The California Fishing Show
With Gordon McHenry
Gordon's Columns
The big ones are still chowing down on Flex Baits and Z-Plugs here in Southern California!! Gordon's fat 11.6 pounder--released after a couple quick pix-- is a good example of what you can catch during the early evening bite. Don't miss out!
6-12-08
Fishing with Huck
By Gordon McHenry
Our thanks to all the parents and family friends that cared enough to take the kids to our 22nd Annual Free Youth Fishing Derby last Saturday at Lake Gregory. It sure was a lot of fun! Look for Assistant Editor Cat Robertson’s great derby coverage and a display layout with the winners pictures and their names in today’s Mountain and Courier News.
Want to take Dad to a fun event for Father’s Day? The annual Huck Finn Jubilee, celebrating Mark Twain’s most popular storybook character, returns for its 32nd season to Southern California's Mojave Narrows Regional Park in Victorville.
There's a reason why folks call this a Great American Family Event. You'll find it to be true in the many games taking place throughout the weekend. Dad and the entire family will enjoy fishing--and $500. in prize money--the Blind Bogie Fishing Derby that takes place on Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A $3 derby ticket is good for up to 5 fish. Five winners will receive a ribbon and $50 in cash each on Friday. Then they do it all over again on Saturday, so you have two days to win. Fishing is free during Jubilee-- except for derby and bait can be found at boathouse.
Dad and the family will also enjoy the Huck Finn look-a-like contest, Injun Joe’s Treasure Hunt, the Russell Brothers Circus, learning how to make rope, the “Kid Picker’s” jam camp, and riding in the hot air balloons over the park’s lakes and campgrounds.
Another event Dad will surely enjoy is the Route 66 car show where the top ride is awarded the People’s Choice Award for the classiest pre-1973 show car.
On the Main Stage, Mike Randall will present Mark Twain while hours of Grammy winning bluegrass and country music continues all weekend. And I’m sure Dad would also like to see The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Father’s Day at 6 p.m!
The 800 acre Mojave Narrows Regional Park is located at 18000 Yates Road, Victorville. Parking and admission for kids under 6 years is free. Tickets for kids 6 years to 12 are $5, and general admission is $15-$20. For more info call 951-522-5700.
The Santa Ana River and its South Fork, Arrowbear, Big Bear, Gregory, Miller Canyon Creek, and Mojave Narrows Regional Park lake have all been stocked with trout and the bite is on! Don’t miss out! Good fishing.
6-4-08 It's derby time!! By Gordon McHenry I hope you planning to take your kids and their friends to our 22nd Annual Free Fishing Derby this Saturday at Lake Gregory here in the Southern California mountains. At a time when many parents are concerned that their kids spend far too much time stuck inside, attending our fishing derby is a good way to motivate them to get outside. Because it’s so easy to do and so widely accessible, fishing is a great way for kids to spend quality time outdoors. Fishing differs from many other forms of outdoor recreation because it not only gives kids a lasting way to connect to nature, it improves family communication in ways few activities can. National Fishing & Boating Week, June 1st through the 8th, is a good way to get kids interested in fishing and boating early. National Fishing & Boating Week was created to get families moving in the right direction. From California to Florida, and in most states in between, hundreds of on the water events are planned, including fishing, regattas and festivals. The aim is to help kids--and adults-- re-connect with the outdoors to learn valuable lessons about how to become good stewards of the land and its natural resources, to feel good about themselves and to improve their general health and well-being. More than 50 million Americans participate in fishing and boating every year; that’s more than play golf and tennis combined. Additionally, 83 percent of state funding for managing and conserving aquatic resources comes from the sale of fishing licenses, and from excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel. That ensures well-managed, accessible fishery resources for future generations to enjoy. If you don’t have any tackle for this Saturday’s kids derby the 250 free goodie bags we are giving out contain a jar of Power Bait’s new Gulp! Trout nuggets, a spool of Trilene XL Smooth Casting line, a Trout Trap Lure, Mustad hooks, a bobber and a Trilene/Fireline knot card, and we have some easy casting Zebco 33 rods and reels to loan out so the kids will have what they need to get started. Call the Lake Gregory boathouse at 909-338-2233 for more info. The DFG has been stocking Lake Gregory, Green Valley Lake, the Santa Ana and the South Fork of the Santa Ana River, Arrowbear Lake, Big Bear Lake, Silverwood and Miller Canyon Creek above Silverwood with trout so you have plenty of places to spend some time this weekend celebrating! Good fishing. 5-22-08 Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory fishing events coming up By Gordon McHenry Lake Arrowhead anglers who haven’t signed up for the 18th Annual A LA Fishing Tournament sponsored by the ALA, the UCLA Conference Center and the Mountain News, that will be taking place this Saturday, May 24th can do so at the ALA office. If you register before Saturday, tickets are only $25. per person, and $15. for anglers under 14 years of age. Tickets include a derby hat, bait, lures, hooks, a prize drawing and lunch. Successful anglers will have the opportunity to put their name on the big bragging rights trophy. Check-in begins at 5:30 a.m. Saturday at the marina. Anglers must present their valid California fishing license. Fishing hours are from 6 to 11 a.m. Angler awards and. lunch from the UCLA Conference will follow. Call the ALA office at 909-337-2595 for more info. Also set for this Saturday is the Crestline Chamber of Commerce’s second trout derby of the season at Lake Gregory. The derby starts at 7:30 am and ends with a drawing at 4:30 pm. Entry tickets are $10.00 each and are available at 7-11, Lake Drive Hardware, Lake Gregory Trading Post, the Crestline Chamber of Commerce office and at the Lake Gregory boat house on the day of the derby. Along with a prize drawing, prizes will also be awarded for the biggest trout caught by anglers 16 and under and in the 16 and over age category. A fishing license is required for ages 16 and older. All State fishing regulations will be in effect at all times. The rules posted at the boathouse. Licenses are available at Lake Drive Hardware, the Cedar Glen Trading Post and the boat house. Call 909-338-2233 for more info. If you want to catch some of those world famous Alpers trout without having to drive to the Eastern Sierra, be sure to fish Green Valley Lake ASAP!! It has been well stocked and those beautiful, hard fighting fish are ready if you are!! Call 909-867-2009 for more info. As we celebrate our 22nd Annual Free Youth Fishing Derby on June 7th at Lake Gregory Regional Park, we will also be celebrating National Fishing and Boating Week June 2 – 10th -with anglers all over our nation. Thousands of anglers around the country will be hosting events to promote fishing and boating. June is also National Kids Fishing Month. Hope you all will be celebrating with us at Lake Gregory on June 7th!! Be safe out there and have a happy holiday. Good fishing. 5-15-08 Family fishing fun By Gordon McHenry f you love to fish Lake Arrowhead with your family and friends and you enjoy a little friendly fishing competition, you’ll want to sign up for the 18th Annual ALA Fishing Derby set for Saturday, May 24th on Lake Arrowhead. Sponsored by the Arrowhead Lake Association, the UCLA Conference Center, and the Mountain News, the tournament for trout and bass anglers begins at 5:30 am at the marina and should conclude around noon after the prize awards and a great UCLA BBQ lunch If you register before the 24th, tickets are only $25. per person, and $15. for anglers under 14 years of age. Tickets include a derby hat, bait, lures, hooks, a prize drawing and lunch. Anglers will also have the opportunity to lay claim to the big “braggin’ rights” trophy! Call 909-337-2595 for more info. If you are planning on taking the kids out for an exciting morning full of family fishing fun for the first time during our 22nd Annual Free Youth Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 7th at Lake Gregory Regional Park, I’d suggest getting their new gear now so you can practice with them before the big day. If you are getting them a new rod and reel, always an exciting day for new anglers, be sure to help them choose a combo that fits their hands. Let them try it on for size. The rod should be the same or close to the same length as your child's height. Choosing the proper tackle is important part of learning to fish. Zebco, for example, manufactures quite a few complete youth-size fishing outfits that are made specifically for a kids hands. And, to make it easier for parents, they come ready to fish with reel, rod, line and even a casting plug for casting practice. Then all the kids need is a bunch of red worms, crawlers and Power Bait (the kids will get a jar of the new Gulp! Trout nuggets when they sign up for the derby) when they hit the water on derby day. Life long anglers will always tell you there's nothing more exciting to a child than having something tugging on the end of their line, feeling that vibration of the rod and seeing the bobber disappear underwater. If you emphasize that fishing is purely fun, your child's first fishing experience will turn into a memory that will last a lifetime! Don’t forget your camera!! See you on the 7th!! Good fishing. 5-5-08 Take the kids fishing By Gordon McHenry With our 22nd Annual Free Youth Fishing Derby just weeks away, it’s time for parents to get out on the water with the kids to practice for the derby. Anglers should choose their fishing location so they can fish comfortably Once you’re set up, cast the bait to water that is either lit by the sun or in the shade, You should also cast to water with weed edges, clear areas and shallow and deep spots. One always productive spot is where a creek drains into the lake. It’s a good place to fish because it brings fresh water and food into the lake. The fish will be hiding behind a log or a rock. Just let the bait drift through the current to where the fish are and hang on. Kids like fishing with a bobber. When they get bit they should let the fish take the bobber completely under the water and start to swim away. That’s the time to strike. Coach your young angler on the importance of patience. If they strike too soon, while the fish is just nibbling, all they do is take the food away from the fish. If you don’t catch anything after fishing a while, change something. Change locations, change baits,or change the depth of the bait by sliding a float up or down the line. Often, fish are close to the bottom making it important to get the bait closer to the bottom. Young anglers who are good at catching fish say when they get a fish on the line they reel it in slowly but always fast enough to keep the line tight between the fish and the tip of the rod. If it’s a big fish that wants to run, they stop reeling until the fish has started to swim back toward the angler. If you practice these tips now you will do well on derby day. Our 22nd Annual Free Youth Fishing Derby is set for Saturday, June 7th at Lake Gregory. We need volunteers to help gather prizes and people who can donate prizes. We need rods and reels and tackle boxes. With the demise of the kids Hooked On Fishing derby program, it’s going to be a lot tougher putting on a kids fishing derby. If you have something to donate and/or you can lend a hand, please call me at 909-337-6582. Good fishing. 5-1-08 Another great opener By Gordon McHenry Last weekend's opening of the Eastern Sierra trout fishing season and the opening of the season at Lake Gregory here in the Southern California mountains drew thousands of anglers out on the water to enjoy the warm temperatures and clear skies. The June Lake Loop‘s 31st annual Monster Trout Contest last Saturday at Ernie's Tackle had 144 entries by days end. Of those, 61 fish weighed in at more than four pounds. Over at Crowley Lake, always home of the largest gathering of anglers in the Eastern Sierra on opening day, the biggest entry in the opener derby's adult division was a 7.14 brown trout (an 8 pounder was checked in too late!) caught by David Buckman, Crowley Lake. Reimi Woo, San Deigo, toped the kids division with her 5.11 pound rainbow. At last Saturday’s Lake Gregory trout derby, Phil Peterson, fishing out of his float tube, won the adult division with a 1.9 pounder. In the under 16 division, Missy Neelen won with her 2.1 pounder and in the 9 and under division, Evan S. (last name not spelled out) won his division. with a 1.12 pound trout. Besides getting to the derby check in and having their fish weighed in a timely manner, anglers also must remember to sign up for the derbies. A nice 4 pound 8 ounce trout was weighed in during the Lake Gregory derby by an angler who wasn’t in it! No doubt he won’t do that again! Time to sharpen up your Rapalas. The huge annual Big Bear May Trout Classic is set for May 17th and 18th. Space is limited to 425 anglers so you better get signed up NOW! First prize is worth more than $2,000! Call 909-585-4007 for more info. Good fishing. 4-21-08 Last minute preparations for the openers By Gordon McHenry If you took the time during the winter months to clean and respool your reels and straighten up and restock your tackle boxes, you should be all set be set for the trout openers this Saturday. If not, you better get busy! I’ve already spooled up my short ultra light trout rods with 4 lb test Trilene XL for stream and tiny jig fishing and loaded up my medium action lure fishing rods with Berkley’s new Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line in 6 lb test. Because fluorocarbon line is basically invisible under water, you can use higher test lines (and catch more fish!) without spooking the fish. Once the rods and reels are ready, it’s time to go through the tackle box. I restocked some of the always productive 1 ½” to 3 ½” silver and black original Rapalas, the #5 and #7 sized jointed and regular Shad Raps in perch, silver blue and original colors, and a couple of the fire tiger Shad Raps. If you missed the list last week, the following will help. Get a couple of the new 2” and the 2 3/4” chrome SureSet Skitter Pops and one of the new 31/8” chrome SureSet Skitter Walks. You should also get some Tomas Bouyants, Super Dupers, a few Kastmasters and some Needlefish for trolling. In the bait department get a good selection of the new Gulp! Baits that have been working so well here on the mountain, a few jars of the original Power Bait, some 1” Micro Power Tubes and Grubs as well as some 3" red Power Trout Worms. And don’t forget a jar of red Power Eggs and some Trout Dip to enhance the baits and lures appeal and to mask your scent. Try these lures and baits during the tagged trout derby this Saturday at Lake Gregory. Even if you don’t catch one of the tagged trout, you can still stillhave lots of fun trying! Call the boathouse at 338.2233 for more derby info. If you haven’t fished the tagged trout derbies because you thing no one ever wins, you may want to change your ways. Last year a new angler caught his first fish, a tagged Big Bear trout good for a new pickup! An angler caught a tagged trout in the first hour of a derby at Lake Gregory and won a new pickup! And how about the guy who caught Jake, a tagged trout worth $10,000! See you out there! Good fishing. 4-14-08 Ready for the openers? By Gordon McHenry Gas may be $4.00 a gallon, but die hard mountain anglers won’t let the outrageous prices stop their annual last Saturday in April pilgrimage to the Eastern Sierra to fish ‘The Opener”. If you are a new angler and you aren’t sure what the Eastern Sierra opener is all about, just compare it to opening day of the baseball season---except the thousand of fans can participate instead of just watching and they smell like trout instead of chewing tobacco. Many of our mountain anglers have spent the last Saturday in April fishing the areas streams and lakes for many years and wouldn’t miss ‘The Opener’ no matter what! Every year I run into anglers from the mountain, and many of them tell me it’s a family tradition, something they have really enjoyed since they were little kids. If you are going to make the long drive up highway 395 on the 25th or 26th for the first time, be sure you take the right tackle. Short, light action rods, small reels spooled with 2 to 4 lb test Trilene XT works great when stream fishing and longer light/medium action rods spooled with Trilene !00% Fluorocarbon in 2 to 4 lb test. Take lots of small trout jigs like the Trout Traps, a few Super Dupers, Kastmasters and Tomas Bouyants, and a good selection of Gulp! trout baits (be sure to get the eggs!) and your set to catch Jake, If you aren't headed to the Eastern Sierra opener and you are going to fish one of our mountain lakes, don’t forget Lake Gregory's opener on the 26th. The lake will be stocked with lots of trout and those fish, along with some heavyweights left over from previous stockings, will make Lake Gregory the place to be on opening day! The Crestline Chamber of Commerce will be holding the first of five trout derbies at the lake on the 26th. The derby features some nice prizes and lots of fun! Rules are posted at the boathouse.. A fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older (you can get a license at the boathouse, Lake Drive Hardware and at The Cedar Glen Trading Post) and all state fishing regulations will be in effect. The derby runs from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. Ticket prices are $10.00 each. For more info call 338.2233 or the Chamber at 338- 2706. 4-2-08 Get some in-lines! By Gordon McHenry We have soooo many newer trout catching lures that some of the old style lures are getting left out of the fish reports because anglers just aren't using them anymore. In-line spinners are a good example. In-line spinners are versatile, durable trout catchers that come in a wide variety of body shapes, sizes, weights and colors. In-line spinners catch almost all species of fish, including trout. They are easy to fish and are productive in just about any type of water, from the smallest mountain trout streams, to the largest rivers and lakes. The Mepps Aglia, the original French spinner, is an in-line lure made with a strong stainless steel shaft with an attached concave oval blade, a spinner body and a treble hook. The blade can be polished brass, copper or painted a multitude of colors. Some models are adorned with plastic or solid brass beads. The lure is adorned with the finishing touch: a tuft of squirrel tail tied to the treble hooks. Panther Martin lures are hard to ignore. More than 60 million of them have been made since its inception by a Polish angler in the late 1940s. And millions of anglers have caught their limits over the years on this hot little spinner! Worden’s original Rooster Tail spinner is a very productive lure that has more than stood the test of time Rooster Tails come in three styles of lures, ten different sizes, and over fifty color possibilities. This is a lure originally designed with trout in mind, but it also catches lots of other freshwater species. The Blue Fox Super Vibrax has been rapidly gaining in popularity over the past decade because it really catches fish! The spinner’s two-part body emits very low-frequency sound vibrations which draws the fish in. The Blue Fox Super Vibrax comes in plated, wild-eye, painted and fox tail styles. It is available in seven different weights. This spinner is made by the company that holds the most world records, Finnish lure, filet knife and hook manufacturer Rapala/VMC. Want to catch some nice trout this season? Try the in-line spinners! If you have been wondering what’s happening with our CAFishingShow.com web site, I’m happy to say we are all done remodeling and you can find all the fishing news and info including the Urban Fishing Report, the DFG fish stocking schedule, the Eastern Sierra Report, my columns, info on our Basic trout Fishing video and more! Good fishing.
The grand prize winner, Steve Brown from Castaic, took home $1000, plus taxidermy services for his beautiful 8 lb, 5 oz rainbow caught in June Lake. The biggest limit had a total weight of 20 lbs 6 oz by Randy Rice from Bakersfield. His big stringer came out of Gull Lake.
The biggest fish from each of the loop lakes are as follows: June Lake -- 7 lb 12 oz rainbow by Matt Padavick from Palm Desert; Gull Lake -- 6 lb, 8 oz rainbow trout by both Phil Dotson of San Jose and Ben Kimura from Los Angeles, Silver Lake -- a 7 lb, 5 oz rainbow by Mike Devine from Saugus and Grant Lake--7 lb, 15 oz rainbow for Joe Alvarado of Ventura.
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the trout tagged by Berkley that’s worth $10,000!
Good fishing.
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