Sac Salmon 8/9/13

Out to try for em again this time I got on the water in the AM around 0500 with my friend Nikolay. Ran straight down to Freeport and made our first couple of drifts. Nice only 3-10 boats max out here in the morning rather then 20-30 in the evening. Made a couple of passes, marked a couple of fish on the graph, but no takers, with nothing biting here and nothing else happening around us we made a quick run down stream to see if there was anything happening around the Clarksburg area. Around the bend below Freeport I marked a few fish and we saw a couple roll. Made a few drifts with the jigs still for nothing. Checked out the marina in Clarksburg and never saw a thing on the graph. Didn't even drop the jigs down.

Went back to where I was marking fish below Freeport to try another drift through em, but the wind wasn't allowing us to do that, so back to Freeport where things were a little calmer. A little more then half way through our first drift back there about 0900 in the morning Nikolay sticks one. Fish never went far from the boat or made any runs, but was just constantly head shaking which made both of us nervous that she was gonna spit the hook. Nik did a great job at playing the fish though and the second it got close enough I got the net around it. Never in my life have I seen a fish so green be so aggressive still in the net. Had it closed up and pinned against the boat and it was still made several jumps out of the water and would have jumped in the boat, but I held the net down so it didn't. I didn't want that thing waving its head around everywhere at my feet with a hook still in its mouth.

more then a minute later it finally calmed down and we got our first one of the day and Nikolay's first of the season.

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Bright

chrome hen roughly 20lbs give or take.

Felt great to get one in the boat especially after seeing them on the graph all morning.

We kept at it trying for another one till 1030 and called it from there. Nikolay had a fish and was ready to go and I had a few things to do in the afternoon anyways.

On the way back to the ramp we saw this guy floating down the river.

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About a 4lb jack rotting in the river. Don't know if its a good thing or not seeing a dead fish so early in the season. I was happy to see a jack though. I'm super excited everyone is saying that this is a big fish year, but at the same time all the talk about how next year will be terrible scares me. I try not to worry about that when this year is just getting started, but seeing the jack is assuring saying next year should still be good.

Back out again around 1730 with my step dad Scott. Same area, still plenty of boats out. Disappointing to see though from our time of arrival till around 1930 I only saw/heard of 5 fish being hooked. Better then the morning though when no one else had even hooked a fish except us. Past few nights its been 10 or more by that time. Definitely a much slower day. Decided to pick up and moved down river to where I saw fish earlier. Stopped a tried jigging, but the wind was just ripping us a new one out there. Blowing so hard it was keeping my boat one spot. Held better then my anchor has at times haha. Drove me crazy though while we were there sitting in one spot arch's were popping up on my FF like crazy. I saw at least one arch on there every 15 seconds and I thought I was going crazy maybe marking a rock or something over and over again but every once in a while there was two on there at the same time at different depths and the best time I saw 5 arch's all bunched up together. Had to have been a big school of fish passing me. We tried jigging em up, but still had no takers.

Sun was going down, but I didn't want to give up. I wanted to try trolling through them at least once. I know its not the right way to do it, but we were pressed for time so we trolled a couple of free lined kwikfish in 15 ft of water headed up stream for a while while we were headed back to the ramp. No love still. Kept at that till 2030 for nothing but a couple of snags. Fish are there, but just didn't want to play today.

I was just headed back out there now (1430 8/10/13 Saturday) with Garrett, but on my way down the street from the house my truck took a crap on me and decided it didn't want to shift into 3rd gear. Pulled it over shut it off real quick and now the engine won't turn over. There goes those plans. Thank god it happened down the street from home and not on the way out from the river or when I was trying to pull my boat out of the water. I'm very fortunate and thankful for that, pushed it back to the house and called off that trip. For now though looks like I'll be limited to bike rides to the AR. I know fish should be running in there any day now. Nikolay's fish had the adipose fin clipped. I know it doesn't guarantee it, but it should mean that these are American river fish and hopefully they will be running up that river within a day or two, we'll see.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

Persistence Pays Off. FINALLY!!!

I know its still very early for the season, but for me this feels like its been a long time coming. Putting in now pretty close to I think 100 hours OTW this season alone, it has been a very slow start to the 2013 salmon season for me. Conditions have not been ideal, and regardless of the numerous skunks, I know that there are fish out there for the taking and there is no way in hell I'm just gonna let them swim by with out at least trying. Tuesday I finally took my boat out to the Sac with Ethan to give it a go and take a break from the disappointing American River. Dropped the boat in the water at Garcia's around 1730 and ran down to Freeport to join the jigging fleet. Man o man I have to say too the word is out. Fish are here, they are being caught and people know. For it being a Tuesday evening it was packed. I counted atleast 21 boats, I'm sure there were more, and all but 3 were drifting down the lane dropping jigs. Started at the top and worked our way down.

Saw a couple get caught here and talked to a few people and heard about a few more caught or lost here and there. Kept looking at my graph, but I wasn't marking any fish near me. I heard some boats talking around me calling out to there friends "I got 2 coming up!" Seems to me like the fish have been traveling in pairs or singles, not in massive

schools. Not sure if this is true or not, but its what it seemed like. Later in the evening around 1930 I had one short strike that I couldn't connect on. Threw in the towel around 2030 with another skunk to take home. Counting all of the fish I saw/heard of there must have been at least 15 hooked, probably more, half of which were landed. Highlight of the night was watching this 10 year old kid fighting a salmon that must have been 25 plus. Watched them chase the fish out to the middle of the river, saw the kid and his dad with the net make 20+ laps walking around the boat following it. Fight must have lasted 20 mins. when it came to an end when the kids 10b test line got wrapped in the ladder on the boat and the fish broke off. Sad ending, but seeing little kids hooking into fish is great.

Back again Wednesday 8/7/13, at least here I know fish are around and they are being caught so chances are still pretty good. Made a couple calls around, but everyone was busy so I ran solo. OTW just before 1700 today and hopped on down to the bridge to join the fleet for another chance at the King. One boat that launched at the same time I did that can run at probably 40 mph when I'm only doing 18 mph already had one by the time I got there. Got to be a good sign. I tend to be really happy when I see other people catching fish around me, makes me know that fish are here and biting so my chances are good, but going on 1800, 1900, seeing people catching fish all around me and I've yet to have a hit does get a little frustrating. I know it's just a chance game though and I have to just get lucky here.

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Picture of maybe half of the fleet working the lane tonight. Another easy 20+ boats out tonight.

I did notice that if someone up river caught a fish about half of the boats would pull up and go above em to hopefully catch the same school as they pass by. Well I'm observant and mama didn't raise no fool. I tried the same thing a few times and tonight I did actually mark several fish on the graph. Around 2000 I marked a couple fish on the graph that passed right by me with out touching my jig then a minute later I see a boat stick one. Well what have to got to lose lets move. Ran way up above them, another 60 yards above the rest of the fleet to make sure I catch the school and 2 mins. into the drift I feel my jig get grabbed on the fall. Wasn't a hard or a crazy hit, but I could tell it definitely wasn't bottom. Swung hard and immediately felt that fish pumping. FISH ON BABY!!! Fish came up quick just close enough for me to see the bright flash of silver in the water then made 2 fast and long runs. A good rod though and 50lb braid allowed me to get that fish back in pretty quick. Got the net around that bitch and let off a huge sigh of relief. Biggest thing I love about salmon is no matter how hard I've tried this whole season for skunk after skunk, a couple of lost fish, then getting skunked some more. This moment here makes it all worth it.

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And what a beautiful moment it is. Sat down sent out my picture text while I kept jigging for maybe another fish. 2015 though I looked it was getting dark I got a fish in the box and its going to be a mess at the ramp with everyone in line trying to pull out at the same time with only the one lane ramp. Me probably being a slowest boat out here too not a bad idea to get a head start. Called it a day there and made it back to the ramp to be 3 in line and still waited a half hour to get out of there. Frustrating watching a group of people struggling and taking 20 mins. to put their boat on the trailer, especially when it takes me 2 and I'm by myself! Its really not that hard people. Including my fish I probably saw/heard about close to 20 fish being hooked tonight as well. Not bad about 1 fish being hook per boat out there.

Made it back home safe and sound got a better picture with the fish and put it on the scale.

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She weighed in around 18lbs give or take after being bleed out. Now I've got some meat being marinated right now for my dinner tonight and more in the brine for my smoker tomorrow and even a bit of roe to top it all off. Life is good and you know I'll be back out later to do it all over again.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

Mather Bluegills 7/26/13

Had a friend ask me if I could get some bluegills for him to throw in his goldfish pond in his backyard so I ran down to Mather Lake with Deni with some worms we dug up in the backyard. Made it there around 1400 and got on fish right away. Surprise surprise, they are bluegills they are easy to find.

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He only needed a couple so we spent maybe a half hour there. Put three in the bucket for our friend and caught and released several more. Biggest one was probably 7 inches long and 4 inches from top to bottom. Huge gill, he flopped out of my hand as I was taking a picture and fell into the water. Photo opp missed on that one.

Short trip, but it was a fun little adventure. After seeing a few decent sized bluegills I was in the mood for a fish fry.

Ran back later in the evening around 1900 with our friend Jazzy looking for some handsized ones for a small fish fry. Started off getting into but all small.

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Jazzy with her first of the day.

We ran around looking a better school and I got into one where I was averaging some decent sized fish.

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Stuck it out till around 2030 and got a few for a small fry.

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All fish were caught on red worms we took out of our compost bin. Nothing too it, but still a fun evening on the water. I may try to go back tomorrow to get more to make a better meal or I'll make a sandwich out of em tomorrow.

Till Next Time
Mark

AR Salmon attempt(s)

Been spending lots of time still on the American River, primarily at the Basin. I'm not flossing at the wall, don't feel like dealing with the crowds up there. I've just been spending my time throwing spinners in the deeper stretch. Action here and throughout pretty much the entire basin has been slow to slower. Most day's I see or hear about 1 maybe 2 fish being hooked up. Landed for me and many other has been a whole other story. Getting a hit is hard enough.

Thursday 7/18/13 (Yes a week ago sorry I haven't gotten around to

writing a report for it) I decided to do some wading in the morning and try my luck flossing in the line up. I fished there from 0500-0700 and saw one other angler hook up and lose one next to me. Looking across the way at my usual hole I could have sworn I saw a couple of my friends messing with something on the bank and sure enough I gave them a call and they busted a 20 lber on a Flying C.

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I made my way back over to their side and finished the morning off there, but no one else hooked into anything.

Since then I've been running around on the American and the Sac here and there for nothing. Made my way back to the basin Tuesday evening (7/22/13). Tossed the usual spinners hoping for some better luck. Been a week since I've even had a bite. Just after 1900 I decided to throw a kwikfish on and tried free lining it, swinging it in the current. Second cast, as I'm letting it swing my rod nearly gets ripped out of my hand, I swung hard and finally I had a fish on again after all of my persistence and hard work. Made my way over to the proper area for landing the fish and just after 10 seconds into the fight I felt the hook pop and he was gone. A whole week without any action at all, I finally hook up into my second fish of the season and I lost it again. Very very sad times for Mark. Trying not to be too upset carried on hoping for another chance. Didn't come around though. Stuck it out until just after 2000 and I had to go.

Back at it again tonight 7/23/13 on the water just after 1700. Trying the kwikfish again. It worked for me yesterday might as well try it again today. Few fish jumping today and every one that I saw jump was bright bright silver. A new school moved up which made me a little more confident. Hopefully with more fish there will be some much better chances of getting em in here.

Around 1800 I was working my kwikfish in along side the bank and out of no where my line starts peeling off and I've got a fish on. First though was WTF I didn't feel a bite or anything, I was just working the plug in and suddenly a fish appeared. Fish took off and ran and ran and ran, I tried turning him but he would not turn. Much to my disappointment it was very obvious this was a foul hooked fish, but screw it I'm gonna have fun fighting him regardless. Let him do his run playing him easy, since I couldn't turn him though it wasn't long before I looked down at my spool and I could see my backing and the metal spool. Ok no more screwing around. I locked my drag down tight and with 50lb braid and after a long run, that fish stopped dead in its tracks. I dragged him back in ass first and I came to find he had a 15ft leader hanging from its tail and I happened to catch it. Got him in the net and snapped a quick pic.

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Nice buck easy 20 lbs, pushing close to 25, no wonder someone else lost it. I'll be 100% honest, I know it was snagged, but I did not want to let that fish go. Maybe it was the Asian in me or just because these fish are so freaking delicious. Garrett talked me down from it though, plus I know there are wardens out here watching and it would be terrible to start the season off with bad karma and a ticket to boot. Set that bad boy go to be caught another day.

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This is what I hooked into and how I was connected to the fish.

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I snagged the barrel itself on the swivel. Not one of the eyes, or wrapped up in the line, the middle of the freaking swivel. What are the odds?

Sucked having to let it go, but it did feel good doing the right thing. Good Karma should hopefully be on my side in the near future. Kept on through the night hoping for a hit. Nothing else came around though. Plenty of guys out tonight throwing spinners, plunking kwikfish, and drifting roe. All the tricks were out there, but no one else got anything from what I saw. Been a very very slow start to this season, but I know very soon once all the ocean guys stop hogging all of the fish (jk) they'll be thick in here with hopefully plenty of action along the rivers. Till then I'll still be out there working hard for em. Felt great today though to fight one and get my hands back on a King again(no homo).

Till Next Time
Mark

AR Salmon 7/17

Back to the river today to try for Mr. King again. On the water by 0430 to get my spot before the crowds showed up. Word got out that the AR is slow though cause there was only half of the people out there today as there were yesterday. No complaints here. Tossed spinners for the first half of the morning for nothing then I switched over to roe after the sun came up around 0700 with my new found confidence with it since I hooked into one last night on it. Morning went on though, not very many fish rolling today.

Garrett was there with me

tossing roe as well. Around 0800 Garrett ran up to the wall to check it out since there was only maybe 20 people up there instead of 80. He came back about half an hour later with nothing to show for it though. Right as he returned I was making the switch over to a kwikfish since no one has hooked anything yet this morning and that's about the only thing we haven't tried. Then while I've got my head down I hear everyone yelling Garrett's on! I look up and sure enough his first cast back into the hole on roe he is hooked up.

Fish puts up a good fight and lucky for Garrett he managed not to join the "Lose your first fish of the season club" and he got that thing to the bank and in the net.

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Good looking hen that went 15lbs on the scale. A little late in the morning, but finally someone got one. I stuck it out till just before 1100, then ran back home for a nap to go back out for the evening.

Met my Step dad Scott around 1600. He was helping me out with tuning up my truck. Stopped at pep boys on the way and picked up a new air filter for my truck on the way to the hole (this is relevant to the story I swear). Showed up on the water just before 6 to find 5 guys trying to floss in the lower end of the hole. Don't understand what makes people want to floss here, its the deepest and the snaggiest spot in the entire basin.

I started off with roe hoping for a repeat of last night with a better out come and Scott tossed spinners. Maybe 20 mins. into the evening I see Scott swing for the fences and say "Mark I got one." Sure enough I look and not even 5ft from the bank I see the salmon clear as day in that water shaking like crazy with the spinner in his mouth. Unfortunately since the fish hit so close to the bank Scott wasn't ready for it, tried to get a better grip on the reel/rod gave the fish a bit of slack and good ol' barbless hooks for ya, pop! fish off. Another member to their first salmon of the season lost. Also Scott's first ever salmon he's hooked into.

Early in the evening though there is still hope for us yet. Eventually I ran out of roe (never realized how quickly you can go through it, especially when you don't cure it right) and switched back to my spinner. Nothing else for anyone for sometime, lots of fish rollling this evening though. Stayed later tonight, sun was going down and it was getting dark and my spinner gets hammered. I drilled that hook and fish on baby! Garrett saw a flash of silver though that just looked a little too silver, my fish was fighting hard, but it didn't have much weight behind it. Sure enough its a FU**ING SHAD!!!

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F U SHAD!!! WHERE WERE YOU IN JUNE WHEN I WANTED TO CATCH YOU!!!

Incredibly depressed about the by catch. I have to say I honestly would rather get skunked then catch shad on my salmon gear. At least then I'm not getting teased with anything.

Kept at it and I had another hit that felt solid, but didn't feel salmon solid. Swung missed, then Garrett had the same thing. Were going to assume that they were shad getting active in the area.

Stuck it out until 2100 tonight for nothing else. I'm beginning to remember how frustrating salmon fishing can be. Can't give up though. Will be back tomorrow for another shot.

When we got back to the truck we came to find someone had popped the lock on Scott's truck.

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Sure enough they stole my new air filter we just bought, the old one, some fuel injector fluid, a leatherman, and a box of mints. Never heard of or had any problems here so this is a first for me. Will have to find somewhere new to park now. Some people man. Hopefully our future will be filled with many fish to make up for the loss.

Till next time
Mark

American Opener

I've been dying for this day to come for more then a month now. Spent the past month getting lots of rest, sleeping in and being lazy cause I am going to be getting none of that now that the season is open. Up just before 0300 this morning to get the jump on my spot on the AR. Hit the Basin just below the Hazel bridge where some friends and I did pretty good last year. Brought my

step dad Scott and met my friend's Nikolay, Ethan, and Jay out there and we were the first ones to the water by 0400. Had to make sure I got there early to secure my spot. Waited for the hour before mark to make our first cast. Nice over cast this morning and a good breeze made for a chilly start to the day.

