American Steel 1/18/12

I came up to Rancho to spend my day off with the Girl Friend. She had school today though so while she took off to do that I'd thought I kill some time chasing some steelies around since I was right there. I had some roe that I cured from the trout I've been keeping at Amador, I figured I couldn't go wrong with that. I fished just below the hatchery with the rest of the crowds. I found a small riffle the had a few fish in it that I had all to my self so was happy with that. I spent an hour drifting roe pass these fish for nothing and all around me I saw people hooking up on beads and I was looking all were legally hooked. I didn't want to give in to using beads, but I couldn't argue with what was working. I thought about it and I said to myself if you can't beat em join em. I give Big Ant you win.

I lengthen my leader to 5ft put two red beads on and tried drifting those. 3rd cast I hooked into one and it popped off a second after the hookset. I couldn't believe it worked that fast. 30 mins later I get one to stick and I get my Steelhead.



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Only my second steelhead I have ever caught and definatly my person best.

I looked too and sure enough the hook was inside his mouth on the lower jaw. Blows my mind that plastic would work better then real eggs, but whatever what works works. Sent him on his marry way to go and make some babies.

I did end up foul hooking a few fish by accident that popped off easy when I just held my rod straight at em. I ended up missing a lot of bites because I didn't want to set the hook in fear that I had one in its side or something, till I saw the fish open up its mouth and spit my beads at me. Man that was depressing.

I ended up getting one more fish before I took off.



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This one had the hook on the outside of the bottom jaw. Either way I'm not keeping fish today and its wild anyways back she goes. Had a couple more bites, but no more fish landed. Had lots of fun for just a of couple hours. I might have to go back and do it again sometime.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

Lake Amador Did it Again 1/9/12

With my dad's and my recent success at Amador we wanted to get back out there and do it again. I got Deni to come a long with time so she could see what "Slamador" is all about. Got on the water today around 1100 and trolled our way right over towards mountain springs. On the way my dad manage to hook and LDR one fish probably in the 2lb range on one of his Rapala's. Nothing else happened trolling though. We got back into the arm we saw some surfacing, but not as much as they were on Thursday. For today I noticed that I was running low on jig heads for my tubes and I wanted Deni to be the one using the jigs because they are what I have the most confidence in, so last night I tied up some flies that were weighted enough I could cast them on my UL set up. I tied a few buggers one in black one in olive and one marabou Black leech. We chased the surfacing fish around. Me with my flies, Deni with the crappie jigs, and my dad with his Rapala's.

After chasing fish around for close to an hour we finally get on top of some fish that were willing to bite. My dad draws first blood with a average 2lber. Shortly after I stick my first fish and it ends up being another toad. 10 min battle and some hectic moments with line going in and around the trolling motor I'm able to get my first fish of the day in the net.



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Now I brought my scale with me today and my scale is either off or my guesstimates are very modest, because this fish ended up weighing 8lbs. The weight that I thought my last fish was which was a bit bigger then this one. Either way with what it says I caught a 8lb trout hell yea! Good way to start the day. We stayed with this school for a while getting a few fish out of the pod. After that we tried trolling through the area and Deni got her first fish doing that on a white power grub. Ended up being a 5lber. Her best trout and so far her PB fish ever.

After that it was real hit and miss. You'd find a school maybe get a fish or two then spend another hour looking for one. We waited for sundown to come to see if they would start boiling again so we could get on them like last time, but blame it on the full moon I guess it never happened. With fishing in Mountain Springs being slow my dad thought it would be a good idea to go out to the main lake and chase the crusing fish out there, so off we went. Found an area near the mouth of Jackson where we saw a decent amount of fish rising. Deni and I ended up getting one more out here before we decided to call it quits.

Action wasn't as hot today, but it was still full of fish and good times. I ended with 4, my dad had 3, and deni had 2 along with tons of bites that we all missed and other lost fish.



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Deni with her PB

Another Great day on the water. Hopefully we will get some rain soon. I think its what we really need for fishing everywhere to pick up and get going.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

Bodega Bay Doran Beach 1/7/12

I was thinking I'm overdue for a bodega trip so I rounded up some buddies checked the tides and set off for the big blue. I brought Deni, Garrett, and my other friends Jazzie, and Jessica along with me today. It was a very full car. Low tide was at 1640 so we went over to the jetty to try and get some Dungies for the the pot at home. Got on the water around 1300 and threw out the crab snares and crab hawks. I had another friend that said he was gonna come but predictions of high winds and a high wave warning scared him away.



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I got to tell you it was some rough looking seas, haha. Weather and conditions were beautiful. Next to no waves crashing on the jetty at all, Wind was light for Normal Bodega winds, sun was shining it was prefect. Unfortunately crabbing conditions were not the same. The Jetty was crowded and as I walked out I asked how everyone was doing. Most have been there all day and only had 1 or 2 legal dungies if they were lucky. We gave it a good college try for about 2 hours for only 2 legal red crabs. With crabbing being slow we went straight over to our other rocks we like for poke poling. All of the girls decided to try their hand at poke poling while Garrett and I tossed plastics for rock fish.



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Every one on the hunt.



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The Queen poke poler.

Garrett and I were actually the first ones getting hit with some small fish coming up here and there.



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Garrett was tossing a Berkely White Power Grub on a jig head while I stuck with my usual white texas rigged tube. I ended up hooking into something that is a bit unusual for this area.



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A Lingcod!!! Never imagined I would ever get one here inside the little harbor or whatever you want to call it.



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Fish was only about 15 inches long or so, but it didn't care. Thing put up a hell of a fight, and its always way cool to get a Ling, especially off shore.



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He may be small but man o man they still have some scary looking teeth on em.

Eel fishin seemed to be kind of tough today for the girls, but no one walked away skunked.



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Jazzy with one of her eels.



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Jessica with the biggest one of the day



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Spider Crabs were in full force today though thats for sure.

I kept crabbing too while we were here, I ended up getting quite a few more red crabs here too to take home. We stuck it out until the very end to see the sun go down.



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I have to say to without a doubt everything gets hotter when the sun goes down. Right after I took this picture Garrett and I got on a school of rock fish where we were getting hit on every cast. Garrett stuck with plastics and I ended up drop shotting some squid. Between the two of us we definitely caught limits for two. Most though were so small they weren't worth keeping.

It was getting dark though and all of the girls were getting cold so we called it quits after that. Ended up taking 8 Red crabs home, 1 Rock crab, 9 rock fish, and 3 eels.



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Great score and a great day on the water. Jazzy told me next time I need to bring a shovel and were gonna have to give clamming a try. I saw some of the campers going for em today. Made me want a piece of that pie. I'll remember that for next time, and I for sure can't wait until then.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark

Hogs at Amador 1/5/12

Took the boat out to Amador with my dad. Turns out I might not have it for much longer so might as well get some use out of it while I got it. Off to our late start as usual ended up getting to the ramp around 1130. Started off trolling, I was using my Firetiger grub and my dad was trying a few different Rapala's. Not even 30 seconds after I got my line set out and put my rod in the rod holder my grub gets slammed. I run over to grab it, but by the time I get there the fish is gone. My dad looked at me and said "Damn those grubs do work, you know though mark getting a hit that early in the day is bad luck right?" Famous last words. Needless to say we trolled around for another hour and a half all over the lake without a single bite after that.

Both of us have heard about some good action coming from mountain springs so we trolled on over in that direction to see if we could find some fish. Right as we got to the mouth of the arm we finally start seeing some surface activity so we know were finally in the right area. We make a few passes without a bite, so we try drifting and casting instead. As we get further back into the arm The fish finally start rising close enough to the boat where I can cast my jig to em. Made one cast to one right off of the bank, I felt my jig stop I set the hook and I'm finally hooked up! I held my rod high and didn't really feel any movement though. I bring the boat closer to where my jig was until I was right on top of it. I held my rod straight up for about 5 seconds and nothing was moving. F*#K I'm snagged, I make a few witches with the rod to try and pop my jig out of the snag then all hell broke loose as my "snag" took on on a run and peel off 50 yards of line on me. I'm glad I was in the boat for this one because I had to chase that damn thing all over the place for about 15 mins. before I could get him close enough to the boat for my dad to net him.



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First fish of the day baby and I set the bar for my dad with big fish to beat.



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I left my scale at home, but I'm guessing this guy to be around 7 or 8lbs, and you bet I got him on 2lb test line

We keep working the area casting to the shoreline and not much longer I here my dad set the hook and I look over and see this.



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My dad has hooked into his own nice sized fish.

I have to take action pics of my dad or else I wont get any since he doesn't like his picture getting taken.



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You can tell by the look in his face, haha.

Got that guy in and his fish was probably in the 5 or 6lb area.



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The Blood Bath had begun!!!

We spent the rest of the day in here just casting towards surfacing fish when we saw em. Away from the crowds and everything too it was nice. I did notice one guy who came in, beached his boat and was killing em casting a black wooly bugger with a clear bubble ahead of it.

Throughout the day the bite was fair to tough, but once the sun went down and evening time came around the surface went crazy with boiling trout, and as long as you could cast close enough to a boil you were getting hit and the bite was wide open for us for the next 20 mins. Only to be ruined by a boater coming in flying by us with his loud ass motor. Asshole, but 10 mins after he left the fish started jumping again so it was all good. We left the fish biting once we got our limits. Wanted to get back to the cleaning station before it got dark.



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today's catch



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the two biggest.

It started off slow but it ended up being a great day at Amador. Felt good to finally get onto some nice sized fish too finally. Can't wait to get back out there.

Till Next Time Guys
Mark