Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3804 Feb 1-15 2019 | Page 7

Feb 1-15, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 4 5 Spotlight On Kayak Fishing... Sponsered by Kayak City in Citrus Heights, CA Kayak City.Com 916.565.1400 Winter Bassing At Bullards Bar By Kevin Hofer, Kayak City Fishing Team Despite the days getting longer we are still locked in winter for a while longer, but that could be a good thing if you want to catch a world record spotted bass out of your kayak. To start I have to mention that fishing in cold weather and cold water poses some serious dangers, always dress appropriately for the condi- tions and no matter what wear your PFD!! Ok, now that winter kayaking attire is all set, start heading to Bullards Bar. Home to the current world record at a whopping 11lbs 4oz. Damning the Yuba River to create this reservoir seems to be providing the perfect conditions to grow trophy spots. A healthy lake and tasty Bullards Bar produced the current world record fat filled kokanee help 11 pound 4 ounce spotted bass and is known for producing heavy kokanee fed monsters like this huge the spots pack on the spot. pounds. I’ve been trying Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. my luck here for close to 5 years now, in this time I have found that the winter months, December through March seem to provide the best shot at sticking a fat one. I’m not sure why this is, I just know that during warmer months I catch way more little rats and few of the big pigs. It’s a large deep reservoir and it was new to me trying to fish for bass in 20-70 feet of water, luckily the spots here show up incredibly well on sonar. So, a fish finder or a friend fishing closely with one can make a huge difference in the success of a day. I call it video game fishing, see a nice mark on the finder, just drop N down and see if it likes what your offering. Working points and steep drop offs as well as any inlets big or small, these are all areas I focus on. In the winter months, the reservoir can rise up to 15’ between trips, Kevin Hofer used a live minnow to fool this monster spotted bass one time this while kayak fishing at Bullards Bar Reservoir recently. happened to Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. me and sure enough I found the fish on the same ledge as before but instead of 20-30 feet deep it was 40-50 feet. On most of my trips it’s a minnow that I send down to trigger a bite and this is probably the easiest way to catch fish here. A small half ounce weight and a nose hooked minnow is hard for any bass to resist. It’s also a fairly simple way to get down to the depths you need to find the fish. Dropshot with a Gulp! minnows or your favorite Robo Worm can also produce some nice fish, weightless Senko along the shoreline will almost always produce fish, though usually smaller. Even on the days when the bass are While live minnows are a top offering for not cooperating you hooking Bullards Bar’s can troll for trout or spotted bass, a variety just enjoy a paddle of soft plastics will produce results too. around the beautiful CAL KELLOGG, emerald green waters Photo by Fish Sniffer Staff. of Bullards Bar. Adam Coons shows off a hefty Bullards Bar spot that was landed during a recent kayak bass fishing mission. Photo by KEVIN HOFER, Fish Sniffer Staff. Live The Dream, Hunt Nevada! evada High Desert Outfitters specializes in hunting trophy animals in North Eastern Nevada. Rocky Mountain Goats, Desert, Rocky and Cali- fornia Bighorn, Mule Deer, Antelope and Elk are some of the animals Mitch Buzzetti hunts. Mitch has hunted and lived in the area his whole life. He has been hunting the Ruby Mountains since he was 12 years old and has taken some excellent mule deer. Nevada High Desert Outfitters is located 20 miles southeast of Elko, near the scenic town of Lamoille right at the base of the rugged, high- rising Ruby Mountains. For owner, Mitch Buzzetti, his family’s ranch and these mountains were his boyhood backyard serving as his playground as well as his first hunting ground. Mitch and his wife, Rachel, make a dynamic duo, both doing whatever is necessary to ensure an unforgettable experi- ence. They have been operating Nevada High Desert Outfitters since 1997. Have you been dreaming about hunting the Silver State? To you see yourself running your hands over the rack of a massive mule deer buck? If the answer to these questions is yes, the clock is ticking. The non-resident tag deadline for Nevada is March 1. For more information call Mitch directly at (775) 738-4082 or check him out online at www.nhdo.com!