wildlife issued 1,030,016 licenses; the number was down to 990,000 in 2014 and was at 887,060 in 2015 as of July 31.

“Our aim is to increase participation rates by making fishing affordable and accessible, which will have the added benefit of protecting jobs and communities dependent on outdoor tourism,” added Milikotin, who pointed out that Arizona and Utah have seen a spike in license sales since switching to the 12-month model.

I think we all want casual sportsmen and -women to go through with it when urged to become first-time fishing license buyers, even if they decide to take the plunge in fall, with the idea that the money they fork over won’t get them much value.

On that note, my Costco membership is about to expire since I was an October new member. I need to renew – and pick up more chicken wings. –Chris Cocoles Editor’s note: You can follow California Sportsman’s new Twitter account (@CalSportsMan) and like us on Facebook. calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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HE’S THE REAL MCCOY OF MAMMOTH SKIING MOGUL, FISHING ICON DAVE MCCOY, 100, IS AN EASTERN SIERRA LEGEND

Dave McCoy – here with his wife Roma and holding a rainbow trout – once worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power before finding his passion for skiing and the outdoors at Mammoth Mountain.

(DAVE MCCOY)

By Chris Cocoles

I

f you’ve skied Mammoth Mountain, have spent time there or know the comings and goings in nearby Bishop, you probably know the name Dave McCoy. How influential in the Eastern Sierra is McCoy, who founded the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort and opened its runs in the early 1950s? Sports Illustrated penned a 5,739-word profile of McCoy in its Feb. 26, 1985 issue. That story ran over 30 years ago, and on Aug. 24 McCoy celebrated his 100th birthday (his wife, Roma, turned 95 on Aug. 12).

McCoy owned the resort, which became an immensely popular winter playground for Southern California ski bums and bunnies, for 50 years before selling the business in 2005 (after also coaching several U.S. Olympic skiers). He remains a celebrity on Mammoth and at his home down the mountain in Bishop.

He doesn’t fish as much as he used to, but you can find he

and Roma riding a custom-built ATV around the local trails, and his love of photography is on display through his company, Dave McCoy Photography (davemccoyphoto.com).

“I love taking photographs while out exploring remote areas on one of my electric Rhinos,” he says. “There’s a picture everywhere you look around here.”

He was also the driving force behind the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, a youth program that helps Mono County students get to college.

We caught up with McCoy to discuss his adventure-filled 100 years and what’s next for him.

Chris Cocoles What did you enjoy best about your 100th birthday celebration?

Dave McCoy Getting to see all the family all at once, and boy, it was great. There were even a few first-time acquaintances.

CC Where did your passion for skiing come from? calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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DM I actually grew up in Washington, as well as on the road with my father as he built highways along the West Coast. I came to be excited about skiing up there when we’d make our own skis out of wood and ski the tailings of a coal mine. Then I came down to the Eastern Sierras and started snow surveying, which turned skiing into a career, you might say.

800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com better than anything I’ve ever had. It looked like a bamboo rod – slim and trim and very sensitive. It was light and strong and I could cast 33 yards. I used to put tin-can lids out in the driveway in the back of the restaurant I worked in to hone my casting aim. I used to go out and fish every time I had a chance. The Kearsarge area in the mountains above Independence was my main fishing area at that time.

CC You’ve spent so many years in and around Mammoth now.

Tell me how special your home has become for you?

CC When you first started dating your wife, Roma, she told you

DM We actually live in Bishop, 45 minutes south of Mammoth.

she liked to dance and you told her you liked to fish. Did both

McCoy doesn’t fish as much as he used to, but back in the day he would tie flies to help make extra money to go to school. He even shot a promotional spot for Union 76 gas stations. (DAVE MCCOY)

There were only three couples living in Mammoth when we started there. One was taking care of winter cabins. Another had dog sleds to haul materials to a local mine, and the other had the local tavern. There wasn’t much going on here. Occasionally we’d get Hollywood movie stars coming in to make films and other people dropped in, but it was a quiet place.

CC How great does it feel that you built such a wonderful and popular ski resort at Mammoth after all the hard work you’ve put in?

DM I didn’t do really hard work; I had lots of fun. It feels great looking back after all these years, but we were really just having fun.

CC How much fishing have you done over the years and do you

of you eventually grew to like dancing and fishing?

DM Yes … and skiing. Roma never got too excited about fishing, but she loved to hike, she loved the country and she loved coming along. There used to be great Saturday evening dance parties at Keough’s – south of Bishop – and everybody from the Owens Valley would meet up there to dance. I wouldn’t say I was a good dancer, but I had fun.

CC I get the sense that you kept so busy and are such a tireless worker, was fishing sometimes too slow for your motor? Or did you love casting for trout right in the high country?

DM I loved fly fishing in the high country; it was never too slow for me. I loved to fish and I loved to tie flies, and that’s all I ever used.

still fish a lot?

DM I don’t fish too much any more these days, but I used to

CC I love the fishing ad you shot on the San Joaquin River for 76

tie flies to make money to get to school. I had an extremely great fishing rod when I got down to Independence.

It was a Heddon Life-Pal. It was a metal rod that was much

(gasoline stations), which you chose to post as your Facebook profile photo. What was that experience like?

DM It was just my reputation for being a fisherman; the guys

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Growing up in the state of Washington, McCoy and his father constructed skis out of wood and skied the tailings of a coal mine. He went on to coach several skiers who made the U.S. Olympic team. (DAVE MCCOY)

who ran a commercial advertising firm were into skiing and they knew about my fishing capabilities, so we teamed up. It was an easy gig; I was used to doing things like that.

that are part of Cerro Coso Community College and the Kern Community College District. Many of our local students are now working in the community, and many have gone on to four-year colleges and universities.

CC During your time skiing on the mountain and making a home in the Eastern Sierra, have you thought about the possibility of Mammoth erupting, given the active volcano zone that surrounds the area? Or does everyone there simply embrace it like many Californians do with their attitude toward earthquakes?

DM We never worry about that. I didn’t develop the habit of worrying. There should be plenty of signs telling us that something is coming before a volcano hits.

CC You love photography and shooting some of the majestic wildlife of the Sierras. Can you share one of your memorable moments?

DM We’ve seen a lot of cool wildlife out there but we recently came across a rattlesnake eating a horned lizard [also known as a horny toad]. The rattler had the toad halfway down when we arrived so we were able to get pretty close and watch – much closer than you’d normally get with a rattler. He was occupied and wasn’t too concerned with us.

CC Your Mammoth Lakes Foundation has done so much for the community and in awarding scholarships to students.

What does that mean to you?

DM When we started the Mammoth Lakes Foundation in the late 1980s we had no students, but a lot of locals who could not go away for higher education. I helped the local college build classrooms in a shopping center where I first got started. Today we have around 500 students taking college classes between Bishop and Mammoth. We have two college centers 18 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

CC What do you are most looking forward to you as you head towards your 101st birthday next year?

DM I want to do everything I’ve been doing the last few years, but I want to do it better. Some examples would be our electric vehicle conversion of a gas-powered, side-by-side (off-highway vehicle). We’ve been working on perfecting this for several years, but battery power is always changing and we can always do better. We also want to make sure that – every day – we’re just having fun. Every day – more fun. CS Editor’s note: For more info on the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, call (760) 934-3781 or go to mammothlakesfoundation.com. Like Dave McCoy at facebook.com/Dave-Mc- “We also want to make sure that – every day – Coy-230907550376765. we’re just having fun,” says McCoy. (DAVE MCCOY)

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DAVE MCCOY’S PHOTOGRAPHY PASSION Photos by Dave McCoy He’s now retired from being a ski resort owner, but even at 100 years old Dave McCoy is still experiencing the Sierras’ beauty. Here are some of McCoy’s wildlife and scenery shots taken in the high country.

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“I didn’t do really hard work; I had lots of fun. It feels great looking back after all these years, but we were really just having fun.”

“There’s a picture everywhere you look around here.”

“I want to do everything I’ve been doing the last few years, but I want to do it better.”

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A RIVER RAN THROUGH IT

Two glimpses of the Guadalupe in San Jose: The below image was taken March 12, 2006, while the above was shot last month. (MICHAEL PATRICK/FLICKR; CHARLENE KING)

By Chris Cocoles

S

AP Center is the home of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks. As a Bay Area native and diehard hockey fan, I’ve taken the walk many times on my way to the game.

From Santa Clara Street in downtown, you’d walk past the pubs like the Britannia Arms, co-owned by former Sharks great Owen Nolan (California Sportsman, October 2013). Then under the Highway 87 Freeway was always the trumpet player – with, curiously, a pet rabbit by his side – serenading fans. And just before reaching the arena you’d pass the green sign: “Guadalupe River Park,” flanked by two

salmon. It was usually dark when we’d walk by, but I remember looking over the side and wondering how many fish swam in that stretch of modest creek.

As it turns out, none at all in droughtchoked California.

This is what I discovered during a recent visit to the Bay Area and after reading a story in the San Jose Mercury News proclaiming the Guadalupe River as all but dried out. So one warm September I joined my sister, Charlene King, and her pet puggle, Angel, to investigate.

As we anticipated, it wasn’t very positive given what this gem in the middle of an urban jungle used to be.

RIVER OF DEATH The Guadalupe is hardly mighty by

Believe it or not, despite a bone-dry river basin now, there has been visual evidence of spawning Chinook salmon and steelhead from the river’s mouth in San Francisco Bay. (CHARLENE KING)

any stretch. But for 14 miles – starting in suburban Los Gatos near the Santa Cruz Mountains – the modest waterway provided downtown San Jose with a respectable ecosystem that even

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Guadalupe River Park has been a popular downtown San Jose jogging and biking trail, with or without fish. The river sits in the shadows of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks’ arena. Chinook never spawned here in huge numbers, but surely they aren’t now. Angel the puggle wonders where all the water went. (CHARLENE KING)

included spawning salmon and steelhead entering from the south end of San Francisco Bay in Alviso.

As we walked along the adjacent trail, we saw mostly an empty riverbed filled with trash. The only source of water resembled an inch or so of puddles.

The only real signs of wildlife we spied were two dead birds on the trail.

When above ground, we crossed the bridge on San Fernando Street.

One of the more disheartening scenes was looking down to see a man cutting from one side of the trail to the other where there was once the real Guadalupe River.

Then we saw the plaques that com-

memorated the “wildlife” species this ecosystem is supposed to hold.

“A small number of Chinook salmon and steelhead trout are found here, in the heart of downtown San Jose,” the sign proclaimed. “Though they are small in number, the presence of Chinook salmon and steelhead trout is considered a sign of overall health on the river’s ecosystem.”

The concrete had caricatures of salmon, steelhead, beavers and other critters that, the Mercury News reported, are either dead or have just disappeared in search of other water sources.

Rotting carcasses have been found just upstream from where we walked.

“It is really sad. I’ve been watching the water go completely dry,” amateur naturalist Roger Castillo told the newspaper. “We’ve had massive fish kills.”

This wasn’t any kind of miracle of nature. Keep in mind that this river had concrete sides and was surrounded by traffic, restaurants, skyscrapers and the footprints of hockey fans who, as they walked by, were probably thinking more about Sharks’ hat tricks than spawning salmon. But it was a modest reminder that even the most asphalt of asphalt jungles could host schools of spawning fish and fauna.

Only now it’s just a waterless graveyard. CS

DROUGHT NUMBERS OF NOTE 20 Percent of capacity at Sacramento-area Folsom Lake, which has a designed surface capacity of just under 2 million acre feet.

