Issuu

FISHING • HUNTING • TRAVEL CALSPORTSMANMAG.COM

SIERRA TROUT

Truckee River Resurgence

bass ! s t s a Bl FFEATHER EATHE RIVER STRIPERS SOCAL LARGIES MISSION BAY SPOTS

Dealing With Mammoth Snowpack

plus plu us

Poppin’ Baits!

ALL ASHORE! Paciﬁc Beaches’ Fishing Bounty

ALSO INSIDE

Wild Pigs Of Paso Robles

Tagging Bighorn Sheep

Redding’s Outdoor Playground

U xaHBEIGy01291rzuv+:'

2 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

4 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

$900K

7.7ac. 50 Logs on site for your Cabin.

Kenai Pen. Seldovia

$75K

“Executive Retreat.” Log, 4 Bdr. Home. Pvt. Airstrip. Sauna –Jacuzzi – Shop….

Bristol Bay Area Wood River

Kenai Pen.

$830K 550 acres! Your own Private Wilderness or…

Cozy Log Cabin. Fishing – Boating.

Glennallen Lake Louise

$99K

$375K

The place you always wanted to have! Private cable trolley for acc. & millions of acres of unspoiled Wilderness behind you. A Must to Check out (Glennallen section).

King Mt. Retreat

$425K

Frontage on 2 Lakes. Custom Vacation Home, lots of Xtras! Terms!

Lake Louise

$350K E. Papoose Lk. Home, adj. Bldg. Pvt. Airstrip. Rd. acc.

Big Lake Area

Typical, cozy summer “Trapper” cabin.

$299K

$1.2M

$195K 40 – 70 or 160 acres, Prime Land. Rd. acc. From

Talkeetna/ Willow

Nondalton – Home plus 4 Rental Units. Best Fishing!

Lake Clark Yentna R/Lake Creek Area $37.5K Area

50 Space RV Park – Restaurant. Great Going Concern!

Tok - 60 Room Motel

$1.25M Great Fishing – Bear Viewing – Whale Watching! Great place to live year round or…

Kodiak - Port Lions Lodge

$135K

79 “developable” acres.

$160K

ﬁshing! Pvt. Airstrip.

Lake & River front. Rainbow – Salmon. Fly Fishermen’s Paradise! 80ac.

Lake Clark

$279K

$3.9M

Bristol Bay - $249.9K Bristol Bay $65K King Salmon Great Bldg. Lot – Elec. “Best” Red Salmon River frt.

Kokhanok Bay – A little TLC. Fantastic Location! Best Fishing!

Lake Iliamna

Port Lions Home – Perfect summer Home or.. Ocean View! Great Boating, Fantastic Fishing! Bear or Whale Viewing! Etc.

Kodiak

Talkeetna Mts. “The Best Money Can Buy”! Exclusive Hunting & Fishing Rights. Over $1.2M Gross.

Stephan Lake Lodge

Alaska – The Place You Always Dreamed Of This and Hundreds More, Remote & Off the Grid Properties; River – Lake – Ocean Frontage – Fishing or Hunting Lodges. See it all in Great Details: www.remoteproperties.com Remote Properties LLC – 907-277-4608 Seldovia Ocean Front

$229K

Ocean Front

$799K Floating Lodge, Prince of Wales Island. Fully Booked!

$1.1M

$650K

$750K

Remote Properties LLC Call 907-277-4608 today!

National Park/Preserve. 160ac. Unspoiled Wilderness!

Lake Clark

Plus adj. Bank Bldg. & Ofﬁce Bldg. 3 Bdr Owner’s Quarters. Place to live, work and Make Money.

NAPA Store in Tok

Motel – Bar – Restaurant. Great for ﬂy out Fishing or Hunting. Just off the highway.

Tolsona Lake Lodge

Exquisite 6 Bdr. 5 Bath Home plus Mother in Law Cabin. Stunning surroundings & Beautiful inside! Executive Retreat, B&B or…

COLLINS LAKE

Northern California’s Premier Fishing Lake • Stocked with Trophy Trout, Bass & Crappie. • California’s largest private trout stocking program of any lake North of Sacramento. • Clean, professional RV park with lakefront hookup sites. Big rigs welcome. • Stocked weekly with Trophy Trout each Spring from MidFebruary thru May.

RESERVATIONS: 1-800-286-0576

6 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

INFORMATION: www.collinslake.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

Sportsman

California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 9 • Issue 9 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Brittany Boddington LEAD WRITER Tim E. Hovey CONTRIBUTORS Bill Adelman, Mark Fong, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Ryan Hughes, Todd Kline, Jeff Lund, Albert Quackenbush, Bill Schaefer, Mike Stevens SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Grifﬁn, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Lindsey Lewers, Sam Rockwell, Jake Weipert PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Kelly Baker

DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines DIGITAL ASSISTANT Samantha Morstan OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER With rivers like the Feather flowing well, spawning striped bass are plentiful, including big fish like Mark Fong’s 20-pound hen. Linesides should be biting well into June. (CHRIS COCOLES) MEDIA INC PUBLISHING GROUP CALIFORNIA OFFICE 4517 District Blvd. • Bakersfield, CA 93313 (661) 381-7533 WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

8 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

CONTENTS FEATURES 46

SUPER STRIPERS California Sportsman editor Chris Cocoles and correspondent Mark Fong headed to the Feather River for a spring striper outing. They expected to catch plenty of fixin’s for fish tacos, but little did anyone know that the river was about churn out not just quantities of linesides but some extreme quality fish that would have the guys rolling up their sleeves and going to work to reel them in.

DON’T SETTLE FOR CANNED TUNA The Pacific’s yellowtail and yellowfin are popular and tasty targets, but Scott Haugen’s favorite ocean pastime is pursuing big and delicious bluefin tuna. Half of our Field to Fire columnist team details the 411 on how to score lots of bluefin from a diehard tuna angler, while Tiffany Haugen gets out her sushi mat for a delicious way to prepare a big catch.

PASO IS HOG HEAVEN

HOW HIGH CAN YOU GO? A turbulent, snowy winter left many fishing holes in the Eastern Sierra covered in snow deep into late spring. Veteran wilderness trouthead Mike Stevens has experienced this before while seeking out his favorite high-elevation streams and lakes, so before you head into the mountains for rainbows, browns and more, check out Stevens’ advice for dealing with runoff from all that white stuff Ma Nature left behind.

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 9

ALL ASHORE Lead writer Tim Hovey likes the simple things when it comes to enjoying the Southern California outdoor scene. So his truck is always stocked with saltwater gear to hit the coast, where the Pacific Ocean’s diverse fish residents are just a short cast away and make for an easy way to fill the cooler with dinner.

(BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

Los Angelino Brittany Boddington, our Urban Huntress (here with guide Tyson Thompson), usually returns from her far-flung hunting adventures with another new country’s entry stamp on her passport. But this time, she heads up Highway 101 to San Luis Obispo County’s Paso Robles, home of wine tasting, good restaurants and some of our state’s best pig hunting.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

DEPARTMENTS

41 59 73 87 89 103 107

The Redding area’s endless outdoor opportunities Poppin’ bass lures An Alaskan remembers California fishing stories Sierra’s Truckee River resurgent after wet winter San Vicente Reservoir remains a Southland bass factory Seeing (and catching) spots on San Diego’s Mission Bay Gear Review: AR-15 handguard passes a hunter’s test Teaching basic commands to your new hunting pup

15 25 26 29 55

The Editor’s Note: Oroville, Feather River on the rebound Protecting Wild California: Chopper rides and bighorn sheep studies Outdoor Calendar Adventures of Todd Kline: Fishing the San Joaquin Delta Photo contest winners Rig of the Month: Stripers will love this Texas-rigged worm combo

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) 382-9220 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 © 2016 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 JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

12 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

THEEDITOR’SNOTE

ne of my writers, Mark Fong, called me on a Saturday night in May, and while we were chatting about our favorite pro basketball team, the Golden State Warriors, who were about ready to start a playoff game, Whether it’s hangover from March’s nearFong said he’d just disaster or something else, with catches come back from fishing like this striped bass held by editor Chris Lake Oroville. Instantly Cocoles, it’s strange more anglers aren’t taking advantage of the good ﬁshing both above and I asked him how things below the Oroville Dam this season. (MARK FONG) were going up there, given what a crappy spring it has been. As a Northern Californian who spent many summers visiting family friends from Yuba City, it broke my heart to see that area take such an emotional beating in March. The damage to the Lake Oroville Spillway; the reservoir’s runoff cascading down and resembling one of those cheesy 1970s disaster-genre flicks; the mandatory evacuations below the dam along the Feather River to the Yuba City/Marysville area; the political finger pointing and social media catfights. Not exactly great times for these communities. Yet good things are happening there, and I saw it with my own four eyes. As you’ll read this month, I joined Fong, Yuba City-area guide Manuel Saldana Jr. – who was part of those evacuations from his family’s home – and his deckhand Justin Leonard for a wildly successful striper trip on the Feather River in late April. The Feather, downstream from Lake Oroville, was full of water, a stark contrast to previous drought-plagued years of low flows. And the fishing was fantastic, though we saw only a handful of other boats that day. (We got a kick out of a couple of college-age kids screaming at the tops of their lungs after landing a striper a few hundred feet from us.) Likewise, on the day Fong and his buddy Ian Rigler, a fellow bass-aholic, launched at Oroville, they were in one of the only boats on the water. Even if few other anglers had much interest in fishing this seemingly doomed lake, Fong and Rigler were catching and releasing plenty of bass, so Fong suggested they see if they could have a 100-fish day. It didn’t take long to hit the century mark. “It seems like all people are talking about when it comes to Oroville is either about the spillway or the water releases. (But) people are missing out because the bass fishing has been really good,” Fong told me. “We caught well over 100 fish between the two of us in a short day on the water, and there was very little fishing pressure.” So check your preconceived notions about failing dams and raging water at the door. The fishing is just fine at Oroville and on the Feather. –Chris Cocoles calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

14 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

PROTECTING

WILD CALIFORNIA

ONE WILD RIDE

Author Tim Hovey (right), a California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, once found himself on a cliff edge for four hours while helping to transport a bighorn sheep during a large mammal survey. (TIM E. HOVEY)

HARROWING CHOPPER RIDES, BIGHORN SHEEP, NOT SO GLAMOROUS DUTIES HIGHLIGHT LARGE MAMMAL MONITORING CAPTURES By Tim E. Hovey

evin and I sat side by side in the back seat, and I can remember being so confined that the sides of our bodies were in constant contact. We were given instructions through our headsets by the pilot, who sat only 18 inches in front of us. His voice was garbled and muffled by static, and I didnâ€™t hear any of it. Kevin nudged me and pointed to my unlatched safety belt. I quickly grabbed the loose ends and clipped them together. Kevin spoke back to the pilot and I saw him nod affirmative. Within seconds the craft dipped forward and we were airborne.

KEEPING TABS ON CRITTERS The California Department of Fish and

Wildlife has several diverse wildlife programs that are involved in routine monitoring of large mammal species. These programs will frequently cross-train CDFW biologists in other programs during their extensive field assessment. Iâ€™ve participated in several of these large mammal captures, which I find enjoyable and interesting. Several years ago now I volunteered for a bighorn sheep monitoring survey. Driving into base camp, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The event coordinator had approached me the week before, asking if I was interested in helping out. Without hesitation, I cleared my calendar and made plans to be there. These field surveys are usually conducted over a three-day period and involve several key operations. To locate

the animals, usually a helicopter flies the canyons looking for areas that hold the species required for the survey. Deer, elk and bighorn sheep are the most frequent species surveyed in this way. When the target animals are located, the second member of the copter capture team goes into action. Connected by a harness and using the skid as a step, the net gunner is trained to fire a specialized net gun at a large moving target from the dipping platform of the helicopter. The bulky firearm uses a blank charge to propel a 12-foot-by-12-foot-square net with tubular steel weights at its corners. Once a target is identified, the gunner steps out onto the skid and leans against the harness. He leads the running animal and fires, hopefully tangling the mammal in the orange square.

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SECURING THE ANIMAL When a target is successfully netted, the helicopter returns to base camp and picks up the bagging crew. The baggers are carried to where the animal is located and dropped off. Their job is to secure the animal, apply a calming blindfold and hobble the large mammal. Hobbles are heavy leather straps that tie the animal’s legs together, which prevents it from injuring itself or field biologists. Once hobbled, the animal is loaded into a canvas transport bag and the helicopter is contacted for pickup. The captured animal gets a short ride tethered to the carry line of the helicopter and is dropped off at base camp. It’s there that the animal gets fitted with a GPS collar and where all the pertinent biological data is collected. The animal is carried in the canvas bag to the shaded data center. Those at the front of the animal collect nasal swabs for disease detection, take a blood sample, measure horns or antlers and begin the fitting of the collar. Those at the rear have a far less glamorous list of duties. A rectal thermometer is inserted into the animal and monitored to assess body temperature. Hair and fecal samples are also collected by the rear team. If an animal’s temperature starts to rise, the backend biologists will begin dousing the groin of the animal with cold water to cool it down. Once the data collecting is complete, the animal is carried close to camp and released, which is done in a careful, stepwise manner. The blindfold is untied but left on, and from the rear, a biologist will kneel over the back of the animal and place his or her knee behind both back legs while it lies on its side. This will keep the animal from kicking anyone and persuades them to escape in a certain direction. The hobbles are loosened and then removed. At this point only one person should be near the animal. That person reaches up and takes off the loosened blindfold, then steps away. Usually the sheep or deer will take a few seconds to realize it’s free, then take off.

Bagged and blinded, an ewe bighorn is ready for transport to biologists. (TIM E. H. P. HOVEY IIII JR. ESQ)

HEADING TO THE FRONT Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work as a bagger and in base camp. Starting at the back of the animal during my first capture, I eventually worked my way to the front. During one trip, the lead coordinator announced they were short a bagger and needed someone not afraid to fly in a helicopter. Two of us came forward. I was chosen to be the new bagger with little fanfare. As they fitted me for an orange jumpsuit, I inquired on why I had been chosen. The coordinator scarcely glanced at me before exclaiming, “You weigh less.”

