Salmon and Stripers? on The Sac 8/15/11

Back out to the Honey Hole again today with my dad. Got on the water at 0620 and as we roll up we see our friends Lucas and David following right behind us. We set up and I get a Kwikfish out before I start casting my spinner. I thought about it a while ago I have a second rod stamp might as well use it. Plus getting salmon is hard enough might as well double my chances at getting one. After that we all start casting waiting for the prime bite times. My dad and I have noticed that there are usually 2 prime times when we usually catch fish. That is right at 0653 and any where from 0815-0830. Before today I have seen 3 other fish caught right at 0653 on the exact minute. No idea why, but I'm not going to argue with it.

0645 rolled around and I warned everyone its almost 0653 guys be ready for it someone is gonna get one. Few minutes later my dad sets the hook on something but he and everyone knew it wasn't anything special. Pulled his spinner up and there is a 4 inch striper on there that nailed his spinner. We asked him if he wanted a picture for proof of his trophy catch, but he said he didn't want proof of that worthless fish. As he is taking the fish off of the hook our buddy David tossing a number 5 chartuse Blue Fox sets the hook and says fish on!!!



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He hooks up I look at my phone and what do you know? Its 0653. 4th fish now caught right on this very minute of the day. Got to love a bite that is that consistent.



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Fight lasted about 15 minutes. We got his fish landed and put her on the scale. Ended up being a nice chrome 19lb hen. After that we were all happy that there was a fish right on the expected minute, so we were expecting to get at least one more around the 0830 bite time, but we're perfectly fine with getting one sooner then that. Cast after cast goes by, 0800 comes by and we all get ready and before you know it my spinner stops and I set the hook into a fish. Look at the clock its 0805, a little early from the usual bite time, but I'm not complaining. My fish was a smaller jack. Small, but still a salmon and I'm happy about it. Got him in in about 3 minutes.

Now My dad has been saying conditions are good enough that someone should be getting a limit either today or sometime soon. As I land my fish, I literally popped the hook out of its mouth and David yells fish on again! Hell yea David is getting his limit baby! I walk down to the water to put my fish on the stringer and I hear David yell "ITS A F#%kING STRIPER!!!" I look over and sure enough David has a nice striper on that hit his Blue Fox.

We land his fish after a quick fight and were all just baffled at his odd catch, but hey I know I would take it any day.



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David with both of his fish. His Striper ended up being 7lbs and 27 inches long. Man David is Living large today. Damn near 20lb salmon and a legal striper, day doesn't get much better then that. We stick it out and keep trying until 0930. I end up getting a 12 inch small mouth bass for my efforts, but no more salmon, or stripers for that matter.

Get home and snap a pic of my smaller fish.



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Ended up being about 6 1/2lbs. Still not the 20lber I'm looking for, but I'll take a jack any day rather then take a skunking.

Season is still early hopefully there are many more amazing days on the water to come.

Till Next Time Guys.
Mark

Jack on The Sac. 8/4/11

Went out to the honey hole again this morning for another crack at Mr. Salmon. Woke up to find my dad sleeping away, too bad for him snooze you lose. I went out the door and got on the water at 0630. Met our buddy Lucas out on the water. Conditions were a bit different today, A little bit windy and overcast. I didn't like it but it doesn't mean the fish wont bite. I was looking for that first fish within a couple of cast today but that didn't happen. 20 mins go by though and Lucas sets the hook into a fish.

0650 and Lucas sticks and lands a small Jack.



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Only took him about a minute to land. With Lucas using 30lb braid that small fish wasn't going no where.

We kept on fishing, Lucas missed a few more hits and I didn't get anything. Still cool to see fish get caught though. I fished until 0900 and called it quits. Never seen much happen at this spot after 0830. Lucas stayed out a while longer. Haven't heard anything from him so I'm assuming he didn't get anything else.