29 California counties that – as of mid-September – were in at least one section considered D4 (exceptional drought) status.

31.3 Percentage of reduced water usage for July by Californians.

4,890 Reported wildfires in California from Jan. 1-Aug. 29.

128,714 Number of acres burned by those blazes.

THEY SAID IT “I’m aware that California has a drought, so I made sure I brought my own water.” –Florida senator Marco Rubio, a Republican presidential candidate, while clutching a water bottle during the Republican Debate at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley.

“We’re going to be losing most of our salmon and steelhead if things continue. It would be a major extinction event.”

–Peter Moyle, professor emeritus at UC Davis, to the Los Angeles Times on what could happen to the state’s native fish population as the drought lingers on.

“It definitely set a new standard for what a low can look like. We have data going back 100 years. It was the lowest year in that period.” –Jeff Anderson, a hydrologist for the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, to the Fresno Bee regarding 2015’s Sierra snowpack, believed to be the lowest in 500 years.

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A WORLD WITHOUT WATER HOW GAME BIRDS COPE DURING DROUGHT

By Tim E. Hovey s a hunter, I’m constantly evaluating how the drought conditions currently gripping California affect the game I chase.

If you’ve spent any amount of time outside, you’ve probably seen how the drought can negatively impact wildlife.

For the most part, a lack of water affects most species the same way: It usually means a reduction in animals’ ability to reproduce, leading to fewer of them in the future.

Animals that consume vegetation for all or a portion of their diet will struggle during these drought conditions. Those forage resources will die off without water and negatively impact just about every level of wildlife.

The number of large mammal offspring produced during a severe drought will drop and, in some situations, offspring may not be produced at

A

all. It’s nature’s way of limiting the competition for valuable resources when conditions are poor.

This reduction in reproduction is also a mechanism that prevents the suffering of young that are produced when resources or limited. The alternative to having offspring when conditions are less than optimal is often very tragic.

SIGNS OF DEATH During a drive through a private ranch last June, I spotted a cow elk and calf hanging out close to a creek bottom.

For some reason they were separated from the main herd and hanging out by themselves. At the time, the pair looked normal and I didn’t think anything was wrong.

A little later in the day, with temperatures soaring to nearly 100 degrees, I spotted the same cow in the same area, but the calf was missing. I hiked down to the creek bottom and found the calf

lying dead at the base of a large oak.

From all appearances, it looked like the calf had succumbed to the heat and lack of water.

During this dry period, I’ve seen the biggest difference in wildlife numbers in animals that have multiple offspring, like game birds. Species that are localized and don’t migrate, such as quail, must adjust their reproductive fitness to the changing conditions. This is usually reflected in greatly reduced numbers of offspring and poor recruitment.

Upland game birds like quail will either reduce their clutch size or fail to reproduce at all. During low rain years, quail clutches will be small or there will be little to no successful breeding.

Some game bird species can acquire sufficient moisture in some of the vegetation they consume. However, plants containing excess moisture that are utilized as forage are often the first species to die out during drought conditions.

Quail tread on dried-up Southern California soil, which has been begging for rain during the extended drought. Lack of water sources is taking a toll on upland birds. (BOB MORRIS) calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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Earlier on what turned out to be a very hot day, this elk calf had seemed fine. But it perished a few hours later, possibly due to the lack of water.

A CHANGING LANDSCAPE Four years ago, some areas of California were flush with quality quail habitat and an amazing abundance of birds. That season, state game bird biologists were documenting three clutches per female in some areas during the breeding season.

That means that resources were so abundant that females in some areas would lay three separate clutches of eggs through the year. I think they were pushing the envelope on the third clutch; that year I found several abandoned quail nests filled with eggs that never hatched.

As the drought has deepened the last few years, I’ve noticed that quail are absent in areas where they were once abundant. Their particular food sources and quality habitat have dried up and died, and once reliable water sources now sit dust-dry and useless.

On several occasions, I’ve kicked up very small coveys that are made up of only adult birds during a time when young ones should be present. This illustrates that reproduction is the first thing nature adjusts to accommodate poor environmental conditions.

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(TIM E. HOVEY)

areas where water is available. This doesn’t mean that birds like dove are resistant to drought impacts. Water will dry up food sources and affect their reproductive output as well, but to a lesser extent. Overall populations may stay strong, but some flights may move around and bird numbers may drop.

Mourning dove will migrate to areas that support consistent agriculture, where water is almost always abundant. In these areas, such as Central California, dove will find abundant resources and sufficient roost spots to carry them through drier conditions.

However, this species may also see an adjustment in reproduction during the unprecedented drought.

TESTING THE DROUGHT This year I was lucky enough to hunt the 2015 dove opener on September 1 with my daughters for the very first time. They’ve heard the stories of 20-minute limits and birds everywhere in the spots we’ve hunted, but I knew drought conditions might impact this season’s dove numbers.

About 30 minutes before sunrise on the opener, Alyssa, Jessica and I were

During this dry period, author Tim Hovey has seen the biggest difference in wildlife numbers in animals that have multiple offspring like game bird species. It remains to be seen what the future holds. (BOB MORRIS)

28 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

29

HUNTING It’s hard to say if the lack of juvenile birds during this year’s dove opener is a result of the drought, but the ratio with adult doves was definitely more equal during last year’s hunt. (TIM E. HOVEY)

set up at our spot and waiting for the morning flight. Both my daughters have been dove hunting before, but this was the first time they’d be at my side during the first day of the season when the birds started flying.

With sunrise came the doves. Small groups flew in fast and gave the girls brief opportunities in the low light. My shotgun stayed unloaded and in the case, as I pointed out approaching birds for my daughters. Once the sun popped over the horizon, the girls began to see better and started dropping doves.

As the opener unfolded, I could tell the flight was weaker than the previous year’s opening day. That really didn’t matter to my hunters. They had a great time taking turns on approaching birds and connecting occasionally. But while I watched, I began to wonder if the severe drought conditions gripping California

was the reason for the slower opener.

Around 9 a.m. the flight shut down completely and we began cleaning up our area. As I gathered the birds, I noticed that most of the dove we had shot were adults. We had dropped a few juveniles during the morning flight, but a majority of the birds had adult plumage. It’s hard to say if the lack of juvenile birds in this sample is a result of the drought, but the ratio was definitely more equal during last year’s hunt.

Alyssa and Jessica enjoyed their first dove opener hunt and both shot well.

On the way out, we talked to a few other hunters who also mentioned that the flight had been slower than previous years. A few even blamed the drought.

A COMMON NEED For all organisms on this planet, water

30 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

is life. When water becomes limited – or in some cases, goes completely away – all levels of wildlife suffer. Nature responds when resources are low by limiting the number of offspring most animal species will produce, thus limiting resource competition. In the worst conditions imaginable, nature finds a way to survive.

Regardless of the conditions, wildlife is sure to rebound once the rains come back and conditions improve.

Unfortunately, for those of us who work and recreate in the outdoors, the current status of wildlife in California is tough to witness. I’ve noticed a serious reduction in game species in the areas I hunt due to the drought.

For any serious outdoorsman, this is heartbreaking. One thing I can say for certain is that we’re all waiting for water. CS

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

31

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BITING THE BULLET WITH STATE SET TO BAN ALL LEAD BULLETS, HUNTERS PUT COPPER AMMO TO TEST Author Jason Haley traded a box of lead ammo (left) for copper bullets that he used for field testing. (JASON HALEY)

The slick, stainless-nickel casings on these bullets provide smooth action and reduce tarnishing. California is phasing out lead bullets for hunters, which has been a source of disdain for many hunters. (JASON HALEY)

By Jason Haley

W

hile few California sportsmen want to have nonlead ammunition forced on them, the Golden State began phasing out lead ammo for hunting in 2013.

As of July 1, nonlead ammo became required on all California Department of Fish and Wildlife lands, all bighorn sheep hunts and, of course, in the range of California condors. By 2019, nontoxic ammunition will be required for hunting anywhere in the state.

There’s been much back-and-forth banter about the issue and forums have been held at sportsman’s shows and public workshops. What’s for sure is it’s about to be illegal for hunting big game in California, and the use of lead is coming under increased scrutiny all over the country, not just here. I live in southern Oregon, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (dfw.state.or.us) is now encouraging us to make the switch. Many hunters have either made the voluntary change or are experimenting with premium nonlead options, myself included. It’s not all doomsday.

PLENTY OF NONLEAD OPTIONS AVAILABLE While nontoxic shot shells have been around for a while now – and are credited for saving millions of ducks, geese and other waterfowl from lead poisoning – a growing number of well-known bullet makers are putting quality nonlead ammunition on the market as well.

Existing nonlead options include the Barnes Triple Shock, which is loaded by Federal, Corbon, Weatherby and others, and is a solid copper bullet. Alloy-core options include Hornady GMX, Remington Copper Solid, Nosler E-Tip and Barnes RMX. Winchester makes a new Power Core 95/5 bullet made of 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc.

Soft “frangible” bullets that break apart to reduce ricochets for recreational and tactical use include the Barnes Varmint Grenade, Nosler Ballistic Tip, Hornady NTX and DRT Terminal Shock. These bullets fragment explosively, but the fragments are nontoxic. Small caliber rimfire bullets are also available.

A couple years ago, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and the Yurok Tribe of California teamed up to provide educational literature and

opportunities for hunters to try some of these nonlead loads.

A few events were held in the region and free nonlead samples were offered at local ranges. Out of curiosity, I attended one in Medford, Ore. Most common rifle cartridges, upland shot and reloading calibers were made available. They also traded full boxes of nonlead ammunition for lead boxes in matching calibers. Old, cheap and even hand-loaded lead was accepted. Performance demonstrations were provided with ballistic gelatin to compare expansion, penetration and fragmentation.

These and other bullet trial comparisons have shown that nonlead bullets offer little or no fragmentation (ensuring weight/energy retention), great penetration and a long, wide wound channel, lower toxicity for humans and wildlife, and equal or greater accuracy.

I traded a box of 130-grain Remington Core-Lokt bullets in .270 for some Federal Premium Trophy Copper, just to see it for myself. These bullets grouped just as well for me, and I took a buck with them in 2013 in Zone X-1 near Medicine Lake in Siskiyou County. The

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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exit wound was staggering, and it was comforting to know that I didn’t feed my kids lead fragments or dust.

I was so impressed by these bullets I broke out the same box this year for antelope. It was one shot, one kill with the same set-up at nearly 300 yards, shooting uphill. Again, the exit wound was devastating. It marred an otherwise perfect cape, but the shot did the trick beautifully and gave me something to chat about with my taxidermist.

My 10-year-old was actually able to watch the stalk from a distance and observe the pass-through on the quartering animal. I didn’t believe what he described to me – I thought I’d missed – but he was right. I can’t speak to expansion characteristics since all my live shots have been clean pass-throughs. And I wasn’t able to recover the mushrooms, but the accuracy, penetration and ballistic performance have exceeded expectations. At press deadline, I was planning to use these bul-

lets for a deer in the C Zones.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

Many hunters have either made the voluntary change or are experimenting with premium nonlead options. The exit wound via a nonlead bullet on this antelope was eye-popping for Haley. (JASON HALEY)

A recent visit to Sportsman’s Warehouse revealed nonlead bullets in a variety of calibers, even with the current rush on bullets and scores of empty shelves.

Prices were high, but so too were the costs for premium/custom lead bullets.