16 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

The helicopter dropped into the landing zone at base camp, and the net gunner hopped off the skid and motioned us over. We had already been briefed on how to safely approach the craft and Kevin and I climbed into our assigned seats. Once secure, we lifted off and banked hard to the mountains on the left. We had heard through the camp radio that they had netted a ewe 3 miles from base. In the air, the pilot instructed us to look for sheep in the canyons on the way. With no door to my left, I decided to hang on to the dipping helicopter instead. When we got close, the pilot’s voice

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

again came over the headset. “I’ll need to balance the skids on the edge of a cliff to get you guys close safely.” I wasn’t sure I had heard him correctly, but when I glanced to Kevin, his expression confirmed things were about to get dicey. The pilot also instructed us that we’d have to leave the helicopter at exactly the same time to keep the craft from tipping dangerously. I didn’t recall the coordinator going over any of this during my brief interview process. But the pilot hovered over a sheer drop of 150 feet, and his command over the movement of the helicopter was amazing. He gently landed the first 6 feet of the skids on the rock ledge. Kevin and I eased out our respective sides and gently stepped out onto the back part of the skids as instructed. A step to the left and I would be on firm ground. A step to the right and it would be five seconds before I hit solid earth, and bagging a sheep would be the least of my worries. We exited the chopper without

The author collecting horn data from a male sheep. Though a ﬁsheries biologist, he’s eager to volunteer for mammal surveys whenever he has time. (TIM E. HOVEY)

California forests are threatened by nonnative insects and diseases. These invasive species can be transported on firewood to new areas where they can become established and kill large numbers of trees.

• Leave firewood at home – buy or collect firewood where you camp. • Use firewood in the same county or region where it was cut. • Locate local firewood vendors at firewoodscout.org. • Bring only what you’ll need, and burn responsibly.

.org

18 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SeaSport All non-current boats and motors greatly reduced in price. Many one only items and subject to stock on hand. NOW

$127,950

Osprey 24 FM with a Yamaha F300 and an EZ Loader Trailer NOW

$199,500

SeaSport 2600 Aleutian with twin Yamaha F200â€™s and an EZ Loader trailer NOW

$111,500

2016 Weldcraft 249 Cuddy King with Suzuki DF300 and EZ Loader trailer

NOW

$162,500

TomCat 255 with Suzuki DF150 electronic shift motors and EZ Loader Trailer NOW

$62,549

2016 Weldcraft 220 Maverick with Yamaha F200 and EZ Loader trailer NOW

$41,850

2016 Thunder Jet 20 Luxor OS with Yamaha F150 and EZ Loader trailer

See Crestliner & Stingray at Checkered Flag Marine 800 Cameron Way, Mount Vernon 360-336-6552 All other brands at Master Marine Boat Center 333-C E Blackburn Rd. Mount Vernon

BOAT CENTER, INC

Call today! 360-336-2176

See us soon at our

NEW LOCATION IN SOUTH MOUNT VERNON AT 506 JACKS LANE (formally an RV Dealership)19

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

issue and made our way to the netted animal. The ewe was exhausted, and the net had wrapped up the legs of the sheep and become hopelessly tangled around an ocotillo tree. Kevin grabbed the blindfold and fitted it around the sheep’s head, covering her eyes. This instantly calmed the ewe. I started hobbling the legs. Once secure, we started untangling the net. I had to use a rock to crush a plant to free the orange mesh. After 20 minutes of effort, we had the net freed, the sheep bagged and the helicopter headed back for pickup. Within minutes, the helicopter was above our position, dangling a lift strap and hook. The pilot lowered the hook right next to the bagged sheep. As it hovered, I hooked the sheep up and stepped out of the way. The bagged sheep gently lifted off the ground in a cloud of dust. Kevin and I watched as the blindfolded sheep swung with the motion of the copter, headed towards base camp.

It’s a team effort, where everyone has a job, though those in the front of the animal have a less invasive one than those in the rear, where the sheep’s temperature must be taken, among other duties. (TIM E. HOVEY)

HARMONY FARMS WILD GAME PROCESSING

Check out the largest selection of all natural, minimally processed game meats We Carry New Zealand We Can Process Farm Raised Elk & Vension

yes we do smoked sausages and ham NOW AVAILABLE: “Kobe-Style” Australian Wagyu Beef

Your Animal

GAME BIRDS • PHEASANT • SQUAB • QUAIL

• ELK • DEER • BUFFALO • WILD BOAR • ANTELOPE • KANGAROO • ALLIGATOR • OSTRICH • LLAMA

100% Certiﬁed Berkshire Pork Whole Suckling Pigs – Special Order Whole Turkeys • Duck • Goose

2824 Foothill Blvd. La Crescenta, CA 91214 818-248-3068 • 818-248-0361 fax Mon-Fri 7am - 8pm Sat 7am - 7pm • Sun 8am - 6pm

drop-off hours m-f after 2:30pm 20 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

ARCHERY

Ammo, Guns & Calls • Winchester • Glock • Primos • Smith & Wesson

Bows & Arrows • Bowtech • Hoyt • Diamond • Easton Arrow

FISHING Fly Fishing & Traditional • Redington • RIO • Berkley • Fenwick

530-621-4500 3000 Mosquito Rd. Placerville Shop Online At: www.MosquitoCreekOutfitter.com calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

We were to remain at the site until another sheep was netted. We gathered up the gear, sat in any shade we could find and waited. We could hear over the radio that the herd had scattered and netting had become difficult. Four hours later we were picked up the same dangerous way we were dropped off and taken back to camp. The sheep capture was done for the day.

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE When time permits, I like to volunteer for any wildlife survey that I can. I have been involved in fisheries science for over 25 years and feel that gathering wildlife experience in other programs makes me a well-rounded biologist. Unfortunately, they no longer allow state biologists to assist in the helicopter duties for liability reasons. To be honest, when my wife found out that I had graduated from base camp to helicopter duty, she strongly suggested I stay safe on the ground. I have no problem with that. CS

With biologists’ data collection complete, a bighorn ram is prepared for release. (TIM E. HOVEY)

PURPOSE BUILT

MADE IN THE USA

AR-15 PDW Compact Stock

K ONLY -

C ARC STO

T INCLUD RIFLE NO

Patent #

347

US 9541

QD Sling ent Point Attachm

ARC-X STOCK www.mvbindustries.com

• Collapsed 4 7/8 vs. Deployed 8 7/8 • Weight: 1.4 lbs. • Compatible with all Mil-Spec BCG’s • 7075 Aircraft Grade Aluminum Body

22 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

• Type III Hardcoat Anodized • Nitride 17/4 Stainless Steel Rails • Patented Buffer & Spring System • Buffer Options Include: H-0, H-1, H-2, H-3, 9mm, & PWS

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

24 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

OUTDOOR CALENDAR JUNE 2-3 3-4 9-10 17-18 17-18 24 24 30

Hangman’s Bonus Derby, Convict Lake; (800) 992-2260 Creel Buster Derby, Crowley Lake; crowleylakefishcamp.com Finest Annual Trout Tournament, Crowley Lake; crowleylakefishcamp.com Fred Hall Father’s Day Fishing Tournament, Mammoth Lakes Basin; (760) 934-3416 ModocSportsman’s Outdoor Expo, Veterans Park, Alturas; modocoutdoorecreationandtourism.org Bridgeport Trout Tournament, Bridgeport Reservoir and East Walker River; (760) 616-4214 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Trout Fest, Hot Creek Hatchery; nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=95204&inline Start of Mono Village Fourth of July Fishing Derby, Upper Twin Lakes; (760) 932-7071

JULY 1 1-31 8-30 15

California Free Fishing Day; wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days How Big is Big Fishing Derby, West Walker River; northernmonochamber.com Archery deer season in Zone A (South Unit 110 along Central Coast) Kiwanis Club Special Olympics Trout Derby, Wishon Lake; kiwanisdivisionfive.com/ Special_Olympics.php 15 Stampede Reservoir Team Kokanee Derby; kokaneepower.org 28-29 Bridgeport Fish Fest, Twin Lakes; twinlakeresort.com 29 Kids’ Fishing Festival, Mammoth Lakes; (760) 937-2942 Note: A list of upcoming bass tournaments can also be found at nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishingContests/default.aspx.

The Eastern Sierra trout derby frenzy is upon us, and judging by browns like these beauties from Grant Lake - part of the June Lake Loop and caught by Monrovia’s Eric Barter on a Berkley Flicker Shad in the ﬁre tiger pattern some nice ﬁsh are waiting for you. (ERIC BARTER)

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

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

This is an Instagram photo of the biggest redear sunﬁsh I have ever caught. I weighed the female on the digital scale at San Vicente Reservoir and she went 3 pounds. I caught the ﬁsh slow-rolling an underspin trying to catch bass. (TODD KLINE)

This past month has been a fun one. I have been to the Sacramento River Delta and had some fun guide trips locally. Sunrise never gets old – this was early morning in the vast waters of the Delta. (TODD KLINE)

I got a new wrap on my boat, as well as new rims from Raceline. I am stoked with how it looks and would like to thank all of my sponsors for their support. (TODD KLINE)

My friends Ben Byrd and Paul Retlinger cooked breakfast burritos for us before we hit the water at the Delta. (TODD KLINE)

This was a great month of guide trips. Here is one of my clients after a good day of ﬁshing at San Vicente Reservoir. (TODD KLINE)

My client hooked a nice ﬁsh and it got him down in some wood. So I jumped in, swam down and brought it up. To say he was ﬁred up is an understatement. (TODD KLINE)

I love this shot from the Delta of a boat and its reﬂection on a clear, windless morning . (TODD KLINE)

One of my sponsors (Scosche) met me at Riverside County’s Lake Perris for a photo shoot. We had a blast that day and managed to catch some ﬁsh as well – good times! (TODD KLINE)

FreeImages.com/sabiec

28 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Chris Bilkey

PHOTO CONTEST

Track & Trail Safaris PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL SAFARIS - New Zealand

WINNERS!

Tahr Eric Spiegel is this month’s Fishing Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic he sent of himself and his wild winter-run steelhead. It wins Spiegel loot from our office stash!

Red Stag

Chamois

Fallow

Buck

Goat

Ram

Elk

www.chrisbilkey.co.nz • chrisbilkey@xtra.co.nz • +64 3 693 7123

WHEN ALL YOU HAVE IS WHAT YOU CAN CARRY, EVERY OUNCE MATTERS. Weighs only

1.5 ounces

NEVER LOSE YOUR EDGE ! ࠮ Speedy Sharp will sharpen every knife with any type of edge in seconds, even Serrated Blades ࠮ Speedy Sharp will sharpen Broad Head Arrows, Axes, Hooked Blade Knives and Fish Hooks ࠮ Speedy Sharp will sharpen your knife in seconds so you can be sure

Christopher Reed’s photo of stepson Micaiah Schalk and his cow elk, taken last fall in Yakima County, Washington, is our Browning Photo Contest winner. He wins a Browning hat.

For your shot at winning Browning and fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to ccocoles@ media-inc.com, or to 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.

YOU WILL NEVER LOSE YOUR EDGE!

Speedy Sharp 1410 E. Pine Ave. | Meridian ID, 83642 800-920-3094 | 208-884-0661 speedysharp.com

MADE IN THE USA calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

30 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

NORCAL Whether author Bill Adelman is ﬁshing for Shasta Lake bass or checking out the futuristic Sundial Bridge in the heart of the city, he knows the Redding area is an outdoor lover’s paradise, even if summer’s heat means bringing along extra cold drinks. (BILL ADELMAN)

RED HOT DESTINATION

WHETHER IT’S FISHING SHASTA LAKE AND THE SACRAMENTO RIVER OR HUNTING VARIOUS GAME, REDDING OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

By Bill Adelman

EDDING–What comes to mind when thinking about this major Northern California city? A jewel? The heart? A gem? A corridor of excitement? A neat place to go and seek personal adventures? Yes on all counts, depending, of course, on the motivation and desire of the visitor and resident alike. Redding was incorporated in 1887 with about 600 settlers. The history and growth blends well with research-

ing the old days of the area. Some lawlessness, a few saloons, as well as a bit of thievery among some of the assayers helped build the foundation of the city. What was during years past a pass-through area is now a vacation destination in what is known as the “Shasta Cascade Wonderland” region. The Shasta Historical Society was organized in 1930 and today is a cornerstone of the area, and greater Redding is famous for outdoor recreation, concerts, cultural events, art

exhibits, museums, theater, antique stores and galleries. As we often hear, “and so much more.”

HOT, HOT, HOT Many, many years ago a friend was traveling to Oregon. The plan was for me to join him and venture into the Trinity Alps for a few days of ﬁshing. On the way out, he dropped me off at the bus depot at 10 p.m., where it was but a scant 113 degrees. Trying to convince me to ever

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL The Turtle Bay Museum offers history, wildlife and an aquarium featuring ﬁsh native to the north end of the Sacramento Valley. (BILL ADELMAN)

return would have been an effort in futility. But things do change, and now this “gem” of the north is a prime destination. Just plan your outing and time of the year carefully. That’s exactly what we did when visiting during the third week of April. There are so many must-do and -see options that a tad bit of researching ahead of time is a necessity. A good start is visitredding.com, and at the top of the list are Lake Shasta and the Sundial Bridge/Turtle Bay complex. After six years of construction, Shasta was completed in 1944 as a means to assist in ﬂood control. Could those folks have known

about fishing, hunting, skiing, boating, jet skis, party boats, swimming, tubing, houseboats, cabins, rental units, camping and all the other opportunities that I can’t remember? Kirk Portacarrero, a year-round guide on local lakes and the Sacramento River who concentrates on bass, trout, steelhead, stripers and salmon, along with one of his bass guys, took us out for a memorable Shasta bass trip. We launched at Centimudi near the dam for a morning of bass fishing among a flotilla of boats fishing a Bassmaster regional tournament. Only a few reached the southern sec-

32 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

tion of the lake that we explored, so we had to contend only with damp weather and wind, but still managed a mix of smallmouth and spotted bass in our boat.

WILD TURKEY Then came a morning turkey hunt for my wife, Gerry, which was preplanned with Redding’s own Parrey Cremans, a Mossy Oak TV personality. Gerry was the hunter, while I backed off about 50 yards as an observer. Her guide, Justin, was a young man who worked hard trying to overcome quiet toms, drizzle, rain, high wind and ground fog. Nary

a bird responded, but it was still an adventure that was topped off with breakfast in Palo Cedro. Cremans operates a full-time year-round hunting program (justforhunting.com) for deer, elk, turkey, pig, predators and bear. We hunted east of Palo Cedro in some of the most beautiful rolling hills youâ€™ll ever see. And there are ranches galore.

