Reasons to be Grateful

There are many reasons to be grateful.  Here are some of mine:

 

From my family to yours:  Have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!

Another Beautiful Day @ the American

JU and the PRO fished from 10 AM to 2:30 PM, pulling plugs for salmon, using salmon roe and night crawler for steelhead.  No takers from steelhead; a couple of take downs from salmon; but none boated this time.  Water conditions couldn't be better after the recent mini storm; however, the fish may have pushed further up river....

Because the PRO's Fish Seeker has a new motor, they got to fish downstream from the "point-of-no-return."  The motor was able to propel the drift boat back up stream through the fast current.

7 pounder steely was boated here a few years back.

Downstream from the point-of-no-return for the Ave Maria, but not for the Fish Seeker.

Where Did the Striped Bass Go?

Before

After

Gaude, gaude....

JU finally got to fish with two of the best fishing teachers at the same time, Grandmaster Fisherman and PRO-Fisherman.  So the children told JU beforehand, "With nick names like that, you'd better come home with fish!"

The launching point was at Brannan Island State Recreation Area out of Rio Vista, Ca.  The weather was fantastic for this time of year, mid 60s with very little wind.  GMF instructed the PRO to rig up for drifting mudsucker (a live bait fish or sweet candy for striped bass).  It's like poetry in motion to see the two teachers worked together and their depth of fishing knowledge.  What was JU doing?  Just standing by on the sideline and absorbing all the information.  Then they came to the first location to do some spooning (a technique involved casting or dropping a heavy lure to the bottom of the river and jigging it up and down).

First drop and the PRO must have hit the fish on the head :-)  Tap; but no hookup.  Second drift and bam!  Just like that, fish on for the PRO, a keeper.

Then it was JU time.  Fish on.  JU was using a light trout fishing pole.  After a very short fight, JU boated the fish.  What, another 17-incher and had to be thrown back :(  But immediately following, JU got another hookup.  JU was super excited.  JU went for the net!  When the fish surfaced, JU laughed.  The fish was barely bigger than the lure?!?  Okay, may be an 8-incher?  But the non-stop action was very stressful for the heart.  What a problem to have.

Then it was game on for GMF.  He landed a fish on his secret weapon that was revealed to the PRO and JU.  The fish was also a 17-incher, but it showed the effectiveness of the lure and the technique.

GMF decided to move to another location.  At the new location, the trio did more spooning and also added drifting mudsucker after seeing other fishermen having success.  Drifting mudsucker was very lethal!  More fish were caught using this technique.  The rest of the day was fantastic!  The trio ended up with five keepers and released around six.  Not bad for a fishing trip from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Ad Astra per Aspera.

I feel something...

Thank you GMF for an awesome fishing trip.

Two happy campers!

The 38 Pounder That Got Away

Wow, another opportunity to go fishing with dad and big bro.  JU couldn't sleep fantasizing about the possibility of landing a 38 pounder since an anonymous posted the comment in the last blog.

Also, JU was all pumped up after receiving the fishing report from Mr. Liberty that went something like this:

Bill and I headed out to Liberty Friday, after attending Paganelli's seminar at the Warehouse the night before.  Armed with new, profound knowledge we planned on some trolling and throwing.

We started trolling on the west side and Bill caught 3 stripers, all 18 or 19 inches (good, fresh fighters) on, of course, yellow hair-raisers.  We were pretty pumped!   During this westside trolling, Bill got a Big hit, but his line broke (we think maybe frayed a bit by the other fish) on a fish we would have loved to have seen.  Very exciting!  When things slowed a bit, we decided to head to the other side and try it and planned to throw a top water and a rattle trap during slack tide.  No hook-ups throwing, so we ate lunch and then headed back west.  Bill had a 17 incher in the mix somewhere, and I managed a 19 incher;  these also on the west side.

As we trolled the west side again, thinking about throwing lures somewhere, I got a huge hit in the same area as Bill's big hit earlier.  This fish was pulling very hard, perhaps the hardest hit I have ever had out there!  So, dammit, I discover my line (17 pound mono) is mysteriously wrapped oddly on my  reel bale (an extra strange little twist).  I was hoping the fish wouldn't run before I hopefully figured out a way to correct this situation.  No such luck!  It took off hard and that line snapped with authority.  For those with tender ears, I will not quote myself from that moment.  Suffice to say, our hearts were beating hard.  Glad to report that after some "recovery" time, we passed through that area again a couple times and I caught a 25 incher and then Bill hooked a 22.  We're feeling much better at this point!

Anyhoo, basically end of story.  Best day in quite awhile on Liberty.  Those lost fish were Big.  The other fish were very fun, fresh and large enough.  All trolling; all on yellow hair-raisers.