Another good day on the water. Got to keep trying, I want to break that 20lb mark.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

First Salmon of The Seaon Baby. 08/2/11

My buddy Jeremy told me he had this Tuesday off and said he was ready to get on some salmon, so I meet him this morning at Freeport and showed him out to our spot my dad and I fish. We got on the water around 0650 and started tossing our spinners. This spot is cool because its shallow enough we don't have to use any weights with the spinners. Also its cool because of the shallow water you know when fish move though they are going to see your lures no matter what.

We get on the water at 0650 and I start throwing my spinner, I'm using one with a silver blade this morning. Jay has a pink Flying C on with a gold blade. About my 5th cast into it only my third crank on the reel my spinner gets whacked, I set the hook and fish on baby!

Hooked up right away barely 5 mins into the day man life is good. 10 min or so fight I and landed that bad boy.


A nice 15lb Hen to start the season with.

I walk up to my car to grab some rope for a stringer and as I'm looking through my car I hear Jay swing his rod and make a deep sigh. I turn around and asked him what happened and his exact words was "Crap man my world just got rocked!" Same thing that happened to me happened to him. Got hit right after the first reel, he just missed it.

Slightly after that Jay switched over to a Chartuse Flying C with Chartuse/silver blade, and not maybe another 30 mins. later Jay sets the hook and he is hooked up this time. He said it was a small fish but a fish is a fish and more importantly a Salmon is a Salmon! or is it??? His fish comes up and it's back is a very strange greenish color. I take a closer look and I can see that that's no Salmon. Jay busted a Steelhead!!!



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Something I've never seen on the Sac, my dad said he has caught one Steelie once in 20 years of fishing for salmon on the Sac. Very rare catch and way cool to see. Close to a 4lb chromer steelie on a flying C too.

Let the fish go to be caught another day and we keep trying for our target fish. We keep trying and we hit rocks after rocks setting the hook on everything even some little smallies are slapping our spinners. Jay gets a good hit though a bit further out and there is another fish on!

Jay is hooked up again and its deinfatly a salmon this time. Pretty amazing 3 fish in one day 1 being a steelhead. After another 10 min fight or so we land Jay's fish.



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Jay's fish ended up being a 20lber.

We fished until 0930 before we called it a day. Pretty damn good day if you ask me. Loaded everything up and threw the salmon cooler, realized I need a bigger cooler.



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Got home and showed off my fish to my dad.



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Cleaned my fish and got everything packaged and ready to go for some friends who I promise salmon too.



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Had some nice roe in her too.



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Good day on the water today. Jeremy's first salmon in years and first Steelie we've ever seen on the Sac, can't ask much more for that.

Till Next Time Guys.
Mark

Sacramento River Salmon 7/28/11

Yesterday morning I was just relaxing at home watching tv. At 0930 my dad walks in and says "Mark where is your scale?!?!?!" I already knew why he wanted it. He went out and busted his first salmon of the season.



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Put him on the scale and weighed him out to be 17.68lbs. My dad got him up above Garica's Bend caught on our spinners we make ourselfs. I should also mention that my dad has tried to find a way to make salmon fishing more interesting for him so he has been using his trout rod with 4lb test on it. He said the fight took him over a half hour to land him. Took him all up and down and across the river, almost lost him a few times to floating logs coming down the river and drifting into his line. Determination paid off though and with 4lb test all on his own he landed it.

Back out again this morning to the same spot and I came with him this time. On the water at 0700. Around 0830 we see and few salmon jump and my dad said yesterday when he hooked up it was the second cast after he saw one boil. Very next cast after we saw the splash both of our spinners were right in the strike zone and in perfect sink both of our spinners stopped and we both set the hook. We look at each other's rods to see if were hooked up or just on another rock. I bring mine in and I just has a stick on, but my dad's rod starts pumping and he has a fish on.



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Didn't fight much at first, we both kinda thought it might have been bass or something, but it came up to the surface jumped clear out of the water and we could tell it was a small jack. May have been a small fish but man I could tell with my dad using 4lb test it was still a blast. Got him in and threw that bad boy in the cooler.



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This fish ended up weighing 5.35lbs

We stayed another hour to see if my dad could get his limit or if I could stick one but nothing else happened. Salmon were still jumping here and there but we couldn't get anymore to bite.

Nothing for me today, but this is only my 3rd trip out and its still very early in the season. Just got to keep on trying.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

Deer Creek Resevoir (Lower Scotts Flat) 7/25/11

I wanted to get out and try for some trout today. I was talking to Garrett on where to go and my first plan was to hike up the desolation wilderness to hit some of the mountain lakes for brookies, but Garrett didn't like the sound of that long walk up the mountain, so he convinced me to go out to Scotts Flat Lake. We and got my other friend Brian today so I couldn't bring my toon, but we all had a float tube and decided that it would be the perfect way to go today.

We arrive at the lower lake (Deer Creek Resevoir) at 1200 and I step out of the car and find a nice looking tree to mark, and as I turn around I noticed Garrett was already gone. I asked Brian where he went and he said he already took his rod down to the water. Kid wasted no time on that one. about a minute later he comes walking back up with this.



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He went down and got one on his 4th cast throwing a white crappie jig. After seeing that Brian grabbed his rod and took off to get one too. I stay at the car and just pump up my float tube and get all of that ready. I walk down later to see Brian still fishless, but I can see fish following his jig on every cast, they just weren't committing to it. I try throwing a jig with a drop of pro cure on it to make it more delicious for the fish, but like Brian I could only get them to follow it, not take it. After seeing that, down with the jig and time for another lure.

I pick up one of my personal favorite trout lures the Super Duper and I stick one on the first cast.



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Looks like hardware is the way to go for me today. I get one more from the bank then I launch the float tube to get out to some more fish. (I didn't take any pictures on the tube cause of the fear of my phone taking a dip so sorry about that).

While Garrett and Brian are pumping up their tubes they throw out a couple of bait poles. Needless to say they were getting bit so often it was over an hour before they got on their tubes and onto the water. Brian was just doing rainbow powerbait on the bottom and Garret had a powerworm and some powerbait on a 1/16th ounce jig head under a bobber. I thought it was kind of a weird set up but you know it was working and thats all that mattered.

For me out on the tube I just had to see some surfacing make a cast and fish on. Before Garrett got out I already had caught and released close to 15 trout, and when Brian finally got out a bit later I had completely lost count. I stuck with the super duper. Garrett tried a kastmaster and Brian was throwing a roostertail. Everything was working.

We fished for the next 3 hours to get close to 80 or so fish between the three of us. After that we decided to go up to the main lake and see if we can get on some bass. Long story short on that one, lots of wind and lots of water skiers didn't make for good conditions. Garrett did manage to get 3 smallies though on a tube about 8-10 inches each, Brian hooked one on a banjo minnow, and I couldn't even get a bite throwing tubes and robo worms. With the bass bite not being on like we thought it would be we deflated the tubes and back to deer creek we went.

Its now evening and trout were boiling everywhere, always a cool sight. Garrett started tossing flies to do something a little different.



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And guess what? that worked pretty well too.



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He was tossing I believe a pheasant tail nymph and having great success with it. Brian stuck with bait and I think found his inner child with fishing with a bobber the whole time. He did pretty well with it too.

I shot a video of Brian getting a fish, but I have not the slightest clue on how to get it on here, so I'll try to figure it out and post it up here asap for you guys to see.

We fished until dark, caught and released easily over 100 fish between the 3 of us, and topped off our limits for a nice fish fry to look forward to at home. First time for me at this lake and I must say I love it and will be back soon for sure

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

7/14/11 A day at BLOWdega

Had my day off and decided to go out to bodega for the day. I took Deni and my friends Garrett and Jazzy. Right when we got there BLOWdega lived up to its name with wind gusting like freaking crazy. I bought myself a spear with the intentions of jumping in the water and trying my hand at some spear fishing at the first time. The water was warm enough for me to jump in without a wetsuit, but the wind chill was too much for me, so I stayed out of the water, plus the water clarity was just horrible.

