Are You Ready?

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for 2015 fishing.  As usual, my fishing license is good for all types of fishing in California and is around 8 feet in length?!?

Following is the summary of 2014 fishing, wishing you all a fantastic 2015!  Tight lines.

Merry Christmas!

It's been an exciting year!  Unfortunately, I have less time to go fishing now....  But, it's not because of lack of trying.  It's been raining a lot here in California; so hopefully, when the rain stops and the children are still on Christmas break, I'll get the opportunity to sneak out for a fishing trip!

Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas!

Salmon Season Is Not Over, Yet!

I thought for sure that the salmon season is over in Sacramento until I saw the 10 pound hen that was given to my dad last night.

The salmon is still bright.

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!