Angelic Butts

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Joulebox

Debra and I went to the Giants game Friday night and enjoyed a come from behind win against Clevelandian Indians. Sammitches and Dead Guy Ales at Tommys Joint. Spent the night on the boat with Randy and Thelma. Chilly B, Lonny, Henny and Dangerous Trebles rolled in at 8:00 AM and we were off.

Fogtown

The bait man told us a new school had arrived and there were fish from North Bar to Angel. Reminder to self half scoop is PLENTY.

Dyno Tuned

Blackout

Back to get the ladies who were securing vittles

Sex in the city

We motor to Angel and he was spot on. Arrived around 8:30 to see 11 party barges in play and numerous skiffs. Nets going all around. Thelma calmly cranks up a 10# fish.

T-Rod is on

Mike sticks a respectable 25# fish

PDC

Darkside

Sunnyside up

and Chilly roped in a just legal.

Chill

And goes off on the flatty

Milking

Crazy sailboat race in the midst of the drift with outright brinksmanship between the puff-baoters and the fishing fleet. Cold breeze and light fog. Winds 10 plus and increasing. A few PBs leave and I splits for Paradise. Lonny was snakebit

Shutout

And I was net bitch

Great weather, 4 party boats and no action. Off to the B flats for windy boredom. I see a crowd at Alcatraz and we drift the SE corner for an hour seeing quite a few fish caught in 40-50 feet. We only saw halibut netted today no stripers. 8 party boats here with 20 plus skiffs in pretty close quarters. Pulled the plug around 3:30. Fun first live bait trip of the season.

Snowbound Sierras

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Joulebox

Kaster and I ran up the hwy 88-4 area Fathers day on a hunt for black helicopters and a rare Bird. After a brief sighting we drove Sheep Ranch road to Avery and headed up 4. Kept hearing banjo music in the distance. Up 4 past big trees. Snow level was around 6000 ft. Made a stop at Boards Crossing.

Sourgrass looking upriver

Sourgrass looking downriver

Of course the Stani was raging. Continued up the road hoping to fish the ice edges at Alpine. Stopped at Hells Kitchen overlook.

Water coming down canyon

HK Overlook

6 ft of snow piled up at road edge. Great breakfast at the Alpine lodge. A few belly boaters there with maybe 15% of the lake iced out.

Alpine Ice

No action so we headed for Spicer. Needless to say Spicer was WAY FULL.

Spicer UP!

Dardanelles

Spicer Ramp

Can’t wait for our upcoming camping trip there. The river coming out of the dam was up but fishable.

Stani about 3 miles from Spicer

Green Pools

Unfortunately not a fish spotted. Rolled back down the hill and home by 6 for Papas day dinner.

Peridot Bites the Big Apple

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Joulebox

Debra and I flew into Newark and cabbed it into Manhattan Saturday afternoon. We met Mike our estimator and his wife Laura McGeachy who had arrived earlier that day. We were there for our 5 th consecutive exhibition of Peridot’s capabilities at MDM East. We checked into the Ace Hotel near Chelsea.

Entrance to the Ace Hotel

Very hip young crowd and the rooms were large and funky.

Ace Decor

Guitar and turntable in every room!

Epiphone Home

Sunday was our day to explore Manhattan and we walked it from one end to the other. Highlight for me was the Hi-Line which is an elevated trackway that has been turned into an urban park and wonderfully executed.

The Point

Killer views of the city yet somehow felt apart from the hustle and bustle.

Land Bridge

Elevated

Monday we moved to the INK48 hotel near Javits and got the booth set up.

Official Shirt

Team P

Booth Boogie

Almost there

Case 1

Case 2

More sightseeing ensued.

Laura's back seat driving

Meat Packing district Mural

Later that evening we attend a show, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”. Lets just say it made my eyes and ears bleed.

In all it's Gaudy Glory

Lit!

Tuesday morning we are off to the show. Traffic was quite slow but we entertained visits from Maquet Cardiovascular, CR Bard, and Stryker.

Anybody Home?

Day 2 was much better and it was a pleasure to talk to some established customers who we don’t get to meet personally often enough.

Mike in Action

Day 3 was an unmitigated disaster. 97 degree weather and high humidity slowed traffic to a crawl and we were glad when 3:00 rolled around. We had the booth packed and we were out of there by 5:00. Here is a view from our room at the Ink48.

14 floor view

MDM East moves to Philly next year and we will be sad to see it leave Manhattan. Was this years light attendance a failure of the operators to promote or a sign of the current economy? Not much enthusiasm on the floor amongst the exhibitors with many complaining about light attendance. Peridot is looking forward to the San Jose BioMed show in the fall, come and see what we have to offer!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Joulebox

Debra and I were picked up at O’Hare airport and whisked off to her brother Ric’s Indiana lake man cave 2 hrs way.

Home lake in the chain

Party Pit

Paradise Found

His trailer sits on a small lillypad covered lake connected to several other lakes near Plymouth. Largest of which is maybe 2 miles long and up to 50 ft deep in places.

Threading the needle

Outcast

Had a relaxing 4 days fishing, riding various motor powered objects, shooting all manner of firearms and archery,

Hey Yew

Ninotchka

Ordinance

We shot some historical stuff

early 1900's single action 45 with monster kick

Clay and Ric

bbqing visitin and drankin.

Froggin was on and we could get largemouth to come up between the pads and thru the cheese at any time of day. Not off the hook but we were not working too hard either. Fished frogs, small Rapalas, spinnerbaits, poppers, bayou boogie, but had the most fun on frogs.

Rapala Fish

Ribbit

Sunny

Scum Frog

Cheese

Miles of this

Had a brush with danger one afternoon as a NASTY squall came up on the lake we were fishing forcing a hasty retreat.

Auntie EM!

Weather Rock

FUllSpeed

Love the quiet out here late evening.

Mirror Finish

In the boys and their toys category, Ric has a 61 willys jeep, Kawasaki street bike, Honda 250 and 600 dirt bikes, honda quad, 16 ft Lund, canoe and 2 kayaks, riding lawn mower etc all parked on the property and he is considered a Piker by local standards. So the time went really fast. Indiana locals are pretty real, not a lot of pretense if you know what I mean. God fearin folk. The area is an outdoorsmans dream. Wildlife everywhere you turn

Turtlin

Don't ride with this guy

Coop

Thanks to Tirtza, Nino, Ric and Bingo the wonder Dog for a great getaway.

Delta Piglets 5-5-11

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Joulebox

Revenge

Splashed the bass boat at Russos at 1:30. Low tide and windless, not a cloud in the sky. Mid 80’s. Smelled very fishy. Ran straight west quite a ways as Tomo was reportedly in the house. Messed around inside Sherman waiting for the tide to start for nada. Moved further west along a tule bank with current and begun whacking. No camera help as I was solo today.

Hold out shot

Fish were very hot today, bad attitudes, jumping and cavorting. The Lucky Craft SP128 Green back and white belly was ON. Reel in two ft-pause-jerk-reel in two ft rinse and repeat. I figure this lure runs 3-5 feet deep and I was in 8-10. I took the time and effort for perfect boat positioning allowing only up current casts so the lure went right at their noses. You won’t get many hits in current dragging the wrong way. Easier to do when you don’t have some whiny bitch in the back seat (Hello Randy) complaining about getting pinched (Kidding Bro!). I was casting right to the tules but most hit 10-20 feet off the bank. Got slammed by a MOE and went around the boat a couple of times. Briefly hung on some cable hanging off the outboard and once on the trolling motor. Boat is ripping along on a 4 knot current. But luck 65# powerpro, freshly serviced and properly adjusted drag brought her boatside. Wanted pix bad but could not lift her in the boat (got boga?) so took pix of her in the water. For reference the SP128 is 5 inches long so I guessed this fish to be 40 inch or longer and VERY FAT.

Mrs MOE

OINK!

Slabitha

Here is a length analysis

She shook a hook into my thumb and self released.

They call her Flipper

Bled like a stuck pig but I hella coagulate. (got first aid kit?). Had to sit down and have a beverage after that. Heard from Tomo that they stayed WAY east and north so I ruined their day with tales of the bite out west. Started making my way back and found fish in several current spots in the San Joaquin. Had some froggy action on largies in Little Franks but none landed as I can’t concentrate when there are stripers around.

Into Big Franks for the late bite and picked up several on the bone spook at Circle Your Wagons to finish out the evening.

Another holdout

Piglet

The last holdout

Very rare for me to quit early but off the water today at 7 PM. Killing me to think what it would have been like at sunset!

Great day on the water. Probably 5 fish over 10#’s and a half a dozen shakers.

Oro Fixation 4-30-11

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Joulebox

Randy and I hit the road Thursday Am for our annual April Oroville Spotfest. The big eye in the sky was watching

Eye in the Sky

Launched at Bidwell around 1:00 PM. Lake level way up. Some wind and clouds. Ran to the South Fork and it was on

Spinning rigs, 15 # spectra to a swivel. Bobber hung off the swivel, 5 ft of 12#mono to crappie jigs, 2 inch Berkeley minnows. Fish were tight to structure.

2x 2x

Average size this year

Middle fork creek spot

Fatty

Cloud cover ROCKED!

Put at least 50 fish on the boat with MANY lost and missed bites. Weather cold and windy with small amounts of rain.

They liked it in the trees and came in threes

dinner bell was rung

Cloud show

After taking one in the head on the delta at 60 MPH last year Randy does not like ducks and was not happy with our hitch hiker

Duck Soup

Margarita time!

Back to town and had Mexican at Papacito’s on Oro Dam blvd. Oroville is almost completely devoid of decent food. Checked into the bass boat hotel west side of town.

Friday was COLD and windy and was a jackass ride out to the south fork. No clouds and much slower in the morning

Boulders were holding fish

Running the walls

Always some protected spots at Oro but if you can handle a trolling motor in the windy mudlines on points you were on fish. Spinnerbaits did not work. C-rigged robo worms did not work. Got a couple of late afternoon hits on poppers.

Lupine

Boated around 30 fish for the day, slow by Oro standards.

Saw these citizens at the Bridge

These are the kind of friends to have when you are thirsty.

SOS

Must have been some party on Floater#10 Friday night! Back to town and the Gold City grill for decent steak dinner.

Back at it Saturday morning with Thelma and Debra on board. Clusterfark with 4 people throwing bobbers (2 of which are rookies) in high winds but we all caught fish.

A team

Thelma gets it done

Love this lake

Less than 20 ft from full!

Feel like we were a week or two early due to the rowdy winter. Should have spent more time dragging the bottom with plastics but hard to put down the cork. Skipped fishing on Sunday and ran River road back on the Sac with lunch at Al the Wops in Locke. Trippy place, two thumbs up.

Field testing with Black Dog

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Joulebox

Met Grant at Russos 5:30.

Home base

Short run to Circle your Wagons and had stripers going on the spooks right away. Motored out to the tract

Color TV

Clouds are good

Headed further east and into a deadend cove and had a few more stripers play. Bobby B on my shit again LOL. Grant got a couple of large on the cracker and I started getting spinnerbait action.

White spinner bait

Hit out for Mandy after awhile and continued to pick away at largemouth.

PLenty of these guys willing, where are the girls?

Worked all corners and split for Mildreds. Steady pick there on a senko bite but could not find any bettys today.

Mr.Cracker

They would not look at the frog yet. No love on jerkbaits. Grant got one on their new Mr. Flippy which is a SICK looking creature bait. Off the water at noon.

Ode to the Bone

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Joulebox

Randy and I hit Russos at 2:00 and headed west.

Nobody home

April 20, stuff was burning

Low tide to beginning incoming no wind. Chased Ghost stories in Sherman with stops near Lauritzens and the break. RIP

Langostino

Aquatic Effigy or Boating accident?

Bad juju

Ran fast back east late in the afternoon weak incoming tide and overcast. Finally see a couple of boils and bait sprinkles on top. Sent the spook out to scout but only love taps. Back to casting to the tules and the large ones wanted it close. Bone Super Spook was EN FUEGO. Started whackin the largies while hearing stripers slashing bait in the distance. Whiplash I say trying to keep track of the noise.

BONE SPOOK

Was getting tail slapped and sucked every other cast.

Livin large

Bobby Barrack briefly crashed the party with 2 fly guys aboard but soon departed realizing we was outgunned as the Pickerell brothers were in town. We moved again to the woods and continued seeing bass willing to go on top.

Milton

No action on spinnerbaits, frogs or jigs.

Nuther large

Still getting bait busting and occasional slash off the bank. Ran through a number of largemouth.

Dental Exam

Hit dead end cove with wood and all hell breaks loose with Randy and I on doubles of big stripers in 2 ft of water. We do the pole dance and swap ends of the boat as my fish wraps around two trees and the trolling motor. Randy’s heads for Benicia ripping off 65# spectra at will. I muscle mine out of two trees. He sees bare spool and buttons down his drag. POP his fish is off. Randy lifts the trolling motor and frees my line and I land a 15# fish.

All hail the SPOOK!

I was pumped and Randy was not.

Light was failing so we head for Circle your Wagons for a few last throws. BOOM DOUBLE. Nice HOT fish making headway on Curado 300 with 65# braid. By this time I am obviously vibrating

Last Chance in Franks

At this point R is pissed and starts photographing only parts of my fish

No Tail Motel

Most of my last fish for the night

Back out Friday!

Pyramid Lake 4-9-11 Meet the Beetles

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Joulebox

Hit the road at 11:00 AM from Pleasanton. Great lunch at Venetti Rheas? in Rocklin. Had some crazy weather at Donner summit but escaped unscathed. Debra and I checked into the 27th floor of Silver Legacy in Reno Friday night after having hit both Cabelas and Scheels in the afternoon. Skies were restless

Cloud battle

We gambled a bit after crappy casino dinner and Dangerous Trebles and Chilly B rolled in around 10:00 PM. On the road to the lake at 5:30 AM Saturday sans Debra.

First stop at an empty Blockhouse

White back beetle with Chartruese belly raised a fish right away. Spinning gear with a banana sinker fished carolina rig SLOW.

Not huge but colorful

Red all over

He walks on water

Cloudshow

Stopped at Sand hole for awhile where sissy stick guys were sitting on their thrones.

Special plaque for the occasion

Sand Hole which was kicking out fish

Tadpole beetle strikes again

Chromer

‘We hit Crosbys for a bit and then cruised the Nets. The place was packed and you had to wade 100 yards out so back we went south.

Meanwhile back at Block House

Spotted one

Lahontan Mountain

Dangerous back on

To the net

Numero 3 for DT

The release

When clouds attack

Numero 3 for me

Thanks for coming in

Long but fun day at Mother P.

Back to Reno for to collect Debra who decided not to fish and show us up. Steak dinner and drinks at Harrahs steakhouse did not suck. Too tired to gamble but Debra did well again. Decided to skip fishing Sunday AM. Rolled for home the long way down 49 from Auburn. DT texted me that the nets were EN FUEGO Sunday.

24 Hrs of Lemons Sears Pointless 2011

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Joulebox

Contemplating the Big Pile

I had the pleasure of sponsoring the Faster Farms 1966 Plymouth Belvedere in a recent 24 hrs of Lemons race. The latest event was in March at Sears Point (Infineon). It was a rainy 3 days of track wack. The Big Pile ran well and finished mid-pack with only one black flag due to a shunt into the tire wall on Saturday (no one hurt). We are working on some video but for now some pix for your viewing pleasure.