I may try the Barnes VORTX in .300 Wby Mag this season for elk. If I do, I’ll be sure to share bench and field results.

Whether we agree with these regulations or not, there’s been plenty of warning. Serious hunters need to get a plan if they haven’t already. The future of our sport depends on it. We survived the steel shot changeover and we’ll survive this. CS

34 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Editor’s note: For more info on the phaseout of lead ammunition, see wildlife .ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition.

For more on what’s available, visit huntingwithnonlead.org/about2013.html.

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR OCTOBER 3 General deer opener in many X Zone locations 3-4 Lake McSwain Fall Trout Derby (209-354-2964) 3-4 Big Bear Lake Troutfest (bigbear.com) 10 Northeastern Zone duck, scaup, dark goose opener 10 General deer opener in Zones D-11, D-13, D-14, D-15, D-16, D-17 10 Red Bluff Salmon Derby, Sacramento River (goldenstatesalmonassociation.com) 16 Colorado River Zone duck, goose opener 16-18 Fly Fishing Faire, Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop (bishopvisitor.com) 17 Archery deer opener in Zone X-9c 17 Zones Q1 and Q3 all-quail opener 17 Chukar season opener 17 Snipe opener 17-18 Shasta Lake Trout Derby (800-953-4432) 24 Southern San Joaquin, Southern California duck and scaup and Balance of State Zones duck opener 24 Goose opener in Southern San Joaquin, Southern California, Balance of State Zones 30 Morrison’s Bonus Derby Weekend at Convict Lake (monocounty.org/fishing) 31 Scaup opener in Colorado River Zone

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Sunrise will greet goose hunters this month with openers in most of the state’s zones on Oct. 24. (STEVE ADELMAN)

NOVEMBER 1-15 Ambush at the Lake, Convict Lake (monocounty.org/fishing) 7 Scaup opener in Southern San Joaquin, Southern California, Balance of State Zones 7 White goose opener in Northeastern Zone 14 Fall wild turkey opener 14 Late-season dove opener 14 General pheasant season opener 14-15 NorCal Trout Anglers Tournament of Champions, Collins Lake (anglerspress.com) 15 Final day of general Eastern Sierra fishing season

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O

n Aug. 29-30, Colusa once again proved to be a great choice to host the Golden State’s annual homage to calling waterfowl. The 2015 California State Duck Calling Championships were hosted by Kittle’s Outdoor & Sport (530-458-4868; kittlesoutdoor.com) for the fifth year in a row.

Patrick Kittle, the store’s general manager, said this year’s installment was another great success. Championships were awarded in 11 categories, including two events that determined qualifiers for the 2015 World Duck Calling Championships, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 27-28 in Stuttgart, Ark. Two winners from the California finals will head to Stuttgart. Gustine resident Stuart Mattos qualified as the California Waterfowl Association champion and Tim Hudson of Los Banos snagged the second automatic qualifier berth when he was named the California State Duck Championships winner.

Mattos is a veteran caller, having already won the state title four times, so he skipped the Sunday state finals after his CWA win.

“The pressure is off. I can have a drink and relax,” he told the Colusa Appeal-Democrat.

Hudson lost by just a single point to Mattos in the Saturday event, so he stamped his own ticket to Stuttgart the next day.

This year’s championship also honored legendary duck call maker Butch Richenback, who passed away in June. CS

Gustine resident Stuart Mattos’ victory in the California Waterfowl Association’s regional duck calling contest in Colusa won him an automatic qualifier for the World Duck Calling Championships in Stuttgart, Ark., in November. (SUE GRAUE PHOTOGRAPHY)

Tim Hudson of Los Banos (right, with Pat Kittle of Kitttle’s Outdoor & Sport) is also headed to Stuttgart for a shot at a world championship after he won the California State Duck Calling competition. (SUE GRAUE PHOTOGRAPHY)

Bronson Lasley won the open junior specklebelly goose competition. (SUE GRAUE PHOTOGRAPHY)

RESULTS CALIFORNIA STATE DUCK CHAMPIONSHIP (WORLD QUALIFIER) 1st: Tim Hudson (qualified for World Championships) 2nd: Gino Solari 3rd: Jeff Smith 4th: Craig Wilson 5th: Rob Decosta

CALIFORNIA STATE INTERMEDIATE DUCK 1st: Junior Rodin 2nd: Colby Stillwell 3rd: Grayson Taylor

CALIFORNIA STATE CANADA GOOSE YOUTH DIVISION

CALIFORNIA STATE JUNIOR SPECK

1st: Colby Stillwell 2nd: Ryan Sherbondy 3rd: Max Thomas

1st: Bronson Lasley

CWA REGIONAL DUCK (WORLD QUALIFIER) 1st: Stuart Mattos (qualified for World Championships) 2nd: Tim Hudson 3rd: Jeff Smith 4th: Craig Wilson

CALIFORNIA STATE JUNIOR DUCK 1st: Jake Kurtz 2nd: Bronson Lasley 3rd: Logan Frey

CALIFORNIA STATE CANADA GOOSE ADULT DIVISION: 1st: Nathan Kreshon 2nd: Dusty Brown 3rd: Eddie Upton

CALIFORNIA STATE INTERMEDIATE SPECK 1st: Daniel Alt 2nd: Colby Stillwell 3rd: Ryan Sherbondy

CALIFORNIA STATE TWO-MAN MEAT DUCK 1st: Cory Niccum/Colby Stillwell 2nd: Cory Niccum/Nathan Kreshon 3rd: Tim Hudson/Zane Peterson 4th: Stuart Mattos/Tim Hudson

CALIFORNIA STATE SPECK 1st: Colby Stillwell 2nd: Carson Leber 3rd: Brian Harris

CALIFORNIA STATE LIVE DUCK 1st: Cory Niccum 2nd: Colby Stillwell 3rd: Stuart Mattos 4th: Junior Rodin

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

41

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DUCKING into

HUNTING

the WINTER A

W A T E R F O W L

S E A S O N

P R I M E R

It’s that time of year again – when waterfowlers break out their decoys and head out to flooded fields (where they can find water in a drought year) to set them out and bring in ducks and geese. (BILL ADELMAN)

By Bill Adelman

A

nd another duck season is here. Seems like just a month ago we picked up, cleaned off and stored about 500 dekes.

Putting them back out after retying the weights is much easier since the ground is dry; so we just pull an overfilled plastic boat into our field and set ‘em up.

Then there’s the prep of the blind – making sure the stools still spin, strategically placing above ground and blind cover, and buying hay for the levee. We’ll cover the levee from the blind to the walk-in point, as it’s much easier to traverse after the mud gathers, assuming it will rain this winter. Speaking of which: we’ll most likely get a smattering of water initially – for a fee – and then what? Viscuine, that’s what. Rolls have already

been purchased in order to make fake water, if need be. That may not be the best decision, but it works.

WATERFOWL 101 The use of battery-operated spinners is limited; however, wind-powered dekes are good throughout the season. The hot ticket for us for about the past five years is the wind-powered, two-bladed WindWhackers; they can be seen for over a mile. The ever-popular steel shot is the choice of many, but don’t overlook the fancier legal shells, bismuth and Hevi-Shot, which cost up to about four bucks each.

If you bring your dog on a hunt, he/she really needs to be well trained.

A quality camo neoprene vest is highly recommended, as well as cover for the animal while he/she watches the ducks approach, then looks at you and your partner(s) with disdain

If you have a retriever, like Steve Adelman’s Stella, a camo neoprene vest is recommended, and always have cover for it while the dog waits for ducks to fall. (STEVE ADELMAN)

when five or six shots are fired and there’s not a single splash on the water. Keep your retriever hydrated and

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

43

HUNTING

PREPARING FOR YOUR DUCK HUNT So how do we hunt waterfowl? First, we need to buy a federal stamp for $25 and a state stamp for $20.52. There are many hunt choices: seasonal private blinds, clubs, day shoots, state areas, refuges, free roam, guides or public land. Applications must be made at least 17 days in advance for the refuges at the cost of $1.34 each.

Clubs can be private – including ducks paired with opportunities to hunt big game – or duck-only clubs. Some duck clubs have a rotating system where you have a home blind, and the hunting sequences are set up in advance for the entire season. Others, you have your personal blind for the entire season. Some allow guests and others will not.

be sure to work with it well in advance of the season. Be able to determine

State wildlife areas Type A or B waterfowl hunts are by reservation determined by an application and drawing. And if you are awarded one, fees are $21.09 for one day and $34.05 for two. Ressie applications can be done online, which also contains a complete summary of results and success percentages for each hunt day at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (wildlife.ca.gov). This same information is available for all of the refuges in California. When you do get drawn for a refuge, don’t be late. There’s also the opportunity to visit a refuge after 6 p.m. the evening before a shoot and sign up for the lottery, which determines your chance of getting in as a result of the next day’s no shows. –BA

their fatigue level. Hopefully you also kept a wing from last year to tie on

the practice dummy.

Perfect blind cover is essential.

Swing covers are available and the fronts should be kept in great shape, leaving small vision windows so that your much younger son can see the approaching birds and warn you from whence they are arriving. He’ll also tell you to be quiet when your mallard call sounds like a wounded turkey. It’s a good plan to practice

KEY WATERFOWL DATES TO REMEMBER

Author Bill Adelman is comfortable in his duck blind in the late fall and winter. (BILL ADELMAN)

44 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Oct. 10 Northeastern Zone duck, scaup, dark goose opener Oct. 16 Colorado River Zone duck, goose opener Oct. 17 Statewide snipe opener Oct. 24 Southern San Joaquin, Southern California duck and scaup and Balance of State Zones duck opener Oct. 24 Southern San Joaquin, Southern California, Balance of State Zones goose opener Oct. 31 Colorado River Zone scaup opener Nov. 7 Southern San Joaquin, Southern California, Balance of State Zones scaup opener Nov. 7 Northeastern Zone white geese opener

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

45

HUNTING ADD SOME MOTION TO YOUR SPREAD In the August issue of California Sportsman magazine, we caught up with Dario Leventini of Auto Jerk Decoy System (209-400-4889; autojerkdecoysystem.com), who shared some of the background of his waterfowl decoys.

“This is the most realistic system on the market. It puts natural movement throughout your whole spread. It puts a natural ripple on the water that ducks will see from far away,” Leventini says on his website. “This system moves a dozen decoys and will outperform a spread of dozens of decoys that do not move.”

With waterfowl season kicking off this month throughout California, Leventini returned to answer a few more questions about how and where to use his dekes.

California Sportsman Give us an idea of how and where a hunter should deploy your Auto Jerk Decoys. Are there certain conditions that hunters should be looking for?

Dario Leventini The Auto Jerk Decoy System works best on the calm days with no wind in ponds, plus it works in corn, rice and bean fields – anywhere that you can float decoys.

CS How is your product different than other decoy manufacturers on the market?

DL With one system you can move up to 12 decoys, which adds the most natural look on the market.

CS Where are your favorite locations to hunt in California?

DL I love hunting in the cornfields of the San Joaquin Delta with this system.

CS Do your designs change over time or have you stuck with the system that you developed?

DL The design has changed from the original over the last few years. We’re always trying to improve a product; that never ends.

CS How much of an impact is your system making so far?

DL The bottom line is you will shoot more ducks with this system. We hunt very smart birds in a more competitive field and need to adapt to be successful. –CS

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well in advance, especially when the significant other isn’t home and can’t hear you!

Having your shotgun patterned with the shells you’ll be using is essential. Even though you don’t swing through a fixed target, you will have to lead a duck. Fit is critical and will change depending on the clothing you’re wearing on any particular day.