We got on the Jetti around 1300 and Garrett and I tried for Rock fish while Jazzy and Deni tried for some crab. Garret and I threw swimbaits, tubes, jigs, grubs, and even squid and couldn't even buy a bite. I was hoping deni and jazzy could get some red or rock crab since I know dungie season is closed, but I'll tell you the dungies knew that the season for them was closed. Tossing the snares straight down into the rocks Jazzy and Deni managed 4 massive dungies!!!



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These guys must have been 7 inches across. I couldn't get them this big during the season! It hurt to have to throw them all back. To make things worse, they didn't even get a single red or rock crab. Oh well though lots of fun and Jazzy's first time crabbing and she had a lot fun doing it.

After that though Garrett and I needed to get on some fish, so we left the jetti and went over next to the coast guard station to try for some rock fish there. We get there though and our rocks that are normally exposed by this time are still a foot underwater. I pull my phone out to re-check my handy dandy tide app and forgot to noticed the first time I checked that the low tide is 2.77ft. Not really much of a low tide at all, but you don't pick your days off and you don't control mother nature, so we had to make due with what we got. Garrett and I waded out to throw grubs and tubes a long the rocks. Garrett managed 1 small 4 inch rock fish but that was it.

So with the rock fish not biting Garrett and I joined Deni and Jazzy at poke poling for some eels. Lots and lots of small eels to show for our efforts.



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Kept the few that were big enough to get some meat off of.

With the high low tide we didn't have a lot of time to poke pole, but it was fun while we had the time. We left there around 1800 and before heading home Garrett got a tip from a friend about a pier in Lucas warf that was good for sharks and rays so we went over there to try for a little bit. We fish it for an hour with squid and Garret had 3 massive hits and I had one but all were missed. Will have to go there again and try again with some more time.

Our day ended there with 6 eels to go home with. Awesome to be back out to the Bay again, I have fallen in love with this place. I want to start coming more often and I'm debating on getting myself a wetsuit and getting into spear fishing and ab diving soon, we'll see what happenes with that.

In the mean time Salmon season is tomorrow and you know I'm gonna be out there =)

Till next Time Guys
Mark

Couple more days on the American River

I keep trying for my keeper Striper on the AR. I went out in the AM 7/2/11. Picked up Garrett and met Daryl on the water at 0515. Right when we got there stripers were jumping a bit. Casting the spook I could get anything close enough to where I was to hit. I walk up river 50 yards or so with Garrett where we see more crashing close to the bank. I throw the spook out there and Garrett tosses his swim bait. On my first cast I get 3 mice blow ups, but the fish missed the lure every time.

After fishing a while longer Garrett manages a small shaker on his swim bait. Nothing else happened that morning though.

Back out again this morning 7/3/11. Got Garrett and we got out on the water earlier today 0430. I myself was so exhausted and tired from helping my friends move all day and night the day before so I sat down on my ass waiting for the stripers to start jumping. Garrett is out tossing his swim bait though. He had a small light attach to his hat I gave him and I told him to shine it on the water in front of him and the stripers will come right to him. 5 mins later Garrett was reeling his lure in and it got 5 ft from the bank and I see him set the hook and then his swim bait come flying out of the water.

He said holy crap that was a bite! He flipped his bait back out just 10 ft from the bank and right when it hit the water BAM! He was hooked up. I ran over to help and right off of the bat Garrett has a keeper striper.



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Nice 21 incher. After seeing that I got off my ass and throw out a swim bait. Nothing happened with that, but shortly after they start jumping so get my spook out there. I end up getting two blow ups and hooking up on both but losing the fish after a 3 second fight. This is getting kind of ridiculous. I've lost so many fish recently on spooks after a 2 or 3 second fight. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if its just the hooks not landing right. Garrett keeps telling me you get a better hook up if you take the middle of the 3 hooks off of the super spook. I don't understand how that would make sense but I'm willing to try it now.

Garrett managed another nice little shaker on the swim bait again of course.



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Called it a day from there. Gonna try to get out again 2maro. We'll see what happens.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark