VOL.39 • ISS. 13
June 12, 2020
11
Ken’s Sporting Goods Is Your Source For
Trout Gear & Advice In Bridgeport, CA!
Established in 1931, Ken’s Sporting
Goods has become a premier destination
for anglers, campers, hikers and
outdoor enthusiasts of all types traveling
in the Bridgeport area and the Eastern
Sierra.
Ken’s is able to supply travelers to
the area with necessities that include fly
fishing tackle, conventional fishing tackle,
camping gear, firearms, ammunition,
hardware, gifts, souvenirs, as well as
having a first-class guide service for both
fly angling and conventional angling.
The friendly staff at Ken’s is very
knowledgeable of the area and can answer
most any question regarding places to
visit, fish, camp, hunt or whatever your
interests may be.
Located on Main Street in Bridgeport,
CA, right next to the Mono County Courthouse,
Ken’s is a convenient stop on your
way to your Eastern Sierra destination.
Ken’s Is A Great Jumping Of
Point For A Bridgeport Reservoir
Trout Fishing Adventure
Located just a short distance North
of Bridgeport on Hwy 182, Bridgeport
Reservoir is fed by the Upper East Walker
River, Robinson Creek, Swauger Creek
and Buckeye Creek. Below the dam on
Bridgeport Reservoir is the beginning
of the famed brown trout fishery the
East Walker River. Bridgeport Reservoir
has two privately owned marina/campgrounds,
Bridgeport Reservoir Recreation
Area and Paradise Shores RV Park, as
well as plenty of public access along the
shore for both launching boats or tubes
and fishing.
There is all kinds of fishing to be done
on Bridgeport Reservoir, depending on the
time of year you can fish from shore, troll,
fly fish, bait fish, throw lures or jigs, fish
from kayaks and tubes or whatever turns
HOW TO By Cal Kellogg continued from page 5
At Almanor anglers suspend baits just above the
bottom in areas that feature springs to catch a variety
of handsome rainbows, browns and landlocked king
salmon. Overall, this method works best for targeting
trout holding in close proximity of the bottom, but it
will take suspended fish in open water too. In open
water situations, you’ve got to rely on your sonar unit to
pinpoint the depth of the fish and then you must strip line
off the reel in one or two foot increments until you know
your bait is hanging just above the level of the fish.
An interesting kink on this method that anglers at
Almanor employ, is working a small crappie style tube
jig in either a pearl or smoke color just off the bottom.
The jig is either baited with a small strip of anchovy
meat or heavily coated with anchovy scent. While fishing
from an anchored boat the jig is lowered to the bottom
and then reeled up about a foot. With the lure hanging in
the strike zone the angler holds the rod and shakes the
rod tip ever so slightly, imparting a quivering motion to
the bait.
When you first begin using this method I have to admit
that it feels pretty silly, but when the rod loads up and
you find yourself locked in battle with a husky rainbow
or brown, you’ll quickly become a believer!
Free lining is an alternative method for suspending
your bait below the boat. In free lining the same rig used
for suspending baits is used, except no weight is added.
The hook is baited, most often with a worm, and the
rig is cast as far as possible from an anchored or slowly
drifting boat. When the bait hits the water simply engage
the reel and set the rod down. The bait will slowly filter
down through the water column. When the bait sinks
down to the bottom or comes to a rest directly
below the boat, it’s time to reel it in slowly and
make another cast. The advantage of employing
this method stems from the fact that the presentation
is very natural and allows you to hit a
variety of depths with each cast. As deadly as
the simple presentations I’ve outlined so far
can be, my preferred method of fishing bait
from a boat is just a bit more sophisticated.
I like to employ slip bobbers because they
give me the versatility to hit a variety of
different depths, while systematically probing
structure with slowly moving baits from an
anchored boat.
Earlier we explored how to rig up for slip
bobber fishing, so I won’t review those points
here. Instead let’s consider how the boat angler
can employ slip bobbers to the best advantage.
Here in California we have the option of
buying a second stamp for our fishing license
that allows us to use a second rod in inland
waters. This is an invaluable tool for all trout
anglers, but it gives a special advantage to
bait anglers. I find it to be a real boon when
employing slip bobbers.
When trout are spotted on a sonar unit,
seldom will they be holding steadfastly at any
one depth. Instead they will be spread across
a depth range, let’s say 10 to 30 feet for an
example. Slip bobbers give a pair of anglers
armed with second rod stamps the ability to
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easily probe this entire depth zone by spreading out
their baits at 10, 15, 25 and 30 feet. When the trout
start biting it is often possible to refine the depths
fished based on which baits are getting hit most
consistently.
Now, when exploring these depths my partner
and I don’t set in the boat passively. Instead, we are
constantly working. The first thing I do when selecting
a spot to fish is determine the direction the breeze is
blowing. Even if there is not a breeze things typically
drift in a given direction.
Once I figure out where I think the trout are holding
and which direction the drift will be, I anchor the boat
up wind or up drift, of the trout. With the anchor set
we both cast our first lines off the rear quarter of the
boat, my partner fishing from one side and me working
the other. Our second rods are tossed out off the front
quarter of the boat. The rods are set down in the boat
with the bails on our reels open, so line can flow out
freely.
We allow our rear bobbers to drift back as far are
200 feet behind the boat, before reeling them back in
and casting them out off the boat’s front quarter. In this
way, our baits are constantly on the move and being
rotated. When a bobber goes under it is typically best
to let the fish run a short distance before engaging the
reel and retrieving any slack that exists between you
and the fish. Once the fish is felt, a short jabbing hook
set is all that is needed to result in a solidly hooked
trout.
This method is among the stealthiest for working
Continued on Pg 18
Heading to Bridgeport?
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you on. There are great numbers of brown
and rainbow trout, as well as Sacramento
perch and carp. The largest brown trout
to ever come out of Bridgeport Reservoir
weighed in at 22 pounds and in 2000 there
was a brown caught that weighed 13lbs
14oz. 2 to 8 pound rainbows are quite
common on Bridgeport as well.
Bridgeport Reservoir is a great place to
Pro-Cure Scents For Spring
& Summer
Trout!
3913
Every angler out there
is looking for an edge,
something that will tilt the
odds in their favor and spring trouters are no exception. One of
the things that I rely on to generate extra strikes throughout the
year is Pro-Cure fish scents.
Sometimes the bite is wide open and you can catch trout
without adding scent. Other times when the fish are totally
inactive they are tough to catch no matter how much scent you
slather on your baits and lures.
The rest of the time when fish aren’t really active, but aren’t
really turned off either is when adding a bit of Pro-Cure Super
Gel can really pay dividends in terms of generating those extra
strikes that can mean the difference between a fair day and a
great outing.
So, what scents do I use when targeting spring and early
summer trout? Most of the time spring trout will be feeding on
either threadfin shad or pond smelt. Being a match the hatch sort
of angler, I go with threadfin shad and smelt Pro-Cure Super Gels
when trolling, but I’ll often mix in sardine, anchovy or tui chub.
When I’m slinging baits like Berkley PowerBait or inflated
worms off the bank I really like to expand the selection of scents
I utilize. I still play with the baitfish scents, but I really like sweet
scents like anise, predator, kokanee special, trout and kokanee
magic and carp spit.
My all-time favorite scent when I’m bank fishing is anise krill.
All fish seem drawn to the scent of anise and most trout and landlocked
salmon have a real taste for krill. I’ve found anise krill
Super Gel to be particularly effective when confronted with cold
water and sluggish finicky trout.
For more information about Pro-Cure trout scents and their
full line or outstanding products visit Pro-Cure online at www.
pro-cure.com.
209-274-4739
7500 Lake Amador Dr., Ione, CA 95640
WWW.LAKEAMADOR.COM
3813
catch some great fish with the beautiful
Eastern Sierra for backdrop!
For more information check Ken’s out
online at www.Kenssport.com.
by Cal Kellogg
UNCLE LARRY’S LURES
Time after Time,
the most successful
Trout & Kokanee Spinners!
Use the best, catch the best and the biggest!
www.unclelarryslures.com
(209)609-7034
MADE IN THE USA