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Sportsman

California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 6 • Issue 4 PUBLISHER James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTORS Brittany Boddington, Steve Carson, Bart Hall, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Tim E. Hovey, Luke Kelly, Al Quackenbush, Buzz Ramsey, Bill Schaefer SALES MANAGER Brian Lull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Becca Ellingsworth, Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Mike Nelson, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells PRODUCTION MANAGER John Rusnak PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker

INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines

Ever fished the Owens River?

Might just be time to...

OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn

The Other Side of California DEATH VALLEY & THE EASTERN SIERRA

CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email letters, articles/queries, photos, etc., to ccocoles@media-inc.com.

ON THE COVER Girls With Guns owners Norissa Harman (left) and Jenifer Adams made their TV debut with Universal Huntress TV, a Sportsman Channel series that took the Red Bluff duo to New Zealand and various African countries for hunting and other adventures. (UNIVERSAL HUNTRESS TV) INSET Lake Otay’s early bass spawn could equal some massive largemouth this month at the San Diego-area reservoir. (BILL SCHAEFER)

INYO COUNTY www.theothersideofcalifornia.com

BIG PINE, BISHOP, DEATH VALLEY, INDEPENDENCE & LONE PINE 8 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

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

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 4

COLUMNS 35 89 97 111

TALES OF A BIOLOGIST Tim Hovey helps catch a poacher URBAN HUNTRESS Brittany Boddington’s African safari checklist.

SoCAL BOWHUNTER Al Quackenbush has a few ideas on how to spend the offseason.

FROM FIELD TO FIRE Scott Haugen on calling brushland coyotes, plus Tiffany’s rabbit recipe.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 25

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AFRICAN QUEENS

Our friends from Girls With Guns, Red Bluff-based clothing moguls Jenifer Adams and Norissa Harman, had a message to call a stranger from South Africa, TV producer Emaneul Kapp, who thought they’d make for a compelling show. So Universal Huntress TV took shape, and the ladies made whirlwind trips throughout Southern Africa and New Zealand, where they chased big game, found perspective in taking in the local culture, and even conquered their fears. We have an inside look at how the Sportsman Channel series came together. (UNIVERSAL HUNTRESS TV)

47 59 83 79

Our 6 favorite fishing and hunting movies of all time Fishing California’s piers Irvine Lake producing big browns Lake Isabella’s winter bass secrets Otay Lake’s trophy largemouth spawn early

DEPARTMENTS 13 42 45 45 118

The Editor’s Note Browning, Wright & McGill/ Eagle Claw photo contest winners The Dishonor Roll: Amador Co. deer poacher sentenced to pay $19,000 Outdoor Calendar Product Feature

FEATURES 31

THE FAME OF HALL Approaching 70 years young, the Fred Hall Shows that are a Southern California tradition in March have aged well through the years. Bart Hall, son of the show’s namesake founder, brings us the first of a twopart preview of the 69th edition of these sportsman’s paradise events.

Up first, Bart talks about what anglers, hunters, kayakers and fans of the outdoors can expect at the Long Beach and San Diego shows.

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SAVING YOUR DAY Even when the fishing day looks lost, don’t lose hope! Capt. Bill Schaefer provides the tips an angler needs

when a saltwater fishing excursion turns sour. Not getting any calico bass, bonito or barracuda to bite?

Schaefer has the adjustments to make as you search for fish in and around the kelpbeds.

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SET ADRIFT Northern California’s larger rivers like the Klamath have plenty of drift boaters on the prowl for steelhead throughout the winter. Buzz Ramsey provides some tips for back-trolling and side-drifting, with an emphasis on how to maneuver your boat through the swirling currents to enhance your chances of landing these iconic fish.

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COUNTING CROWS When you think crows, what comes to mind first? For some it’s sure to be director Alfred Hitchcock’s use of them during his classic homage to ornithology gone wild in The Birds, while for younger California Sportsman readers, it’s rock groups of recent decades. But correspondent Tim Hovey has discovered crow hunting (and eating) is indeed a legitimate pastime for bird hunters who like the challenge of calling.

Stick around for Tim’s tasty recipe of jalapeno crow poppers with bacon and cream cheese!

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 FEBRUARY 2015

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12 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

Alyssa Hovey dunks a line off the Santa Cruz Pier in Central California.

(TIM E. HOVEY)

im Hovey’s pier fishing story in this issue rekindled some old memories for him; me too.

Growing up near San Francisco, I was within a short distance of several salt- and freshwater piers. I was more of a lake than an ocean/bay guy, but I threw a few heavy sinkers with a swivel leader off Pacifica Pier, which used to resemble a centipede with so many fishing rods sticking out.

But I mostly used to look forward to getting to San Francisco’s Lake Merced. When my friends and I timed it right, we’d stake a claim to one of the three or four piers built along the north lake of what was, back then, a productive and fun fishery for stocked trout.

One of my first experiences fishing one of those piers was with my dad. There was one other angler there with us, and it was quite a frustrating day – at least for one of us. Despite us using the same bait and casting to around the same spot in the lake, he ended up catching three or four nice rainbows. And me? Skunked.

The next time I landed a Merced fish it was from my lawn chair on the beach a few feet away from the dastardly pier.

That particular piece of wood may as well have been the ladder I walked under, the broken mirror or spilled salt; my luck felt cursed on that particular day.

Hovey reflects about how he took his daughters, Jessica and Alyssa, onto the Goleta Pier near Santa Barbara, and their reaction to catching a fish. Jessica and Alyssa are now teenagers who share a love of the outdoors with their dad, and recently Tim and Jessica tried their luck again on the same dock.

“Watching my daughter, Jessica, enjoy her day at the pier brought back some great memories for me,” Hovey told me.

“Being able to share that place with both my daughters meant a great deal to me. From my boyhood memories, I used to think of the pier as the place I came to fish. Now, I think of it as the place my young daughters caught their first fish.” –Chris Cocoles

T

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MIXED BAG With their professional hunting guide Yvan Nieuwoudt giving instruction, Jenifer Adams prepares to take a shot at a black wildebeest and Norissa Harman shoots footage during an episode of Universal Huntress TV. The duo own and operate Red Bluff-based clothing company Girls With Guns.

(UNIVERSAL HUNTRESS TV)

Girls, Guns & Dangerous Game CALIFORNIA CLOTHING MAVENS HIT THE ROAD FOR NEW HUNTING SERIES

By Chris Cocoles

T

hey’ve come a long ways, metaphorically at least, from designing outdoor fashion clothes for women out of a home garage in Northern California. Jenifer Adams and Norissa Harman had a vision that spawned a successful company, Girls With Guns Clothing.

But while the gals remain small-town at heart, choosing to continue their work out of Red Bluff, a quiet hamlet of 14,000 off Interstate 5, 130 miles north of Sacramento, even for these ambitious entrepreneurs, traveling across a

continent, an ocean and hunting the wild lands of Africa in front of a TV camera was something altogether different.

Just as the Girls With Guns brand has taken off, Adams and Harman just seem to have found a niche on Universal Huntress TV, a Sportsman Channel series that premiered in December.

We see Adams and Harman crisscrossing the African continent (and New Zealand), not only hunting exotic species but also experiencing new cultures and engaging in adventures like skydiving, hot air ballooning and bungee jumping.

“We are definitely outside the box,” says Adams, the more adrenaline-charged half of the team. “You’re going to see about 75 percent hunting and 25 percent will be something exciting, something fun. And the main part

is Norissa and I are best friends who started in our garage to design a clothing line. We’ve grown the company so much, we have opportunities to talk a little bit about who we are and where we came from.”

The idea for their show came from a world away. Adams and Harman were on their way to the Sacramento International Sportsman Exposition when we caught up with them in January. Ironic, since that was where they met South African Emaneul “Kappie” Kapp. Sort of.

A YEAR AGO, Kapp, a publisher and outdoor film producer, was walking the aisles at the massive outdoors show and saw the Girls With Guns booth. He had an idea to discuss a possible television show opportunity. Unfortunately, the ladies weren’t there at that time.

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Adams, here with a wildebeest, says, “I think I learned a lot about myself on that trip. It was just surreal. I fell in love with Africa.” (UNIVERSAL HUNTRESS TV)

have your guide or PH (professional hunter), your cameraman, and Norissa and I always hunt together. Through Kappie, he’s taught us some limited camera skills,” Adams says.

“They had to learn how to be comfortable in front of the camera, and it took some guidance to get them to relax and not feel uncomfortable,” Kapp says. “I still provide them with guidance, but they’ve come a long way from our first hunt.”

ON THE FIRST episode, Harman and

“I’d played around with the idea of a women hunting show for a while and they sounded like the perfect fit,” Kapp says. “I left my business card at their booth and requested they call me.”

Kapp thought Adams’ go-for-it attitude was reminiscent of himself.

Harman, admittedly the “chicken one” of these two BFFs, seemed more like Kapp’s wife, Chantelle, also a member of the production team.

“One of the things Kappie told us is he was looking for something a little different,” Adams says.

But even Kapp wasn’t sure what to expect when “I got a call from two girly girls from Northern California.”

“We spoke on the phone a couple of times and I eventually got them on a plane to South Africa,” Kapp says. “I met them for the first time in person at O.R. Thambo International Airport in Johannesburg (South Africa).”

They hadn’t known each other besides some conversations done over Skype, but the chemistry among those behind and in front of the camera made for a great match.

Harman says during production her and Kapp’s relationship is more like a brother and sister who may bicker while shooting in some of the most re18 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

mote and wild lands on earth, but are indeed like family at the end of the day.

“Since we’ve met each other, it’s been for the better. He’s taken us out of our world, where we grew up, to his world, to show his perspective,” Harman says. “For that, I’m very grateful for him.

I think there have been a lot of special moments that we’ve all done together and he’s been there to see us grow. To capture that together, it’s been fun.”

Over the course of filming, Kapp found the stars of his show learning from their mistakes, both on the actual hunts and the process of producing episodes of a TV show in the African bush.

They went through hours upon hours of footage, narrowing them down to fit into the 22 minutes of running time.

Adams and Harman even found themselves operating a second camera as B-roll footage. (Among the guests on the first season was aspiring country music singer Morgan Mills, who wrote and produced the show’s theme song, Let’s Ride, sung by Mills and featuring established country music performer Colt Ford.)

Adams says the relatively small crew on-hand during production simplifies the process.

“When you’re hunting you already

Adams joined guide Marius Kotze of Rhinoland Safaris (rhinoland.co.za) in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. They were greeted on a dirt road by roaming elephants and rhinos and their land cruiser became temporarily stuck in the middle of a rising river – just a typical day of mayhem on an African safari.

“I think I learned a lot about myself on that trip,” Adams says. “Just getting out of the country, seeing some amazing people and being in some awesome hunting territory. It was just surreal. I fell in love with Africa on that trip.”

The girls harvested their first African continent plains game animals on the first show. Adams successfully hunted an impala, zebra and kudu on that initial two-week trip; Harman got an impala and kudu.

Adams also hunted two of Africa’s “Dangerous 7 Game” animals, lion and hippopotamus.

“That lion hunt, it was the first time I had ever hunted an animal where it wanted to hunt me back,” she says.

On the pilot episode, when the women both made successful shots, they became overcome with emotion, particularly Harman. “(Viewers) didn’t get to see the whole story. I actually missed (the shot) a couple times on that trip,” she says.

“The animals are different there. They are really fast moving and I think my nerves got the best of me – having a camera on you, that whole factoring into making a good shot. So, of course, when I did shoot my kudu, I’m such an

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MIXED BAG emotional person and wear my heart on my sleeve, I can’t help it. I cry a lot and this whole season you’ll see lots of tears.”

Adams is not one who shows her emotions so quickly – there’s that yinyang trait between them again – but also had a moment during the time between the shot and the confirmation that the animal was down. Adams thinks the anticipation of where they were and the stalking process created so much tension it felt natural to let loose a few joyous tears.

