Spent the night on board in our new South Beach digs.

Torture chamber

Rainbow Boaters

Much different from Pier 39. Great dinner at Anchor and Hope on Minna Street. Crew rolled in at 7:30 AM and we were off to see the bait man. Stopped on the rockpile which had a small fleet of privates but  drift was wonky so we continued to Angel where we picked up a hali in 30 ft of water.

Ping Pong paddle

Stuck there for an hour in grassy dirty water. Left for Paradise. Looks like lots of  guys planning on escaping the wind there. After three soporific drifts we checked Red Rock for zip. Back towards Angel and stopped on the Raccoon Straits drift with the Morning Star. Bay was sloppy but I figured Bonita might be fishable.

GWS Snack

Spent a couple of hours in the cove for another hali, 2 just legal lings and a handful of rockfish.

Cheeky

Cunning Lignus

Luz D’Alma

Guess who’s coming for dinner?

Had the pleasure of fishing with my son who turned 29 yrs old today.

Fish Whisperer

4 party boats hanging in the cove. Back at the dock by 3:00.

Lineup

Crew

and home to the 105 degree heat

I get a kick out of Oroville and various towns around Clear Lake.  God fearing people with a whole lot of shit heads mixed in. Cultural mecca yes or no? Discuss amongst yourselves.

My friend Turhan took my brother and I to Oroville mid april around 10 years ago and we have been going ever since.

Greenery Gate Bridge

I was looking forward to seeing him on the water. Randy and I left Pleasanton at 5 AM Thursday and were on the water at 8:30 AM.

Happy to be off work

We found Turhan in the south fork with a big smile on his ghostly white face. Sensei of the Delta, Persian Prince and Champion Pilot.

How big do they get here?

After swapping lies we parted ways. Randy and I fished out the day pounding the rock walls wind drifting methodical yet relaxed.

White grey rock was MONEY

This is a special lake. April is a prime time to go.

A Life Aquatic

I figure we missed the golden window by a week (early) but we boated 100 fish easy.  Not much size this year, 2 lbs tops. All spots.

plenty of this

Wildflowers were abundant

Blues

Lupine?

Fish were easy

Elvis Lives

Ditch Pickles

Over eater

Lots of fun in trout rods and 8# test.

Kosher Dill

Fishing Partner

On the water for 11 hrs LOL. Hit up Papacitos in Oroville for a pitcher of Patron Margaritas and decent grub and crashed early at the shabby bass fishermans hotel. Up early Friday and saw slower fishing so we headed for Clear Lake at 2 to meet the ladies. The drive from Oroville across the valley to Clear Lake is a slideshow of  agriculture vs Nature. 3 rivers crossed.

The Clear

Yuba?

Rice in the desert

Bound for Japan

Met up with the ladies Friday evening. They drove up through Napa and provisioned accordingly . Friday  night we ate well 1 mile from our resort. Highly recommend the mexi restaurant where Ferndale used to be west shore.

Got our asses kicked at Clear Lake for 2 days. We stayed at Edgewater Resort near the old Konocti.

Edgewater

Funky simple cabins with a samll launch ramp and docks.

Cleared

Lots of big fish cruising beds but sloooooow fishing.

beds all up in the tules

Got some action on the yellow head flippin the bird. Love that bait. Full moon was glorious but disruptive.

Guarde Que Luna.

Had brunch back at cabin 7 Sat and Sunday. Yes.

Pork Shoulder Fritatta

Clear Lake almost always gets the best of me but I keep going back for more punishment

Solo today in the tin can. 8:30 launch from Glorious Hole. Ton of trollers out. Weather stellar. 35 feet OTW was the magic depth except for one suicidal rainbow that hit as I was letting line out. Pink bug behind a Seps sidekick was the ticket. Tried hard for bass but only a few half hearted bites. Need to switch out the downriggers clips as they would not pop it off today. Oh and I need a couple of real whippy rods too.

Spiritual Guide

I fished with Senator Johnson today on my old 17 ft Skeeter that Robert tricked out for flea flickin. We launched from Russos (free to me) to heavy overcast, dropping tide and a little breeze.

Sock

Made a stop between Franks and the SJ for a couple of blowups right away so we were amped. Rolled south on the mighty San Joaquin. Fish were on tule points and gaps, all caught close to structure.

Mocha Man

58 degree water down south and east

He’s so Fly

Bone super spook was on and took a beating.

Boga party

Fish traps and rattle traps were ignored. Largies were all over our topwater offerings but we failed to boat any of the better size green bass but they were trying. DId I say Bone Super Spook was on?

holdout

fun day

Tuxedo Junction near Venice Island

Thanks for a great time RJ.

Have been neglecting the delta in favor of other pursuits. Recent striper reports  had me paying attention so I launched solo from Russos at 10 AM.

After a half hearted attempt in Franks I ran west. Stopped in many of my favorite haunts ending up way west. Incoming tide, 58 degree water and virtually no wind.   Hooked a strong fish west of Broad Slough in 5 feet of water on a fish trap. Fun fight estimated 12-15# fish that decided not to join me for a picture. Two more in rapid succession schoolie sized.

Worked it hard all the way back to Bethel. Spent a lot of time on the spinner bait in the tules in Little Franks but did not see a largemouth all day.

On the road Saturday 6:00 AM 3-16-13 to da berry

I stopped in Winters at Lorenzos market for a sixpack of Leinenkugel Shandy and a sammy. The ride up the Putah Creek canyon was spectacular with blooms everywhere.

I pulled in to Lupine at 8:30 to find Pat and Scott ready to get wet.

Took me about 20 mins to rig the beast

Underway to flat ass calm but very nice conditions

Fishing was lazy slow

Twin to my boat

Will have video up later

Wind came up around 2 and I got to do some real upwind sailing in reasonable conditions. No bothersome fish to distract me today. Sailing is very rewarding.

I put the sailing yak in the water at Tuttletown just behind Sonora Mike around 9. Odd to see divers in the water here. Looking for Russian Mafia guess.

Overcast, mid 40’s no wind but 15-20 predicted for the afternoon.Cloud  show was top notch.

Picked up a ditch pickle on the white shad rap.

I pedaled back to Mormon Creek hoping to see the grebes stacked up at the “environmentally sensitive area”. Several bald eagles working my holes. Caught one nice camera shy rainbow near this rock pile

Wind started kicking at noon so I sailed back out of Mormon. Tacked up the arm nicely in 5-10 MPH wind. FUN! Rounding the point to Tuttletown I got slammed by a northerly right on the nose.Sonora Mike wisely left before the blow.  15-20 MPH winds and whitecaps. I was not making much headway sailing and paddling as this rig is a freekin barge in wind. I was not comfortable enough to let the sheet out in 3 ft whitecaps so I gutted it out on the pedals staying close to shore. At one point one of the AKAS popped out of the cross bar and the wind started shoving me back into shore.

A bit of a grind getting back.  Today Ass sore, back sore, rudder hand sore. I will need to be in better shape to keep this sailing stuff up.

Been preparing my new sailing kayak trimaran since first week of January. My first outing to Berryessa a couple of weeks back did not go well so I hardly thought of that as the maiden voyage. So I got the pass to launch the new beasty at Del Valle. Light winds and good weather were predicted. I brought a couple of rods and setup went much smoother today. Here is a shot of how I launch with one Ama folded in.

The seat mod was amazingly effective.

With the new seat and getting the mirage drive pedals maxed out on the last setting  I finally felt comfortable in the cockpit. No wind so I put a couple of poles out and pedaled towards the narrows. The AI is a bit of a beast to pedal fully loaded but do-able. The fishfinder placement will not work.

I have to move my leg to see it and it gets in a way when I board.

Wind picked up to about 5 MPH. I let out the sheet and tacked back and forth just past the narrow pedalling through the turns. Rudder was a bit of work but remembered to put in the daggerboard and that helped a lot. Made steady progress up the lake against the wind which was blowing from the dam to the marina.

Practiced furling and unfurling the sail.

Water was murky and no fish action on surrounding boats. Wind picked up a bit past swallow bay and things started to get fun.

Round the corner on the last big bay east of the dam and get slammed on the shad rap by a decent size trout. Hot fish. Had to furl the sail for the battle. No net but managed to land it.

Damn! First blood on the new yak. I sailed all the way to the dam.

After a short shore break I started back to the marina.

Spent some time out on the tramps but not enough wind to justify the effort. Wind died and was quite a grind on the way back. I have to admit sailing is a lot of work but completely addictive.

Miguel Peligro and I launched the tin can from Glory Hole at 9 AM. Ran directly to a creek arm that has been good to us. Some miscreant purveyors of cheese clogging up the chute so we trolled in and out of the cove. Long slow but relaxing day. Six fish boated one came home for dinner.