The cavalry arrived at 9 AM to troll for striped bass.  The Patriarch and the Captain used white hair-raisers while JU used a modified Bomber Long A Lures - B15A (Remove all treble hooks and replace with ONE single hook + 6-inch white tail).

First pass on the "west side of Liberty," the Patriarch's Berkley Cherrywood 7' medium pole went crazy.  JU picked it up and landed a 17" striped bass.  A few minutes later, JU's pole bounced in his hands.  However, JU was using a heavy pole after hearing the report from Mr. Liberty; thus, JU knew it was a little one: another 17-incher.  It was around 11 AM before another was boated by the Patriarch, another 17-incher.  At that time three stripers were released, but it was fun.  Around noon, while trolling and steering the boat, the Captain hit the smallest fish of the day, a 14-incher.  BUT, this one was a keeper because it was a large mouth bass :-)

Then it was time to switch to sturgeon fishing using salmon row and ghost shrimp.  JU got a chance to use his casting reel.  The ultimate fisherman was never successful at using the casting reel without creating a back lash and a mesh of a fishing line.  However, today was different.  He managed to finally cast without any mishaps.

JU got the first sturgeon bite, but no hookup.  Then it was the Patriarch's turn, another bite, but no hookup either.  While everyone was questioning whether the bites were real or just imaginary since there were no hookups, JU, with his lighting quick speed, snapped his pole back to set the hook.  Oh yeah, fish on baby!!!

The heart stopping action lasted for a second :-(

JU stopped reeling to let the fish run.  Unfortunately, it was not the correct thing to do with sturgeon.  Since the new California laws require the use of barbless hook for sturgeon, the line was to be kept tight.  By stop reeling and perhaps letting the line slack, the fish got off :-(  Afterwards, there were a couple more hits for JU and the Patriarch, but no hookups at all.  Sturgeons were too smart to take the bait from the Captain's pole.  They didn't want to see sunlight yet :-)

Summary: 3 striped bass let go; 1 large mouth missed close to the boat; and 1 landed.  One 38 pounder sturgeon that got away and several hits with no hookups.  Fantastic weather and water conditions were clear.  Awesome fish day overall.

Ad Astra per Aspera.

A little foggy at 8:45 AM

Onward to Liberty!

Where is Mr. Pickles or Grand Master Fisherman/Hunter?

Can't complain with the view.

Three of these guys were tossed back.

Finally, a keeper!

Is that a smile, I see?

This is a definite smile: 14-inch fatty.

JU's view :-)  Life is good!

How Early Is Early?

JU sneaked out early Wednesday 11/5 thinking that he would get the worm because "the early bird gets the worm!"  Unfortunately the time change messed things up.  The Ave Maria was in the water by 7 AM, but it was not early enough.  Drifting through the hole, JU passed three boats already in the water.  The one boat that JU inquired already had his limit of two salmon!  JU got to his spot around 7:20 AM.  Pulled wrapped sardine K-14 Kwikfish twice with no hits.  While he was pulling plugs, American Fishing River Guide, Mike Koe, came by (His website is here http://www.americanriverguide.com/).  Mike told JU he's got a 38 pounder in his boat and one other broke his line!  Since Mike was drifting beyond the point of no return and down to Watt Ave.  JU decided to go back to the first spot with the three boats.  By the the time JU got there, all the boats were gone.  JU pulled plugs once through the zone, but no hits.  Then, it was time to head back home to assume the role of JU, The Ultimate School Teacher :-)

Ad Astra per Aspera.

In the water by 7 AM; unfortunately, sunrise was at 6:30 AM.

Looking at the point of no return.

And the Winner Is...

There are a bunch of traditions in JU's life.  There is the ACT (Annual Camping Trip); the FAT (Fun Anniversary Trip); the Memorial Day Weekend Camping Trip; and then, there is the Halloween Pot-luck!

This year, Sifu Legal Counsel, organized a costume contest.  The rules were alive and morphed into doling out prizes to one 1st place winner ($60), two 2nd place winners ($20 ea.), three 3rd place winners ($10), and "The People's Choice" winner ($10).  But of course, all who entered the contest won a Double King-Size Hersey candy bar!  Yummy!

The food was great, but the company was par excellence!  JU's best buddy from high school, WizTech, was there too.  This made the party more fun.

The food

The contestants

First place: St. Lucy

2nd place: Blessed Jacinta

2nd place: Mommy said, "I'm an angel because my brother didn't want to be one."

3rd place: St. George

3rd place: I'm the real St. George

3rd place: But I'm the cutest St. George

"The People's Choice"