“One thing is certain – they truly love what they do and they are emotional when it comes to the beautiful trophy they have harvested. Sometimes it’s laughter and at other times it’s tears, but there is always a lot of emotion involved,” Kapp says. “Our TV show is in real time and with no reenactment, and therefore the real emotional scenes on camera are (compelling).”

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Harman (here with a bull gemsbok she harvested in South Africa) is the less adventurous of the duo, but she conquered some fears by engaging in both skydiving and bungee jumping. “I’m proud that I did it. Would I want to do it again?

Probably not.” (UNIVERSAL HUNTRESS TV)

The pitch of two hunters with such different personalities would be an easy one for a producer to have interest in. On one side of the table a risk

taker willing to push her entire stack of chips into the pot at any time; on the opposite side, a risk avoider who raises an eyebrow at even the slightest of all-

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in moves.

Guess which Girls With Guns business partner did not have parachuting out of a plane over Africa on her bucket list?

“We are a good balance,” Harman says. “I think a lot of it is just the unknown. We’d never done anything like that. When I got there I had no intention of doing that. I mean, why would I want to jump out of a perfectly good plane?

But just the energy and meeting the people, the moment convinced me to try it. So I’m proud that I did it. Would I want to do it again? Probably not.”

There was also the cultural experience of visiting countries such as the Congo, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, which was priceless (an episode was also filmed in the south island of New Zealand).

Learning a few phrases of one of South Africa’s and Namibia’s official languages, Afrikaans, has inspired further

studying of that dialect for future trips to that part of the world.

“I think it’s a little bit humbling and life-changing and a little bit in our face,” Harman says. “Just because here in the U.S., we have the luxury of grabbing a glass of water, checking the Internet and going to the movies. And these people don’t have that luxury. Kids can’t just go to a faucet and grab a glass of water like we do. They’re going to watering holes or digging a hole in the middle of a dried-up creekbed to drink water with sand in it. Jen and I will probably keep those moments forever and never take for granted what we do have.”

Adams was floored by the diversity, both in the people of the various countries visited and the constantly changing topography. She didn’t expect to see mountains not unlike those located a short distance from her Northern California home (“I don’t think a lot of people realize that,” Adams says). It wasn’t

MIXED BAG long until they’d go from mountains to a sandy desert and then a rainforest.

“We were just so grateful for the opportunity (to be there) and to hunt in a situation we’ve never been in before,” Adams says. “To know where Norissa and I came from, we were able to see things that most of my family and people back home will never have the opportunity to see. I felt very lucky and blessed to be there.”

AS WE’VE SEEN frequently in this social media-obsessed world, when you hunt, you’re likely to be frowned upon by the Twitter and Facebook crowd. If you’re a woman who hunts, it’s chaos on the keyboards. Vile online attacks of female hunters have gone viral with a sinister tone.

Most hunters understand and accept that the anti-hunting sentiment won’t be going away anytime soon, and a show like Universal Huntress TV

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The girls with guide Yvan Nieuwoudt and a South African white rhino that was darted and examined to check on its health progress. (UNIVERSAL HUNTRESS TV)

will surely be considered taboo from day one with some refusing to find a common ground.

“One of the things that we’re learning as we go, and we hope the audience will learn with us; we try to ask questions and then ask more questions,” Adams says.

“We need to understand the impor-

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tance of conservation. It is something that’s a little bit different here than in South Africa. But honestly, there isn’t that much of a difference – taking a mature animal and making sure that we don’t overhunt them.

Norissa and I are trying to learn as we go and pass it onto our audience. I hope they’re able to see that.” Universal Huntress TV hopes the stories it tells – about hunting, about friendship, about culture and about conquering your fears can send a positive message.

“It’s really for people to just be themselves. We have a lot of young girls who look up to us now, and

800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com we really never expected to be role models,” Harman says of her role as clothing designer but also messenger about the sport their line sells to. “So we just hope that they can see what hunting has done for Jen and I. It’s been a bonding experience, kind of like a sisterhood. So if there are girls out there doing this together, it’s something they’ll be able to share like we’ve shared. It’s important for us that they see that.” CS Editor’s note: New episodes of Universal Huntress TV can be seen on Mondays on the Sportsman Channel.

More information can be found at thespor tsmanchannel.com/shows/ universal-huntress.com, Twitter (@univhuntress) and Facebook (facebook. com/universalhuntress). Check out Girls With Guns clothing apparel at gwgclothing.com, Twitter (@GirlswithGuns), and Facebook (facebook.com/ girlswithgunsclothing).

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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ONE SHOT, AND THAT’S A WRAP MY FAVORITE FISHING AND HUNTING MOVIES

By Chris Cocoles

y executive editor has painfully accepted that I’ll sometimes – actually, lots of times – sneak a movie-inspired headline into California Sportsman stories.

I admit it – I’m a movie geek of the utmost proportions and extremes. Christmas Day may mean family time and reflection, but I still managed to sneak in a matinee first showing of The Imitation Game. As much as I get stoked about filling out a March Madness bracket, so do I when checking off my picks for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor every Academy Awards night.

I could bore you with my Oscar Best Picture selection for this month’s extravaganza (Boyhood, Birdman and The Theory of Everything seem like the frontrunners), so why not remember some of cinema’s greatest productions with fishing and hunting themes? This is just a nonscientific and highly biased list of my favorites. I know I missed some that probably belong (The Old Man and the Sea’s original version with Spencer Tracy likely deserves to be here), but I managed to rewatch some old classics. Here they are, in no particular order (though I think I subconsciously listed The Deer Hunter first since it’s so awesome):

M

It’s just one of dozens of powerful moments director Michael Cimino crafted, including terrifying games of Russian roulette and a beautifully haunting score.

The deer hunts, filmed around Washington’s Mount Baker, captured the essence of the movie’s theme.

And I would argue the cast gathering around a table singing God Bless America is one of the most underrated scenes to end a film.

Awards buzz: The Deer Hunter was the biggest winner of its year’s Academy Awards with five Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actor (Christopher Walken).

Notable line: “I’ll tell you, Nick. You’re the only guy I go hunting with, you know.

I like a guy with quick moves and speed. I ain’t gonna hunt with no ass*****.”

On Golden Pond (1981) Much of the buzz of this classic is generated in the tension between off-screen and onscreen father and daughter Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda in their only film together (and the elder Fonda’s final film appearance before he passed). Their estranged relationship in the movie was not unlike what it was for many years in real life, perhaps without such animosity.

But some of the best scene-stealing

The Deer Hunter (1978) Robert De Niro’s Michael, traumatized by the atrocities he saw in Vietnam as a prisoner of war, which paralyzed his friend Steven and caused his best pal Nick to lose his mind, returns to his Russian-American Pennsylvania roots a changed man. He stalks a giant buck, and utilizes his creed that, “A deer has to be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don’t listen.” Only Michael can no longer take that one shot, even with a trophy right within his sights.

“OK?” he shouts as the animal is spared.

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MIXED BAG moments turned out to be Henry Fonda’s Norman Thayer Jr. – a gruff, stubborn and crotchety old man – bonding through fishing with his daughter’s soon-to-be stepson, bratty, arrogant and defiant Billy.

They form quite the odd couple: bickering at each other, blaming each other for nearly setting fire to the house, clinging to a rock together for survival after their boat wrecks.

And their fishing scenes were priceless, including Billy landing Norman’s nemesis trophy trout, Walter (a monster rainbow that was set free to swim another day). The father and daughter ultimately followed suit in the bonding process, and the great Katharine Hepburn (“The loons!

The loons!”) quietly was brilliant.

Awards buzz: Henry Fonda and Hepburn both won Best Actor Oscars among three wins and 10 nominations. Jane Fonda accepted the award for her ill father.

The young breakout star, Billy, has barely

26 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

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been heard from again.

Notable lines: “Well, it’s doing a pretty good trout imitation – get the net!”

“Good God! It’s Walter! What the hell are you doing in here?”

A River Runs Through It (1992) Before Brad Pitt was Brad Pitt, he was Paul Maclean, a troubled but likeable young man in Montana during the 1920s in director Robert Redford’s adaptation of Norman Maclean’s novel. Gorgeous sets define this movie of fly fishing rivers as a metaphor for life’s ups and downs.

Pitt’s Paul and Craig Sheffer’s Norman are complete opposites – Norman is a Dartmouth grad and responsible, in love with a local girl; Paul’s a hard-drinking and hard-gambling newspaper reporter getting deep in debt with some rough Montanans.

What they have in common is fishing, and they cast flies in the Big Blackfoot River. Norman sees how at

peace Paul is filling his creel box with trout. When Paul gets caught in the rapids trying to land a trophy fish, it’s his time, Norman knowing he won’t be able to save his brother. The fishing scenes and Redford’s narration from the real Maclean’s book are haunting.

Awards buzz: Academy Award win for Best Cinematography; two other nominations.

Notable line: “Neal, in Montana there’s three things we’re never late for: church, work and fishing.”

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) Admittedly, when I first saw this I was skeptical about the title, but having a big crush on Emily Blunt and loving fishing so much made it a no-brainer to check out. And it actually was a pretty good, if unnecessarily sappy, story. The debonair publicist, Harriet (Blunt), conflicted with the fate of her missing-in-action new

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MIXED BAG boyfriend in Afghanistan, just as quickly it seems falls for the nerdy but handsome fish biologist, Fred (Ewan McGregor). The hook – pun intended – is what seems like an absurd idea of a rich Yemeni sheik’s idea to import Atlantic salmon to the waters of his desert Middle East location.

The fishing scenes meant to portray Yemen – but actually filmed in Morocco – were rather inspiring, as was the system of makeshift fish ladders put in place to coax the salmon to head upstream. Just don’t expect much of an unpredictable conclusion and you’ll be fine.

Awards buzz: Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture Comedy or Musical (despite a few laughs, I’m still not sure why it wasn’t deemed a drama), Blunt for Best Actress and McGregor for Best Actor.

Nobody won anything.

Notable lines: “But fishermen, I have noticed, they don’t care if I’m brown or white, rich or poor, wearing robes or wad-

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ers. All they care about is the fish, the river and the game we play. For fishermen, the only virtues are patience, tolerance and humility.�

Grumpy Old Men (1993) and Grumpier Old Men (1995) Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau had some of the best chemistry among buddy movie duos, so combine these two geniuses with fellow legends like Ann-Margaret and Sophia Loren (in the sequel), and you have comedic gold. Set in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota, all things fishing serve as a backdrop to finding love again in your golden years.

Fishing-related gags are gloriously done throughout the flicks: Dead, rotting fish thrown in the backseat of cars; fish planted in a tuxedo pocket at a wedding; frozen fish used as weapons during a fight; fish that fall through a cut net; the quest to catch a whiskered monster known as Catfish Hunter. (Like Walter in

On Golden Pond, the catfish was spared being mounted on Matthau’s wall.)

These movies are cute and worth your time just watching co-star Burgess Meredith’s hilarious (and dirty) outtakes during the closing credits.

Awards buzz: None of note, though Meredith got totally snubbed as Best Supporting Actor. Either that or give him a special award for funniest old guy in movie history.

Notable lines : “Max, let’s let him go.� “Are you out of your mind?� “Dad tried to catch that fish for 20 years. Catfish Hunter deserves to be in the lake with Pop.� “Gustafson, you are one sick bastard.� CS Editor’s note: Have a favorite fishing or hunting movie moment? Comment about it on our Facebook page (facebook.com/ pages/California-Sportsman-Magazine/568564509850112)

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STILL GOING STRONG FRED HALL SHOWS

MIXED BAG Kayaks and fishing gear are among the myriad of equipment that will be on display for the Long Beach and San Diego stops for the Fred Hall Shows in March. (FRED HALL SHOWS)

APPROACHING 70 YEARS

By Bart Hall

CAMRILLO—Many people know that Fred J. Hall started what came to be called the Fred Hall Shows in Los Angeles in 1946.

But it wasn’t hubris that led to the eponymous billing.

They started out simply being called the Sportsman’s Shows, but over the next five decades, many other shows got started and were called, in some form or another, sportsman’s shows.

It was the sportsmen and sportswomen in Southern California, and eventually around the world, who started calling the Southern California Sportsman Shows the Fred Hall Shows. For years we tried to define the shows by their names – the Sportsman’s Shows; the Fishing Tackle and Boat Shows; the Fishing Tackle, Boat, Travel and Hunting Shows, etc. But eventually, we gave up and just started calling the shows what the public called them: the Fred Hall Shows.

They are unique among outdoor recreation shows. Hard to categorize because there are so many different things going on in any one show, they are the largest consumer fishing shows in the world, with more direct factory participation than any other. They are California’s largest trailerable boat shows. And they are Southern California’s largest international travel and hunting shows.

But they don’t stop with those two popular pastimes. You can find information on scuba diving, snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, free diving, off-road adventures, target shooting and RVs. Between the Long Beach Show and the Del Mar Show, the Fred Hall Shows will produce over 600 seminars in nine days.

There will be tens of thousands of items on display and a full day’s worth of free family fun activities. Kids under 16 are always admitted free at our shows.

This year is a very special one. As the Fred Hall Shows enter their 69th year, Bart and Ginny Hall, in partnership with Duncan McIntosh and members of the “Hall” family, have repurchased the Fred Hall Shows from the American Sportfishing Association. In 1999, ASA purchased 51 percent of the Fred Hall Shows from the Hall family. In 2009, the ASA purchased the remaining 49 percent from Bart and Ginny Hall.

Now, in 2015 the partnership between Duncan McIntosh and the Halls has assured everyone that the Hall family will continue to be involved for the next 69 years. McIntosh is the owner and publisher of Sea Magazine and The Log/Fish Rap, and producer of the Lido and Newport on-the-water boat shows. These are the largest boat shows of their kind in the West and are over 40 years old.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER The Fred Hall Shows don’t happen by accident. People often jokingly ask “what does the staff do during the other 50 weeks of the year?” We always roll our eyes and wish that was true. But experience has demonstrated to us that shows of this size take a full 365 days to produce. Even so, it’s inevitable that we’ll

wish we had just a few more weeks to finish the job.

The Fred Hall Show staff is woefully small for the task of producing shows of this size, caliber and complexity. It is the skill and dedication of this small group of people that allows the Fred Hall Shows to come to fruition each year.

Take, for example, the hundreds of seminars scheduled for Long Beach and Del Mar. They don’t happen by accident.

They have to be planned, co-coordinated and scheduled so that seminars about similar topics don’t go head to head. Celebrity speakers have to be balanced so that the public has the opportunity to see all of the major speakers each day. They may appear at different venues at different times during each day to help accommodate as many people as possible.

At a Fred Hall Show there are many different seminar venues. There is the Accurate Fishing Tackle saltwater mobile aquarium, where topics about nearshore saltwater fishing are discussed; there is the Okuma and Savage Lures freshwater mobile aquarium, where topics about freshwater fishing are discussed; there is the Cousins Fishing Tackle Main Saltwater Seminar Stage, where topics about the San Diego fishing fleet and offshore saltwater fishing are discussed; and there is the Mammoth Lakes Seminar Theater, featuring topics related to fishing in the Eastern Sierra.

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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MIXED BAG Approximately 600 seminars will be held covering various topics during the upcoming shows. (MIKE STEVENS)

There are two fly-fishing theaters and a giant fly-casting seminar area; there are seminars on the Lagoon from Hobie Kayaks, and casting on the lagoon from companies like Shimano.

The Costa Sporting Chef Café is one of the most popular venues in the shows, and at the Mammoth Lakes Kids Fish Free Trout Pond, young anglers can learn to fish. We’ll have an air gun

range, an archery range and a laser shot game for kids, and adults, to test their shooting acumen. Convict Lake Resort brings their world-famous chefs to the shows to tantalize our taste buds.

Attendees at the Fred Hall Shows will have a chance to sign up to win their choice of a fishing trip to Rancho Leonero on the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula, a pair of Accurate Fishing

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Reels, a special gift from the World Fishing Network, or a Hobie 14-foot Mirage Drive Pro-Angler kayak. Every person who purchases a ticket will get a signup slip for this prize drawing. Each year a lucky Fred Hall Show attendee gets their choice of some fabulous prizes.

The 2014 show winner chose the Accurate reels.

We couldn’t do this without the partnership with ASA that we’ve shared for so long. We value their friendship and continue to be associated with all of the members. We proudly promote Keep AmericaFishing, and so should you!

This is going to be a great show year.

Look for the Fred Hall Shows from March 4-8 at the Long Beach Convention Center, and March 26-29 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. We’ll see ya’ there! CS Editor’s note: Bart Hall is the Fred Hall Show producer and the son of founder Fred Hall. For more information, go to fredhall.com.

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TALES OF A BIOLOGIST

TIPS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED The author’s deductive reasoning that a fellow hunter had shot an illegal deer convinced him to call a local California Department of Fish and Wildlife warden to investigate. (ILLIA BANKS/CDFW)

SUSPECT A POACHER? IT’S WORTH THE CALL

By Tim E. Hovey

T

he California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s enforcement division has a limited number of

wardens available to cover the state’s 163,000 square miles. There are only approximately 400 on duty protecting our natural resources from poachers.

Even if the over 3 million sportsmen and -women in California are almost all law-abiding, wardens are definitely outnumbered in their tasks in maintaining order in the outdoors world. To assist in

these efforts, enforcement sometimes relies on anglers and hunters themselves in reporting fish and wildlife violations, through the CalTip program. Hunters and fishermen who witness crimes against the resource can call the CalTip hotline (888-334-2258) and report the violation anonymously.

Having enjoyed the outdoors for my FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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entire life, I take great offense with those who violate the rules. Being a biologist, I understand the reasoning behind seasons, size limits and take limits of our consumptive resource. These guidelines are established through sound science and are applied to our hunting and fishing resources to provide a sustainable yield of that resource. Poachers don’t follow the rules, and they do not care about that resource.

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Spike bucks are illegal to take in California, so when the author and his hunting partner spotted a dying spike deer in the woods of San Diego County, their observations and quick thinking led to a suspect’s alleged confession to a game warden. (ILLIA BANKS/CDFW)

A FEW YEARS back I decided to pick up a deer tag in San Diego County, very near my office at the CDFW. My plan was to wake early, hunt an hour or two before work and then head straight into the office. I mentioned my plan to another biologist, Jason Price, and he asked if he could tag along. Jason had a tag for the same zone and I was happy to have the company on the hunt.

Early the next morning I met Jason at the parking lot near the hunting area. We hiked in about a mile and started glassing just as the sun came up. We were late in the season and it didn’t seem like much was moving. This hunting area was divided into two parts – one small hunting area on one side of the main highway and a larger parcel on the other.

Jason hiked down from our glassing position and made a wide push in the smaller hunting area. He met back up with me on a rock outcropping about 45 minutes later. He hadn’t seen anything and neither had I. We were discussing our next move when we heard a single shot from the larger area across the road. We had an hour left to hunt and we hadn’t seen anything where we were, so we decided to head over to the larger parcel and finish out our morning hunt.

We parked off the main road, several car lengths in front of another vehicle.

We grabbed our gear and walked into the hunting area. As we crossed a walkin gate, I spotted another hunter walking 36 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

out of the area towards the other vehicle.

At the time, I thought that this hunter must’ve been the individual who had taken the shot we’d heard earlier. I really didn’t give it a second thought.

Jason and I quietly hiked in and started glassing. The area was a huge open field peppered with several groups of oak trees. I had hunted this particular area the year before, remembering that the small oak islands often held deer.

We had been glassing for a short time when I spotted movement under an oak tree about 200 yards out. A small buck stumbled out of the brush, dragging his back legs. He would drag himself a few feet and then fall over. I could see a back wound that had clearly damaged the spine. I also noticed that the young buck was a spike, an illegal age class to harvest

during deer season.

We made our way over to the young buck. He made several feeble attempts to escape, but the gaping back wound had clearly severed the spine. He pulled himself up and then collapsed. This deer was clearly suffering. Jason walked over and quickly dispatched the animal.

BOTH OF US concluded that the hunter we had seen leaving the area was probably responsible for taking a shot at the illegal buck. Since we had finished the job, and we were now standing over the dead deer, we knew that our hunt was over. We decided to head back to the truck and call the local warden to report what we knew and to turn over the deer.

Walking to the truck, we both noticed that the other vehicle was still there, and

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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the hunter was poking around the bed of his truck. Seeing him there, I believed he was waiting for us to leave, so he could go look for his illegal buck.

Back at my vehicle, I called the state dispatch and was patched through to Sean Pirtle, the enforcement officer warden for the area. Warden Pirtle was based out of our office and we had worked together on a few other smaller projects.

He came on the line and I explained the situation. I told him we were still on scene and so was the other vehicle. He asked me a few questions, including the description of the hunter’s truck. While I was on the cell phone, I made sure I was out of sight of the other vehicle. Pirtle mentioned that he was about five minutes out and would be there shortly.

While we waited, Jason and I acted

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like we were packing up to leave. Since the hunter had remained there the entire time, I realized that he must’ve known that the buck he shot was illegal or he would’ve dragged it out already.

A short time later, a green warden truck pulled up between our two vehicles and Warden Pirtle got out. I expected that. What I couldn’t have anticipated was the passenger side door opening up and two federal wardens exiting the truck as well. Pirtle had been giving them a tour of the state wildlife areas when dispatch had contacted him about the illegally shot deer. I remember thinking that today was not a good day to be a poacher.

The two federal wardens walked to the other truck and Pirtle approached our vehicle. He smiled and winked as he got close. We reached into our wallets and handed him our licenses.

Checking us as well made it appear that Pirtle had just happened on the situa-

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He asked us what had happened and what we saw. We told him about the time we heard the shot and gave him a brief description of what we saw out by the deer. After a brief discussion, he mentioned that he might want us to accompany them out to the area.

He returned to the other truck and we stayed put. After a few minutes, the three wardens and the hunter started walking across the road to the hunting area. Pirtle looked our way and motioned us over. I still had my rifle shouldered, and for a second at least, I thought about bringing it with me. Deciding against it, I placed the rifle in the truck and Jason and I headed over to the group.

The six of us hiked a short distance to an area, led by the other hunter. He stopped at one of the oak groups and pointed towards another set of trees 200 yards away. I could hear him explain to Pirtle that he took a shot at a buck over

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by the distant trees. The area he was suggesting was over 400 yards from where we had found the crippled buck and was in the opposite direction.

Pirtle glanced my way as the hunter started talking with the federal wardens. I subtly shook my head, indicating that the suspect was lying. I also nodded my head back towards where the deer was really located. He nodded that he understood and re-engaged with the hunter.

Within minutes, the group reversed course and was headed back towards the true location. We were approaching the grove of oaks where we had encountered the deer when Pirtle grabbed my arm. I looked over and he was pointing to a legal buck walking 90 yards from where we stood. The buck

The CalTip Hotline (888-334-2258) allows anyone who suspects violations in the field to call local CDFW wardens and anonymously file a report.

(ILIA BANKS/CDFW)

was a nice 3-by-3 and he had no idea we were there. “You should’ve brought your rifle,” Pirtle whispered to me.

WE FINALLY REACHED the base of the grove and the hunter admitted that he may have taken a shot at a buck in this area. I let Pirtle know that he was telling the truth. Up on the hill, we located blood and a pretty noticeable drag mark leading to where the dead deer lay.

The hunter finally admitted that he had shot at a buck in this area and couldn’t find it. He also admitted that he had no idea if it was a legal buck or not.

Pirtle escorted him back to his truck, wrote him a ticket and sent him on his way. We drove his rig into the hunting area near the deer and loaded up the small buck as evidence. He thanked us for the help, gave us a ride to our truck and drove off.

Back at our vehicle, I drove Jason back to his truck on the other side of the highway. He got his gear, loaded up and before he left, he leaned out the window. “Hey, same time tomorrow?” he asked. I shrugged my shoulders and looked over his way, knowing we had an adventure and had done some good.

“Why not?” CS Editor’s note: The author is a fisheries biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS! Scotts Valley residents Tim and Patti Gower were fishing in the Sacramento River around Knights Landing in 2014 during king salmon season and caught this chrome-bright Chinook that weighed 23 pounds.

“This was the only fish caught that day and it was Patti’s first king ever,” says Tim of the salmon, caught using a K15 double trouble Kwikfish with a sardine wrap.

We’ll send Tim and Patti some swag for winning our Wright & McGill/Eagle Claw photo contest.

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Our monthly Browning Photo Contest winner is Daryn Thorpe, who sent this pic of his daughter, Alissa, and her fall 2014 blacktail.

It scores him a Browning hat!

For your shot at winning Wright & McGill/Eagle Claw and Browning products, send your photos to ccocoles@media-inc.com or California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.

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MAN FINED $19,000 FOR DEER POACHING California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers confiscated deer racks found in the Amador County home of Gary Michael Creason Jr. Creason owes fines worth over $19,000. (CDFW)

aking deer bucks out of season and using someone else’s tag made it an expensive set of decisions for an Amador County man.

Twenty-four-year-old Gary Michael Creason Jr. of Plymouth, located on Highway 49 north of Jackson, was fined $19,250 by the Amador Superior Court after California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers found several sets of buck antlers at the man’s home.

A tip led CDFW officials to Creason’s home in July 2013.

When the officers discovered the antler racks and deer meat, Creason admitted to shooting the wildlife

BY CHRIS COCOLES out of season and also hunting with another tag not purchased by him.

In 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1162, which increased the penalties associated with killing trophy game animals out of season. According to CDFW, “AB 1162 established a criminal penalty for any person who knowingly and illegally takes a trophy deer outside the legal hunting season. The penalty for such offense shall be not less than $5,000 nor more than $40,000 or up to one year in county jail, or both the fine and imprisonment.”

Creason’s wallet will be much lighter because of it. He’ll also be on probation for three years and lose his hunting privileges during the duration. All the evidence found was seized by the officers who responded to the tip.

“Poaching deer during the mating season when hunting season is closed is a common tactic of poachers,” CDFW Lt. Stacey LaFave, supervisor for Alpine, Amador and El Dorado counties, said in a news release. “Bucks have a reduced awareness of their surroundings and become very susceptible to this type of illegal activity.”

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OUTDOOR CALENDAR FEBRUARY 6-8 Eureka Crab Crawl, Downtown and Old Town Eureka (707-442-9054; www.eurekamainstreet.org) 7 Glen Helen Regional Park Trout Derby, Devore (www.cms.sbcounty.gov/parks/activities/fishing/aspx) 7 Start of late white geese season in Northeastern Zone 7 Start of late white geese season in Imperial Valley Zone 14-18 Late-season geese season for Balance of State Zone (white-front and white geese) 14 This date, 2014: state record for Sacramento pikeminnow; 13 pounds, 13 ounces, caught at Pardee Reservoir

by Charles Brown of Orangevale 14 NorCal Anglers Trout Challenge, San Pablo Reservoir (www.anglerspress.com) 21 Start of late-season Canada geese season in North Coast Zone 27-March 1 Central Valley Sportsman Boat and R.V. Show, County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield (www.calshows.com) 28-March 1 Clear Lake Bass Tournament, Clear Lake (www.konocti-vista-casino.com) MARCH

4-8 Fred Hall Show, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach (www.fredhall.com) 6 Start of late white-front geese season in Northeastern Zone 21 Central Valley Anglers Trout Derby, Camanche Lake (www.centralvalleyanglers.org) 28-30 Lake Isabella Trout Derby (www.kernvalley.com) 26-29 Fred Hall Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar (www.fredhall.com)

White-fronted geese late hunting season begins on Feb. 14 in the Balance of State Zone. (USFWS) FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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46 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

FISHING

PIERING INTO THE SEA FISHING OFF CALIFORNIA’S OVER-SEA PLATFORMS

The Santa Cruz Beach Pier is adjacent to a popular Central California amusement park and boardwalk. But fishing is also popular here, as it is throughout many of the state’s piers. (TIM E. HOVEY)

By Tim E. Hovey

T

ake a drive almost anywhere along the California coast and you’re bound to encounter one of the many piers or wharves that line the shore.

Most of the popular beaches have public piers that vary from just a wooden bridge that extends out over the ocean to, essentially, amusement parks on water. These structures are also excellent fishing platforms for both expert and novice anglers.

California has over 50 fishing piers up and down the coast. Some of these date back to the time of the California Gold Rush when they were a necessity for the transport of goods for a growing West Coast population. This is the reason that many of the larger piers are now

near major populated coastal cities.

They were once the center of commerce and community. Once the railroad system was established, piers and wharfs became less used and were either abandoned or forced to transition to other uses.

Many piers and wharfs fell into disrepair. Others adapted and built fish shops and other specialty stores to draw the public to the ocean.

Around the turn of the 20th century, many began to offer fishing opportunities when boats that were once used for hauling goods were repurposed for taking large groups of anglers offshore to fish.

The term “cattle boat” came from a vessel that once moved livestock and was later modified to transport anglers. Those who couldn’t afford a pricey boat trip soon began fishing directly from the pier.

I’M SURE THE perception of most is that pier fishing is done to catch the smaller shore species. This isn’t always the case. I’ve caught halibut to 20 pounds while pier fishing, bat rays close to 200 pounds, and a number of other shark species that were too heavy to lift and had to be dragged to shore.

Schooling fish like mackerel, jack smelt and shiner surf perch hang out near the pilings and are usually easy to hook on a variety of baits. Below that, depending on the terrain and coastal location, rockfish, larger perch and juvenile bass will work the water column below the pier looking for prey. Head to the bottom and you’ll find flatfish, bottom-dwelling sharks and rays. In a sense, it’s a concentrated food chain that is easily accessible to the public.

Pier fishing is an excellent way FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

47

FISHING to introduce kids and individuals interested in fishing to the activity.

There’s no early boat to catch, no expensive fee and most fishing piers do not require a California Department of Fish and Wildlife license.

With the exception of gear and bait, you can essentially fish for free and go whenever you want. While the state does not require a fishing license while fishing from a public pier, all other fishing regulations, such as size restrictions, take limits and species regulations, still apply.

FISHING FROM PIERS will always hold

Fishing off piers, which in many spots in California doesn’t require a license, can produce species like this spotfin croaker caught in San Diego. (TIM E. HOVEY)

48 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

a special place in my heart. As a toddler, it’s where I was first introduced to the ocean. My parents would take me and my brother Steve out on walks to Stearns Wharf and Goleta Pier in Santa Barbara County. We’d walk to the end and watch the fishermen cast. It was the first time I ever saw someone catch a fish, and later

FISHING in life, when it came time to introduce my daughters to the ocean and fishing, it’s where I took them.

My daughters were 4½ and 6, respectively, when I first took them out on a pier to fish. That day, I had two light spinning rods, a pack full of tackle, snacks and a few juice boxes.

To be honest, I really didn’t have great expectations for catching much. I just wanted to introduce them to the activity of fishing and to have them enjoy the day. I had no idea that within minutes of starting, we’d create a memory of a lifetime.

The rods were rigged and baited, and lines cast out. I handed my youngest, Jessica, the first rod and set her on the bench. Alyssa took the second rod and took a seat next to her sister. I grabbed the camera to take some pictures when I noticed that Jessica was having trouble reeling. Her rod was already bent and bouncing. She was trying to reel, but

The author’s daughters, Alyssa (left) and Jessica Hovey, with the shovelnose guitarfish caught on their first pier fishing trip a few years ago to Goleta Pier near Santa Barbara. (TIM E. HOVEY)

whatever was at the end of her line was fighting hard and not coming in without resistance.

I fought the urge to step in and help. That decision was made for me when Jessica concluded that she

wanted to reel it in herself. She let her sister assist, but they were there to conquer the beast and I was there strictly as an observer. I handed out plenty of advice, but this battle was going to be won or lost by the kids.

After a five-minute tug-of-war fight, the shovelnose guitarfish flapped lazily on the surface 20 feet below. I grabbed the line and gently lifted the shark, hand over hand, praying that the line wouldn’t snap.

I swung the shovelnose over the rail and it landed with a thud at the girls’ feet. I wasn’t sure what their reaction was going to be, but I certainly didn’t expect what they did. Without hesitation and with reckless abandon, Jessica grabbed the tail and held up the fish. Alyssa grabbed it as well and both held up the shovelnose. I snapped a quick photo of the two of them and it ended up being an amazing picture of their very first fish.

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FISHING

Jessica Hovey, now 13, returned to Goleta last month and cast a line off the Santa Barbara County pier. (TIM E. HOVEY)

I STARTED PIER fishing in my early teens and went as often as I could.

My brother and I and a few friends would tie fishing rods to our bikes, load tackle, snacks and a radio into a

backpack, and ride the 4 miles to the pier. Our goal was to fish the afternoon bite, stay until dark and fish for sharks. When I was just getting into fishing, I learned to cast and fish on

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the shores of California. But Goleta Pier is where I refined techniques, learned to cast a country mile, and how to fight big fish.

Summer was our favorite time to hit the pier. The evenings were warm and the larger sharks and rays would patrol the area around the pier looking for food. We’d catch large swell sharks, huge dogfish and bat rays as large as car hoods in the pale glow of twilight. We hooked fish we couldn’t stop and battled whatever took our bait.

This was where I transitioned from someone who enjoyed fishing to someone who wanted to learn everything I could about fish and the ocean.

Earlier this year, I took my family to Goleta Pier. We weren’t there to fish. We walked to the very end, because that’s what you do on a dock. Instead of walking straight to the end, I zigzagged from bucket to

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

53

FISHING bucket to see what was biting. Some had perch, others jack smelt and mackerel. One old gentleman had a thornback ray resting in a crab net as he attempted to wrestle the hook from its alien-looking mouth. I’ll bet if I had to walk to the end without looking in the fishermen’s buckets, I couldn’t do it.

At the end of the line, I spotted another man fishing with a young boy, probably his grandson. He was talking to the youngster as he tied a leader to one of two rods leaning against the rail. I could tell by the gear that he knew what he was doing. The boy couldn’t have been more than 6 and was hanging on every word of his elder.

He cast both rigs out and the two sat on a nearby bench waiting for a bite. As I watched the two, it occurred to me that, as fishermen, we have those episodes in our lives that get us started in the outdoors – those are

From Crescent City to Imperial Beach, California has over 50 fishing piers along the coast. No licenses are needed to fish off of most of them, but all usual daily limits and rules apply. (TIM E. HOVEY)

our beginnings.

My start came on a pier just like that one, at about the same age as the young boy. Those early pier walks opened up the door of curiosity for me and essentially guided my outdoor interest, and ultimately, my career.

I’ve always enjoyed all types of fishing. I enjoy the different techniques and nuances of everything from big game to ultralight

angling. However, as the years go by, I seem to be spending more and more time revisiting the places where it all began.

To me, the pier is nostalgic, familiar and nurturing. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s where I got my fishing start or because it places me at the ocean. I’ll probably never know what draws me there. I do know that as long as I have a heartbeat, I’ll find a way to fish the pier. CS

Photo: Ed Sozinho

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FISHING

SAVING THE DAY STRUGGLING IN THE SALT? HERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS WORTH KNOWING

By Capt. Bill Schaefer

SAN DIEGO—It’s February in Southern California and things should be heating up in the kelpbeds.

Calico bass, barracuda, bonito, as well as other gamefish, including yellowtail, will soon start to bite. Yet, as you head out to the kelpbeds in your area, nothing seems to want to take what you offer, whether it is artificial or the real McCoy of live or cut bait.

Do you turn around and head for the slip or your trailer? Heck no!

You came to fish, and just a little adjustment on your part will get you going. All too often anglers give up when the fish stop biting – at least in the area they are fishing. These helpful hints can work year-round, but in the winter, they can really save the day.

Where did all the calico bass you were catching go? They just slid out a little deeper. Now, that can be just the height of the kelp stringers, but a lot of the time in the winter you have to go deeper, say, 80 to 120 feet deep. It helps to have a good fishfinder, because that is what you will be doing – finding the fish.

The visible kelp you see along the shoreline is attached to rock or sandstone that sticks up through the sandy bottom. If you look with your meter along the outside of this kelp, you will find rock with little or no kelp attached to it. A lot of the time you will find clouds of fish on this structure. Don’t be afraid to keep going deeper and deeper, even out to

Fishing in 80 to 100 feet of water with a heavier jighead and swimbait will score some big ones, as Brett Delong shows off in a chunky calico caught off the Southern California coast. (BILL SCHAEFER)

a natural dropoff in the bottom. The clouds you see on your meter will tell you where to fish.

Now I have more good news – you can fish with the same equipment you were attacking the kelpbeds with! Swimbaits catch fish in the kelp and they certainly can do it on the bottom. Everything that swims will attack them.

At 120 feet deep you will probably have to go up as high as 2 ounc-

es in jighead weight, but most of the time 1 to 2 ounces will do. You most likely already have braided line on your reel and this will help you detect even extremely subtle bites.

Calicos, sand bass, rockfish of all species, lingcod, halibut and even yellowtail are there for the taking.

Don’t let any of your favorite fishing days be a “waste of time.” Adjust with the fish and you will score more action every time you go out. CS FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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58 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

FISHING

BIG BROWNS AT IRVINE BLUEFIN ALSO ALREADY BEING PULLED FROM PACIFIC

By Steve Carson

A

nglers at Irvine Lake this season are experiencing perhaps the finest consistent brown trout action ever seen at this, or any other Southern California water.

Irvine Lake has often stocked moderate numbers of brown trout in years past, but the species’ cautious nature had always meant that the catch rates were also moderate.

In other words: brown trout are hard to catch!

However, much warmer than normal conditions at the November 1 trout season opener dictated a higher than normal proportion of the hardier browns than the usual rainbows that are stocked. Ever since then, good catches of beautiful browns have been the norm rather than the exception, and the heavy stocking of browns has continued.

Most of the browns have been

El Niño continues to produce exotic species like bluefin tuna.

Remarkably, some of these fish that are usually further south were caught on New Year’s Day off the Southern California coast. (STEVE CARSON)

Todd Weidmann of Anaheim is among those Irvine Lake anglers having a fantastic winter fishing for brown trout at the popular Orange County water.

(IRVINE LAKE)

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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60 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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FISHING caught on trolled lures, with nightcrawlers getting the nod for bait dunkers. Trollers favor subtler, natural-color lures over the bright hues used for rainbows. Popular trolling choices include shad-color Rapala Countdown CD05s, ScatterRap SCRCD07s in brown trout color, and Jointed Rapala J05s and J07s in brook trout color. Very slow trolling speeds from 0.9 to 1.9 mph are standard, as is steering in exaggerated “S” turns to keep the lure moving outside of the boat’s wake.

The size range of the browns has mostly been 2 to 7 pounds this season, with a couple of larger specimens pushing the 9-pound mark.

By far the most productive spot has been along the west shoreline, with other notable locations being midlake and along the dam restriction lines. The lake’s management plants thousands of pounds of rainbow and brown trout each week of

the season through early May. January’s heavy rainstorms were welcome in more ways than just as a drought buster. Areas of runoff created large gatherings of catfish, which were feeding heavily. Hardy Irvine Lake anglers who braved the rain were rewarded with nice stringers of 3- to 15-pound channel catfish, and more than a few blue catfish from 20 to 30 pounds.

Mackerel chunks flylined or suspended under a slip bobber are what fooled the whiskerfish.

GO FLOURO Many veteran anglers remain a bit puzzled about exactly when to use fluorocarbon leader material when fishing in saltwater. The short answer is that fluorocarbon can help whenever you have fish that are feeding visually. It is especially important when fishing in heavily pressured areas near the shoreline.

At least a short piece of fluorocarbon should also be considered almost mandatory when bait fishing for most varieties of tuna.

“We use fluorocarbon for almost everything we fish for with live bait,” Capt. Aaron Barnhill of the San Diego long-range boat Shogun definitively said at a recent seminar. “About the only exceptions are for yo-yo jigs and when using wire leaders for wahoo.”

For tuna under 200 pounds, the simplest arrangement, a 3- or 4-foot piece of the appropriate test fluorocarbon, can be attached to the monofilament topshot via a fourturn surgeon’s knot. Of course, fishing for those huge “cow” tuna over 200 pounds requires a more elaborate connection system where the fluoro is inserted up inside of hollow superbraid in “finger trap” style, and secured with a crimp or serve, and glue.

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FISHING In some “stealth” situations, the fluorocarbon is attached directly to the superbraid with either a John Collins knot or worm knot. If not fishing for tuna species, the fluoro can also be tied to the superbraid via the well-known uni-to-uni knot. The overwhelming choice for tying on hooks and other terminal items with fluorocarbon is the single San Diego knot.

Another very popular use for a short fluorocarbon leader is when fishing for barracuda with live bait.

The normally 4- to 10-pound barries don’t require heavy tackle, and will quickly bite through the sporty 12- or 15-pound lines that are customary, but wire leaders will often spook the fish. The most productive solution is to tie on a 4-foot length of 40-pound fluoro. This setup will still require trimming and retying after about every other barracuda, but results in many more hookups,

particularly if other species like yellowtail or calico bass are mixed in with the barracuda.

There are, of course, numerous situations where fluorocarbon is of little or no help at all: bottom fishing deeper than 200 feet, almost any kind of night fishing, any time a wire leader is utilized for wahoo, sharks or other toothy critters, and when fishing in very muddy water.

MORE EL NIÑO NEWS I have literally given up saying that the unusual El Niño phenomenon of 2014 will come to an end, because in January of the New Year it was still happening. First and foremost are bluefin tuna, which in most years don’t show up in California waters until June at the earliest. On New Year’s Day at 6:42 a.m., Bob Hoose of Balboa Angling Club caught the year’s first bluefin.

“In 63.5-degree water, just at

sunup, we saw a school of tuna swim directly under the boat on our electronics,” said Hoose. “We immediately hooked three bluefin using fairly light tackle, but were only able to land one of about 18 pounds while fishing at the Tanner Bank with fly-lined sardines. Two other boats were out there with us on New Year’s Day, and one of them caught six bluefin and the other landed three. If you wanted to catch yellowtail at the same spot, they were biting well on jigs fished yo-yo style.”

Hoose added, “On January 2, another boat also got hooked up with a striped marlin at Catalina Island, but things got so chaotic on deck that they could not get the boat turned around in time, and the line broke.”

Even more amazingly, the San Diego boat Tribute landed a total of 66 bluefin on a 1½-day trip to

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Don’t forget that Irvine Lake is also capable of churning out some massive blue catfish like this 27-pound monster caught and released by Terry Lairson of Huntington Beach. (IRVINE LAKE)

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the Tanner Bank during the second week of January.

Yellowtail action continues to be very good in several locations, including the southern Orange County coastline, Cortez Bank, Tanner Bank, La Jolla and the Coronado Islands. Catching good numbers of yellowtail in January is not exactly unusual, but traditionally it has happened only in years of squid abundance, and the yellows would bite only if anglers had live squid as

bait. So far in 2015, the yellowtail are biting on both yo-yo jigs and fin bait just like they do in midsummer.

Other amazing catches of the first part of 2015 include an 8-pound baqueta caught aboard a Redondo Sportfishing vessel; the baqueta is a grouper species common in deep water in the Sea of Cortez, but not seen in California waters for over 50 years. In two non-rod/reel January captures, a spear-fisherman shot a 20-pound pargo (dog snapper) off Palos Verdes, and a commercial crab pot dragged to the surface near San Francisco contained a triggerfish along with the expected crustaceans.

What does this all mean for anglers in the early spring? At this point any kind of predictions would be ill advised! CS Editor’s note: The author can be reached at scarson@sunset.net.

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FISHING

Drift Boating For Steelhead Owning a drift boat (or sled) opens up a whole new world of fishing, providing access to many miles more of your favorite steelhead streams and opening up angling possibilities that are most successful when performed afloat. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

By Buzz Ramsey

I

traded the old drift boat for a new one last fall; my new one is an 18-foot wide-bottom Willie drifter complete with a UHMW bottom.

Yes, it’s big, but this boat’s synthetic bottom makes the craft row easily, not stick on rocks, and its size means it’s in no way tippy and allows me to haul gear and people safely over shallow river bottoms.

But whatever brand you purchase, owning a drift boat (or jet boat, for that matter) opens up a whole new

world of fishing. Not only can you access miles of water on your favorite steelhead stream, but that of dozens of rivers within driving distance from your home. Adding a warm coat, rain gear and a boat heater can make a winter trip mostly comfortable for a female companion or young angler.

And while you might start off catching fish the same way you did from shore, by float or drift fishing, having a drift boat will allow you to employ new fishing methods, all fun to learn and effective at catching fish.

Some boating methods you might

learn from a friend, by booking a trip with a guide, or by reading the balance of this article.

BACK-TROLLING PLUGS Holding your boat steady in the current while letting a diving plug out 40 to 50 feet downstream of your craft might sound like a mindless fishing method, but believe me, doing this effectively is harder than you might think, and will absolutely make you a better oarsman. After all, with all your gear and friends, your job will be to maneuver a 1,200-pound boat FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

69

A trio of drift boats pull plugs in a fishy stretch of a West Coast river. While seemingly simple, backtrolling is harder than you might think and will make you a better oarsman while also allowing you to effectively fish a hole. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

in a way that positions a ¼-ounce plug(s) where you want it.

Keep in mind, this fishing method works best when river levels are medium to low in height, meaning the color of the river should range from steelhead green (3 to 4 feet of visibil-

70 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

ity) to gin clear.

The idea is to hold your boat steady at the head end of a hole or drift, let your plugs float downriver, engage your reel (causing your plugs to dive) and then row just enough so your boat will slowly drop down-

stream while allowing the current to keep your plugs diving near bottom.

The above let-outs work under most conditions, but in shallow water or short runs, you may want to try fishing your plugs only 30 feet back to facilitate a deep dive. But

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

71

Randy Woolsey shows off nice hatchery winter-run steelhead caught out of the author’s old drifter.

(BUZZ RAMSEY)

when fish might be spooked due to clear water and/or heavy fishing pressure, try 50 to 70 feet.

An important element in

72 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

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73

example, an Abu Garcia 5500 reel will pay out 7 feet of line with each pass of the line guide, so seven single passes of the line guide will be the right amount of let-out for most conditions. While you can count line guide passes to determine distance, the easiest and most accurate way of gauging the distance is to use linecounter reels.

The strike of a steelhead hitting a plug is likely the hardest one you will ever feel. It’s important to wait until the rod bottoms out before setting the hook, and to have your thumb firmly planted on the reel spool when doing so. You don’t want to set with a quick snap, but rather pull the hooks into the fish with a strong and firm upward motion.

SIDE-DRIFTING Similar to back-trolling plugs, the way you maneuver your boat will have everything to do with your success with side-drifting. Since your boat is acting more than simply as a casting platform, to do this correctly, the operator (you or your buddy) must keep the boat moving downstream at or slightly slower than the river current.

Once again, you will be starting at the head end of a hole or drift and begin moving downstream with the current, at which time you will need your friends to parallel cast out, across and upstream from your craft. It will then be your job to keep your boat moving ahead of or even with your lines as they drift along in the current.

Because your boat is moving at the same speed as your outfits, little or no line belly develops, meaning very little weight is needed to keep your offerings close to the bottom. Unlike when drift fishing from shore, you’re not looking for a steady tapping of the river bottom here; within a foot or so of the bottom with an occasional tap is plenty good. Some anglers, depending on river height, will use a single split shot; most employ a 74 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

short slinky-type sinker consisting of three to six shot, which is the correct amount of weight for this fishing method.

With side-drifting, the feel of a steelhead taking your bait will be the same as when getting hung on the bottom. However, there is no big yank necessary as compared to drift fishing; just wait and watch your rod tip until it starts to throb and then pull back slow and firm.

After all, how can the fish back up fast enough to throw your hook when there is little or no line belly and your outfit is being pulled constantly downstream by your drifting boat?

A thumbnail-sized egg cluster threaded on a size No. 1, 2 or 4 single hook works best when side-drifting. My favorite hook is the new one made specifically for side-drifting by Owner. Many anglers rig a double-hook outfit in combination with a size 12 Lil’ Corky sandwiched between two size 4 single hooks. This rigging, when fished in combination with a small egg cluster, adds just the right amount of buoyancy – enough to float the bait slightly above bottom, reducing hang-ups, but not so much as to pass above the zone where fish hold. Leader lengths average 30 to 50 inches; in general, the clearer the water the longer the leader.

Anglers who excel at side-drifting are those who can cast accurately and not – I repeat not – keep all slack out of their line. Leaving a little slack in your line allows for a more natural drift, as doing so enables the current to direct your bait to where fish hold.

After all, fish naturally position themselves where it’s easy treading and the current will funnel feed – in this case your bait – to them. CS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and member of the management team at Yakima Bait. You can also find him on Facebook.

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

75

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78 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

FISHING

OTAY AN EARLY BET FOR BIG BASS DOUBLE-DIGIT FISH COMMON IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY LAKE

By Bill Schaefer

CHULA VISTA—Lake Otay has been putting out a good number of fish, including some 5- to 10-pounders.

The water temperature at the San Diego County lake was 64 degrees, according to a mid-January report from the San Diego City Lakes Office’s fish reports (sdfish.com). Otay is known for heading into its spawn early, sometimes as early as February, but usually winter storms cool the waters and send the largemouth into a tizzy. The lake is also known for multiple spawning periods, or so it seems as water temperatures rise and fall.

Once the water temperature does hold for a decent amount of time and stay in the 60-degree-and-above range, like it has recently, the males will charge the banks, looking for their nesting spots. Lake managers plant rainbow trout, and larger female bass will fall for trout swimbaits year-round, but especially this time of year when stockers go in. Right now, all you have to do is decide whether you want numbers or size – anglers here are scoring both.

In early, low-light conditions, try both hard and soft jerkbaits. As the sun comes up, go to cranks, spinnerbaits, jigs, and plastics. A Texas-rigged worm has always done well here – try an Otay Special, brown with a black stripe. Cranks and lipless cranks in a crawdad pattern, especially reds, work well in the prespawn/spawn time.

Dean Jamieson with one of the fat Otay Lake largemouth you can catch if you put in the time throwing swimbaits resembling trout. (BILL SCHAEFER)

As I mentioned, trout imitations will score some giants here. Last year the largest largemouth in the country was caught here, weighing in at 17 pounds. You will have to put in the time, maybe spending the entire day throwing the baits, but you should be rewarded with some nice fish. One tip is to parallel the shoreline and fan cast from deep to shallow waters. Always watch for followers!

If bed fishing is your fancy, males will be found getting ready for their mates all along the Otay Arm’s west shoreline. A white or chartreuse grub

on a jig will work well, and those colors also allow you to easily see the lure on the bed. When it disappears, set the hook quickly! If you do score a giant this way, let her go after a few quick pictures.

You want her to keep Otay full of good stock.

The water level at Otay usually stays fairly stable, and with all the rain lately it is one of the fuller lakes at only 14 feet below spill. The fish here really love the tules, and if in any decent amount of water, they will rush into them, so keep this in mind as well. CS FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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BEST OF LAKE ISABELLA

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FISHING

STAY LEVEL-HEADED AT ISABELLA DESPITE LOW WATER LEVELS, KERN COUNTY LAKE CAN BE A WINTER BASS BONANZA

By Luke Kelly

Guide Rusty Brown with a fat Isabella largemouth. Despite continuing low water levels, the Kern County fishery should still be productive using “slow, methodical” techniques that include throwing jigs and swimbaits.

(RUSTYBASSHOOK.COM)

LAKE ISABELLA—If you’re looking for exceptional largemouth bass fishing this winter, look no further than Southern California’s Lake Isabella, northeast of Bakersfield in Kern County.

Despite the colder winter weather and low water levels, Lake Isabella can produce trophies, just so long as you have the right tools and techniques for the job.

To find out the best ways to land largemouth on Lake Isabella in the wintertime, we consulted guide Rusty Brown of Rusty Bass Hook (rustybasshook.com), who is also a professional bass angler and winner of the 2013 U.S. Open. Brown’s hard-earned wisdom and experience means that he knows how to put people on the fish.

“Right now, we have low water.

We’ve had low water for five years.

But as far as the fishing goes in the wintertime, it has to be slow, methodical fishing,” says Brown.

“The lure that I like to throw,” he continues, “is a ProLine Jig.” Brown believes that there are massive bass to be caught on a slowly fished bait such as a jig or a swimbait.

He recommends throwing the football jig, either in a 3/8 or 5/8 size.

“I like the football because Lake Isabella has a lot of big rocks and boulders, as well as small flats,” he says.

The football can be easily bounced and jigged along the bottom without a huge threat of hang-ups, but he’s not fishing it super deep.

“I don’t fish as deep as you would

think in the wintertime. Anywhere from 15 to 25 feet is pretty much my target zone,” Brown says.

The depth at which he fishes fluctuates based on the temperature outside. If it’s cold, he’s going deeper; if the weather is warmer, the fish tend to come up, so he fishes a bit more in

shallow water.

Lake Isabella is one of the biggest lakes in Southern California, and although many of the usual hot spots for winter are too shallow because of the drought, Brown expects the fishing to pick up as winter progressContinued on page 86 FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

83

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84 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

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Brown says jigging does not need to be done in extremely deep water. At Lake Isabella, the guide targets the bottom where it’s about 15 to 25 feet deep. (RUSTYBASSHOOK.COM)

es – as long the region gets the rain that it desperately needs.

“The conditions are going to get better, and we’ll get some water hopefully. I expect we will. February and March are big rain months, especially in Southern California,” he says.

Whether or not water levels fluctuate, Brown points out that the color you use and the trailer you select is essential if you want to catch big bass in the wintertime.

“I prefer the Rusty’s Big Fish Jig, which is from ProLine. I also like to throw the Rusty Brown, which is a brown and orange color,” Brown says.

“My third choice would be a brown and purple from ProLine.”

Brown matches these jigs with a No. 11 Uncle Josh Pork, or a No. 1 Jumbo Pork. He recommends a solid black and brown color for the trailers.

It’s also important to use a sturdy rod when you’re jigging so that you have a lot of backbone. For jigging, Brown recommends Phenix Rods, specifically the M1’s, anywhere from 7 feet and up, rated from 10- to 20-pound test.

For line, Brown uses 15-pound Maxima Ultragreen mono. “I like the monofilament for fishing that type of rocks on the bottom,” he says,

TROUT DERBY DATES TO REMEMBER The Lake Isabella Trout Derby will take place from March 2830. Here are some other dates to remember: The early-bird deadline to register is March 2 at 4 p.m.

Online registration at the Kern Valley Chamber of Commerce website (kernrivervalley.com/#!online-registration/ c1d5e) will close at 4 p.m. on March 24. The next day, March 25, in-person registration will close at noon. Derby registration onsite begins on March 27 between 8-9 a.m. No entries will be accepted after 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 28.

The chamber of commerce said there will be no exceptions to this.

A guaranteed payout of $18,500 will go to contestants catching the longest trout, with cash prizes ranging from $5,000 for first, and $4,000, $3,000 and $2,000 and $1,000 for ensuing longest trout caught. There will also be a $6,000 vacation voucher to be raffled off during the course of the weekend.

This year’s entry fees are $30 per angler and a $65 family price.

For more information, contact the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce (760-379-5236). -CS

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because it’s resistant to abrasion.

You also want a strong line, because many of the bass here can be of substantial size.

“It’s definitely a big-fish lake,” says Brown, who has pulled 15-pounders out of Isabella. “You may only catch one or two fish in a day in the wintertime, but that one fish is going to be a dandy.”

Aside from jig fishing, Brown also recommends trying a swimbait in the winter.

“I like to slow-roll a swimbait, where it’s bumping the bottom in 20 to 25 feet of water,” he explains. “Every once in a while I’ll pause it, let it sit, then start retrieving it real slow again.”

He contends that this is another technique that produces big fish.

“You want to focus on the main lake parts with deep water access, or a creek running nearby. This is where their comfort zone is, and makes for an excellent spot,” Brown adds. CS

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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URBAN HUNTRESS

Africa may seem like an intimidating place for some, but the author says by doing the research you can find safe destinations that offer epic hunting. Here, Brittany and Nic Kruger pose with a big mountain zebra from Namibia, one of the continent’s safest countries. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

A TRIP TO ADVENTURELAND AFRICA SAFARI PLANNING FOR ROOKIES

By Brittany Boddington

LOS ANGELES—As

hunting season winds down in the U.S, things are just getting started in Africa.

I often get asked where the best place for a first-time safari is and my answers always vary depending on what the hunter is looking for. When planning a safari, it is key to get a firm grip on what you as the client want out of the experience.

There are different places for different people. If hunters are going for the wild Africa experience that they read about as children, they should go to a different destination than they would for a family vacation that includes hunting. Here’s a quick breakdown on where to go and what to expect there:

NAMIBIA For the first-time youth or family

hunt I suggest Namibia, which has become a home away from home for me after my very first safari took place there in 2003.

The great part about Namibia for a rookie safari hunter is that it is a completely different world. Travelers will hear different languages and be able to learn about several different tribal cultures, but the national language is English, so it is easy for Americans to get around and communicate with FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

89

URBAN

Brittany with the Lichtenstein’s hartebeest she took at 420 yards in a flat and open area in the Coutada 11 area of Mozambique. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

HUNTRESS

locals. It has one of the most stable governments in Africa and is generally considered an extremely safe place to visit.

Namibia is also home to all of the Big 5 animals, with a huge variety of other species as well. The cool part about Namibia is that there is something for everyone. There are safari camps with five-star accommodations for those of us who like to avoid roughing it; there are beautiful photographic opportunities; for a side excursion, there is the coastal town of Swakopmund, where travelers can ride quads into the dunes to look for skeletons exposed by the ever-changing landscape.

There are also serious tent camps in rural areas of Namibia where hunters can get a sense of old Africa. I had the pleasure of hunting up in the Caprivi Strip of Namibia last 90 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

year with Omujeve Safaris (omujevehuntingsafaris.com), and it was a completely new and different type of hunting to me. We spent most of the day cruising up and down the river and spotting game from the boat. Namibia is definitely one of my favorite places in the world.

MOZAMBIQUE For the serious hunter who wants a taste of old Africa like in the Capstick books, I would advise that they check out Mozambique, a southeast African country with a very tumultuous past. Even now it has issues here and there, but for the most part has stabilized. There are some really amazing areas to hunt that have come back from the brink due to the investment and management of hunters.

I was lucky to experience this amazing place for the first time this

past year. There are species here that I had never seen before and can’t be seen anywhere else. I went with Zambeze Delta Safaris (zambezedeltasafaris.com) and had a great time.

I hunted the pygmy antelope in the sand forest and went after buffalo and crocodile through the swamps. I had an extremely successful trip, taking 13 animals in 10 days. I collected eight new species that I had never hunted before.

This is a great place for a serious hunter who doesn’t mind a tent camp and a few – or actually a lot of – serious bugs. For this trip, a hunter would need malaria prophylaxis and a yellow fever shot. It may sound daunting, but it is 100 percent worth it!

SOUTH AFRICA This country is for a hunter who

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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URBAN HUNTRESS

The author and outfitter Andrew Pringle of Crusader Safaris with a beautiful old bushbuck in the northern Natal free-range area of South Africa, which is one of the safest countries to visit for first-time African safari hunters.

(BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

wants a nice African adventure without dealing with immunizations and is safe. South Africa has become more like a First World country than most of the rest of the continent. There are world-class cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban that are home to some of the best doctors and professionals in the world. Yet it still retains some great safari destinations.

This type of trip is ideal for couples who want to spend one half of their trip hunting and the other half taking in the country. With the exchange rate hovering around 11 to 1 at press time, South Africa makes this an affordable and exciting destination.

There are beautiful game farms spread across the country, and up in the northern Natal province, there is an outfitter named Andrew Pringle of Crusader Safaris (crusadersafaris. com) who is still doing all free-range

92 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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URBAN HUNTRESS

This is definitely a different style of hunting!

Traveling up to the Caprivi area of Namibia means a lot of time on a boat. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

hunting. I hunted there a couple years ago with Andrew, and I can attest to the fact that there is some of the best free-range mountainous kudu country I have ever seen.

This is a no-brainer for any hunter who wants to ease into the African experience and incorporate some sightseeing in their adventure. Cape Town is a world-renowned destination for travelers, and a combo hunt and Cape experience should be an easy sell to a hesitant safari partner!

These three categories should give first-time safari seekers an idea of what they would like to do! Stop spending all year stockpiling gear for the next deer hunt – get out there and see what an African safari is like!

Just be careful: Africa is addictive. CS Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer. More information can be found at brittanyboddington.com and facebook. com/brittanyboddington.

94 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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HITTING THE OFF SEASON’S ‘ON’ SWITCH Scouting for public hunting land might result in finding a herd of deer that could tip you off on where to return to once seasons start up again next August. (ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

NO HUNTS, NO PROBLEM IF YOU HAVE A PLAN

By Albert Quackenbush

L

ooking at the blank piece of paper in front of me, I ponder the outdoor activities I want to do this year.

With California’s deer and bear seasons over we face the dreaded lull of the offseason. If you are like me, I often wonder what is ahead immediately after deer hunting ends.

It doesn’t take long for me to imagine all the possibilities that are just waiting to be unearthed.

I think back on the previous year to what I did right, did wrong, need to improve on, and what fun I can have in the coming seasons. I jot down each idea that pops into my head as it is time to plan out some hunting and fishing adventures!

FUN WITH FAMILY At the top of my list is planning

outdoor adventures with my daughter, whether it is simply taking a hike or choosing some new fishing spots. While I may be the guide, I also get her to share her ideas. Listening to her brings forth new ideas and also gets her excited to do fun things in nature. One of the things I most look forward to is going camping and fishing with her. Right now, she is asking to go hiking more, and why not? It’s a great time (and way) to shed a few pounds and get some leg work in. We also break out the binoculars to scout along the way – although my wife isn’t a hunter, she loves to hike and is pretty darn good at spotting deer! It’s great seeing the outdoors through their eyes.

IN SEARCH OF …

Now is a great time to start looking for new public hunting ground. It is also a great time to introduce some new hunters to the proper way to find public land to hunt and to help them learn to scout properly. I talked with a couple of new bowhunters last year,

and the most common question was, “Where do I start?”

You would be surprised at how many people haven’t hiked the foothills or mountains. More than that, many have never shot an arrow. It doesn’t always have to be about hunting. Get them involved in archery, and many will find a new hobby they will enjoy for a lifetime.

Now is a great time to introduce new people to archery or the outdoors! I have a few readers who have reached out for some guidance.

Instead of just telling them what to do, I am going to invite them to come out with me to do some scouting.

TRAIL MIXING One thing I like to do in late winter or early spring is to set out some trail cameras to see what bucks are dropping sheds and made it through the seasons. While theft of cameras is on the rise (sadly), fewer people will be in the forests during winter; you’ll have a decent chance of seeing what animals are still around. It’s a great FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

97

MeatEater by Steven Rinella.

The publications I have yet to read, but would like to this year are Nature Wars by Jim Sterba and Survive by Les Stroud. These will keep me motivated, help me learn new things about my approach to hunting, and give insight into some survival skills that may save my life.

opportunity to hike, scout, and get a feel for the land long before hunting season is upon us.

THAT’S A KNIFE As I have grown, I have learned to appreciate an incredibly sharp knife.

I find that sharpening my knives is therapeutic and gives me time to relax. This year, I finally began using a wetstone, which has amazing benefits. Once you get the stroke and angle exact, your blades will have a mirrored edge and cut better than they ever have before. Once you have that edge, after you use a knife, it only takes a few strokes to get it back to a razor edge.

READ ALL ABOUT IT I am looking forward to catching up

PIGGING OUT Winter is a good time to volunteer for outdoor programs such as one in the San Gabriel area that helps clean out natural springs and watering holes for bighorn sheep. (TIM GLENNER/CDFW)

on some reading and learning more about hunting. Even with more than three decades of successful seasons under my belt, I am always willing to learn more. I learn something new every day and want that to continue with hunting too. I have a few books in mind that I have already read – Public Land Mulies by David Long, Backcountry Bowhunting by Cameron Hanes, and

PICTURE THIS These days, so many outdoorsmen are photographing and videoing their adventures that you have to think and work creatively to do something different.

Now that the pressure is off, take some time to photograph a hunting partner or a family member in different ways that might be reflective during the season.

Think about the light, position of the animal or fish, the position of the person, lighting of the face and eyes, and the background. All of these things need careful consideration. If you plan ahead, you just might land that California Sportsman cover shot!

I have been shooting photos for 20 years and I still practice! I have to as I need to stay sharp. When I don’t practice, my photos suffer.

If you plan on videoing your excursions, again plan ahead. The purpose of shooting a video is to tell

98 California Sportsman FEBRUARY 2015

a story, so do just that. Write out an introduction and conclusion that can be used over and over.

Then, begin writing out and considering smaller tidbits that add to the storyline. If you are a coffee drinker, shoot the coffee maker as it is brewing, or pouring java into a mug.

Now, this may or may not be used, but if you have it, you will be ahead of the game. You can always reshoot it. Plan a mini-trip and video it. Figure out who is the main focus and who is going to video it. Guidelines need to be set and adhered to in order for it to be successful.

Now comes the editing part, which is often the toughest piece of the puzzle. Sit down and play around with different features on short clips. Working on longer ones in the offseason can be overwhelming and drag you down long before the season ever starts. -AQ

Thin out squealers and songdogs!

Huntable year-round, feral pigs are highly sought after and are a nuisance – a delicious nuisance. Now is the time to begin making phone calls to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to see if anyone is calling them with pig issues on their land. You never know when you might catch a lucky break and get to hunt some pigs on private ground.

One of the things I have discovered over the past few years is that more people are willing to let you hunt their land if you simply ask them. Most areas in the Southland only allow the use of archery equipment and possibly crossbows, but that shouldn’t stop you! In fact, that should fire you up, and I encourage you to ask.

With all of the damage that feral pigs do to land, many property owners can obtain a depredation permit that will allow you to hunt their property.

Pig tags are not required when using the depredation permit.

GIVE BACK There are many volunteer activities where biologists and the CDFW could use our help. A couple that come to mind are the annual San Gabriel Bighorn Sheep Survey and assisting the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (sheepsociety. com) in cleaning out natural springs and waterholes for the wildlife. The sheep survey typically takes place in the beginning of March. There is an orientation the evening before and the following day you head out and try to count sheep (falling asleep is not an option). It’s a great way to meet some biologists, make new

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Hiking is a great way to stay in shape for grueling late summer and fall deer hunts in hilly terrain.

(ALBERT QUACKENBUSH)

friends and view these animals in their natural habitat. Bill Tuck, SCBS spring survey coordinator, will tell you they can use all the help they can get checking on the springs. A bonus is that if you bring your camera, you might just get some footage of animals coming in to drink.

HONE YOUR SKILLS Another great way to keep up your archery skills is to participate in some indoor leagues, 3D tournaments, or just meet up at an outdoor range with your friends. I prefer the latter because we can set our own times and rules, and get to know new people. It’s a great opportunity to invite some fresh faces to meet up, shoot for a couple hours, and talk archery and hunting.

“Offseason” really isn’t the right

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word. It’s more like a “do plenty of other outdoor-related things” season.

One of my goals is to learn how to saltwater fish. I grew up learning to fish freshwater lakes and streams.

As a Los Angeles-area resident with plenty of access to the ocean, I want to learn how to go after bigger fish.

My knowledge base will be from my friends who have done this for years.

No matter what you choose to

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do, you should embrace the time to learn and improve your skills in many different ways. As humans, we like variety, and challenging yourself in different ways will help you increase your knowledge and hopefully become a better, more rounded California sportsman. CS Editor’s note: More from the author can be found at socalbowhunter.com.

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HUNTING Crow hunting has some similarities to waterfowling in that the birds can be called to and decoyed. (TIM E. HOVEY)

AS THE CROWS FLY HUNTING A SURPRISINGLY TASTY BIRD

By Tim E. Hovey

A

s a sportsman, I always look to challenge myself in the outdoors. Once I learn the basics of an activity, I enjoy moving on to the next experience level and learning all I can. For me, it keeps my hunting adventures challenging.

When I first started hunting, my initial focus was just to see the animals I was after. As I gained more experience and learned the animal’s habits and habitat, I started to see an increase in my hunting success. Once I became confident in stalking within range of game, I wanted to challenge myself further. I wanted to call animals to me.

I’ve always been fascinated with calling and decoying animals during hunts. I’ve bugled for elk, called and decoyed turkeys, watched ducks land in my decoy set near my blind, and I can think of nothing more exciting than calling predators into range. To me, calling adds an element of increased excitement and expertise to the hunt that I strive for. To challenge

myself, my ultimate goal is to fool an animal into range.

With the conclusion of dove season in late December, and still wanting to decoy birds, I decided to hunt a species that I hadn’t pursued in a while.

I decided to dust off the black plastic decoys and hunt the common crow.

DISCOVERING CROWS Back in 1998, I stumbled onto a magazine article about crow hunting. I read how they could be called in and decoyed just like ducks, and how challenging they were to hunt. The magazine included a photo of a guy kneeling next to a dozen crows, bordered by a few black decoys. The article concluded with a recipe for preparing crow meat. After investigating the season in California and picking up a few decoys, I decided to give it a try.

Crows are smart birds with incredible eyesight. They can see color better than humans, and if they get a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary, they will reverse course and leave. The glint of a shotgun barrel or the movement

of a hunter is enough to ruin the setup and send them wide and out of range. A large amount of crows – actually known as a “murder” – that have sensed human presence in an area will not likely respond to your calling.

Once a murder knows you’re there, they won’t come back.

SETTING UP Depending on the abundance of crows in the area I hunt, I essentially have two different set-ups for calling crows: a decoy and blind set-up, and running and gunning.

Pairing the decoy set-up with a blind works well if an established flyway has been identified. Crows will roost in the same general area every evening and then fly off to feed in the early morning, following a fairly regular flight pattern or flyway. If these flyways are located, setting up just off this sky path and calling can be very successful.

Frequently, when I spot crows approaching my set-up and I hear them calling back, I know, at least for the time being, I have them fooled. This is the time to keep perfectly still and wait for them to close the distance.

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HUNTING

Hunter Eric Frandsen stands in the shadows waiting for crows. Note the decoys on the field in the background. (TIM E. HOVEY)

tossing out some decoys and making crow sounds. Crows make specific sounds in different situations, and a smart hunter will need to match these specific sounds with the decoy layout when he calls. A group of feeding crow decoys should be matched with crow-gathering sounds. If you call and

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simulate crows in distress and your decoy set-up says something different, they’ll realize something isn’t right and they’ll never get close.

For crow fighting or a crow-indistress set-up, I’ll use an owl decoy.

Crows don’t get along with great horned owls, and will dive-bomb and harass them. Incorporating an owl decoy with crow distress sounds will catch the attention of nearby corvids.

Running and gunning is a method I use if I don’t have a solid understanding of the crow flyway, or if the crow population is spread out or already off the roost. I’ll drive around and look for quality feeding habitat and set up near these hotspots. If I can locate an open area where decoys can be put down easily, I’ll use them. But for the most part, I’m calling quickly and moving frequently.

The idea here is to locate small groups, call them in, take a few and then move on. This method can be very successful if you’re hunting a

new area and you aren’t familiar with the flyway.

GEAR There are several crow hand calls on the market, and most of the remote, electronic calls have a diverse set of digital crow sounds – from feeding and gathering crows to crows in distress. As far as volume, crows are loud birds. When I use a hand call, I will blow on it at the highest volume I can muster. To avoid being seen when using a hand call, I’ll stop calling when birds get close. When I use the electronic caller, I keep it running at high volume the entire time.

Crows are big birds, and even though regular mourning dove loads in sizes 7½ and 8s can be used, to extend your range and deliver more shot energy, use high-base shells in sizes 4 and 6; it will definitely help in harvesting more birds.

Hunting a bird that has incredible eyesight requires the use of camo

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The author says crows’ ability to see color better than humans can make them challenging hunting targets. (TIM E. HOVEY)

from head to toe. Once you have your blind set up, walk out and look back towards it to see if anything appears out of place. Look for unnatural colors or patterns that catch your eye. Look for anything shiny that would easily signal a bird from the sky. Your entire blind area should look well hidden and natural.

COUNTING YOUR CROWS On a recent crow hunt I started to notice that approaching birds were responding, but once they got close, they’d turn around and leave. I walked out and looked back towards the blind and saw the shining faces of both my daughters peek over the vegetation.

They looked like two bright head-

lights beaming over the brush. The crows were responding to the call and the decoys, but spotting the bright faces of the girls and leaving. We broke out the facemasks and we were soon dropping crows.

During the early December crow opener, I took my daughter, Alyssa, out to see if we could call in some birds. During our dove trips, we had seen plenty of crows flying in a fairly predictable flight. We set ourselves up at the base of a row of trees and built a makeshift blind. I placed the decoys out in front in a gathering/feeding pattern. I placed my electronic caller in front of the decoys and we got ready.

Five minutes into the hunt, Alyssa spotted a pair of crows way out to our left. I turned on the caller and we watched them. Within seconds, they changed course and headed our way.

We stayed still and watched them as they dropped in altitude.

When they spotted the decoys they began to call almost in unison to the

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electronic caller. When they got close, we stood quickly and dropped the pair. On our first shots of the 2014-15 crow season we’d dropped a double!

A few weeks after that opener hunt, I took my buddy, Jose De Orta, and his son, Adrian, out to see if we could get them both their first crows.

I brought both my daughters, and the goal of the day was to see if we could get the kids on some birds.

After starting our day using a decoy-and-blind set-up with limited luck, we decided to run and gun.

Since the birds weren’t moving much, I knew we had to change things up.

We hunted about eight different areas over the course of the day in diverse feeding habitats and did well. All three kids dropped birds and we all had a great time.

REGULATIONS Crow season in California runs from Dec. 6 to April 8, with a daily bag limit of 24 per hunter. They’re abundant

statewide. It should be noted that ravens, a larger, black corvid species that looks very similar to the crow, will respond to crow calls as well. Both birds will occupy similar habitat, but only the crow can be hunted in California.

Ravens are substantially larger than crows, but the easiest way to tell the two species apart in flight is the tail.

The terminal end of the crow’s tail is straight across. The raven’s is more pointed and arrow-like. It’s essential that you be able to tell the difference before you head out for a hunt.

And yes, crows are edible. The meat is similar to dove and cooks well in a variety of ways. Breasting out the meat and marinating it overnight will yield the best results.

Try extending your palette and your hunting season by chasing crows. It’s challenging, relatively easy and most areas hold a substantial abundance of birds. Once you hear them cawing in response to your calling, you’ll be hooked! CS

WHEN IT’S OK TO EAT CROW Crow meat is dark and lean. It resembles dove and has a steak-like texture. Despite crows being about four times larger than dove, the crow breast is only about 40 percent larger. Like most dark meats, some precooking preparation is required for the best results. The following recipe is for crow jalapeno popper appetizers:

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The crow meat should be breasted out from the bird and chilled or refrigerated.

The breast meat should be soaked in ice water for a few hours. Afterwards, remove the breast meat and dry it with a paper towel. I cut the breast into thirds and soak the breast fillets in a steak marinade overnight.

Once you prepare the meat, you’ll need the following ingredients to complete the appetizer: six jalapeno peppers (two per popper), cream cheese and bacon. Toothpicks are also helpful during the baking process.

Slice the peppers in half, top to bottom, and scoop out all the seeds. Fill the halves with cream cheese and top the jalapeno with a piece of the marinated crow breast.

(TIM E. HOVEY)

Stick a toothpick through the meat and out the bottom of the pepper. Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Many recipes for wild game poppers wrap the bacon around the pepper and cook it at the same time. I prefer to cook the bacon separately. Once the bacon is cooked, I’ll slice it up into 2-inch sections.

After the poppers come out of the oven, place the bacon strips on the popper and serve.

You’ll find the steak-like texture tender, and the overnight marinade gives the meat a smokey flavor. -TH

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HUNTING How long to spend on a coyote calling set depends on many factors, including the type of terrain, what sounds you’re making and the amount of public pressure the area receives. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

FROM FIELD:

CALLING IN THE BRUSH TIPS FOR ATTRACTING COYOTES

By Scott Haugen

C

alling coyotes in vast, open country is quite different than calling them in dense forests, riverbottoms and brush-choked terrain. Add the fact that many have been pressured by fellow hunters, and the odds of success drop exponentially. But if you hunt coyotes in the brush country of California, here are some calling tips that might get you fired up to head afield:

THE RIGHT SOUNDS From what I’ve seen over the past decade, howling for coyotes has been overused in many areas. It seems many hunters have been starting each stand with a howl. It’s a lot easier to mess up a howl than the sounds of a dying animal, and when you

botch it, coyotes quickly wise up.

In places where public pressure is high, try offering coyotes sounds they may not have heard before.

Lately, buddies and I have been having impressive results using raccoon, bird and cottontail distress sounds.

Jackrabbit distress sounds are something a lot of callers are using, but if those kinds of bunnies aren’t in the area you’re hunting, refrain from making such sounds. They may have worked well years ago, but are overused these days.

Brush rabbits are indigenous to much of western California, and they’re a prime food source of the coyote. They thrive from the lowland, grassy flats of the valleys all the way up into the Coast and parts of the Cascade Ranges. Keying in on such food sources makes sense, and has been paying off big for smart hunters. Brush rabbit distress sounds

are like a cottontail, not a jackrabbit.

Because raccoons have such a wide range and thrive in brushy habitats, try incorporating those sounds.

Start out with some distressed ‘coon chatter, then go into a coyote yip to make it sound like there’s a fight.

This often works in brushy habitats.

In areas where the brush is thick, trees are tall and the land is steep, try starting your calling sequence with softer sounds. In this habitat, coyotes can be surprisingly close, and you don’t want to start out loud and aggressive and risk blowing them out.

Here, try starting with soft mouse squeaks.

When calling in thick habitat where coyotes can live in a small area, the last thing you want to do is to go in aggressively and risk educating them. Instead, go in subtly with some mouse, bird or even gentle cottontail sounds. In doing so, you’ll FEBRUARY 2015 California Sportsman

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HUNTING FIRE UP THE GRILL FOR RABBIT

TO FIRE

By Tiffany Haugen

T

ypically in our Field To Fire column, we highlight cooking the critter we’re hunting or fishing for. But since coyotes aren’t on the fine-dining list of many people, we’re featuring one of their main prey animals: the rabbit.

Rabbit is very healthy, having the highest percentage of protein and the lowest percentage of fat of any meat. It is an all white meat that can be substituted for chicken in almost any recipe. Rabbit is lean, so cooking it on a plank on the grill or in an oven bag in the oven will help keep the meat from drying out.

Planked barbecue rabbit 1 rabbit 1 onion, chopped 2 tablespoons butter

½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup ketchup ¼ cup molasses 2 tablespoons rum 1 teaspoon dry mustard Dash of hot pepper sauce, if desired 1 plank soaked in water or one oven bag Butcher rabbit by removing legs and cutting down the center of the saddle. In a medium saucepan, sauté onions in butter over medium heat. When onions are soft, add remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes on low heat. Coat rabbit pieces with sauce and place on a prepared plank or in an oven bag (add all barbecue sauce to the bag). Grill or bake at 350 degrees for one to one and a half hours, or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 155 to 160 degrees. Baste with barbecue sauce often, and turn

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HUNTING be surprised at how far away a coyote’s keen ears can detect these slight sounds. Under the right conditions, it’s nothing for a coyote to hear these discreet noises from 200 yards away, or even further – it all depends on the conditions and terrain.

THE TIMING Due to the varied habitat, one of the greatest challenges facing brush-country coyote callers is how long to stay on a stand. Not seeing much of the land you’re calling leaves great uncertainty as to how long you should give a set-up to work.

As a rule of thumb in open country – be it valley farmland or clearcuts in the mountains – if there’s a great deal of public pressure, work it for a good 45 minutes. If you know coyotes are in the area, give it longer than that. When offering them sounds they’ve likely not heard much of, these already call-shy coy-

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Coyotes living in dense habitat are smart, and once educated, are tough to call in. This season, try offering coyotes distress sounds that mimic the indigenous prey in the area you’re hunting, just like author Scott Haugen did to fool this yapper in big timber. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

otes can take a while to respond.

In tight timber, give it 15 to 20 minutes. This shorter sequence is because the calling takes place in close quarters and the coyotes usually respond quickly if they’re close by.

If concentrating efforts on tim-

bered ridges and amid brushy draws and the bottoms of creeks, call and move. If nothing comes in after 15 minutes or so, rather than calling louder, pick up and go to the next spot.

It’s usually better to cover ground with your feet, putting yourself in ideal setup situations rather than covering ground with loud calls.

When it comes to busting coyotes in brush country, pay attention to the details and use sounds that make sense for the habitat you’re hunting in.

Approach this season with the mindset that it’s all about solid setups, wise calling and hunting smart, and just maybe you’ll see a rise in the number of songdog pelts you take.CS Editor’s note: The author hosts Trijicon’s The Hunt on the Sportsman Channel, and this year, he will co-host Alaska Outdoors Television on the Outdoor Channel. See scotthaugen.com for more.

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