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VOL . 36 • ISS . 13
June 9 - 23 , 2017
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GONE FISHING Continued from page 8
We motored up to the confluence of the Yuba and dropped our baits of live jumbo minnows to the bottom . 1.5 ounces of weight was just enough to get a good drift . I was expecting to hook up immediately , but after drifting downriver about a half mile , it became evident that wouldn ’ t be the case .
We also donated a lot of terminal tackle on the submerged willow beds . Live minnow fishing is quaint and fun , but it can become very expensive very quickly . Each minnow is going to set you back about 1.25 $, and a boat with 4 guys is going to probably need around 100 minnows ; for a good day ’ s fishing ; likely more .
Eventually , Mario hooked up on a decent fish . It was a scrappy male in the 5 pound range , and on steelhead gear it put up a very respectable battle . We decided to drop anchor in the area , but then realized we didn ’ t have an anchor .
Oops . Fortunately , we were able to tie off to a tree in the area where Mario had hooked up . We managed to scratch out a couple more fish and missed a few bites . Most of them were right around keeper size ; the kind of fish that if you step on them while measuring them , they may make 18 ”.
None of us are big fans of keeping this grade of fish . We prefer the obvious fish that don ’ t need to be carefully measured since there is so much more meat on them . Next year when somebody catches and kills these fish as 22 ” 4 pounders , they can thank us for our judicious selection of keepers .
All in all , the Feather wasn ’ t great that day . The big horde of fish had moved elsewhere , and we felt good with what we had scratched out .
On day two of our trip we found ourselves on the Sacramento River in the Colusa to Princeton area . This is a neat section of river ; especially when it ’ s flowing at 30,000 CFS . It ’ s a real river up in that area . It ’ s not all leveed in like the lower Sacramento Ditch .
The river snakes its way through the oak lined banks as a real river should . The color of the water was turbid , and the wind was absolutely howling . The deck was stacked against our crew , but I managed to start the day with a nice male striper of about 6 pounds in just the second spot of the morning .
It was an interesting bite to say the least . I just kind of lobbed my minnow
Cast Or Troll With A Thomas Buoyant Spoon
T
he
Thomas Buoyant minnow is unsurpassed as one deadly trout and salmon lure ! First issued a U . S . patent in 1946 , the Buoyant is an erratic-action wobbler that imitates the darting motion of a frantic , fleeing baitfish . This action , combined with jewelry-quality finishes , creates a spoon that entices even the wariest of trout or salmon , and many other types of game fish , into striking . The large 5 / 8 oz . Buoyant is especially deadly on large predators such
over the side , and then felt like I was snagged on a willow . As I casually lifted to shake loose of the willow , I realized my minnow was inside of a striper ’ s mouth . Despite my sloppy hookset , I was fortunate enough to bury the needle sharp Owner Mosquito hook into some good bone . Stripers fight damn well on a lightish steelhead spinning rod .
The wind really was a handicap for us that day . We caught fish in the soft water of almost every inside bend of the river . We also festooned a lot of submerged willows with our leaders and minnows .
The wind that blew up to 40 MPH was a constant adversary throughout the day . By 2:30 we had burned through another 100 $ worth of minnows . We had come to the conclusion that minnow drifting , while charming , just isn ’ t the same as trolling Yo-Zuri ’ s in the delta .
Days three through five found us on the big water of the San Joaquin River . The wind had died down and air had grown hot . The water was clearer on the San Joaquin than anywhere else we had seen , and the stripers were biting . The bite wasn ’ t red hot , but the grade of fish was far superior .
The first fish we found was a respectable 7 pounder that absolutely hammered my plug . I ’ ve caught plenty of stripers , and since my pal , Vance , had come all the way from Nebraska , I
The THOMAS as mackinaw ! It is important to use a moderately slow retrieve or troll speed for the Buoyant to achieve its most effective action . An occasional sharp twitch of the rod tip can really draw hard strikes ! Cast or trolled , deep or shallow , the Thomas Buoyant has been a favorite of successful anglers for over sixty-five years !
About Thomas Lures
Founded in the mid- ‘ 40 ’ s , Thomas Lures
The Speedy Shiner is a highly effective trolling bait for all types of gamefish , especially rainbow and brown trout , lake trout or mackinaw , and landlocked
It is King and Coho Salmon . constructed
The Speedy Shiner has a very effective action up to 4 mph . of quality solid brass , stainless steel rings and extra strong hooks VMC hooks . The light reflecting embossed scale design creates an enticing flash that attracts fish and triggers them to strike !
The Speedy Shiner is available in 2 1 / 2 ”, 3 1 / 4 ” and 4 ” sizes and 20 fish catching colors . Proudly Made in USA .
www . thomaslures . com •
is a small , privately-owned company with a handful of employees dedicated to providing American made , high-quality fishing lures at reasonable prices . Their time-tested baits have satisfied many generations of successful anglers . Over sixty-five years in business is proof-positive Thomas lures catch fish – consistently , time after time . You can always rely on a Thomas lure to bring you a lifetime of fishing success and enjoyment ThomasLures . com .
decided anything that hit my rod was to be retrieved by him .
He ’ s a big boy , and he doesn ’ t need handoffs , but who really catches the fish on a trolling adventure ? It ’ s obviously the captain of the vessel . Thus , whoever reels in the fish is really academic as long as bag limit laws are being observed . Vance got a great fight out of the fish and a nice photo .
Later that day Vance would hook into a very solid fish of his own . In fact , it would be the best fish for 5 days of fishing at 9 pounds . His goal on the trip was to catch at least one striper over 30 ”, and this fish was 30 ” on the nose .
The fourth day of the trip was a very good day of striper trolling . We kept 5 fish in the 22-25 ” range ; ideal keepers . The action was steady throughout the day .
The weather was hot , and we all came off the water looking pretty red despite
Vance pulled this husky striper out of the San liberal application of sunscreen . Vance is
Joaquin River while fishing with Fish Sniffer some kind of a lizard , and he managed to Field Editor Mike McNeilly this spring . wear two jackets throughout the entire 90 Photo by MIKE MCNEILLY , Fish Sniffer Staff . degree day .
The fifth and last day of the trip was a and Jeremiah embraced each other and slow day of fishing . There was a somber sobbed like babies ( not actually true .) mood in the air . We would soon part I lost a very large fish due to ways as Vance would be heading back to complacently disregarding a missing Nebraska and I to Reno . rod guide insert . My braid abraded and
We won ’ t see each other until October quickly snapped , but it wasn ’ t the end when we make our annual pilgrimage of the world . It had been a good trip . to the Clearwater for steelhead . Vance
SPEEDY SHINER
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AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL TACKLE DEALER .
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