Practice with all options. Learn to identify different species, as some have but a two-bird limit within the daily limit of seven. If your son says, “Don’t shoot” just as you are pulling up, it’s most likely because the passing birds are spoonies or you already have your other two.

When deeply buried in your blind, try to pick up the gun with your shooting hand, with the call in the other hand.

SAFETY FIRST Having mentioned all of this, as you prepare for the waterfowl openers

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this month and next, the primary focus is to practice gun safety. If your shotgun falls, slides or gets run over by the dog, will anyone get hit if it goes off? Be smart, understanding that sometimes stuff happens.

There are two major advocates for duckers: the California Waterfowl Association (calwaterfowl.org) and Ducks Unlimited (ducks.org). Many choose to belong to both, while others stick with just CWA, considering all of its programs are within our state. They work at promoting junior hunts at every opportunity. The fundraising dinners are great fun; however, bring your checkbook and credit cards.

There are so many regulations with duck hunting that you just might want to go online to determine which ones apply to you, as well as limits, season dates and who knows what else?

Good luck this season, water or not. CS calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

47

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GEAR UP W

elcome to fall in California. We’ve worked our way through the hot summer, navigated the FURZGV ÀRFNLQJ WR PRXQWDLQ ODNHV DQG SXOOHG LQ HQRXJK WURXW IRU D ¿VK IU\ 1RZ LW¶V WLPH WDNH DGYDQWDJH of cooler weather (at least it will start to get cool in VRPH SODFHV 6LHUUD VWUHDPV DQG FUHHNV ZLOO KDYH KDUGO\ another soul around to bother you while you cast for a brown trout; and there will be deer to glass for in the TXHVW IRU D WURSK\ EXFN :DQW WR GR D OLWWOH OHVV VWUHQXRXV KXQW" 8SODQG ELUGV DQG GXFNV ZLOO EH LQ VHDVRQ VRRQ ± GRYHV IRU WKH ¿UVW KDOI of this month, waterfowl kicking into gear in October DQG SKHDVDQWV LQ 1RYHPEHU $QG GRQ¶W VWRUH DZD\ \RXU ¿VKLQJ JHDU MXVW \HW :LWK

NLGV EDFN LQ VFKRRO WKH (DVWHUQ 6LHUUDV DUH DQ LGHDO destination for anglers in search of giant brown trout, which has become an autumn obsession for “brown EDJJHUV ´ 7KH VDOPRQ UXQV LQ WKH ULYHUV ± VHH RXU UHSRUW RQ WKH 6DFUDPHQWR 5LYHU RQ SDJH ± FRXOG EH DW WKHLU SHDN WKLV PRQWK 6RXWKHUQ &DOLIRUQLD¶V RFHDQ ERXQW\ ZLOO EH SOHQWLIXO IRU EOXH¿Q WXQD \HOORZWDLO DQG GRUDGR ZH KDYH WZR VWRULHV LQ RXU 6HSWHPEHU LVVXH

Fall means more than football in our state. Get out DQG HQMR\ ZKDW WKLV GLYHUVH VWDWH KDV WR RIIHU ZKHWKHU you’re a hunter or fishing buff. We want you to have WKH EHVW JHDU SRVVLEOH IRU \RXU WULS VR WDNH D ORRN DW WKH IROORZLQJ SDJHV IRU VRPH RI WKH EHVW SURGXFWV LQ the business.

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8 2

1 4 3 7 6

5

50 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

1. CFK CUTLERY

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CFK Knives provides affordable, quality knives with dozens of designs to choose from. Our customers include Jack Tobin, president of the Special Forces Association, and Scott Harris, Kodiak Lodge guide in Alaska. www.customforgedknives.com See ad on page 55

The MAXX Series combines the all-new OMNI Hybrid upper and lower receivers, which are comprised of a polymer composite infused with metal inserts to produce unmatched durability. It’s chambered in 5.56mm and .300 AAC Blackout rifle and pistol configurations, and coming soon as a .410 shotgun; California-compliant versions are available too. Prices range from $599.95 to $654.99. Visit www.americantactical.us to see the entire OMNI Hybrid MAXX Series and other American Tactical products.

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Marble Mountain Kennels provides natural pointing Labs in all colors. While their Labs are pointing the way in the field and bringing back the ducks in the blind, Marble Mountain Kennels’ dogs also have gentle natures that make them great members of the family. Their dogs are bred for: A) superior intelligence; B) great looks; C) terrific personalities; D) intense hunting desire; E) staunch natural point; and F) proven pedigrees. www.mmkennels.com; 530-598-1527 See ad on page 47

The patented BGS and Mako are the ultimate field-dressing knives. The 100-percent machined aluminum housing is lightweight and retains superior strength and durability. Its innovative design offers a faster and cleaner way to process game, becoming a multifunctional knife. The hook design cuts from the inside out, splitting the hair while making a precision cut. It also has the ability to spin 360 degrees around the leg to open the hide and pop the joint. The bottom of the blade becomes your guided skinner. With the blade sandwiched between the housing, it lifts the blade off the meat and hide, making for a faster and cleaner job.

The T-grip handle offers complete control and eliminates hand fatigue. www.raptorazor.com See ad on page 52

Skinner Sights are accurate, rock-solid, reliable, beautiful, dependable, aperture/“peep” sights for rifles. They are machined from solid bar stock and made in Montana by American craftsmen who are shooters and hunters. Skinner Sights has models to fit many rifles.

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A product designed with the hunter in mind, these are twin dryers and deodorizers that easily fit into any pair of hunting boots. In addition to drying nature’s wetness and sweat, it destroys odor molecules. s.. YYou oouu wake up to dry, fresh boots to start day two’s hunt the best way possible. www.peetdryer.com

New for 2015 is a complete line of RUKX Gear gun cases and backpacks. This one-day Back Pack includes heavy-duty padded shoulder straps, as well as many compartments to organize everything you need to bring along with you. RUKX Gear gun cases and backpacks come in black or tan 40D polyester models with reinforced seems and zippers. Gun cases range from 36- to 46-inch lengths, while the backpacks come in one-day, three-day, and five-day configurations. Prices range from $49.95 to $99.95. Visit www.americantactical.us to see the full line of RUKX Gear and other American Tactical products.

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The WaterFixer Model 1000 sterilizes up to 4 gallons per minute, using 12vdc or 120vac power. It turns rainwater, pond, spring and lakewater into pure drinking water. www.waterfixercompany.com; 888-699-6166

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HUNTING

FROM FIELD ...

BLAZING BLACKTAILS CONSIDER CENTRAL VALLEY HEAT AS A FACTOR WHEN GLASSING FOR FALL DEER

Glassing from distant, elevated vantage points is a good way to cover ground and not spook deer. You can discover where they’re living and what they’re doing based on dry conditions. Once a buck is located, then it’s time to plan the next move. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

By Scott Haugen

W

hile most of the Pacific Northwest complained about intense heat, extended dry spells and the challenge of pending hunting seasons, folks in Northern California kept doing what they always do – planning for a hot deer season.

“Once you reach 110 to 115 degrees for two weeks straight, then call and I’ll start feeling sorry for ya’,” my buddy Parrey Cremeans chirps when I shared that the heat wave we’d been having sent the mercury soaring to 105 degrees.

“In the Redding area, we have intense heat all summer long,” continues Cremeans, a well-known guide and owner of justforhunting.com. “Though the conditions are dry, hot, and fire danger always scary, the animals have survived and this year is no exception.

Throughout the hottest days of sum-

mer, we were seeing deer and elk with exceptional antler growth.”

Cremeans, like many dedicated hunters, relies on routine scouting missions and multiple trail cameras to learn what animals are out there.

“Not only will these efforts reveal what animals are around, but if you’re after big-antlered game, this is a great way to assess their size,” Cremeans says. “Even if you’re looking to put meat in the freezer, scouting and trail cameras will show where animals are.”

With deer season upon us, October once again is looming as hot and dry.

So scouting time, per se, has passed.

But that doesn’t mean when you’re afield to solely concentrate on looking for animals themselves.

While hunting, look for trails, fresh tracks, droppings and more.

Search below oak trees, where deer could be eating fallen acorns. Look off to the sides of game trails to see if the smallest portions of green grass

have been grazed on. Deer will forage on weeds too, along with berry vines and most things green. Blacktails have over 80 known food sources, and now is when they’re resourceful in seeking it out.

Trail use by game animals is one of the greatest indicators as to what’s actually going on, or not going on. Trail cameras are a tool that can be used all season long to reveal what’s happening on these trails – no matter what game you’re after – even during the hunting season.

When talking blacktail deer, high-volume trail use this time of year usually equates to food drying up at higher elevations.

“Many people wait to hunt benchlegs and other high-elevation blacktails later in the season, thinking bad weather forces them to lower elevations. But the truth is, many of these deer start dropping to lower elevations in late September or early October and search

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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HUNTING

Brought to you by:

... TO FIRE

By Tiffany Haugen

F

or years, I kept my game off the grill. Trying to cook an elk steak the way I grew up grilling a beef T-bone never yielded good results.

Once I started plank cooking, the grill started staying out year-round and everything went on it.

Because planks help keep moisture in fish and game meat, they fix the problem of lean meat drying out and either tasting like shoe leather or falling through the grill. Planks also keep the grill clean and make a great serving platter/cutting board.

When we still wanted to perfect grilled venison steaks and backstrap, practice eventually made perfect. There are only a few guidelines to follow when grilling lean game meats such as elk, deer, antelope and turkey.

Tips for grilling game 1. For steaks, slice meat thinly (half an inch) across the grain if grilling backstrap or tenderloin. Pound and/or tenderize other meat cuts into steak-size portions. For whole backstraps, simply cut to a manageable size and trim off any silverskin.

2. Marinate meat in an oil-based marinade. One of the most convenient is Italian dressing (do not use low- or no-fat dressings).

3. Keep salt to a minimum, as it can make meat tough. Try a sprinkling of sea salt while meat is grilling.

4. Keep grates well lubricated. Use an oil-soaked paper towel held by tongs to wipe grates down right before placing the meat.

5. Let meat reach room temperature before grilling. Cold meat sticks to grill grates and contracts and becomes tough.

6. Grill the meat hot and fast. Get grill temperature to at least 400 degrees, grill the first side only until grill

DON’T MAKE

‘MI-STEAKS’ ON THE GRILL marks appear and then turn meat with tongs. By the time the last of the meat is flipped, the first ones you flipped will be done. For backstrap, move the meat as needed to keep heat even.

7. Do not overcook. It is safe to eat most red meat rare – bear, boar and cougar being the exception. Cook backstrap to an internal temperature of 140 degrees.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Big Game, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order online at scotthaugen.com. This book offers more than 100 great recipes. Tiffany Haugen is a full-time author and part of the new online series, Cook With Cabela’s.

54 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Also, watch for her on The Sporting Chef, on the Sportsman Channel. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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55

HUNTING for food,” Cremeans says. “We’ve taken a lot of big bucks this time of year that all of a sudden just show up.”

If you’re not seeing deer in their usual haunt, figure out why. Coming off months of intense heat, the habitat may have slightly changed over prior years. Small waterholes may have gone completely dry. Food sources may have dried up weeks earlier than normal. The dew point may not yet be to where it’s causing moisture to form, whereby allowing grasses and other food sources to green up.

Each of the above scenarios will cause deer to move and seek food and water elsewhere. Deer may simply move into the bottom of the nearest shaded draw or they may move miles away; that’s what you have to figure out.