Everyone was tossing Flying C's right at 0500 a few more guys came down, one was beading, one tossing roe and the rest had spinners as well. First hour goes by, saw a couple jump, seen one caught and a couple lost up river from the beaders. Second hour comes around sun is getting a little higher in the sky still no hits. A few questionable bumps from a few of us and a couple snags and some lost spinners got donated to the river gods.

Our morning line up waiting on the fish.

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Nikolay on the right, then Ethan and believe it or not Jay is in the picture too, but you can't see his short ass next to Ethan lol.

Going on 0730 or so I finally see a rod swing and Jay is hooked up!!!

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I'm standing ready with the net excited to see the first salmon of the season get pulled out of the AR. Fight goes on for a few minutes we see it roll a few times and just as its beginning to get close and maybe in net range Jay's spinner comes flying out of the water and the biggest sigh of disappointment with some scream and a couple of choice words comes out of all of our mouths.

Big Ant who was 100+ yard up river from us even heard us yelling when that fish popped off.

Back to it Jay and Ethan took off around 0800 to go to work. I stuck it out till 1000 then I moved up river on the line to try throwing beads. Did that for an hour for nothing. I only saw one guy hook up once out of 30+ people. Realized it wasn't worth the effort so I took off around 1100. Came back home got some lunch took a well needed nap and headed back out around 1730. Brought my friend Steven with me this time and got to the spot just before 1800 to find it all to our selves, AWESOME!!! Gave Steven a spinner and I decided to try my luck with roe. Maybe 10 minutes into it I felt a grab, I swung for the fences and had a fish on baby! One of my goals for this year is I get a salmon on roe since I've never done it and I was super excited to get it on my first fish of the season!

Brought him to the bank, had Steven ready on the net, maybe 5ft from the net and my hook pops. DAMN-IT!!!

Gave Jay crap all morning about losing his fish and now I did the same damn thing. Amateurs man! Upset over that a bit, but there are more fish to be caught no biggie. Kept at it until 2000. Got crowded around 1930. Watched people everywhere around me and never saw anyone hook up and we didn't have any other action while we were there either.

A slow opener for me, but at least I managed to hook into one. I'll be back bright and early for another shot at em.

Till Then Guys
Mark

Delta Bassin 7/12/13

Got an invite from Jon asking me if I wanted to join him for a sun downer on the Delta for some bass. Hell yea! I haven't been getting out much and this is a great distraction from the fact that I still can't salmon fish yet, getting close though.

Meet up with Jon and Bob and we were on the water out of Ladd's just before 1400. Started around the bottom of the tide and we were working the incoming all day. Bob and Jon both started with tossing some flukes in the

weeds. I figured I would let them figure out what the hot lure was while I just dick around with some spooks to see if I can get a couple of random fish on top water while the sun was still high. Right of the bat Bob sticks a small one and I have a blow up shortly after. Promising start so far. Then we start seeing a serious amount of surface activity going on a head of us and we all cast in there to see whats biting, and found ourself's in the middle of a striper boil! Too bad the fish are only 5 inches long.

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Nothing to brag about or even get too excited about, but getting em on top water plugs was still pretty fun.

Bite died off pretty quick so we did the run and gun thing for a while looking for some better water with some hungry fish in it. We worked a couple pumps a long the way and Jon did manage one shaker striper on a LV500.

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Not much else going on at the pumps though. After a few hours I had to give in and put the spook away for now. Put a senko on and worked the tule lines in hopes of better chances for a bite. Shortly later I managed to find one and with a decent fish to boot.

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Much better grade. After that we found a pattern on senkos working the inside of weed lines on rock banks.

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Bob loving on his fish.

Half way through the day Jon tells us he is about to shit him self, so we stopped for a pit stop so he could drop a duece. On his way back over the levee he managed to catch a rock with his toe and mess that up pretty good.

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Next time maybe he wont wear flip flops and will bring some real shoes lol.

The senko bite stayed pretty consistent for us for the rest of the day.

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Bob won on the biggest fish of the day with this bruiser.

We tried frogs and top water a lot throughout the day, but they did not touch em. As the sun was going down I committed to the spook for nothing, Jon did pull a few out on a buzzbait, and bob wisely choose to stay with the producing lure and kept catching fish, or at least getting bites on his senko.

Ended our night around 2100, what worked for us: senkos 4 inch pumpkin and 6 inch watermelon w/red+green flake. Boated 20 something fish probably with an average 10-12 inch size maybe with a couple 3lbers in the mix and a 5.

Great and fun day on the water and good to see and fish with these guys again.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark