39 Years Serving Sportsmen

Vol . 40 - ISS . 4

Our 39th Year

Since 1982

“ The Magazine for West Coast Sportsmen !” INSIDE

Area Reports

New Pending Lake and State Record Crappie Caught

fornia state black crappie record by four ounces when he landed a 4-pound , 5-ounce behemoth while bass fishing on Clear Lake in Lake County on the afternoon of Wednesday , February 17 . The crappie had a length of 17.75 inches and a girth of 17 inches . The previous state record for black crappie was 4 pounds , 1 ounce , set at New Hogan Lake in 1975 by Wilma Honey of Lodi . The state record for white crappie of 4 pounds , 8 ounces was set at Clear Lake in 1971 by Carol Carlton of Lakeport . Burruss weighed the fish on a state-certified meat scale in a grocery store after weighing it on other non-certified scales . All of the scales recorded approximately the same weight . He was fishing a CoolBaits Underspin with a 4-inch Keitech Easy Shiner swimbait for largemouth bass on a St . Croix 7-foot medium bass rod , teamed up with a Lew ’ s Speed Spool casting reel spooled with 12-pound test line , when the big fish hit . “ On my new fish finder , I saw a school of

GONE FISHING by Dan Bacher

LDave Burruss , the owner of Clear Lake Outdoors , shattered the Calithree fish before I even made a cast ,” stated Burruss . “ I saw the record fish before I hooked it . It took just 30 seconds to get in .” “ I first thought it was a 5 pound bass . When I realized that it was the biggest crappie I ’ ve ever hooked , I put the net under it and brought the fish into the boat ,” he explained . He hooked the huge crappie in 26 feet of water . He was using a Garmin Livescope fish finder when he spotted the three fish underwater . He has submitted the fish as a record to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ( CDFW ) through their biologist , Ben Ewing .

“ The biologist said it looks good for a new record – he double checked over everything . He is just waiting for the final certificate . When people google California state gamefish records , I want my name on there ,” Burruss said . He caught the record crappie on an otherwise tough fishing trip . “ I caught just three bass in the 2 to 3-pound range that day ,” he noted . “ So even though I caught a record crappie , it was a slow day of fishing .” Burriss was fishing with his Chocolate lab Chloe when the hooked the fish . He

Dave Burruss , owner of Clear Lake Outdoors , shows off the 4 lb ., 5 oz . black crappie that he landed while bass fishing at Clear Lake on Febuary 17 .

Photo courtesy of CLEAR LAKE OUTDOORS , Lakeport .

Rustic Rob Reimers Produces First Ever Sturgeon for Andrew Marlan

Ihave fished with Rob Reimers , Rustic Rob ’ s Guide

Service , for about ten years and during that time I have learned that when I get a call from him and says he is on the fish I have to figure out a way to get out there with him . I received that call last week and Rob said he was on a good sturgeon bite and that we should go in the next few days . It didn ’ t take much to convince me and I made sure I had that afternoon free . A few days later , I grabbed my son Andrew , and we headed

CLEAR LAKE

to meet Rob at the boat launch on the Sacramento River . We met at 3pm and planned to fish until around 10pm or so . After putting the boat in the water , it wasn ’ t a long boat ride until decided to stop and throw out the anchor . Once we had the boat anchored we quickly got our rods ready and sorted through the buffet of proven sturgeon baits that Rob had brought . This included ghost shrimp , pile worms and eel . At this point , I realized that my son has never done this style of fishing . Specifically , he has never been on anchor and bait fished . He is 19 years old and has been fishing with me since I brought him home from the

plans to get the crappie mounted . “ You got to take advantage of the new technology ,” he added . “ These new fish finders are game changers , and if don ’ t have them , you ’ re missing out .” When the fish is certified as a new state record by the CDFW , Clear Lake will hold the state record for both black and white crappie . For more information , contact Clear Lake Outdoors at ( 707 ) 262-5852 .

WHAT ’ S HOT

by Ernie Marlan

hospital when he was born . He is a phenomenal fisherman , but we have always cast lures for mostly largemouth bass and stripers . Bait fishing was something new to him and our hope was that Rob would put him on his first ever sturgeon . I have always said that when sturgeon fishing you need good company and good conversation because it can be slow . Often times you are waiting for that one bite that can make or break the trip . Imagine a kid sturgeon fishing who is a successful bass and striper fisherman trying to sit still and wait for a bite . He is accustomed to throwing lures and typically fishes a spot for 5-15 minutes . If the fish don ’ t

Two Marlan and a Sturgeon pose for this picture . Ernie Marlan and Andrew Marlan celebrate Andrew ’ s first sturgeon .

Photo courtesy of RUSTIC ROB ’ S GUIDE SERVICE . CONTINUED ON PG 17

February 26 , 2021

FRESHWATER REPORTS Almanor Lake - Lake Del Valle ........................... 6-7 Suisuin Bay - New Melones Reservoir ............... 8-9

Lake Oroville - San Pablo Reservoir ................... 10 San Pablo Reservoir - Trinity River ...................... 15 Folsom - New Melones Reservoir ....................... 14 SALTWATER REPORTS Bodega Bay - Half Moon Bay / SF / Bodega Bay ....... 20

FEATURES

Where ... When ... How ...

GO FOR IT : Staff ....................................................... 14 HOW-TO : Edward Tomilloso ....................................... 5 MAP FEATURE : Dan Bacher ............................... 12-13 FOLSOM BASS TEAM : Rob Ridge ............................ 8 SPOTLIGHT ON CONSERVATION : Dan Bacher ...... 19 STURGEON FISHING : Ernie Marlan ....................... 20

STAFF TACKLE

What We ’ re Using

Ernie Marlan - fished for sturgeon on the Sacramento River with his son , Andrew Marlan and Rob Reimers of Rustic Rob ’ s Guide Service . Andrew was able to land one nice 59 7 / 8 ” sturgeon that he decided to release . He used a Phenix Rod and Avet Reel loaded with 50lb FINS braid and a mono leader . The bait of choice was a combination of eel , ghost shrimp and pile worms .

Paul Kneeland - fished Lake Oroville with Mark Kalinowski in The Fish Sniffer Rogue Jet Coastal 21 . They caught landlocked king salmon to 18 inches using an 7 ’ Powell composite kokanee rod with a Shimano Calcutta 100 level wind reel loaded with 8 pound Yozuri Hybrid line . They trolled chartreuse Mack ’ s Lure Cha Cha Squidders with Pro Cure Anchovie gel behind green / silver Sling Blade dodgers and white / red dot Hot Ticket Spoons behind Vance ’ s cannonball flashers 20 to 40 feet deep off the Cannon Downriggers at 2.0 mph .

Dan Bacher - fished for rainbow trout at Pardee Lake . He used a Berkley Ugly Stick GX2 6 ’ 6 ” medium action spinning rod , teamed up with a Shakespeare GX235 spinning reel filled with 6 lb . test P-Line CX Premium Fluorocarbon Coated Line . He fished with rainbow Berkley PowerBait and 1 / 8 oz . gold and black Panther Martins .

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