DRIFTING THE SAC A bit more on the relaxing side is Turtle Bay, adjacent to the iconic Sundial Bridge, which is actually a working sundial completed in calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL 2004. The walk over the Sac is relaxing, and don’t be surprised to see a driftboat from the popular Fly Shop just a bit downstream and hooked up with one of the Sacramento River’s wild trout. The museum is the anchor structure at Turtle Bay, adjacent to a gift and coffee shop with outdoor seating. Within the Turtle Bay Museum (turtlebay.org/museum) are historical remembrances of the Wintu Indians, an art exhibit, displays of past agricultural and beekeeping activity in the area, and a live aquarium of resident ﬁsh. At predetermined times a guide explains the origins of the river’s ﬁshery. The king of the aquarium, a 45-pound beaver named Timber, holds court there, and the museum also includes Old West living conditions, farming history, a recreation of the caverns on the east side of Shasta Lake, which can be visited via party boat, and

Turkey hunting is also popular in these parts. (BILL ADELMAN)

34 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL new exhibits that change periodically. At this same location are a forest walk; a plant-growing Paul Bunyan and his ox, Babe; an old train engine with a few cars; a bit of history on how rock and gravel was dug at this location and transported to the dam site by conveyors to make concrete; a real live wetland; and a shallow waterpark setting where little ones can dam water, set it free and learn the schematics of water control. There’s also the Parrot House, where you can enter and hand feed the birds. They also offer an animal show, Walk on the Wild Side, where all of the animals and birds are on display, featuring a fox and badger. A mentoring program for animal care is on site for teenagers, many of whom return annually and stay on as volunteers. After exploring all of this, we grabbed an iced tea prepared by a barista and enjoyed all of the bird and people activity prior to returning to

The author’s wife, Gerry, shows off a Shasta bass. The lake is a cornerstone of the region’s outdoor opportunities. (BILL ADELMAN)

36 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

H&M Marine Services is Pleased to Announce:

Your Marine Repower Specialists Since 1998

400 Harbor Drive â€¢ Sausalito, CA 94965

VISIT:

www.handmmarine.com

FOR GREAT PRICING ON MARINE OUTBOARDS! FREE shipping for West Coast !

Email: ethan@handmmarine.com

Phone: (415) 332-3507

Fax: (415) 332-3525

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL our truck at the free parking lot.

COME FOR THE FISH, STAY FOR THE FOOD Need it be mentioned that eateries in and around Redding offer every style of food imaginable? But if you’re into hunting and ﬁshing, guides and outﬁtters are available for any type of trip that suits your fancy. Wild hogs are at the top of most hunting bucket lists, and just a bit of research will put one in touch with experts for further info. We were extremely pleased with Parrey Cremans’ program. Accommodations are everywhere. Venture off of I-5 into town for some of the more “quaint” locations while on the freeway are many chain hotels to choose from. The Red Lion Hilltop (redlion.com/redding) was our host, and their dinner menu in a laid-back setting is superb. The Red Lion is just one of many lodging options. Another favorite is the Hil-

Want to get to an easily accessible ﬁshing spot in Redding? There is plenty of shoreline access to cast into the Sacramento River right in the heart of the city. (CHRIS CCOLES)

ton Garden Inn (530-226-5111). All in all, spring or fall, give it your all on a trip to Redding. As for summer, prepare for a lot of heat, but you can still ﬁnd something to

entertain yourself here. CS Editor’s note: For more on Redding, contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (530) 225-4105 or go to visitredding.com.

ADVENTURE IS WAITING JUST OFFSHORE

Booking Fast Call now!!

We Are The Most Fun Operation On The Water! • One Day “Run & Gun” Tuna Charters: Catch Tuna ‘til Your Arms Fall Oﬀ & Home By Five • Faster, More Fuel-Efficient Boat: We Spend Less Time Running & More Time Fishing • American Made Seeker Rods & Truth Reels: We Have The Best Equipment In The Business!

38 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

40 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

BAY AREA

CAST, REEL AND POP

SIMPLE, VERSATILE POPPER TOPWATER BAITS CAN SLAM BASS By Mark Fong

n recent memory, topwater poppers have become an overlooked option for many of today’s anglers. But those in the know certainly are in on the secret. A popper is easy to recognize by its distinctive cupped mouth and slender proﬁle. The cupped mouth pushes water and creates the signature sound of its namesake.

TIE ONE ON

A popper is an extremely versatile topwater bait, easy to ﬁsh and capable of catching largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass in Bay Area and various Northern California lakes. (MARK FONG)

A popper is an extremely versatile topwater bait. I have caught popper bass on a multitude of different fisheries spanning Northern California and the Bay Area. From small waters such as farm ponds and creeks to large waterways like Lake Berryessa, the Delta or Lake Shasta, poppers catch bass everywhere. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass of all sizes will absolutely crush a popper. It may surprise some that a bait of such diminutive size can account for big fish, but they do. My personal-best popper fish pushed 8 pounds, and poppers are known for catching quality tournament-grade fish. Poppers are powerful search baits calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

BAY AREA that can draw fish from long distances. In clear water, I have seen bass come from more than 25 feet away to strike a popper. Work them over points, submerged humps or vegetation, and they are also great tools for targeting specific structural elements. Cast them around docks, flooded trees or bridge pilings.

Poppers are very user-friendly lures – you do not need a lot of experience to be successful with them. Cadence is key to triggering the bite, and it is up to the individual angler to determine how the ﬁsh want the bait presented. (MARK FONG)

EASY TO FISH Poppers are very user-friendly lures that do not require a lot of experience to be successful. This makes them an ideal choice for the novice or beginning angler. To work a popper, simply employ a sharp downward motion of your wrist to action the lure. Cadence is key to triggering the bite, and it is up to the individual angler to determine how the fish want the bait presented. As such, the mood of the bass and the conditions on hand are important considerations. Old-school wisdom is to make a cast and let the bait sit motionless briefly. Next, twitch the popper once and wait for the ripples to go away. Now repeat the process. Be on the alert, as bass will strike the bait when it is at rest and just as it begins to move again. While this retrieve does work, there are other effective presentations that should be explored as well. Another option is to make a cast and twitch the bait several times in succession, pause the bait briefly, and repeat. Mix it up and experiment with the number of twitches and the length of the pause. My favorite way to work a popper is to work the bait fast. I will fish the bait aggressively with a steady fast pace, making it spit and splash water. My goal is to generate a reaction strike. Some fishermen have a problem making a solid connection with the fish. Remember to be patient when a bass strikes and don’t pull the bait away from the fish. It is easy to react to the visual nature of the strike. Instead, wait until you can feel the weight of the bass and then simply 42 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

The author happily shows off a couple of beauties. Popper topwater lures, which mainly imitate smaller baitﬁsh, should always be in your tackle box as a potential bass catcher. (MARK FONG)

pull into the ﬁsh with your rod and reel quickly.

GEARING UP This season I have been enjoying great results using the new Ima Finesse Popper. At 2.6 inches long, the Finesse Popper is the perfectly sized bait for bass that are reluctant to bite or relating to smaller forage. It is equipped with a subtle fish-attracting rattle and is finished with a handtied feather trailer on the rear treble hook. I won’t fish a popping-style bait without a feathered rear treble. When the bait is paused in between twitches, the feather will continue to pulse in the water. This is an important action that can trigger more bites. Poppers are designed to imitate small forage fish. With this in mind, I recommend choosing colors that match the forage base. In clearwater lakes, Real Ghost Shad does a great job of mimicking not only shad but also other small baitfish such as pond smelt. In shallow grass environments 44 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

where sunfish are present, a bluegill color is my first choice. Small topwater lures fish best on a rod with a soft tip and a strong backbone. For popper duty I rely on a Cousins Tackle GP 704T popping rod. At 7 feet, it is perfect for making long casts and has the length and power to control and subdue hard fighting fish. I pair the rod with a compact high-speed baitcaster, spooled with 25-pound FINS 40G Braid. I like braid for its low stretch and strength, however braid has a way of tangling itself with treble hooks. To remedy this problem, I use a 7- to 8-foot leader of 20-pound Gamma Polyflex copolymer line tied to the mainline braid with an Alberto knot. Not only does the leader keep the bait from fouling but it also adds a measure of stretch, which helps keep fish from pulling free. If you have never fished a popper, or maybe it’s been awhile, tie one on and see what happens; you might just be pleasantly surprised. CS

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

EARNING OUR STRIPES WE EXPECTED TO CATCH A LOT OF LINESIDES ON THE FEATHER RIVER – JUST NOT TWO 2O-PLUS-POUNDERS By Chris Cocoles

UBA CITY–Our day on the Feather River essentially began and ended the same way: unexpectedly reeling in fish of a lifetime. Earlier this spring, California Sportsman correspondent Mark Fong and I rode together from the Sacramen-

to area for a short trip north, where we figured we’d catch striped bass – lots of them. But I was certainly not counting on catching any big fish. The tempered expectations would still have us enjoying the action. I figured that would mean a consistent netting of keepers – California regulations require an 18-inch minimum length – and the four of us reaching

46 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

two-ﬁsh limits without much drama.

AFTER YEARS OF DROUGHT that turned our guide Manny Saldana Jr.’s backyard river into a water-deprived mess, the Feather was more than compensated by Mother Nature as winter and spring turned biblical. Heavy rains pelted the state, and there was so much water that the

CENTRAL VALLEY Valley resident who will spend this summer working on an Alaskan fishing boat, set us up with live minnows, held firmer on our Size 1 sickle-style Maruto hooks with Bait Buttons rubber keepers. Any massive strikes from the resident linesides would be nonchalant – a tap here, a twitch there – and likely meant fish were sampling our bait. The current and our drifting approach would make detecting the subtle strikes challenging. So as we dropped down our lines to the bottom and then cranked up a couple turns, the bites began to come frequently, and less than an hour into putting our lines in the water, we’d already hooked and lost a couple fish. But the initial pull on our Raze series Cousins Tackle rods seemed similar, and when my reel cranking created some tension, I initially anticipated a nice striper, probably a keeper and maybe even the biggest fish of the day so far. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

IT WAS A NONDESCRIPT yank, but quick-

The author (far left, with guide Manny Saldana) and Mark Fong show off their massive female stripers, highlighting a memorable spring day on the Feather River. (CHRIS COCOLES/MARK FONG)

heavily publicized and scrutinized spillway damage upstream at Lake Oroville prompted Saldana – who guides both salmon and striper fishing for his MSJ Fishing Guide Service – and his family to flee during mandatory evacuations in Yuba City and Marysville in March. That crisis was quelled for now, and fishermen could at least feel comforted that the Feather was full of water. On this late April day, Saldana said the river was running at 38,000 cubic feet per second, a far cry from my last visit here for a king salmon trip (California Sportsman, December 2016) when the river was

dotted with tree branches poking out of the surface. This time, the Feather resembled more of a long lake than a drought-stricken river, and we ironically had to ﬁnd calmer water than faster-running sections around Shanghai Bend Falls, a few miles from our launching point. “We simply found a small pocket where the water wasn’t raging. I utilized my Minn Kota trolling motor for our live bait that could be eaten up by those hard-ﬁghting stripers,” Saldana told me later. Saldana and his part-time deckhand Justin Leonard, a young Grass

ly the bass had me on the move – from near the bow of Saldana’s 21foot Fish Rite to the stern in a hurry. The others on the boat became my wingmen – Fong trying to video my stressful turn at the plate; Leonard encouraging me; Saldana coaching me. The instructions were simple and calmly communicated, yet I still felt like I was at boot camp for ﬁshing greenhorns. “Reel! Reel! Reel!” “Rod tip in the water!” “Work the line back around the motor! Don’t get it caught around it!” I did what I could to not blow it, and with every zigzag from one side of the boat to the other, it only raised my fears of letting the big one get away. The 50-pound Yo-Zuri braid we were using was being tested. I kept waiting for that striper to tire, but this wasn’t going to be easy. I can’t remember the exact time it took to get the ﬁsh close enough to the boat so that Leonard could scoop

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY

Sunrise over a rain-raised Feather that was running at 38,000 cubic feet per second on this late April day after a wet and turbulent winter and spring. (CHRIS COCOLES)

it into the net. My wrist was on the verge of being in pain, so at the time it felt more relief when I could loosen the reel and allow the experts to get the striper out of the net. A smiling Leonard showed me the remarkable sight of the hook just barely stuck in the side of the fish’s mouth. I wondered how we could have coaxed this bass into the boat without it wriggling free. We put the striper in the livewell to give it a chance to recover, and measured it around 36 inches. Saldana estimated it at 25 pounds, but it may as well have been 50 as far as I was concerned. It was as awesome a conquest as I’ve ever had on the water. When Saldana and I teamed up to pose for a couple grip-andgrins, it began to hit us how special

this striper was. “Fish of a lifetime” was repeated over and over again through fist pumps and bro hugs. This was also a female striper, a hen that had traveled from the Bay Area saltwater through the San Joaquin Delta and then up the Feather to spawn. While some consider stripers an invasive pest that threaten Chinook numbers, supporters believe the drought and water allocation have done more damage to the kings than the bass, which were first introduced to this state way back in 1879. So I had no problem releasing this female back into the river. “To continue the spawn and keep making babies,” Saldana said on a Facebook video. “How was the fight, Chris?” “It was awesome.”

48 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

FOR THE NEXT FEW hours of boating from hole to hole, both upstream and downstream from the launch ramp, we simply ﬁshed like the script was supposed to play out. Under much-appreciated sunshine coming off that wet winter, we caught a lot of stripers. It wasn’t quite nonstop action, but just enough to keep us on our toes and allow us to recall the chaos of the earlier big one that didn’t get away. We released plenty of shakers that were too small, and methodically closed in on the limit of keepers (shouting “Fish tacos!” became our inside joke with every 18-inch-plus bass that would later be ﬁlleted). I’d catch and release one more nice hen – about an 8-pounder – and was understandably content. But Fong, who was as excited for me as

www.wooldridgeboats.com

Celebrating Over 100 Years of Best in Boating

17â€™ Alaskan XL

Wooldridge Boats

1303 South 96th St. Seattle, WA 98108

(206) 722-8998

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY Live minnows made for a tasty meal for several stripers on this day. (CHRIS COCOLES)

I was in the morning, had his moment in the afternoon. Fong gets to fish these waters a lot more than I do living so close to the river, but he couldn’t believe the fight he was getting from this particular striper that had swallowed another piece of live bait. It was my turn to point the iPhone on the guy who was going through his own fight. “Oh, it’s a nice one,” Saldana said on camera. “Just play her on out.” “Oh, baby,” added Leonard, figuring something special was happening to us again as Saldana got another trophy into his net. “Oh, my gosh.” Fong’s hen was a little smaller but

Mark Fong does battle with his striper, which was estimated to be about 20 pounds. (CHRIS COCOLES) 50 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

BAIT & TACKLE

TEAM VIP OUTDOORS

Justin Leonard with one of many smaller but feisty stripers that provided everyone with a lot of tasty ﬁllets to bring home. (CHRIS COCOLES)

Guided Fishing Trips & Custom Salmon/Steelhead Tackle Home of the # 3.5 Colorado

We provide customers with some of the best guided salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon fishing trips in Oregon. Everywhere from the world famous Buoy 10 to Bonneville dam. We also fish many on the coastal and Columbia River tributaries during the peaks of their season. In addition, we manufacture and sell the Northwest premium Salmon and Steelhead tackle.

“Fish tacos!” Besides the big females that were caught and released, a limit of eight keepers was also taken home. Though viliﬁed by some as an invasive species, striped bass are great ﬁshing targets that make for delicious tablefare. (CHRIS COCOLES)

503-550-7048 www.vipoutdoors.com

easily 20 pounds, a spawning bass that he was also happy to send back into the Feather and continue to maintain a robust striper population. We finished off a limit a while later, and back on land all agreed it was an unforgettable day. On the ride back to Sacramento, in between Fong and I talking about college football and concerts we’d attended, the conversation ultimately swayed back to those two fish that we didn’t expect. CS Editor’s note: Good striper fishing is expected to continue through June. For more on MSJ Guide Service or to book a striped bass or salmon trip with Saldana, check out msjguideservice.com or call (530) 301-7455. Like at facebook.com/ msjfishingguideservice.

BAIT & TACKLE

ou Tr

Salmon

head

Steel

Quality Baits For Over 80 Years

DO IT RIGHT

WITH ATLAS-MIKE’S

No other company gives you more fish catching products for salmon, steelhead and trout than Atlas-Mike’s. Salmon eggs, floating trout baits, marshmallows, fish attractants, bait cures and brines plus salmon/steelhead accessories, they have it all! Every angler’s looking for an edge, tip the odds in your favor with Atlas-Mike’s.

INTRODUCING...

MIKE’S FUSION LUNKER LOTIONS

Mike’s FUSION Lunker Lotion is loaded with fish attracting ingredients like REAL KRILL, AMINO ACIDS, SCENT, UV and more. These ingredients are fused together to create a powerful attractant that fish can’t resist. FUSION stays on your baits and lures longer because of its SUPER STICKY formula.

NEW SCENTS!

GIVE ‘EM WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT IT...ATLAS-MIKE’S! w w w. A t l a s M i k e s . c o m

BAIT & TACKLE

SPONSORED BY:

RIG MONTH OF THE

12-pound-test Ultragreen

CATCH LINESIDES WITH WORM SET-UP

20-pound monoďŹ lament mainline

1 /2-ounce bullet sinker

NOTES We follow up last monthâ€™s Brass and Glass Shakinâ€™ Rig with a heavyweight variation that is effective on Northern Californiaâ€™s striped bass. On the Feather and Sacramento Rivers, swimming a Texas-rigged black plastic worm can be devastating on stripers during their annual spring spawning run. This rig works best during low-light periods. To construct the rig, begin by threading a Â˝-ounce lead worm sinker onto the mainline. Next, attach a 4/0 or 5/0 Gamakatsu Offset Shank Worm hook. To finish, insert the point of the hook into the center of the tip of a 7-inch black ribbon-tail worm, exiting at the bottom, Âź inch from the tip of the bait. Pull the hook through until the eye of the hook is hidden by the plastic. Rotate the hook and reinsert the hook point into the body of the worm, making sure to keep the worm straight. -Mark Fong

7-inch black ribbon-tail worm

4/0 Gamakatsu Offset Shank Worm hook

(MARK FONG)

Subscribe Today! calsportsmanmag.com Fish Alaskaâ€™s Prince William Sound

:H DUH \RXU RQH VWRS IRU 3ULQFH :LOOLDP 6RXQG 5HFUHDWLRQ

Boat Rentals and Premium Charters just 50 minutes from Anchorage! BOAT RENTAL )W )XOO\ 2XWÂż WWHG 9HVVHOV CHARTERS 'DLO\ 0XOWL 'D\ &RPERV $100 OFF WITH MENTI /RGJH 3DFNDJHV ON OF THIS AD 6SHFLDOL]LQJ LQ +LJK 4XDOLW\ 3HUVRQDOL]HG 7ULSV IRU 6PDOO *URXSV

907.440.9510 | FISHWHITTIER.COM calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

Blue Wildebeest

Blesbuck

56 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Impala

Warthog

BOW HUNTERS | July 2018 Hunt with Jim Burnworth of Western Extreme in Africa

Spend 10 DAYS in Africa with Jim and WOW Africa for $4,500 Package includes: All daily rates (8 hunting days, 2 traveling days) All meals, local beer, wine and soft drinks Bow hunting workshop Tranfers from Johannesburg to hunting area and back to airport Field preparation of trophies 1 x Blue wildebeest 1 x Impala 1 x Warthog 1 x Blesbuck or Duiker Dates: 2 – 11 July, 12 – 21 July, 22 – 31 July Additional trophies can be hunted as per 2018 price list: Trophies and activities. Non Hunters at $150 are welcome Not Included: Accommodations and activities before and/or after the booked dates. Taxidermist work and exportation of trophies Izak Kirsten izak@wowafrica.com 702 350 7730 (USA – until mid March) or 0027 833 784 986 (Africa)

Kudu

Anke Kleinhans events@wowafrica.com

www.wowafrica.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

58 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

CENTRAL VALLEY

REMEMBERING

ALL THE FISH WHETHER IN FRIGID SOUTHEAST ALASKA CREEKS OR GOLDEN STATE RIVERS, MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES NEVER GO AWAY FOR GOOD

Author Jeff Lund spent 10 years living in Manteca, ﬁshing the Central Valley’s rivers and others throughout the state, and though he’s now back in his native Alaska, he can’t help but think about the good days he’s had on the water here. (JEFF LUND)

By Jeff Lund

’m trying to remember fish I forgot. They are somewhere in that vast lake of memory, but they get washed further from shore as volume grows. It’s sad, really, because it’s like it never happened if I can’t remember it. So while my plane de-ices in Juneau, Alaska, I’m mentally in California trying to recall something – preferably warm – that’s not on the normal highlight reel. I try to remember basics – the foundation of my start in fly fishing that came only about a decade ago.

MY FIRST ROD WAS a Pﬂeuger starter kit. The knots I needed to set up the backing and line and tippet infuriated me. My ﬁrst half-dozen casts were

with a light Cahill. The pretty dry fly was way bigger than what the fish wanted, so my first fish was a little stocked rainbow hooked on a Copper John. I was not exactly digging this fly fishing thing after half a dozen fishless trips. But things turned for the better; outside of the expected disappointments, the memories are worth it. When you get your mind going, it’s funny the details that will sometimes return. I took a nap on a little sand bar around the corner from the Sims Flat Campground on the Upper Sacramento River. I was a few fish in and the day was warm but not hot. A train passed and sounded the horn, and I hoped it was the conductor saying hello, knowing that the train itself had already awoken me.

I caught big browns in that river. The first time was when I took the day off from work to get an extra few hours on the water. By the time my buddies who earned their paychecks that day arrived, I had stories. Some of the fishing memories aren’t about fish so much as about the trip, and that’s fine too. There were big bats by the horseshoe pit at the lodge on the Pit River. It got colder than I expected that night on the Truckee River, but even if it was August I should have seen that coming. There was that dude in the Prius who drove four hours from the Bay Area to fish the Stanislaus. That’s a long weekend drive for fish and one of the reasons I’m so happy in Alaska.

THE LAKE OF MEMORY is boiling now. That snake on the McCloud, the hur-

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY

The author with a rainbow caught on the Stanislaus River. But as he writes, “Some of the ﬁshing memories aren’t about ﬁsh so much as about the trip.” We agree. (JEFF LUND)

ricane of salmonﬂies on the Klamath and cows on the Tuolumne. There was that massive whatever that broke me off on the Truckee and the

N EE IO FR I S S M AD

Kraken that did the same on the Upper Sac. The brown trout I caught in Arkansas. My ﬁrst ﬂy tying was for the home

Modoc Outdoor Recreation & Tourism Presents:

6th Annual 2017 Modoc Sportsman’s Outdoor Expo & Children’s Faire June 17th & 18th, 2017 Veteran’s Memorial Park, Alturas, CA Sat 9:30am-4:30pm • Sun 11am-3pm

3-D Archery Shoot • Youth Duck Calling Contest • Modoc Big Buck Display • Children’s Trout Fishing Pond • Rock Climbing Wall & Much More

For More Information: Reese Soriano 530-640-0125 • Dan Ryan 530-640-3848 destinationmodoc@gmail.com modocoutdoorrecreationandtourism.org 60 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

rivers in which I tossed spinners as a kid. I tied big Polar Shrimp, Babine Specials and other flies that Bass Pro Shops had in Alaska fly fishing kits.

THEY WRITE COUNTRY SONGS ABOUT MORNINGS LIKE THIS.

BUT AT 70 MPH YOU CAN’T HEAR THEM.

It’s a glorious sunrise, viewed in fast forward thanks to the power of your 250 ProXS. Because you need to get there while the ﬁsh are still eating breakfast. Learn more at mercurymarine.com or visit your local dealer, today.

CALIFORNIA OCEANSIDE Cal-Kona Marine, Inc. 1517 S Coast Hwy (760) 722-5817 www.calkona.com

SAUSALITO Hirschfeld Yacht 400 Harbor Dr. (415) 332-3507 www.handmmarine.com

NEVADA SPARKS Sierra Sport & Marine 191 E. Glandale Ave. (775) 358-5431 www.sierrasportmarine.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

CENTRAL VALLEY I caught some rainbows and Dolly Varden but discovered hungry trout are hungry trout and Alaska certainly has its bugs, so I tied them too. My biggest rainbow was on a No. 16 black Elk Hair Caddis on my favorite steelhead river. On the same river, as soon as I switched flies, I switched from catching rainbows to cutthroats. I caught dozens of Dollies on a piece of pink yarn tied onto a hook that had barbell eyes to make it sink. I gave one to a buddy of mine from California, and he was so overwhelmed by the action he just laughed. Those are still pretty much the highlights, which is fine. The more I think about a trip, the more I can maybe pull another fish from memory that I wouldn’t have otherwise. And maybe the point of taking the time to remember what’s not in the digital archive is understanding and remembering that fishing isn’t

After awhile, the ﬁsh we hook blend into the background of our memory banks, like trout in a mountain lake or stream, but in an age of apps and online games, remembering individual catches reminds us that the best of life happens away from screens, often on the water. (JEFF LUND)

about the resume. It’s about the ongoing pursuit of something real, something that cannot be replicated with goggles and an app. Something that inspires words even if you’re not a writer. Something worth remembering. CS Editor’s note: Jeff Lund lives in Ketchikan, Alaska, and grew up on nearby

Prince of Wales Island. He is a University of Arizona alum and diehard Wildcats basketball fan who also spent 10 years teaching and coaching in Manteca. He is the author of Going Home, a memoir about ﬁshing in Alaska and California. Get the book at Amazon. com. He is a regular contributor to California Sportsman’s sister publication, Alaska Sporting Journal.

There’s a Tohatsu outboard that ﬁts your needs.

4 Strokes 2.5-250 HP • TLDI 40-115 HP • New 40/50 HP • Lighter Weight • More Eﬃcient • Less Friction • 4 Trolling Speed • 21 Amp. 12 DC Alternator • Electronic Fuel Injection EUGENE, OR Maxxum Marine (541) 686-3572 1700 State Hwy 99 N lloyd@maxxummarine.com www.maxxummarine.com

www.tohatsu.com 62 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

AGE, HEARD ON STATIONS IN ANCHOR SEATTLE, PORTLAND, SPOKANE, IA REDDING, TAHOE, SANTA MAR COAST! AND THROUGHOUT THE WEST

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

calsportsmanmag.com calsportsmanmag com

+ Outdoor news and hot topics covering fishing, hunting, conservation, shooting sports & more! YOUR HOST + Guide and outfitter tips JOHN KRUSE + Celebrity and personality interviews + Outdoor destinations you have got to visit! + New product reviews + Find out about poachers, politicians and more who are walking the “Trail of Shame” OREGON Astoria Baker City Bend Burns Eugene Enterprise Klamath Falls La Grande Portland/Hillsboro NEW Salem

KVAS 103.9 KBKR 1450 KBND 1110 KBND 100.1 KBNH 1230 KPNW 1120 KWVR 1340 KWVR 92.1 KAGO 1150 KLBM 1490 KUIK 1360 KPJC AM 1220

IDAHO NEW Montpelier NEW Soda Springs

KBRV 92.7 KBRV 800/106.3 KOFE 1240

St. Maries TENNESSEE NEW Chattanooga

WSDT AM 1240 WSDT 92.7/95.3 Johnson City/Erwin WEMB 1420

WASHINGTON Aberdeen KXRO 1320 KXRO 101.7 KELA 1470 NEW Centralia Ellensburg KXLE AM 1240 Everett/Seattle KRKO 1380 KRKO 95.3

CALIFORNIA Chico KPAY 1290 Eureka KGOE 1480 Redding/Shasta KCNR 1460 Needles KTOX AM1340/FM 104.1 Santa Maria KUHL 1440 Truckee - Lake Tahoe KKFT 99.1

Fox Sports 1380 KRKO is the “flagship” Seattle-area station and the exclusive live streaming site for the show.

Forks Goldendale Moses Lake Shelton/Olympia Spokane Wenatchee

KDBD 96.7 HD 3 KLCK 1400 KBSN 1470 KMAS 1030 KMAS 103.3 KSBN 1230 KPQ 560

NEVADA Carson City

KKFT 99.1

ALASKA Anchorage Prudhoe Bay Kuparuk

KBYR 700 KBYR 100.1 KBYR 88.5

MONTANA Anaconda/Butte

KANA 580

WYOMING NEW Evanston

Sheridan

KNYN 99.1 KZWY FM 106.3

INTERNET RADIO WRVO RADIO renoviolaoutdoors.com

Go to americaoutdoorsradio.com or calsportsmanmag.com/radio for show dates and times. Podcasts available at calsportsmanmag.com/radio California Sportsman calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017

BEST OF LAKE ISABELLA CROSSROADS MINI MART AT LAKE ISABELLA Since the Rain Gods smiled on Calif., Lake Isabella is the perfect size for all water sports. Whether you are a fisherman, Jet skier, windsurfer or swimmer the beaches are wide, the water is deep and the sun is shining. All campgrounds are open with some reservable and many on a first come basis. The Kern River, one of Southern California’s most recognized for white water rafting is currently rated from Class I to full throttle Class V adventurous rapids. A wide variety of rafting is available from 1-hour to full overnight 2 day trips.Check our local websites for more information. Located just East of Bakersfield in the Southern Sierras on Highway 178, the Kern River Valley is home to a wide range of outdoor recreation. Fly fishing, rafting , water sports on the lake, hiking thru the Giant Redwoods, and mountain biking are just a few you’ll find in the Valley. Word is the crappie bite is on, the Bass are biting and the thousands of pounds of “Tail Walker” trout are still leftover from the derby. Contact the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce for further information.

www.kernrivervalley.com • 1-866-KRV-4FUN • 1-760-379-5236

calsportsmanmag.com

Corral Creek 760-376-3601

Kitchenettes

PET FRIENDLY

BBQDeck

8 miles north of Kernville on the Kern River

www.corralcreekresort.com

BEST OF LAKE ISABELLA 1

BEST of LAKE ISABELLA

rn Riv e

1. Corral Creek Resort (760) 376-3601 corralcreekresort.com

Sierra Hwy

Lake Isabella

2. Frandy Park Campground (760) 376-6483 frandy.net 3. Century 21 Lake Isabella (760) 417-2444 c21juliejones.com

Mountain Messa Lake Isabella

4. Crossroads Mini Mart (866) KRV-4FUN kernrivervalley.com

calsportsmanmag.com

3 4

66 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

OF PUPPIES, PIGS AND PASO ROBLES OUR WORLD TRAVELER HUNTRESS STAYS LOCAL FOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA HOGS

Author Brittany Boddington has hunted Europe, Latin America and Africa, but she jumped at the chance to score a boar near Paso Robles, in inland San Luis Obispo County. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

By Brittany Boddington

’m lucky to hunt all over the world, but this California hunter has one place I always come back to: Paso Robles. There is never a shortage of wild boar to hunt, and the inland city in San Luis Obispo County is amazing. Besides being hunting-friendly, Paso has some great restaurants and vineyards to explore. This trip up from L.A. was mainly to go see my dad, outdoors writer Craig Boddington, and hit the range with some new guns that needed to be shot. Pig hunting was a bonus! I’ve known the guys at Oak Stone Outﬁtters (oakstoneoutﬁtters.com) for quite a while, and my dad hunts

with them often. I asked if they could squeeze me in for a day or two of hunting at the end of my visit with Craig. They said yes, and I was thrilled!

WE HIT THE RANGE WITH my new AK

from Century Arms and did some target practice on Saturday; I think I burned through two or three boxes of ammo pretty quickly. I was able to catch a wine tasting at a local vineyard that evening and then prep for

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

my hunt on Sunday morning with a borrowed rifle. I had packed light since it was only a couple of days of hunting, but I did get to try out my new Kryptek gear. Their ladies’ line just launched and my set fit perfectly. We set out early in the dark with our guide, Tyson. We drove around checking fields for hogs in hopes of catching them early and using the light at dawn to sneak in close enough for a shot. Before too long we spotted some and set out on foot. We climbed up a ridge hoping to get in front of the group of pigs but couldn’t see them in the valley below us by the time we got up there. When we did see pigs they had already gotten past us and were way out – around 400 yards – and not stopping. I was a little bummed, but at least we knew there were pigs around; we regrouped and tried again. This time we climbed out to a nice peak with the intention of glassing. Tyson had his little Jack Russell terrier puppy with him. He is training the pup to be a hunting dog, providing Tyson with a great opportunity for the dog to get some practice. We laughed a bit as the puppy jumped through the tall grass, more often rolling over himself in trying to keep up. We were walking out to the outcrop to glass when we spotted the first snake of the day. Thank goodness the little dog hadn’t seen it when he went past and we were able to dispatch the rattlesnake before the dog even knew it was there. We were a little more careful where we stepped from then on.

I DIDN’T FIND MY pig that evening, but undaunted we set out early again the next morning. The puppy stayed home this time because we had seen two more snakes since that ﬁrst one. We followed the same pattern and drove around checking the most

While Boddington was ready for action, her guide’s Jack Russell terrier puppy (lower left) is still learning the ropes. A rattler welcomed the hunting party in the ﬁeld. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

likely spots for wild boars. We didn’t ﬁnd any that morning and the wind picked up pretty drastically. We hiked a few ridges and glassed a bunch of hills with no luck, so we tried driving up into another area and hiked down this time onto the face of a big hill that overlooked a very brushy valley and opposing hillside. We sat down to glass for a bit, and after about 10 minutes Tyson spotted a group of pigs working their way into the thick brush. We sat for what seemed like forever watching the last spot that Tyson saw the pigs, but nothing moved. I started to wonder if he had really seen pigs, but my skepticism was unfounded; after an hour or so I spotted a black pig moving down through the shrubs. I got on the gun and waited for my chance.

68 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

I ﬁred the moment the pig stopped and Tyson gave me a distance, but I wasn’t sure of my shot. The pig ran and I thought I had blown it, but the hog never came out of the bush it ran behind. The shot was at 200 yards and the gun was sighted at 200, so I should have been right on, but the reaction looked wrong to me. We waited for a while, and just when I had given up, the black pig appeared on the other side of the bush. It was obviously hit but not down, so when I shot again, this time it dropped and didn’t move. I was so relieved! We made our way over to that side of the hill and I checked the pig carefully with the end of my gun barrel, but it was stone-cold dead. I had a beautiful boar and meat for the freezer. I’d call that a

Redefining the recreational vehicle. www.teardropsnw.com Salem, Oregon

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

All in all, between sampling the fruit of the Paso Robles area’s vinyards (inset), restaurants and stufﬁng the freezer with a wild pig, this was a great short trip for the author. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)

pretty successful trip to Paso Robles, providing me with another great adventure that was a short

drive from home. CS Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a Los

Exclusive, personalized, word class hunting in stunning alpine scenery 100% NEW ZEALAND OWNED AND OPERATED

70 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Angeles-based journalist and adventurer. For more, check out brittanyboddington. com or facebook.com/brittanyboddington.

Lochinvar Safaris has privileged access to a variety of properties throughout New Zealand offering both Free Range and Game Ranch Hunting.

www.lochinvarsafaris.co.nz mark@lochinvarsafaris.co.nz

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

BEDLINERS | ACCESSORIES | PROTECTIVE COATINGS BED

WHEN PROTECTION MATTERS MOST, LINE-X IT. California Empire Line-X 9261 Bally Ct, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (909) 980-8922 linexofranchocucamonga.com

Line-X of Clovis 707 Jefferson Avenue, Clovis, CA 93612 (559) 323-5578 linexofclovis.com

72 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Line-X of Pasadena 1817 S. Myrtle Ave Monrovia, CA 91016 (626) 303-8647 line-x-of-pasadena.com

Line-X of Turlock 1441 Freitas Park, Turlock, CA 95380 (209) 667-2975 linexofturlock.com

SIERRA

TRUCKEE BACK ON TRACK

RECORD-SETTING RAIN AND SNOW IMPROVES ICONIC SIERRA RIVER’S TROUT POPULATION

Anglers who regularly ﬁsh the Truckee River, seen here from the California side, are hoping for better days ahead as heavy rains and snowfall are expected to help river ﬂows and cool water temps. (RYAN HUGHES)

By Ryan Hughes

s the rain and snow continued to fall throughout this wet season, a sense of extreme relief took over the region that had suffered a historic West Coast drought. Residents of many Western states were affected by the lack of rain, but there is no population that has been impacted as negatively as our trout – from rainbows, browns and brookies to elusive tigers (brook/brown hybrids) and goldens. Trout are the most sought-after bounties of our waters and various groups and organizations work relentlessly to keep them around. Needless to say, trout need an abundant amount of water in order to

sustain a healthy and growing population. Unfortunately, conditions have been increasingly adverse in recent years due to the dry climate. But now those formerly suffering Western locations are receiving massive amounts of precipitation. The resurgence has beneﬁted people, wildlife species, and, of course, the trout.

A REBIRTH ON THE TRUCKEE Among the many struggling trout populations, the aquatic residents of the Sierra Nevada’s Truckee River – ﬂowing from Lake Tahoe and across the border into Nevada – have been faced with a plight that has been threatening their existence for the duration of the drought. During that period, several efforts

had been made by Nevada Department of Wildlife, including the “Rest Your River” campaign that requested anglers to follow a list of suggestions regarding fishing the Truckee, such as only fishing in the early mornings when the water is coldest. Even with a high trout population, the underlying problem with the Truckee has been the lack of water, which creates more competition for the fish and tends to increase predation rates and unavoidable mortal-

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA ity for many inhabitants of the river. Low water often also means warmer water, lethal to all trout. Warmer water does not allow for as much dissolved oxygen as cold water; warm water, in low-water situations, starves the ﬁsh of oxygen. That said, the entire Reno-Tahoe area saw a record year for precipitation. While Reno has endured the wettest recorded year in its history, the Sierra has been bombarded with record snowfall. Tahoe City saw 437 percent of normal precipitation for October 2016. Much of California has been pulled from the depths of its drought, and the state is now well on its way to having its wettest year to date, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Storms continued to rip through the mountains well into spring, and the Truckee was glad to receive a healthy dose of water.

IMPACT ON TROUT So what does this do exactly for the Truckee’s trout population? All this water contributes to several extremely pivotal aspects of the river; in fact, it will prompt many beneficial changes for the river. The first and foremost role it plays is habitat for aquatic life. Aside from providing more areas of water for fish to move around and live in, the mass of water will flush out the gravel and rearrange structures in some runs. To be more specific, fish will have much easier access to spawning. When gravel is moved around by the heavy flows, it is cleaned of much of the silt that has been building up for the past few years. As for structures, trees are falling into the river and rocks are being moved around as well, providing additional structures for fish to spawn and live in. Brian Slusser is a guide on the Truckee and is also the president of the Truckee River chapter of Trout Unlimited. So he has a deep affection for both the river and the trout living in it.

One constant for the Truckee is that it’s known more for the size of the trout that anglers catch than sheer numbers of fish. “Those fish turn over to feeding on (crayfish) and actually become predatory and piscivorous, which, in turn, makes them grow faster,” says fishery biologist Travis Hawks. (RYAN HUGHES)

“Just being a guide and local angler, I think it’s good and bad. The bugs might take a little bit of a hit, but the gravels are going to get a good flushing. It could rearrange some of the runs to provide better spawning habitat structure. Trees have fallen in the river, and all that stuff is good,” Slusser said. “I don’t think the water will do anything to the fish that are already there. The bugs are probably getting scrubbed out a little bit, but they’ll recover as well.” Without an abundance of these underwater structures, fish expend much more energy while trying to move throughout waterways. With this rapid increase of water comes a tremendous increase of flow. During this precipitation season the Truckee has seen extremely high flows, and the river reached flood stages multiple times throughout the year. Though all this water is great for our fish, it breeds a few instances of adversity for them. Fish need some sort of structure to seek shelter behind to hide from these strong flows. Fortunately, these storms are providing these forms of shelter for the fish.

BIOLOGIST’S VIEW Travis Hawks, a biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, performs research and studies on the Truckee alongside other ﬁsh biolo-

74 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

gists. Though he studies the Nevada side of the river, the fish populations that he observes are an incredible sample to look at with regards to the river as a whole. The Nevada side took a much larger hit from the drought than the California side, mostly due to its location at lower elevation and being at a higher risk for drying up. Hawks’ studies indicate that the current salmonid population of the Truckee is 25 percent of what it was in 2013, a number that includes all fish of every age and size. Though the drought’s effects have been dramatic, some sections of the river have been impacted more than others. Sections are recovering at different rates as well. There is no doubt that 25 percent is a very harsh number that reflects the devastating impact from the drought. However, while referring to a section of the Truckee that is west of Reno, “the wild rainbow recruitment in that section was unreal,” Hawks said on the Reno Fly Shop podcast (he was also interviewed for this report). The term “recruitment” refers to the successful rearing of juvenile fish and that many young wild rainbow trout were present during Hawks’ study. The study showed that 58 percent of rainbow trout and 60 percent of browns were juvenile.

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA

Trophy brown trout are among the reasons why catchand-release anglers in the Reno and Lake Tahoe area are so enamored with these waters. Locals are hoping the wet weather of 2016-17 will keep this ﬁshery ﬂourishing. (RYAN HUGHES)

“[After a severe drought cycle] you want to see young ﬁsh because it shows that the species is still capable of reproducing, and that they are going to have a compensatory response,” Hawks said. “That’s exactly what we’re seeing in the Truckee, in both browns and rainbows.”

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY The Truckee typically supports the trend of fewer but bigger ﬁsh; con-

versely, many other rivers have a much higher density of fish that are much smaller on average. This is because of the higher rate of predatory behavior of trout. There is a high population of crayfish year-round in the Truckee River, where the average trout’s diet will consist of these crayfish, helping the trout to grow at a fairly high rate. “Those fish turn over to feeding on (crayfish) and actually become predatory and piscivorous, which,

in turn, makes them grow faster,” Hawks said. “You can either have a lot of fish or you can have a decent number of big fish. And I think in the Truckee you get those fish that started becoming predatory and got bigger quicker.” Having fewer fish can make such a population much less resilient to severe drought situations, such as the one that we had experienced. However, Truckee trout are making an excellent comeback. In fact, many of these fish are healthier than the generations before them. The term “condition factor,” or K-factor, is the measurement of a fish’s health. Hawks claims to be seeing some of the highest K-factors he has ever seen before in the Truckee. “These older-age-class fish that we are sampling right now are as healthy as any fish that I’ve ever seen in any water I’ve sampled,” Hawks said. “They’re at the very upper end of the spectrum, as far as health. There are some awesome fish right now.”

BETTER DAYS AHEAD Though the Truckee River has recently seen a severe degree of adversity, its struggles seem to be behind it. Work performed by excellent organizations – NDOW and Truckee Trout Unlimited worked hard to combat the issues – contributed to the conservation of Sierra Nevada trout populations, as well as the tradition of fly fishing in the Truckee. The river is increasingly being recognized as a world-class trout fishery, and the hope is that it continues to grow and flourish as a premier fishery. With the way things are going now, there is a great chance that we will be seeing many more incredible fish coming out of this iconic river. There is also a good possibility that we may be seeing Lahontan cutthroat trout running up from Nevada’s Pyramid Lake, which the river drains into. A chance at a 15-pound trout sure sounds rather impressive, given where the Truckee has been. CS 76 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

READY FOR SOME FUN?

Book Your Charter Now!

Call (530) 541-5312 INFO@FISHTAHOE.COM

WWW.FISHTAHOE.COM

2438 Venice Drive East South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

)DPLO\ 2ZQHG 2SHUDWHG ,Q 6SDUNV 19 6LQFH â€¢ Over 70 Years Combined Experience In Outboard Repair & Maintenance â€¢ Rated #1 In Customer Service For All Fishing Boat Needs In Reno/Sparks

191 E. Glendale Ave. â€¢ Sparks, NV â€¢ 775-358-5431 â€¢ SierraSportMarine.com calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

78 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SIERRA In June, there will still be a lot of snow in the Sierra, so as anglers prepare to head up to the high country, lakes and streams that have been fishable in the recent past, like the Mammoth Lakes Basin, are more clouded in uncertainty this season, requiring fishermen to be flexible with their plans. (MIKE STEVENS)

JUNE BOON OR SWOON?

AFTER A WET AND WHITE WINTER, HOW HIGH-ELEVATION FISHERIES COPE AS SUMMER ARRIVES REMAINS TO BE SEEN

By Mike Stevens

here is no doubt that the miracle winter California experienced is pretty much a positive thing across the board when it comes to Eastern Sierra watersheds. But the remaining question marks – many of them unanswerable – are enough to keep Highway 395 trout guys up at night. Everyone knows that conditions in the region are predictably unpredictable for the most part – week to week, if not day to day or even hour to hour – but all that glorious snowpack adds unique variables to the situation. While those factors are out of the control of any human being, it’s wise to think about the possibilities this

year and how to “improvise, adapt and overcome” when conditional elements up there change the way a Sierra ﬁshing trip will be executed. Heading up with a business-as-usual attitude is not the way to go in 2017. I know I’m going up with not only a plan B, but also C, D, E and, heaven forbid, F.

LAST YEAR, MY JULY trip landed in the middle of an obnoxious heat wave that had daytime temps in Mammoth Lakes getting into the mid-80s without a cloud in the sky. Preferring at least some cloud cover so ﬁshing through the middle of the day would be a lot more comfy, I made the call to head up Tioga Pass, as higher elevation usually means lower temps.

That audible not only saved the trip – we hammered trout up and down the pass at Ellery Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Saddlebag Lake and Tioga Lake – but it immediately moved way up in the annual rotation, as far as I was concerned. It became an area worth spending at least one entire day, even if lower environs weren’t a dust bowl. But will we even have access to it by late June? One year, my favorite drive-to lake in the Eastern Sierra – Saddlebag Lake on Tioga Pass – opened in the middle of the week I was there in July. I got lucky that time and was able to ﬁsh it, although it was not yet stocked. In the Mammoth Lakes Basin at lower altitude, a ton of snow still bordered most of the lakes. Twin

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA

Mammoth Creek, which meanders through the high country at around 8,500 feet, is a wild card. Author Mike Stevens, a veteran angler in the Eastern Sierra, has found similar spots still snowed in as late as July. But it’s difﬁcult to guess what to expect this year. (MIKE STEVENS)

wasn’t so bad, Mary was fishable but you’d see a Volkswagen-sized chunk of snow break off and fall in the lake about every 20 minutes, and George was free of ice but you had to hike to it from Mary. If inclement weather moves through, fleeing downhill is always an option, as the June Lake Loop and Mammoth Lakes are lower than Tioga Pass, Crowley and Convict Lakes sit lower than Mammoth, and so on. But this year, the chance of a storm moving through isn’t the main concern, at least no more so than in any other year. The factor now is snowpack: how is it when you go and where you fish, and when will the major runoff periods happen? It’s a steady process that’s always ongoing,

but all it takes is a decent heat wave to crank it up 1,000 or so percent – how does an angler react to it?

JUST TO ILLUSTRATE HOW much snow is up there that will soon be “down here,” by late May there was already a state of emergency for the entire Owens Valley in anticipation of huge runoff. Here is a snippet of the ofﬁcial announcement: “(Los Angeles) Mayor Eric Garcetti has declared a local state of emergency to protect the lands and communities near the Los Angeles Aqueduct from ﬂooding, as this year’s historic Eastern Sierra snowpack begins to melt into the Owens Valley. This year’s snowpack in the Eastern Sierras is 241 percent above normal, and

80 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

The author says that if trails are clear of snow and passable, hike into the easier backcountry spots to get on top of much of the runoff. Options include trails such as Mosquito Flats out of Rock Creek Lake or Duck Pass from Lake Mary. (BRIAN STEVENS)

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SIERRA once spring sets in, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) expects the snowmelt to send up to 1 million acre-feet of runoff into the Owens Valley. This runoff – nearly twice the amount of water Angelenos use in a year – will likely threaten local communities, hydroelectric power plants, and dust mitigation infrastructure in Owens Lake with destructive ﬂooding ...” While much of that area is pretty far “down the hill” from where Eastern Sierra anglers like to ﬁsh, that’s a good look at the amount of snow and runoff we will be dealing with.

AS FAR AS CALLING audibles if conditions go to hell in your favorite spots, my pieces of advice are as follows: • If runoff blows out your creeks or rivers, move to lakes where the ﬁshing isn’t as adversely affected by new water. • If you just have to ﬁsh mov-

Colorful Owens rainbows await late-spring and early-summer anglers, but the river could be very high with runoff. Get out a map, use weather apps on your phone, go with your gut feelings, brainstorm or just guess on some new areas and see how the next couple months unfold. (JESSICA STRICKLAND)

82 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

DISCOVER

Alaska’s HIDDEN TREASURE * Guided Fresh & Saltwater Fishing • Kayaking • Guided Hikes • Wildlife Trips • Child’s Glacier Tours • Waterfront Rooms & Family Suites in a Historic Setting

907-424-7249 • 866-424-ORCA (6722) • orcaadventurelodge@gmail.com

www.orcaadventurelodge.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

Two-Unit Float Lodge $1M - Thorne Bay

Home & Dock $375K - Port Protection

Waterfront Cottage $315K - Thorne Bay

Waterfront Lodge New D-Log Cabin in the Woods - $185K - Thorne Bay $495K - Port Protection

New Home & Garage/Shop 2 Unit Home, Shop & $299K - Hollis Greehouses - $300K - Craig

Hilltop Home (Two Unit) $375K - Hollis

CELL 219-781-1825 OFFICE & FAX 907-826-6600

BROKER, PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND REALTY LLC EMAIL chucksrealestate@yahoo.com

www.alaskaislandrealty.com

84 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

ing water, take a meat-and-potatoes approach with attractor-type lures and flies that are visible in off-color water. Target side-channels, eddies, undercut banks and deep pools that trout will use to stay out of the fast current, and fish slow. Plastics – especially scented ones – are ideal for this. • If trails are clear of snow and passable, hike into the easier backcountry spots to get on top of much of the runoff. Trails Mosquito Flats (out of Rock Creek Lake) or the Duck Pass Trail (Lake Mary) come to mind. This will not likely be an option early in the season, as snow will be covering trails well into early summer. Keep in mind that new water in the form of runoff was snow not very long ago, so it’s near freezing. It will affect lake temperatures, so slow, scaled-down and possibly scented tactics are advisable in lakes, too. A cold trout is a sluggish trout (more sluggish than usual, anyway). The good news is, the lake-cooling factor brought on by runoff will be in play much later in the summer, so this year, August will fish more like a typical June or July. Over the last few drought years, if you got up there in August, you were dealing with water pushing 70 degrees, in which most trout are caught trolling leadcore line or fishing bait deep. Those are just a few things to think about. Otherwise, be open-minded to areas you might not be familiar with, like when I headed up Tioga Pass to beat the heat. It instantly became a favorite area for a guy who has been fishing the Eastern Sierra for a quarter of a century. Thankfully, snowplowing is already underway up Tioga Pass, but it takes one to two months, barring a late May snowstorm that pushed it even further back. Get out a map, use weather apps on your phone, go with your gut feelings, brainstorm or just guess on some new areas. It feels pretty cool when desperate times call for such measures and it pans out. CS

BAYSIDE RV Park

Rated #1 on Trip p Advisor

Eagle Feeding from May thru Mid-June

• Bay Front View Of Nine Glaciers & Wildlife • Full and Partial Hookups, 30/50 Amp • Tent Sites • Cable TV • Laundry • WiFi • On Site Gift Shop • Alaska Size Fire Pit • Walking Distance to Harbor, Gift Shops & Restaurants

1.888.835.4425 or 907.835.4425 • bayside1@cvinternet.net On the left as you enter downtown Valdez • 230 Egan Dr.

www.baysiderv.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

Destination Honda

For destinations found on a map, or ones that are simply a state of mind, trust a reliable Honda outboard to get you there. And back. Find out more at marine.honda.com or visit your Authorized Honda Marine Dealer.

OXNARD Specialty Marine (805) 984-6538 www.specialty-marine.com

SANTA ANA Trade Winds Inﬂatables (949) 631-7334 www.twimarine.com

© 2017 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owner’s manual. All Honda outboards meet EPA and CARB emission levels. 86 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SOCAL Tom Buckalew caught this San Vicente Reservoir bass on an 8-inch Texas-rigged worm. Consistent action from 2- to 6-pound largies makes this San Diego East County spot one of Southern California’s best. (BILL SCHAEFER)

AN OLD STAPLE KEEPS GOING

SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S SAN VICENTE RESERVOIR REMAINS ONE OF SOUTHLAND’S ELITE BASSING SPOTS

By Capt. Bill Schaefer

ast year, San Vicente Reservoir opened to anticipation of being the top lake in Southern California. Fishing went well at the San Diego East County locale for those who adapted to the bass going deep from all the boat noise they weren’t used to enduring. However, once fishermen did adjust and fished a little deeper, they scored largemouth in the 2- to 6-pound range. Most wondered what would happen the following spring. Well, from this current spring and right up until now on the verge of summer, the bass haven’t disappointed. The spawn brought more fish into the shallower water for some great fishing. The bass now seem to be spread out a little more than last year, from shallow to deep water. Some of the larger fish are still hanging out on deep points, but there is action all over the lake.

There is some topwater action, although that should improve in another month or two. For now, soft jerkbaits are doing well around submerged brush. Don’t forget there are a lot of bushes that became submerged when the water came up; they will be for some time. Recent rains have even brought the lake up a little more, and a great lure for this situation is the Yamamoto Senko. Thrown weightless, it sinks slow and sits on top of the brush, waiting to be bit. Crankbaits and hard jerkbaits are also holding their own and enticing the largemouth to bite. Among the bait set-ups that are taking a lot of ﬁsh are the umbrella rigs. Remember that you’ll need a good strong set-up to throw this rig. You don’t want to throw your money into the bottom of the lake. I use a 7-foot, 6-inch Daiwa Tatula rod and a matching Tatula reel with 50-pound Daiwa or Maxima braided line. The braid will help you keep

your bait. A YUMbrella Flash Mob rig is my choice because it has small spinnerbait blades on the shafts to help the plastic baits look like a small school of shad. If targeting larger bass right now, fish main lake points and old island humps with larger worms. When the lake opened last year I fished a lot of 8- to 12-inch worms. We would sit in, throw out deep and work uphill. This technique has always been a good one at San Vicente. Use Texas-rigged worms with not too much weight – maybe 3/16- to ¼ ounce and peg the weight; remember all that brush they’re hiding in out there when setting up. It looks like San Vicente will stay on the list of top fisheries in the Southland, and I think we will only see it get better. We will also see larger and stronger bass as forage fish repopulate. Maybe we’ll even witness some new personal bests or even a lake record if everything goes well. CS

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

DESIGNED OTALLY RET THESE T E H T E E S G2â€™S A EVINRUDE R DEALERS PREMIE

CALIFORNIA DEALER OCEANSIDE Cal-Kona Marine, Inc. (760) 722-5817 www.calkona.com

NEVADA DEALER SPARKS Sierra Sport and Marine (775) 358-5431 www.sierrasportmarine.com

88 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SOCAL

MISSION’S POSSIBLE GREATNESS SAN DIEGO-AREA BAY CHURNING OUT SPOTTED BAY BASS By Capt. Bill Schaefer

an Diego’s Mission Bay has a large population of spotted bay bass, plus sand bass and calicos, but the main targets for most of the fishermen here are the spotties. Smaller summer tides make for a lot of perfect days for targeting these strong firecracker bass. These little guys may average a modest 1 to 2 pounds, but they pull like little freight trains. The current International Game Fish Association all-tackle record is 4.92 pounds and was caught inside the waters of Mission Bay, located northwest of downtown San Diego (a 6.75-pound state record fish came from Newport Bay, along the Orange County coast). Larger fish have been caught, but anglers seem to enjoy the catch alone and let them go. The most enjoyable way to fish Mission Bay is to think of it as a large lake, as the bay has very similar structure as freshwater fisheries. Piling, grass, docks and rock make up the majority of the fishing areas. The great thing is that the spotted bay bass will eat all of your freshwater lures you’d throw to fish for largemouth and smallmouth, so fishing freshwater bass-type tackle is the way to go here. For the most fun, fish either casting or spinning tackle in a

Bill Hokstad shows off an average-sized Mission Bay spotted bay bass caught on a spinnerbait over deep weeds. This San Diego saltwater fishery will produce a lot of spotties averaging 1 to 2 pounds, but they fight like bigger fish would. (BILL SCHAEFER)

medium-action rig (again, as if you were targeting freshwater bass). You can use all your same tackle from the lakes. Just don’t accidentally bring your expensive magnesium reels. I have been fishing Mission Bay for about 50 years now and love the fact that I can use my Daiwa bass equipment out there. I will fish a 6½to 7-foot Daiwa Tatula casting rod with 10-pound green Maxima line for spinnerbaits and crankbaits. I’ll go a little lighter on my spinning gear and fish with the same length rod, but 6- or 8-pound Maxima green with a fluorocarbon leader for various plastic jigs. About the only time you need some really heavy rod and line is if you’re throwing an umbrella rig, which the bass will also attack like crazy out there. While like a lake, just remember that this is a saltwater bay and

there is tidal movement to consider. The movement gets the entire food chain feeding and helps your chances of catching fish. Tides should be in the 2- to 4-foot level of movement, but you should always go no matter the tide. You just may catch more on the optimal ones. The incoming tide can be a little better because the fish know the water is rising into the shallows, which hold the clams and crustaceans they are seeking to eat. If you have ever fished largemouth or smallmouth, then you can also go to the bay and just go fishing like you would at your local lake and do well. Flip docks, chuck crankbaits or jerkbaits over the grass, bounce jigs down the rocks, or even swim spinnerbaits or umbrella rigs over the weeds. It all works here. You just have to go try it. CS

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

LIGHTWEIGHT. The lightest 200-hp four stroke on the market

POWERFUL.

2.8L displacement and Variable Camshaft Timing give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any 200-hp four stroke

COMPACT.

Nearly 120 pounds lighter than our four-stroke V6 F200

THE ALL-NEW F200 IN-LINE FOUR.

FORWARD THINKING.

Show the water who’s boss with the new F200 In-Line Four. Incredibly light, responsive and fuel efficient, it serves up plenty of muscle to handily propel a variety of boats. On top of that, its 50-amp alternator offers the power to add a range of electronics, and its 26-inch mounting centers and compatibility with either mechanical or digital controls give you the flexibility to easily upgrade your outboard or rigging. Experience legendary Yamaha reliability and the freedom of forward thinking, with the all-new F200 In-Line Four.

CALIFORNIA AVILA BEACH Port San Luis Boatyard (805) 595-7895 www.portsanluisboatyard.com

YamahaOutboards.com/F200InLine

VENTURA Paciﬁc Marine Repair (805) 658-1709 www.paciﬁcmarinerepair.com

OREGON

NEVADA

EUGENE Maxxum Marine (541) 686-3572 www.maxxummarine.com

SPARKS Sierra Sport & Marine (775) 358-5431 www.sierrasportmarine.com

Follow Yamaha on Facebook® and Twitter™

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal intended to be an endorsement. © 2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

90 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SOCAL

BONANZA OFF THE BEACH John Matilla works the surf off a Southern California beach. These shoreline waters provide anglers with simple gear a chance to spend a beautiful day in the sun while catching multiple saltwater species. (TIM E. HOVEY)

WANT TO CATCH A VARIETY OF SPECIES? FISH CALIFORNIA’S SHORELINES FOR A DIVERSE BUFFET By Tim E. Hovey

’ve always enjoyed the species variety of my outdoor activities. When hunting season rolls around I don’t just hunt one bird or animal; I hunt whatever’s in season. The same holds true for fishing. I love fishing for all types of species. In fact, I recently tallied up the different fish I’ve caught over my lifetime of angling, using the Guide to the Coastal Marine Fishes of California, a book by Daniel Miller and Robert Lea. After going through the text twice, I came up with a total of 117 species I’ve caught by hook and line. The actual tally is sure to be higher, as the book doesn’t account for any freshwater species or those caught in other regions. It’s safe to say that I’ve seen my fair share of different species dangling at the end of a line, and I

hope to keep adding to that list for years to come. While a triple-digit species list may seem impressive, it doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t fish to check species off a to-do list; I fish because I love it. I’ve soaked mackerel for huge channel cats in the local lake; I’ve trolled $100 lures longer than my forearm for marlin; I’ve jigged iron off the coast for rockfish. And to this day, I still tense up when my bobber starts dancing on the surface when I chase panfish. The bottom line: It doesn’t matter what species I’m chasing; if it has a mouth and can be caught, I’ll try and catch it.

that all I need is a little time and a rod to get my ﬁshing ﬁx. When spring arrives, a small tackle pack and a rod are always in my truck. The gear is simple and the rig famil-

PROBABLY ONE OF MY favorite types of ﬁshing that offers a chance to catch a variety of different species is ocean shore angling. I love the convenience of casting from the sand and knowing

The author’s gear is always packed in his truck just in case he gets the urge to hit the beach. (TIM E. HOVEY)

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SOCAL

Hovey and his daughters had their usual 8-pound line tested by a feisty leopard shark. Among the many other nearshore species that might bite your bait are barred surfperch, California corbina, walleye surfperch and jacksmelt. (TIM E. HOVEY)

iar. To combat the rolling surf, I usually take a 7-foot rod or longer. While most of my friends use spinning outfits, I have just spent too much time behind my baitcasters to give them up. I don’t subscribe to the fancy fishing lines. I load the reels with 8-pound test of whatever is in my pack. The terminal tackle is a standard Carolina rig with a Berkley Gulp! Sandworm pinned on the hook. I’ve used the artificial bait ever since it was introduced and I love the convenience of just tossing the sealable pack into my pocket and walking the shore.

When it comes to picking a spot to ﬁsh along the beach, I don’t just cast anywhere. Starting in the spring, sand crab beds should be visible in the receding waves. If I can combine a large crab bed with some chaotic waves that come in at different angles, that’s my starting point. Waves hitting the beds will wash out sand crabs and ﬁsh stack up in the shallows awaiting an easy meal. Other shore invertebrates will also get washed out, so any lure imitating worms and crabs will usually get the attention of the predators that call

92 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

the turbulent waves home. I’ve made several trips to one of my favorite beaches over the last few weeks to cast for the ﬁsh that patrol the shallows. After a wet winter I was looking forward to testing the bite, and I got an early start to beat the crowds. I drove up and down the beach twice before I settled on a spot. At the surf, I kicked dozens of sand crabs out of the bed I had spotted from the truck. I threaded a Berkley Sandworm on the hook and made a cast into white water. Within seconds, I felt the bite and set the

Bedliners, Accessories, Protective Coatings

Exclusive truck accessories 1817 S. MRYTLE AVE. MONROVIA, CA 91016 • LINEXOFMONROVIA.COM • 626-303-8647

Visit Us Online @CalSportsMan facebook.com/CaliforniaSportsmanMagazine

North County San Diego’s Premier Marine Service Center

CAL+KONA

Marine

We are a fully equipped repair facilty capable of: * Inboard repairs * Outboard repairs * Stern Drive repairs * Full Engine Rebuilds

* Gel Coat * Fiberglass * Transom damage repairs

* Trailer repair * Boat detail * In-house machine shop * All Your Boat Needs!

Call Us Today! (760) 722-5817 1517 South Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA, 92054

We are a factory authorized service center for Suzuki, Evinrude & Johnson, Mercury, and Volvo Penta. We also service Honda, Yamaha, Mariner and Force outboards, as well as all inboards. 3ODWLQXP &HUWLÀHG

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SOCAL hook. After a brief fight, a hand-sized barred surfperch struggled in an inch of water at my feet. For the next two hours I caught and released two dozen surfperch, a few large enough to challenge my 8-pound test. With another hour of moving water left on a favorable tide, I made a longer cast and within seconds felt the bite. Instantly, I could tell the fight was different. After a short battle, a walleye surfperch bounced in the surf and resembled a shiny slab of silver. Before my time at the beach was done that day, I added a yellowfin croaker to the species list.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND, I headed back to the beach with my friend John Matilla. John and I have ﬁshed the coast together for years, and he was just as eager to get out and enjoy a day at the beach. For the ﬁrst hour we caught several surfperch, with the occasion-

As John Matilla will attest, fishing Pacific Ocean beaches with light line and catching a lot of saltwater fish makes for a great day on the water. (TIM E. HOVEY)

al walleye perch mixed in. The ﬁsh weren’t large, but the weather was perfect and it was fun casting the surf for bites. I made a long cast and slowly worked the lure in the white water of a breaking wave. About halfway back I felt a slight tick on the line and set the hook. The bend in the rod indicated something more substantial

at the end of my line. The fish made a run straight out and I instantly thought about a leopard shark I had hooked on light line a few years before that had done the same thing. The fish then worked its way back to the shallows and then raced up and down the beach in only inches of water. By the way it was fighting I knew it wasn’t a surfperch. After another minute I had the fish in the shallows and the next wave deposited the fish at my feet. The California corbina flopped in the sand, the green sandworm lure stuck firmly in its mouth. I took a few photos of the corbina and let it go. With the growing crowds and the slowing tide, John and I decided to call it a day. On the drive home, we talked about the different species we’ve caught off the beach. I had caught several corbina off the San Diego beaches I used to fish, but I couldn’t recall ever catching one on those I now fish to the north of San Diego. My time on the coast is not about catching the most fish or the biggest. When the struggles of life pile up, I head to the shore to essentially recharge my batteries. I enjoy the convenience of fishing the shore and the simple gear in my hands. Wading at the surf and kicking through the sand is as much a part of my shore fishing experience as hooking surfperch from the foam.

I THINK ABOUT ALL the time I’ve spent on the beach casting to the shallows. My daughters learned to fish on this beach and I’ve had the pleasure of watching them both become capable anglers. Maybe it isn’t the variety of fish I can catch from the shore that keeps me coming back. Maybe, just like visiting an old friend, it’s the memories and good times I remember while walking the sand. After all, considering that I started my angling career on a beach just like the one I now fish, maybe it’s just embracing the calm of a special place. CS 94 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

CALIFORNIA AVILA BEACH Port San Luis Boatyard 3915 Avila Beach Dr. (805) 595-7895 www.portsanluisboatyard.com COSTA MESA Maurer Marine 873 W 17th St (949) 645-7673 www.maurermarine.com OCEANSIDE Cal-Kona Marine, Inc. 1517 S Coast Hwy (760) 722-5817 www.calkona.com OXNARD Specialty Marine 3151 W 5th St. #G (805) 984-6538 www.specialty-marine.com SAUSALITO Hirschfeld Yacht Contracting 400 Harbor Dr. (415) 332-3507 www.handmmarine.com VENTURA Paciﬁc Marine Repair 2807 Palma Dr. (805) 658-1709 www.paciﬁcmarinerepair.com

OREGON EUGENE Maxxum Marine 1700 State Hwy. 99 N. (541) 686-3572 www.maxxummarine.com

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

PORT SAN LUIS BOATYARD

Built for Adventure!

One of the last true do-it-yourself boatyards. We provide our customers with a one stop boatyard that can answer all your boating questions, and provide you with the highest quality in Marine Supplies & Service.

North River, Thunder Jet, Boulton, Crestliner, Fish-Rite

Weekend Launch Hours: 5:30am–4pm Monday–Friday Launch Hours: 6am–4pm

With our factory-trained technicians for Yamaha, Suzuki, Mercury, Tohatsu and Honda motors, we can handle any project from electronic installs to complete boat and motor overhauls.

805-595-7895 / www.portsanluisboatyard.com

PORT SAN LUIS SPORTLAUNCH

Need a new motor for your current boat? Best prices around on Repowers!

MAXXUM MARINE

Toll Free 877-4-Maxxum

1700 Hwy 99 N, Eugene, OR

NEW LARGER LOCATION!

(877-462-9986) Local 541-686-3572

ADVENTURE IS WAITING JUST OFFSHORE

Booking Fast Call now!!

96 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

SOCAL

FROM FIELD ...

INTO THE

BLUE LOOKING FOR A FISHING PRIZE FIGHT? THE PACIFIC’S GIANT BLUEFIN TUNA HAVE GLOVES ON By Scott Haugen

y buddy made the perfect cast, and as he started to retrieve, he was confident a feisty yellowtail tuna would hit. He got the strike he’d hoped for, but when the surface erupted and his reel screamed, it was obvious he had something big on. Four hours of fishing later he got his first look at the fish, a giant bluefin tuna pushing the 200-pound mark. He buried the rod into his fighting belt and gave it all he had – leaning back, lifting, waiting for the deckhand to gaff the behemoth. At the same time the tuna turned, ran and straightened the hook. It was gone. Had my friend been equipped to handle big, hard-fighting bluefins, chances are he would have landed that fish. With multiple tuna species to explore throughout California, an angler could get consumed by all the gear available to invest in. While yellowtail and yellowfin are fun to catch, it’s the mighty bluefin tuna that anglers are most enamored with. They’re attracting anglers from around the country and gearing up for bluefin tuna is easy and won’t break the bank.

THE GEAR Capt. Robby Gant, Shimano’s West-

Fighting a bluefin can last a few minutes or a few hours, depending on where the tuna is hooked. Having the right gear to hook, fight and land these voracious fish is the key to success. (ROBBY GANT)

ern region sales manager, is serious about his bluefin tuna fishing. He helps create some of the best tuna gear on the market, and that means it has to catch fish. If fishing tackle doesn’t produce, then word travels fast, and Robby’s best form of job security is getting tackle that works into the hands of anglers. “The set-up for bluefin tuna is simple and really works well,” Gant says. “A spinning set-up allows you to cover lots of water and efficiently fight a tuna. One of the most popular set-ups is a 7- to 8-foot Terez spinning rod with a heavy power rating, and a Twin Power 1400 reel spooled with 80-pound Maxcuatro. Tip that with a 2- to 3-foot section of 100-pound fluorocarbon and a Shimano Ocea Spouter and you’re ready to go fishing.” The Ocea Spouter, also called an Ocea Popper, is a surface popper. It has a standard cupped face, but an internal chamber runs behind the

face and squirts a trail of spray behind the head of the plug when it’s moved through the water. The sound, action and spraying water appeal to voracious tuna. Bright colors are most popular.

THE APPROACH Chasing bluefin tuna is more like hunting than fishing. “When you scout for these fish, you don’t troll around hoping to luck into them,” says Gant. “Each person on the boat needs high-powered binoculars. Drive around, stop, glass for fish, and when you find them boiling, get on ‘em fast.” Gant cautions to move the boat into casting position with stealth. “You’ll see them boiling on the surface, but don’t pull in too quick or too close or you’ll put ‘em down. A lot of times you only get one cast before they spook and dive deep, so make it count.”

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

NORCAL SOCAL

... TO FIRE

KEEP ALL THAT TUNA TASTY By Tiffany Haugen

una, tuna, tuna! It seems that more times than not when you make a run for these fish, you either get a whole lot of them or nothing. You might come in with a bunch of yellowtails or one monster bluefin. One of the challenges when bringing in so much meat, of any species, is finding creative ways to prepare it so you don’t get tired of eating it. This is a fun, delicious recipe that’s sure to be a hit. Even if you’re buying your tuna at the store, this is a treat you’ll likely keep coming back to. ½-pound sashimi-grade tuna 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon spicy mustard 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce 1 teaspoon soy sauce Half teaspoon sesame oil Half teaspoon sugar One cucumber seeded and sliced in

four strips One avocado, thinly sliced 2 cups short grain or brown rice 1⁄3 cup seasoned rice vinegar Four sheets toasted nori Wasabi and sesame seeds for garnish In a medium bowl, mix mayo, lemon juice, mustard, chili sauce, soy sauce, oil and sugar. Chop tuna into small cubes, dice or mince. Add tuna to sauce, mixing until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to assemble rolls. Cook rice according to package or rice cooker instructions (if using brown rice, increase water by a half cup to make it sticky). While rice is still hot, add seasoned rice vinegar, stirring gently but thoroughly. Cool rice before assembling rolls by spreading in a shallow dish and covering with a cold, wet dishtowel. To assemble rolls, spread rice evenly to coat entire sheet of nori (leave approximately a half-inch uncovered on both ends). Place a quarter of tuna mixture down the middle of the rice layer and

98 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

A big tuna or large catch of them yield a lot of meat, which is both wonderful and a challenge to keep everyone satisﬁed with the ways you prepare it. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

add one strip cucumber and a few slices of avocado. Roll up nori, squeezing firmly by hand or with a bamboo sushi mat. Set aside and repeat with remaining rolls. Using a sharp, moist knife, slice in desired serving pieces. Serve with wasabi and additional soy sauce if desired. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s latest cookbook, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit tiffanyhaugen.com. Catch her cooking on The Sporting Chef TV show and online at Cook With Cabela’s.

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

SOCAL Before hitting the ocean, make sure you can cast your set-up with pinpoint accuracy. Know your effective range and what you can do in a crosswind, and be able to hit your mark. “When you see them up foaming on the surface, feeding on baitﬁsh, you want to get that popper inside the school,” Gant adds. “You’re ﬁshing a popper, so you’re chugging it, but don’t move it too fast. You want to keep it in the middle of the baitball for as long as possible, even if that means dead-sticking it and letting it just sit on the surface.” “If you miss the cast by a couple feet, you’ve likely blown it. You can try re-casting, but by that time the opportunity has usually passed. Hit the center and you can get hit the instant the popper lands.”

THE FIGHT Shimano President Dave Pfeiffer (left) is all smiles over this hefty blueﬁn. Capt. Robby Gant is dialed in to these prized ﬁsh and makes his living helping to create the best tackle to catch them. (ROBBY GANT)

Patience and persistence are the keys to bluefin fishing. If a fish is hooked in the side of the jaw, fights can last three hours, even on good gear. Hook it deep and the fish might be flopping in the boat in 10 minutes. “Don’t horse these fish in,” Gant warns. “Bluefins are big, strong fish, and you don’t want to break the line or straighten the hook. It’s truly the fish of a lifetime for many anglers, so take your time and enjoy the battle.” Bluefin start showing up around April in the San Diego area. They like cooler water, often following it 200 miles to the west during the warm summer months. They can be caught into November when the conditions are right and the bait plentiful. Witnessing the voracious surface strike of a bluefin tuna and then locking in battle is one of fishing’s greatest experiences. But don’t go in undergunned or that opportunity of a lifetime might slip away. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s latest cookbook, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit tiffanyhaugen.com

100 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Also Available: Hunts in Saskatchewan, Canada! • Mallard Corn Pond Hunting on 16 Private Ponds • Freeze Up No Problem! Aerators & Springs in Most Ponds Average 6.2 Ducks Per Person in the 2016/17 Season!! Eastern Washington Tri-Cities • 509-967-2303 • ZZZ SDFLÀF ZLQJV QHW 6HH RXU YLGHRV RQ <RX7XEH # 3DFLƂF:LQJV+XQWLQJ DQG -D\ *REOH calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

101

Providing the highest quality LED lighting prices. g g for the most affordable p

WWW.CALIRAISEDLED.COM

102 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

GEAR REVIEW

Author Al Quackenbush demonstrates the LumaShark, a Hardened Arms handguard that “is easy to grip and handle in a fast-paced environment,” he says. (AL QUACKENBUSH)

THIS SHARK HAS BITE

HARDENED ARMS HANDGUARD FOR AR-PLATFORM RIFLES SHINES By Albert Quackenbush

A GREAT MATCH

The LumaShark is a 12-inch free ﬂoat handguard that eliminates the need for any additional bolt-on lighting. My team and I attached the LumaShark to multiple lower receivers in 5.56mm (Hardened Arms does offer other calibers). They matched up perfectly on each. It’s easy to grip and handle in a fast-paced spot. The sleek design lets you comfortably grasp it with no slipping issues. Getting the end caps off to insert the batteries into the Cree lights was easy, but threading them back was a bit of a challenge. Once you actually do get them threaded, they go on smoothly and snug up well. An

ombining powerful lighting technology and T-6061 aluminum, and bearing a made in the U.S.A. stamp, the LumaShark from Hardened Arms is one of the best new upper receivers for AR-15 platform riﬂes. As a Second Amendment supporter, hunter, husband, father and a homeowner, I wanted to see how well the LumaShark would perform in different situations. Fortune shined her eyes on me when I was given the opportunity to ﬁeld-test one of the patented units for the past couple months.

email detailing my concerns was sent and Hardened Arms responded. “There are two O-rings to increase waterproofing of special operations. From a civilian standpoint, that waterproofing level is not a necessity,” a representative told me. “The initial O-ring can be removed for ease of threading back on. It will continue to keep debris out of the lighting system and maintain a lower level of waterproofing, more than acceptable for the average civilian.” I opted to leave the O-rings alone. Simply grip the upper and slide your hand forward to independently engage the on/off buttons of each light. It’s really that simple

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

103

GEAR REVIEW

and wo works as fast as you can move your hand forward. This is where the L LumaShark stands out from othWith good handling er uppers. Even and the ﬂexibility to switch to a less with one light it bright light, the is blinding! Two LumaShark could make it seem like work well for both hunting and you can send a protection. message to a dis(HARDENED ARMS) tant planet. Inside my house I had to use caution so as not to look directly at the area I was lighting up. The good news is that you can switch out the bulbs to make them less bright for civilian use. I found out you can change bulbs from the

1150-lumen bulbs to 200 or 500. I 1150-lu that would be helpful, as the think th drawback to using 1150 bulbs one dr is that you will lose battery life considerably faster. That being said, I do believe the lights and construction make the LumaShark an excellent choice for home defense.

TESTING IT OUT I took it to the rifle range three times – twice at night and once during the day. Testing my ability to effectively handle the weapon and turn on the lights was quite enjoyable. I easily turned on one light and then two, and then back to one. I cleanly lit up a target out at 440 yards, even in minor Southern California sandstorms caused by high winds. I fired over a hundred rounds of .223 at targets at 25 and 50 yards lit up by the LumaShark. The lighting and the feel as I fired was impressive and intense. If something was in the beam(s) of light, I could see it as

104 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

clear as day. What impressed me most was the feel of the upper as I test ﬁred it. MSRP on the LumaShark 5.56 upper receiver is $829.99, which I understand is steep for the average shooter. As an average shooter myself, this is a bit out of my price range, but I could justify the investment of one in .300 Blackout so I could use it for home defense and for hunting. For law enforcement ofﬁcers or those who need something like this in their profession, it’s good value. The lights are in the best position to turn on at a moment’s notice, and it handles exceptionally well. You can’t put a price on protecting your family, so I recommend giving the LumaShark a try for yourself. Having one on hand will be peace of mind in the hope that you never have to use it to defend yourself or your family. CS Editor’s note: For more from the author, check out socalbowhunter.com.

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

105

106 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

Teaching The Basics:

HUNTING

Sit, Stay, Come By Scott Haugen

eaching a puppy restraint is considered by many canine owners and trainers to be the most important element of raising a gun dog. But when should you start? As I’ve stated earlier in this sequential series, I like bringing a puppy home at seven weeks of age. For the ﬁrst week, the focus is on getting the pup used to its new home. Let it explore inside and out, using its nose and eyes to take it all in. Potty and crate training begin immediately, and play time is very important in order to develop a strong bond. At eight weeks of age I like teaching a dog restraint. Introducing the sit, stay and come commands can start at this time. Some dogs may vary in terms of how they respond, but most pups are ready for structure, and using bits of food to help direct them can expedite the learning process.

PUPS ARE MOST TEACHABLE right after a nap, and before going down for one. As soon as the pup wakes up in the morning, put a leash on it and carry it outside to potty. When opening the kennel door, do it calmly and slowly, as you don’t want them busting out of a crate, ever. Have some of the pup’s food in one hand, as you’ll start teaching it to sit as soon as it potties. With a little of the pup’s food in hand, take the leash in the same hand and lift it, saying “Sit” in a calm voice while showing a ﬂat, open palm with the other hand. Do this with the hand about a foot from the pup’s nose. If you have to gently push on the pup’s hind end to get it to sit, that’s ﬁne. If the pup is resistant to sitting, forget about the hand signal for the moment. Instead, put the food in one hand, holding the leash in the

Among the basic beginner commands to teach a gun dog, the hand signal for sit and stay are the same, each reinforced with different verbal cues. Next comes the transition to the come command, which stems from the same hand signal. (SCOTT HAUGEN) calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

107

HUNTING

The come command is made by simply dropping an open hand that initiated the sit and stay commands. Squatting down to a pup’s level when doing this will get them excited to come to you – in this case, author Scott Haugen’s wife, chef Tiffany Haugen. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

108 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

other. Lift the leash to pull up on the dog’s head and simultaneously push the food, in a closed hand, into the pup’s nose. The pup will want to smell and eat the food. With the pup’s focus being on the food, it now sits quickly and naturally as the food is forced closely to it. Calmly repeat the sit command when doing this. When the pup sits, praise it and say its name, repeatedly, like “Good boy, Kona, good boy ... good boy.” At the same time, give it a few kibbles. Next, walk a few steps and repeat the process, ending with praise, petting the pup and giving it a few more pieces of food. Repeat until the kibble is gone, keeping the session short, no longer than two minutes. Repeat the process every time the pup wakes up from a nap, about seven or eight times on this day. Consistency is the key here, so don’t start it in the morning, go to work and expect the pup to respond the same way nine hours later. Begin this training on the week-

Custom Guns

“Longslide Hunter” This is the new LONGSLIDE HUNTER in 10mm from Gary Reeder Custom guns. Built from the ground up and full custom all the way

“Trail Gun” This is a new special revolver from Gary Reeder Custom Guns, a special TRAIL GUN. This beauty is chambered in 44 Special and is full custom from end to end.

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

109

HUNTING end, when you have a full day or two to consistently teach the pup. At the end of the day, you’ll have about 15 minutes of teaching time in, and you’ll be amazed how quickly the pup will learn. By the end of day one, the last pup I trained was sitting 80 percent of the time just on the sit command alone, with no food prompt or lifting of the leash.

THE NEXT MORNING, PROGRESS from sit to stay. Once the pup is sitting (food is in your hand), calmly repeat “Stay.” Holding the same open hand that was used as a visual cue to get the dog to sit will make it stay. Visual and auditory commands are important to teach at this time, as the pup will soon be responding to each, individually, something that will be a big beneﬁt when hunting. Sit and stay are almost one command, but will become differentiated as more advanced training takes place, like when teaching a dog to

retrieve a bird it failed to mark, or when getting it to move in a desired direction for one reason or another. To teach the pup to stay, hold the ﬂat hand a foot from its nose and say stay. Hold the pup there for only one to three seconds. Before the pup breaks, take your open hand and quickly drop it to your side, saying the word “Come.” So, the sequence sounds like this: “Sit ... sit ... stay ... stay ... stay ... stay ... come!” Saying the pup’s name before the sit command and before the come command will help develop name recognition. When the pup comes to you, praise it, rub its ears and give it some kibble. I like teaching the come command after we’ve played for a while, as the pup is tired, will naturally sit and stay easier, but is still eager to play. It associates coming to you as an opportunity to play. Eventually you won’t even need kibble to entice it to come, as the pup’s reward is playing with you and pleasing you.

110 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com

BY DAY THREE, YOUR pup will likely be sitting, staying and coming to you on command. This is the day I introduce a whistle. With the pup staying, I give the come command while dropping my open hand to my side and blowing twice on a whistle. By the end of the day the pup will likely be coming to the whistle prompt, alone. Puppies’ brains are like sponges at two months of age. Keep it fun, praise the dog and do not reprimand it. If the pup isn’t progressing like you want, take more time. Evaluate what you’re doing to make sure your teaching is consistent and positive. Do things right, and it’s impressive how quickly a puppy can learn to sit, stay and come on command, building blocks for training them to become a great gun dog. CS Editor’s note: To watch some basic dog training video tips by author Scott Haugen, check out his Facebook page, or visit the talltimberpudelpointers.com blog.

calsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2017 California Sportsman

111

112 California Sportsman JUNE 2017 | calsportsmanmag.com