When rains finally do come, don’t overlook the smallest of areas greening up to attract deer. In drought-like conditions, it doesn’t take much water to get vegetation turning green,

which can provide food and moisture to deer. Places of high runoff, namely along road systems and rocky terrain, are the first places to spring back to life in the fall.

As a good starting point, concentrate your glassing below rocky outcroppings where rain collects, especially if just beneath that area is a brushy draw that offers shade for deer to bed down in during the day.

Once food sources and well-used trails are located, study the deer tracks. See which direction they’re traveling, keeping in mind deer usually drop in elevation in the evening to feed, then head back uphill in the morning to bed. But this routine can change when water is scarce, food’s hard to come by and shade is limited.

The biggest blacktail of my life came while hunting with Cremeans around Redding, not far from Interstate 5. Every day, we experienced temperatures eclipsing 100 degrees,

56 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

and each morning and evening we saw more deer showing up in the wooded draws we glassed.

When a 152-inch brute popped into a dry river bottom, my shot found the mark. Dry conditions forced that buck and other deer into the area; our move to lower elevations paid off.

Don’t let dry conditions frustrate you this season. The deer will survive; you just have to find where they’re living and figure out what they’re doing in their daily lifecycle. From there, it’s only a matter of putting yourself in a position to get a shooting opportunity and put some of the country’s best-eating meat in the freezer. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s top-selling book, Trophy Blacktails: The Science Of The Hunt, send $20 (includes S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. Orders can also be placed at scotthaugen.com.

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BEATING The BUGS For BUFFS BRITTANY’S FIRST AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK HUNT ALSO INCLUDED A BOAR

By Brittany Boddington

M

y very first trip to Australia was around 2005. I was about 19 years old and had just really gotten into hunting big game.

My dad, Craig Boddington, took me over to hunt with his buddy Bob Penfold, who owned Hunt Australia Outfitters in those days, although Matt Graham owns it now. This would be my first buffalo hunt and I was using my brand-new Ruger No. 1 in .405 Winchester.

I had never hunted with a lever-action gun before, so we took some time at the range to get me accustomed to the action. My dad told me to sit in front of the TV and load and unload the gun with a spent

round (never with a live bullet; don’t worry). That way I could build up some muscle memory and be able to more quickly reload in the event that I needed to get off a second shot at a buffalo.

Remember, it’s the dead ones that will kill you; it is always a tense moment walking up on a fallen buffalo, which prompted Brittany Boddington to tread carefully as she confirmed her shot was a kill shot in Australia. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

DOWN UNDER ‘LUXURY’ I had hunted in Africa a couple times by then, staying in plush African-style tent camps.

The Australian outback was an entirely different experience, however. The camp had everything we needed – and about a million mosquitoes that I could definitely have lived without.

The tents were regular camping tents with cots inside – totally sufficient. The shower

The skinning area in the outback camp was pretty creative, but the mosquitoes made life miserable for the hunters. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

was outdoors with tenting material around it; although showering was risky because you basically served yourself up as mosquito bait as soon as the clothes and bug spray came off.

The pesky bugs aside, the place was amazing; we were right on the swamp edge and could hear crocodiles moving through in the night.

The vegetation was sparse and there was buffalo sign all around. There were also huge herds of wild horses and donkeys in the area that would take off at first sight of us. Still, watching them run and kick up the calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

59

The Ruger No.1 in .405 Winchester used by Brittany was the same cartridge dedicated sportsman and former President Teddy Roosevelt used to hunt with. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

red dust was unbelievably pretty.

SIGNS OF BUFFS We set out looking for buffalo in a typical spot-and-stalk fashion. We drove around until we saw tracks and got out to check on them. It wasn’t long before we stumbled upon a big old buffalo bull along the side of the swamp edge. Thankfully, we spotted him before he spotted us.

We jumped out of the truck and got prepared; I loaded my .405 and put it on safe. I love the single-shot Ruger No.1, knowing there is very little room for error. I knew I only had one shot at this because even after practicing like crazy, I probably couldn’t reload in time to get a second shot off if the buffalo ran.

When we got close, the buffalo spotted movement. I don’t think it knew exactly what was there, but it knew something was off and stood at attention. It stared directly at us for

Brittany thought her .405 Winchester may have been a little too strong, but it worked out OK as she also harvested a wild Australian boar. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

a bit before going back to eating the grass. As soon as I was steady I took a deep breath, let it out halfway and squeezed the trigger.

The bullet hit the buffalo hard; the

60 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

bull reared up on its back legs in a typical heart/lung shot response and then took off clumsily. It didn’t go far before crashing down right at the edge of the swamp.

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buffalo was dead and I was extremely relieved; my first dangerous game hunt went off without a hitch!

I put one more shot in for insurance and then we made our approach. My guide Peter was super cautious walking up because he really didn’t want to have to retrieve the bull out of the crocodile-infested swamp water. The

BEAR DOWN FOR A BOAR We still had some time in camp, so we went looking for a wild boar.

Though I only had my .405 with me and it might have been a little over-

kill for a pig, it sure did the job! My boar was a target of opportunity.

We tried sitting over a bait and only saw a bunch of small pigs, but the guys in camp knew that there were a few bigger pigs in the area so we went for a walk. Sure enough, we bumped into a boar digging and I hit it with my .405. To my surprise, the boar ran and we chased it until we found it mostly down about 50 yards past where I had shot it. I put a second shot in and that finished it.

My first shot had been a bit too far back; I was pretty excited and probably didn’t take my time getting steady. The wild boar was jet black in color and had a nice set of tusks on it. It was a great way to finish up a very eventful hunt in the bug-filled but beautiful Australian outback! CS Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer. For more information: go to brittanyboddington.com or facebook.com/ brittany.boddington.

Brittany and dad Craig Boddington had a great first trip to Australia with her old sweeper water buffalo bull. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

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64 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING There are two ways to get to a hunt in New Zealand: foot or fly. Using helicopters can make a hunt possible where it might otherwise not be. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)

THE PERFECT

KIWI HUNT FREE RANGE OR GAME ESTATE? FOOT OR FLY? PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LAND? A GUIDE TO SELECTING THE BEST NEW ZEALAND ADVENTURE FOR YOU | SECOND OF FOUR PARTS

Editor’s note: This is part two of a four-part series on New Zealand hunting. Last issue reviewed the country’s modern hunting history.

By Simon Guild

O

K, so you have a dream of hunting red stag in New Zealand. You jump online and start researching outfitters.

You quickly work out there are more than 100 such companies to choose from, all offering variations on the big New Zealand trophy species, along with the appropriate superlative claims of being the best there is.

There is also a wide range of prices, and not being one to pay more than you need to, you select outfitters based on what they promise, with one eye firmly fixed on the dollars involved.

There is one operation that lures you in. The claims are impressive – a 100-percent success rate, record-quality free-range animals, guarantees and, best of all, the price seems too good to be true.

You book your trip and before you know it, you’ve landed in New Zealand, and are en route to the hunting area. Yes, the guide was late on the pickup and the accommodations are less than expected. But hey, you’re here for the hunting and the hunting looks impressive.

You hunt hard for the next five days and see a few smaller stags, but nothing like what you’ve been promised. That’s what it’s all about, you tell yourself; the trophy has to be earned and you’ve put in the hard yards before.

But nothing shows up over the next two days.

You start to wonder, and then your guide approaches you. He’s aware that you need to fly home in three days; and if you want to take a trophy home, he has another place you can try. It’ll cost a little more, he says, but it’s guaranteed. Reluctantly, you agree to the extra money and pack up camp.

The new place looks OK, and within the first few hours you see a multitude of stags of the quality you seek. You bite the bullet and spend that money burning a hole in your pocket; but who cares, you have the stag of a lifecalsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

65

HUNTING

Red stags from two different types of hunts: A good free-range trophy stag (left) features a lighter beam, fewer points and is narrower. With a typical game estate stag the animal’s heavy beam, multiple points and wide spread are noticeable. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)

time! You get home and submit your monster free-range trophy to the record book. Well done, they say; just sign the declaration and get your outfitter to do the same.

However, the outfitter refuses. The stag isn’t free-range, but a selectively bred animal released illegally. You soon realize that anyone with an informed eye can tell this in an instant. Your dream hunt has turned into a nightmare.

This type of story is rare, but it has happened.

Hunting in New Zealand is largely unregulated and virtually anyone can pick up a rifle and call a guide, which opens the door for substandard operators to prey on the unwary. The purpose of this portion of our four-part series is to educate you, the hunter. There are different hunting options and environments in New Zealand, and we hope that you can choose the right one with confidence.

FREE RANGE OR GAME ESTATE? There are two primary types of recognized legitimate hunting environments in New Zealand. One is free-range, where animals should be wild in every sense of the word; the other is game estate, where animals are managed within an enclosure for the express purpose of hunting.

Free-range is pretty self-explanatory. By definition, free-range animals should be born and raised as part of a A helicopter is a must for getting better access into New Zealand’s Southern Alps, which are full of huge red stag options for traveling hunters. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)

66 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

wild population, with no barriers to roam, be they natural or manmade, end of story.

All New Zealand game species exist in free-range environments, either in pockets or widespread throughout the country. A genuine New Zealand free-range hunt is one to truly be proud of, regardless of the species or trophy taken. Herein lies the key: If it’s a massive trophy you want, then free-range is possibly not the option for you.

Invariably, a free-range trophy will be more challenging to hunt than the game-estate equivalent. It will also be smaller on average. The dimorphism between free-range and estate is pronounced in some species, no more so than red stag hunts. Indeed, a 300-inch free-range stag is an alltime trophy, compared to estate animals that are currently topping an extraordinary 700 inches.

Free-range environments exist on both public and private land. The former is a free-for-all, where the most dedicated local and overseas hunter wins, while private land can yield some incredibly good trophies for the hunter prepared to pay a bit more for the privilege. But regardless, every genuine free-range trophy should be from a genuine wild hunt.

Game estates, also known as safari parks, game parks or hunting estates, are a more complex beast. Hunters should be aware that it is not illegal to shoot an animal on a farm in New Zealand. With this scenario as an absolute baseline, hunters need to exercise considerable discretion when it comes to selecting the right property, as acreages and animal “wildness” can vary hugely.

To this end, the New Zealand Association of Game Estates (NZAGE) sets rigid standards around hunting properties, of which there are 20 or so members. These standards are primarily concerned with the client’s safety, the animal’s welfare and the sanctity of a fair-chase hunt.

The term “fair chase” is vital here; basically, the animal needs to have both the opportunity and the inclination to evade the hunter.

Game estates will invariably deliver the hunter a wider range of considerably better quality trophies of any given species than a free-range environment. However, the onus is on the hunter to do the research to ensure that

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HUNTING the hunting experience can live up to the quality of the trophies on offer.

There is a third “option,” one that many in our industry, including me, are quick to dismiss on the grounds that it is both illegal and a lie. This is the “released free-range” trophy, as described in the aforementioned nightmare scenario. In a nutshell, a farm-raised animal is released into a free-range environment and passed off as a free-range trophy. This happens most frequently in the case of red stag.

If this is something that doesn’t sit well with you, ask some hard questions of any outfitter who promises a free-range red stag trophy over 320 Safari Club International points.

FOOT OR FLY? In New Zealand, we have less restriction on the use of helicopters in hunting than many of the countries from which our clients come from. Primarily utilized in the free-range environment, the ability for hunters to use helicopters to assist in the hunt is extensive, ranging from access only, where the hunter and guide alight to complete the location and stalking of animals on foot, through to aerially assisted trophy hunting, or AATH. AATH involves extensive use of the aircraft to access the hunting area, locate the target species, set the hunter down in proximity to the animal and then facilitate tro-

phy recovery.

Whether you choose to hunt on foot alone, utilize a helicopter for access or go the full AATH depends on a number of factors: time, budget, fitness and your own internal hunter’s code.

Invariably, when you involve a helicopter, the cost will go up, the time required will go down and the fitness required will become less of an issue. For example, a successful wilderness hunt for a bull tahr involving foot access and spike camps could take five days or longer. By contrast, a successful AATH could be achieved in a morning.

As far as which outfitters to use – again, this is entirely down to the hunter to research – some outfitters are 100-percent foot hunters and some may employ helicopters for access; others specialize in AATH. Of course, many will offer the whole gamut. The trick here is not to be goaded into a more convenient, profitable or easier method than you originally intended because that is what suits the outfitter.

PUBLIC LAND VERSUS PRIVATE LAND Like most hunting locations, New Zealand is no different in that we have the option of hunting both public and privately owned land. Again, the option you choose will come down to the same criteria as the helicopter versus foot decision: time, money, fitness and ethics.

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Public land, by its intended nature, is a free-for-all.

There is no such thing as an exclusive concession on any public land in New Zealand, despite claims to the contrary.

Not only could a hunter be competing with other guides and their clients, but also the New Zealand hunting public.

In short, you don’t know whom you’ll be sharing your hunting area with.

Access is a big consideration, and the easier the country, the greater the hunting pressure. That will make it harder to find a good trophy. Chances can be greatly increased by heading further back into the wilderness – either under one’s own steam or by aid of helicopter. That adds cost but saves time and energy in the process.

On the other hand, private land allows the hunter access to land that can and should be managed (in this sense) for the purposes of trophy hunting. Of course, the flip side is greater cost in terms of access fees, trophy fees or both.

Private land can be either free-range or game estate (i.e. fenced), as described earlier. When hunting private land, hunters should expect better access, game management, safety, trophy quality, trophy abundance and lodging as benefits.

Of course, many New Zealand hunting adventures involve a combination of free-range, game estate, public and private lands and could well utilize a helicopter somewhere in the mix. The key is selecting the right environment that best matches your trophy aspirations, budget, physical limitations and your definition of “a good hunt” for each trophy or experience you seek.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of the hunting environments in New Zealand. In the next issue, we are going to explore a few fatal – in the sense of destroying a quality hunting experience – mistakes that hunters often make when booking their New Zealand adventure. CS Editor’s note: Simon Guild is a director of High Peak, one of the oldest hunting estates in New Zealand. He and his brother Hamish co-wrote The Hunters’ Guidebook to New Zealand with the aim of providing quality decision-making guidelines to visiting international hunters. Find out more at huntingredstag.com.

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FISHING

COOLING DOWN, HEATING UP?

THE SACRAMENTO AND FEATHER RIVERS ARE BOTH BEING CHALLENGED BY THE DROUGHT, BUT MORE KINGS ARE EXPECTED THIS MONTH

Trust us when we say there are king salmon migrating to the Sacramento and Feather Rivers. Cooler water temperatures are expected, and especially the Sacramento looks like a decent option to catch fish this month. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

By Chris Cocoles

I

n this drought, king salmon anglers on the Sacramento and Feather are doing what they can to adapt.

The Feather River, the major tributary to the Sacramento, is in far worse shape in terms of water flows than the latter. So as October usually promises to be among the peak times to catch fall-run Chinook on these popular Northern California rivers, anglers should understand that some areas are simply less fishable than others given the conditions.

Hopes were raised in the Sacramento River Valley in mid-September when what can be thought of as a “cold front” – “at least compared to when it was 100-something degrees,” says guide Manuel Saldana Jr. – dropped some much-needed showers on the area.

“We had some water, believe it or not,” says Saldana, who operates MSJ Guide Service in the Yuba City/Marysville area (503-301-7455; msjguideservice.com). “Parts of

the river further downstream near the Tisdale area, we’ve seen a 6- or 7-degree (change in water temperature).

What was at about 68 is down to 61, which is really good.

And further north, what used to be 62, we’re seeing a 4-degree drop. Being at 58 is real exciting.”

Cooler water should mean more migrating kings heading through the Golden Gate on the way to their spawning grounds. Saldana took a week off to go a wedding and take care of some other family business, but when he came back in September his trips were seeing more bites and fish landed, a trend he hopes continues this month.

“I’m expecting good things here,” Saldana says. “We’re getting a little bit of weather and it’s going to warm up a little bit. But our fingers are crossed that we’re going to get some cooler weather and a bunch of rain.”

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In this season marked by lower water levels and high temperatures, make sure you approach your favorite fishing hole as quietly as possibly. With schools of fish a little more difficult to find, the kings you find will spook easily. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

Delta are supposed to draw those fish from the salt into the river systems.

While California’s weather patterns have been anything but normal for quite some time, in late September Saldana said, “I think we’re at the beginning of good things to happen here for the next (three to six weeks).”

“When there might be only a few salmon in the water, you have to be nice and quiet because they are spooky fish when they hear vibrations or music,” says Saldana, who will switch to his secondary motor

TONE IT DOWN Saldana and other anglers have discovered that in low-water years, it’s important to make the right choices about where you start, like determining the deepest seams in the river, which are more likely to be home to congregations of salmon. Watch for water-level lines on the banks, but also be quiet and stealthy in the boat.

That could include not running too fast over pockets of fish or blasting music on the radio.

76 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

This fall king was caught on the Sacramento in September. If all goes well, there will be more where that came from as October begins to cool off.

(MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

FISHING

RED BLUFF SALMON DERBY APPROACHING You can support California’s top salmon conservation organization while having fun and maybe winning cash and prizes at the annual Golden Gate Salmon Association Red Bluff Salmon Derby on Saturday, Oct. 10, on the Sacramento River. The derby is open to anglers of all ages. Fish can be caught anywhere, as long as they are weighed, gilled and gutted between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Durango RV Resort in Red Bluff. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations apply). There will be no late weigh-ins.

The $59 entry fee includes one fish weighed, lunch and refreshments, one raffle ticket and a one-year membership in the Golden Gate Salmon Association. Prizes include $1,000 for the biggest fish; second place wins $500 and third place nets $250. The raffle will include rod, tackle and other related fishing gear and various adventures, including guided rainbow trout fishing trips.

GGSA contest organizer Victor Gonella and river guide Robert Weese are hoping this year’s winner will top last year’s 29-pounder. In the previous contest, the winning fish came in at a monster 48 pounds.

“Fishing in the derby is a fun way to support having more salmon in years to come and maybe catching the big fish,” said Gonella, who also founded GGSA. “It’s great to have an event that reminds us all how much fun and sport is derived from catching and eating California king salmon.”

Proceeds will support GGSA’s work in rebuilding Central Valley salmon runs, which provide a major economic shot on the coast and along the Sacramento River.

In 2014 and 2015, GGSA succeeded in getting virtually all Central Valley hatchery-produced baby salmon transported around the drought to safe release sites, a move that should pay off when more adult salmon arrive starting next year.

Anglers can enter at goldengatesalmonassociation.org or by calling (855) 251-GGSA (4472). –CS

FlatFish early and “dead-sticking” roe later in the day.

“We’re just sticking to the areas of the river I fish, like the Las Molinos

area (north of Chico), and just dissecting it,” Saldana says. “We know these salmon are going to come up and keep going. When the water

D

EA

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when approaching a spot he likes.

What likely won’t change are the set-ups that usually catch these fish: back-bouncing sardine-wrapped

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Guide Manuel Saldana Jr. (left) calls drought years like this a time to “sharpen your craft.” Catching kings might come down to overcoming the challenge of finding fish and getting them to bite in less than ideal conditions. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE)

temperature downstream starts to go down, I can get closer to my areas, like Tisdale and Colusa, and I’ll continue fishing there.”

FEATHER A TOUGHER CALL The Feather remains a wild card and is in limbo.

“It’s starting to get towards its minimum,” Saldana says of the river, which is traditionally his favorite fishery for kings. “We’ll see how long it holds; later in the year, if we have 1,000 (cubic feet per second) or more, it would be nice. I can fish it but only in certain spots. You can’t fish all your normal local holes.

There will be a few places of opportunity, but (for now) the opportunities are more on the Sac. And that’s where you’ll find most of us up here right now.”

By the middle of October, the Feather could be back in play if water levels improve. Saldana will take a wait-and-see approach.

“These are the years where you sharpen your craft. Pay attention to all your details; here’s where you grow as an angler,” Saldana says.

“The time when it’s very, very hard, you learn.” CS

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FISHING

MAMMOTH TROUT AWAIT TWIN LAKES, MAMIE AND GEORGE AMONG TOP-NOTCH FALL FISHING OPPORTUNITIES following breakdown illustrates.

By Mike Stevens

TWIN LAKES

F

all in the Eastern Sierra is characterized by light crowds, mild temperatures and incredible trout fishing that will make the “summer-only” veteran wonder why he or she doesn’t come up after Labor Day every year.

Late-season trout take on an entirely different attitude no matter where on the east side you are chasing them, and the Mammoth Lakes Basin is no exception, as the

The two things that are evident within minutes of your first visit to Twin Lakes is that there are actually three interlocked lakes with a lot of weeds out there. While the weeds can cause headaches for those fishing from shore who didn’t score one of the few primo spots, they create an ideal environment for trout by giving them a place to hide, as well as support the ultimate source of protein in the form of aquatic insects. Both of those factors make

Lake Mary has a ton of fishable shoreline and is big enough to comfortably accommodate everything from kayaks to pontoon boats, with plenty of room to spare. (MIKE STEVENS)

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FISHING Twin a popular spot for float tubers, fly anglers or a combination of both.

From a float tube, you can kick through the channels along the weedlines and work the open-water areas.

Those fishing with spinning gear can attack Twin Lakes with green or brown Rooster Tails, trout jigs in any natural color – the Sierra Slammers jig in the grasshopper color is to die for here – and it’s a great spot for fly-andbubble fishing with dries like California mosquitoes and callibaitis, or streamers like Doc’s Twin Lakes Special or

olive Matukas.

The upper lake below the waterfall is a great area for larger-model rainbows or big browns that patrol this highly oxygenated, protein-rich spot. The middle lake doesn’t get a lot of angling pressure, but it produces better-than-you-would-think numbers of brook trout along the rock slide. The lower lake stands as the best one for

Lake George isn’t the biggest of the Mammoth Basin fisheries, but it’s deeper and has been the most trout-productive of its neighbors heading into the fall. (MIKE STEVENS)

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FISHING shore fishing, with the best spots being along the road, where open water is within casting range.

Here’s a quick tip for Twin Lakes: The sun dips behind the peaks earlier than at other Mammoth Basin lakes, and that can put the bite into “evening mode” as early as 4 p.m.

If you plan on fishing your way around the lakes in late afternoon, start here.

Bank anglers should consider a trip to Lake Mamie with some of the best options among all the Mammoth Basin lakes. Float tubers also do well here.

(MIKE STEVENS)

LAKE MARY The largest of the basin’s lakes, Mary has a ton of fishable shoreline and is big enough to comfortably accommodate everything from kayaks to pontoon boats with plenty of room to spare. Naturally, this is a great lake to troll in, and top-line trolling with pink Berkley Flicker Shads or Tasmanian Devils is a great way to locate and hook Lake Mary stockers looking to get fat before the big freeze.

The coves by both boat ramps and stump areas near inlets are historically productive spots for producing big fish, and while Mary isn’t known as a “brown bagging” lake, it

86 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

will kick out above-average numbers of brown trout around the inlets toward the last couple months of the season.

Bait dunkers can expect easy limits on PowerBait or Mice Tails on longer leaders, or using a water-filled bubble instead of a sinker to stay above the weeds. Lure chuckers do well on all the Sierra standards like Thomas Buoyants, Kastmasters and trout jigs with a trout-worm trailer.

As far as divulging secrets for catching fish at Lake Mary, here is one that I discovered about five years ago

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FISHING and have been taking advantage of ever since. Show up here and fish from 7 to 8 p.m. (This also works in the summer, but you fish until 9 p.m.)

Every night – like clockwork – a major insect hatch takes place, and what seems like every trout in the lake rushes the shore to feed on them. You’ll see dimples and splashes in both directions within 20 feet of the shore, so even rookie bug-slingers can plop a dry fly (size 18 to 20 Parachute black gnats or elk hair caddis) on top of them.

And while this feeding frenzy always seems to turn them off of chasing lures, PowerBait fished just beyond where they are visibly feeding can often produce a quick limit.

left side and access the brush-lined cove near the resort’s boat dock. It’s a great spot to throw Buoyants on a slow retrieve for rainbows cruising the shoreline early and late in the day. Larger trout like to hang out near the bridge on the other side of the parking lot for a few days after they have been stocked. A local secret for catching these trophies is tossing nightcrawlers with no weight and letting them drift in the current as it funnels toward the outlet before dumping off the cliff into Twin Lakes.

Like Twin Lakes, Mamie is a great option for float tubers using a long rod. Positioning your tube well offshore

LAKE MAMIE Mamie is similar to Twin Lakes in that it is shallow and has a fair amount of weedy areas. But it is much more accommodating to shore fishermen, so much so that the best spots are among the easiest to get to.

It’s all about finding the deeper holes and channels that dot and carve through the smallest lake in the basin, and most of these spots are conveniently located directly in front of the parking lot near the outlet or within a 15-minute walk up either shore.

Unless you get there early, the shore right by the lot will be occupied, but you can typically sneak off to the

88 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

This is a typical late-season brown that Eastern Sierra anglers catch in bunches this time of year. Twin Lakes provides anglers with good locations for catching the German trout. (MIKE STEVENS)

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FISHING and directly in front of the parking lot and stripping olive or brown Woolly Buggers on an intermediate or sinking line will produce both numbers and lunkers at Mamie.

Sometimes, trailing smaller nymphs like Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails and Prince Nymphs behind them can make all the difference when plying these waters for fall trout.

“Use sinking lines and brightly colored red, orange and fluorescent green streamers to draw strikes from bigger fish,” says Doug Rodricks of Sierra Drifters Guide Service (760-935-4250; sierradrifters.com). “That really applies to all the lakes in the basin throughout the season.”

Bait aficionados can fish PowerBait, Berkley Mice Tails or Pinched Crawlers on a shorter leader in these locations, and if you want to get into the fly bite at Mamie on spinning gear, you can fish the aforementioned streamers on a fly-and-bubble rig (fill bubble all the way with wet flies) and do just as well as the tubers, once you find them.

LAKE GEORGE While smaller in surface acreage than other lakes here, George makes up for it in depth. A good portion of the shoreline requires a little rock-hopping to make your way around, but there are plenty of bank-fishing spots to accommodate the fishing pressure ol’ “Jorge” receives all summer. Indeed, this upper basin lake was this past sea-

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son’s most consistent trout producer.

The best way to attack George is to start off on the shoreline to the right of the boat dock and use spoons like Buoyants, Kastmasters or Hot Shots to experiment with depth and cover as much of the cavernous water column that you can. Hit all the spots as you move up the shoreline toward the first inlet and spend a bit more time in this area, as it is one of the most productive areas for larger trout on the lake.

Something you also might be lucky enough to notice at Lake George is how groups of trout like to school up and move up and down the shoreline, which makes them the perfect target for trout jigs or trout worms rigged on a size 8 Owner Mosquito hook and a BB splitshot. Finding an elevated section of bank will help you spot them; if they breeze through and disappear, wait about 20 minutes or so before you chase after them because they will likely swing by again.

Trolling is so-so at George, but trophies have been caught by guys going deep with leadcore line and Needlefish. If you want to fish bait along the steeper shorelines, it’s best to use a water-filled bubble rather than a lead sinker because the neutrally buoyant set-up will slowly make its way through that deep water and find biters eventually. CS

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FISHING

THE MIDDLE-AGED MAN AND THE SEA FISHING THE ISLANDS A SOOTHING ESCAPE THAT YIELDS YELLOWTAIL TOO

Rods at the ready, author Tim Hovey and his cousin enjoy a day on the ocean and a chance to catch dinner off Anacapa, part of the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara. (TIM E. HOVEY)

By Tim E. Hovey

F

or the last few months I’d been trying to avoid reading the California offshore fishing reports.

The elevated water temperatures, swinging north due to the pending El Niño, have pushed pelagic big game species close to the Southern California shore and well within range of the party boats. The mere mention of tuna, dorado and wahoo showing up in the counts for the California recreational fishing fleet is enough to send any serious fisherman into convulsions.

With a very busy schedule, I had no time to get out during the summer and all I could do was watch from shore. My next door neighbor’s

good intentions only made things worse. He would bring over slabs of yellowfin tuna and yellowtail he had caught during his frequent trips offshore. I would graciously accept the offering, smiling through the pain of missing out on some amazing offshore fishing.

In early August, my cousin Jim Dinning called and asked if I wanted to head offshore to look for tuna. He didn’t have to ask twice. With much of the action occurring south of Santa Barbara, Jim made the call to trailer the boat south a bit so we could launch closer to the action. I told Jim I’d meet him anywhere.

LATER THAT WEEK, I drove out to the Ventura harbor at 4 a.m. Jim backed

his 24-foot Seasport, the Opal Lynn, down the launch ramp and within minutes we were on our way. With a stop at the bait barge, our tank was loaded with medium-sized sardines and small mackerel. By 4:30 we cut through the swell at the harbor mouth and headed for the backside of Anacapa Island.

The spring and summer fishing reports had been showing elevated water temperature slowly marching north. As we set a course for the back side of the islands, Jim and I went over a game plan. We combined recent reports and decided that finding the leading edge of the warm water was the best place to start.

Less than an hour from the harbor, we were running around the

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FISHING Jim Dinning wages battle with a Pacific Ocean yellowtail. Warmer than expected water has made the coastal areas of Southern California a hot bite for yellowtail, tuna, dorado and exotic species.

west side of the island and headed southeast for open ocean. The gray form of the island appeared in the low light and within minutes was out of sight behind us.

Jim monitored the water temperature as we ran. Once it looked promising, I grabbed two trolling rods and set out a tuna feather and a Rapala. We trolled where the water was warmest for an hour, looking for kelp paddies 20 miles off the backside of the island.

Once the sun came up, the swell smoothed out and the fog burned off. I spotted a few boats further out slowly searching for warm water as well. Seeing other boats trolling made us feel like we were in the right area.

We scanned the marine channels

(TIM E. HOVEY)

Loading up the Opal Lynn at the bait barge with live mackerel and sardines before shoving off from Ventura. (TIM E. HOVEY)

for updates, but it was clear from the radio traffic that fishing was slow.

There was an early report of a marlin being hooked and lost, but for the most part it was one of those “Should’ve been here yesterday!” deals.

Jim dropped the vessel out of gear and came out on the back deck. I started reeling in the trolling rigs and

putting them up. The water where we were was warm, but not quite warm enough. Jim checked on the bait and started pulling out the live bait rigs.

“Let’s go fish the islands,” he said.

That sounded perfect to me.

I’VE SPENT MANY years running around the Channel Islands – both for busi-

96 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

ness and pleasure – and I never get tired of drifting a short distance offshore. For me, the rugged shoreline and the rich history of the Channel Islands makes every visit enjoyable.

As we rounded the backside of Anacapa, the sea came to life. Sea birds were everywhere. Some were floating lazily on the surface, while others dropping from the sky and piercing the surface for bait. Mackerel darted below in flashes and small baitfish moved in nervous schools.

Jim studied the screen of his fishfinder and nodded his approval. Before the boat drifted to a stop, we were baiting up live mackerel on dropper-loop rigs and dropping them down to within a few feet of bottom.

Despite the slow fishing, any day on the water is a solid win for me.

Getting out beyond the islands with nothing but Pacific Ocean in front of you illustrates that adventure and the unknown can still be found with just a little effort. Jim is an excellent captain and knows his boat from hull to radar. I’ve been on dozens of boats and having a competent guy at the helm is better than a lifeboat.

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97

FISHING I thoroughly enjoy fishing with Jim. Our lively mackerel baits had been soaking for about 20 minutes when Jim’s rod bent sharply. The drag screamed as he wrestled it from the holder. Within seconds of setting the hook, we could both tell the fish at the end of Jim’s line was substantial.

I started to clear the deck, removing spare rods from the holders to give Jim room to work. He shuffled around the back deck, trying to follow the fish. Both of us could tell from the way it was fighting that it was a large yellowtail. And this fish was giving Jim fits.

The fish was deep and using his distance and size to test Jim’s tackle. It was also tough to control the fish and keep him from swimming under the boat.

After about five minutes, Jim began to gain some line. I grabbed the boat gaff and followed Jim around the back deck.

With a couple of aggressive cranks

he had the fish to color. The large yellowtail came up on its side and I buried the gaff in the head as it hit the surface. I heaved the brute aboard, it hit the deck and we celebrated. After

98 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

a few photos we dropped the fish in the ice-filled hold and kept fishing.

When I head out to fish anywhere on a private boat, I always feel a strong sense of accomplishment

Your hours are limited! Live bait await a date with yellowtail. (TIM E. HOVEY)

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99

FISHING when someone brings a ďŹ sh aboard.

To me, it doesn’t matter who hooked up and landed it; as long as our group has a ďŹ sh, I am happy. It illustrates that as ďŹ shermen, we know what we’re doing.

Dinning surveys the scene (and a sea bird) while ďŹ shing for hard-ďŹ ghting yellowtail in the Channel Islands. (TIM E. HOVEY)

WE DRIFTED FOR another hour without any luck. The weak bite had shut down completely and we both felt lucky to have one good ďŹ sh in the hold. With a family party to get

to later in the afternoon, Jim steered the boat back to the harbor.

Back on shore, we cleaned up the boat and headed for the shindig.

Jim graciously split the ďŹ llets with me and I decided to ice mine down and serve them at the gathering. I cleaned up the yellowtail ďŹ llets and sliced them thinly. Jim added some wasabi and soy sauce and we served it up to the ďŹ nicky group.

With some serious coaxing, two of my uncles, both of whom believe the only use for raw ďŹ sh is cat food or bait, tried a slice of the yellowtail sashimi and actually enjoyed it.

I don’t believe I will ever tire of heading out to sea to ďŹ sh. Leaving the dark harbor and pointing the bow towards the open ocean stirs a sense of adventure in me that never gets old. The simultaneous calm and relief that an ocean sunrise brings is something that only an offshore angler can understand.

The anticipation of the unknown

Family members back home were treated to some sashimi from Jim Dinning’s Channel Islands yellowtail. (TIM E. HOVEY)

and what the day may bring is addicting. Fishing with a good friend is all that’s needed to complete the day.

And as always, I look forward to the next trip. CS

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102 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING

YOU DON’T KNOW (SKIP)JACK

HAVE SOME ‘RESPECT’ FOR EAGER-BITING TUNA

By Steve Carson

N

ot strictly an El Niño visitor, skipjack tuna show up for California anglers in the late summer of most years, even when the water is just slightly warmer than average.

They look something like an extra-fat bonito, as skipjack are indeed a member of the tuna family.

Most commonly caught in the 5- to 10-pound class in California, a skipjack weighing in the midteens fights like a hellion that many inshore anglers have never before experienced.

The California state record stands at 16 pounds. However, just like the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield famously deadpanned during his career, “They just don’t get no respect.”

On the table, skipjack are excellent fare, providing the angler takes care of the meat. Immediately bleed the fish by popping a gillraker when caught and, if possible, get the fish on ice right away. When filleting, be sure to cut out the middle one-third strip, which is very dark red. Failure to take care of the fish will result in

Skipjack tuna aren’t one of the exotic El Niño-created intruders to Southern California’s Pacific Ocean waters, but don’t forget these tasty tuna when heading out of port. (TIM E. HOVEY)

a strong fishy taste, although some popular recipes do call for that very thing.

In most years, skipjack are found well offshore – 30 miles or more.

In 2015, even some half-day boats are getting into big schools of them.

Once located, skipjack are usually eager biters on small-trolled Williamson Tuna Feathers in almost any color, along with flylined live anchovies or sardines.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW It’s a shame that many anglers believe that a skipjack is only suitable for cat food, or as bait in lobster traps and for freshwater catfish. In fact, almost all of the canned tuna sold in U.S. supermarkets that is labeled “chunk light tuna” is actually skipjack tuna.

Millions of people eat it and never suspect that it is not yellowfin.

Quite often, skipjack tuna are found in mixed schools of other tuna species and anglers may want to try to focus on the larger tuna species, such as yellowfin, in those groups.

Skipjack are much faster than yellowfin and can beat their heavier cousins to live bait if they want to.

For some odd reason, skipjack may hesitate for a moment before eating dead bait. This minor hesitation is all the opportunity a yellowfin needs, as an aggressively feeding yellowfin often will not hesitate to gobble dead bait.

Another trick to avoiding overly aggressive skipjack when mixed with other species is moving to larger lures. If I would normally be throwing a 2½-ounce topwater like a Williamson Jet-Popper but getting hammered by skipjack tuna, I would simply switch to the substantially larger 4-ounce Jet-Popper. Even schoolie-size yellowfin will go right after the bigger lure when actively feeding, but skipjack tend to shy away from it.

Trollers dragging standard tuna-size feather jigs may find that they are getting a skipjack strike every 100 yards when they are abundant. Putting out a Rapala X-Rap XR30MAG

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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FISHING behind the boat will often draw even more strikes from larger bluefin and yellowfin tuna, while keeping the smaller skipjack at bay.

MORE EL NIÑO ODDITIES As of press time, nobody had managed to catch a roosterfish in California waters (which has previously never happened). Still, plenty of other tropical migrants have shown up.

Most prominently – though not yet in the numbers that were landed in 2014 – a few wahoo have now officially been caught well above the line on the U.S. side.

A couple of – shall we say – semi-insane folks have also done things like dive into the water to spearfish for a 413-pound blue marlin in early September, the largest fish ever landed by spear anglers in California.

Equally poor judgement was displayed by a kayak angler off Malibu who observed a large hammerhead

shark swim past his kayak. Despite this, he continued to dangle his legs in the water. About 30 minutes later, the hammerhead came by again and, you guessed it, delivered a serious bite to the angler’s foot and leg.

Early September also saw veteran marlin angler Bob Hoose observe a large, writhing mass containing thousands of 1- and 2-pound fish that were clearly engaged in spawning.

The spawning aggregation was right on the surface, about 10 miles offshore from Dana Point. After bringing one boatside, it was determined that the fish were Pacific pogies. This species is not only normally found hundreds of miles south in central Baja California, but it’s normally a nearshore bottom feeder that physically somewhat resembles a perch.

A gold-spotted bass was caught inside of San Diego Bay, a very long way from its usual south Baja habitat. Pier anglers at select piers along the south coast, including Balboa

104 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

and Ocean Beach, reported catches of relatively small 5- to 10-pound yellowtail almost daily. Many anglers have been surprised to learn that some of the 4-inch “mackerel” they have been catching off the Imperial Beach Pier on sabiki rigs were, in fact, baby yellowtail.

San Diego’s Crystal Pier witnessed some large-grade yellowtail up to 30 pounds caught. Reports of a yellowtail caught by a surfcaster near Santa Cruz proved to be false, but the misidentified jack mackerel was still an unusual catch for the region.

Other oddball creatures spotted during September included a whale shark and loggerhead turtle off Dana Point and a pod of killer whales off Oceanside. All this and the weather forecast – people say we might get our reservoirs filled up this coming winter. I say, viva El Niño! CS Editor’s note: Email author Steve Carson at scarson@sunset.net.

calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

105

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106 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING

AN ‘A’ GRADE R FOR THE

By Capt. Bill Schaefer

THREE B’S JUST OFFSHORE IN SOCAL, BARRACUDA, BONITO AND BASS ARE BITING

ight now there is more fishing action off Southern California than any angler could wish for. Tuna, marlin, yellowtail and dorado are there for the taking. But how much longer will it last?

El Niño is on the way and the weather will change soon, bringing cooler temperatures and the rain we need so badly. However, coastal waters are full of fish now – including the three B’s: barracuda, bonito and bass – and they’ll be providing fun action from now possibly through this winter.

BAITFISH GALORE

Brandon King shows off a nice bonito caught in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. Now is a good time to get in on the three B’s: bonito, barracuda and bass. (BILL SCHAEFER)

There are a lot of anchovy schools in Southern California waters right now, and with all that bait, the three B’s have even been caught in the bays and surf. This light-tackle action is fun for both conventional and fly gear anglers. These gamefish are often found flying out of the water as they feed on bait and can be easy to spot under birds picking at their leftovers. The different fish push bait to the surface, where terns also feed on them.

Inside the bay, the fish will be bonito, with some barracuda and even some spotted or regular sand bass below the surface. Outside the bay and right along the kelp, the bonito and barracuda will be joined by the calico bass. Even the sand bass will come all the way to the surface to feed at times.

The bonito run from about 2 to 5 pounds, with occasional fish to 10 pounds. Usually, the larger 10- to 15-pounders are found farther offshore. It’s been a while since we have seen the giants we used to get off the kelp line, but maybe they will start to return, as the bonito population seems to be improving every year.

They are little rockets on the end of a fishing line!

The barracuda have always been a mainstay of fishermen in Southern California. They grow to “log” sizes of calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

107

FISHING 8 to 10 pounds, but usually average about 5 or 7 for larger keeper ďŹ sh.

When they show up they are usually not hard to locate. Large schools can be seen foaming the water as they chase bait. When hooked they go ballistic and don’t give up, even once in the boat.

INCREASE YOUR OPTIONS One trick to locating the ďŹ sh quickly is that if you don’t see them boiling on the surface, have two rods with some type of Rebel, Rapala or Rogue tied on for trolling. Every time you make a move, troll for a portion of it and you shouldn’t have to go far before you score. Nothing looks more like an anchovy than one of these baits in silver or chrome with a black, blue or green back. These are the baits to troll inside the bay or outside along the kelp. Go a little heavier on your trolling line, as these toothy ďŹ sh sometimes miss the lure, hit the line

and break it.

If you are lucky enough to ďŹ nd the ďŹ sh in a feeding frenzy, then throwing artiďŹ cial baits will work just ďŹ ne. Various spoons and iron jigs work just great for the bonito and barracuda. Chrome, white, blue and white, different greens, or even reds will attract the ďŹ sh into striking. It’s best to have some variety in color, shape and size. Even plastic swimbaits are an option, and these ďŹ sh will tear them up, Brett Delong caught this nice fall-schooling calico bass. A triggerstick and bass reel are classic tackle for especially the barracuda. anglers in search of these ďŹ sh. (BILL SCHAEFER) If you do ďŹ sh bait, you need to remember that the barracuda and even the bonito have teeth and can cut of ďŹ sh to the boat. Toss out your lines light line. So if you wish to ďŹ sh lightand you should hook up. If you and er line, you may need a wire leader of your buddies just take turns and toss some type. Light single-strand rigging a few baits out every time and somewire is usually good enough, but there one on your boat lands a ďŹ sh, this is also mono-covered wire now that should keep the school around the ties up just like regular monoďŹ lament. boat and the action should continue If you are trolling to locate the for quite a while. ďŹ sh and then get a hook-up, toss bait When the bait balls are so thick around the boat to bring the school in the bays, there are barracuda and

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FISHING bonito on them. If you throw plastic swimbaits and they make it past the surface feeders, you will usually catch some nice bass underneath.

The bass follow the feeding frenzy around, as well as other fish like yellowfin croaker and corvina that feed on the leftovers. Light tackle and your favorite swimbaits will do the trick. Spoons and iron in the bay will score as well.

KEEP UP WITH THE KELP When the balls of bait drift up close to the kelp, the calicos and some sand bass will get in on the feeding action.

You will be able to score on bait and plastic swimbaits. Now that the kelp is involved, you may want to go a bit heavier with your line selection, but probably 12- to 20-pound test should do. I like the Maxima green for abrasion resistance and the Maxima braid when right in the kelp. A triggerstick and bass reel – classic calico tack-

le – will work best for both bait and swimbaits.

Throw plastics in sardine and anchovy colors.

All three of the B’s will take the fly as well.

The bass can be a bit finicky, but the barracuda and bonito are easy to catch when they’re in a feeding frenzy, and they will produce the best battles. A 7- or 8-weight rod will handle the smaller bass, barracuda and bonito, but you may want to go up to a 10-weight for the larger bonito. For flies, white or red and white, as well as other streamers, will do well.

Don’t forget a wire leader.

Right now there is a ton of bait out off the kelp line and the bays, and the action is getting better every day. Don’t give up on fishing yet

110 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com

Toothy barracuda – like Jeff King’s – are a mainstay of Southern California saltwater anglers. They can be found in large schools foaming the water as they chase bait. (BILL SCHAEFER)

– the season is never over; you just have to move onto the next species.

Yes, we are headed into fall and it’s getting cold at times out on the water, but the action can be red hot this time of year. CS

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PrOlix® was even rated next to the winner of a grease test!

PRESERVES: PrOlix® has been proven to work in the freezing conditions of Alaska, as well as the dusty wet Texas flatlands and the damp humid jungles of South America. PrOlix® preserves and protects due to its thorough cleaning and complete surface coverage.

PrOlix® will not remove metal defects. PrOlix® is a must for all blued, nickel and stainless steel finishes. PrOlix® is armor-tough yet works equally well on precision guns, air guns or the sophisticated law enforcement and military arms. PrOlix® is #1 in Total Gun Care.

You can depend on PrOlix®...or your money back. Guaranteed.

www.prolixlubricant.com

ProChemCo LLC 801-569-2763 800-248-LUBE (5823) www.prolixlubricant.com calsportsmanmag.com | OCTOBER 2015 California Sportsman

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112 California Sportsman OCTOBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com