Hobby Sports

Big shoulder 6 pounder

Waking up this morning I had no intention to go out carping but with the morning air still I decided to head out.  When I made it to the water I noticed that the water is back up.  Who the hell is releasing water?  I thought we were in a drought.  With my bootfoot waders on I waded in at almost instantly I noticed feeding carp.  In only a few minutes I was on.  This fish was the hardest fighting carp to date this year.  It ran right then left then right again.  It must have taken at least 15 minutes to land him on my Sage XP 5 weight.  I bogaed him at 6 pounds although he seemed bigger due to its girth.

The infamous lab with a retard owner.

Moving on I noticed several more carp feeding up ahead.  That was instantly ruined when from a distance I saw a lab frolicking in the water drinking along the way.  The very same lab, just a few months ago, jumped on me when I was fishing.  Once the dog spotted me he ran toward me and before it could jump on me I yelled at him and he didnt dare.  For the next 30 or more minutes this dog would not leave my side.  He had just ruined every good hole that was holding feeding fish.  I went through the weeds to find his dumb ass owner.  Eventually I found him and asked him if he knew what kind of toxins are in that water.  He said he did not.  I told him in a scolding, lecturing tone that that water comes from spill off from industrial plant, farm run off, sewage among others.  Its likely to have arsenic in it among other cancer causing pathogens, keep your dog on the leash and dont let him drink it.  He leashed his dog and left.  I thought of really getting pissed, especially from the last incident but I think he got the message. 


More juvenile bass.

I returned to the water, now with the wind blowing and conditions poor for sight casting.  I saw no more carp so I started to fish for bass.  I managed only one and other juvenile before calling it quits.  I received a call from Ed on the way out to see if I wanted on his boat tomorrow.  He knew the answer.

Spotted Bay Bass

With a full moon this week, the tides are excellent in the morning and again towards twilight so Chul and I decided to take his pram out for some salt water action.  We arrive at about 4 pm and headed toward the mouth.  The optimal tides, at least on paper, started around 5pm to about 7pm.  We fished for the first hour without so much a s a bump but when the tides started to move we fish began to bite.  Chul was the first to get a fish, a calico.  His first ever.  When he was about to take a picture of it with his iphone his girlfriend called and made a cardinal mistake and answered it.  The ultimate jinx and he paid for it for the rest of the day. 

Sand Bass

It took me awhile after about an hour and a half to finally get my first fish .  The first was an ultra dink calico.  I have caught San Gabriel trout bigger than that calico.  At about 6 the tides started to really move and the fish became more active.  For the next hour and a half I managed several salt water bass of every species completing the salt water bass slam- calico, spotted bay, and sand bass.  None of our fish were all that impressive with most in the pound range give or take.  Chul on the other hand paid for jinxing himself for answering the phone and didnt manage another fish until the very end and that fish was more of a fluke than anything else.  Not only was the calico an ultra dink but he took it because he left his line in the water while he was trying to clear my line out of the trolling motor propeller.  I wonder if this place will ever return to its old glory with 100 fish days.  Ive told Chul about those days and the lack of serious fish is starting make me look like Im full of shit.

My second Calico (Kelp) Bass of the day.  Slam is complete.

Punishment for answering the phone on the boat.  When its time to fish the girlfriend can wait.

Earlier in the day I walked the dog at Irvine Regional Park.  Lately Ive been walking the dog here because after we are done I throw a few casts at the ponds looking for a largemouth to bite.  It looks like the bass are in post spawn and no longer guarding beds.  It fact they are cruising throughout the ponds.  None are willing to bite in fact they spook anytime the fly comes near.  I managed to have one take on Saturday but I was too slow to set the hook.  One thing I really like about IRP is the statue of James Irvine II.  The city is named after him.  What is now a regional park was at one time his personal hunting grounds.  This statue depicts him hunting with a side by side and two setters. Its a proper monument to the man.

A proper monument to a man.

Afterwards I had lunch with the folks and they took me to Tan Cang Newport Seafood.  Its been at least a decade since weve eaten here and since then they have changed ownership.  We used to have to park a few blocks away and wait in line to get a table so we were worried that when we arrived the restaurant was only 20% full.  We hoped the food hadnt gone downhill.  Our worries proved unwarranted though.  The food was excellent.  They must have kept the same chef.  The lobster as I remembered it was perfectly cooked and excellent.  The chef showcases the lobster and enhances the natural sweet buttery taste of the crustacean.  We also had squab and fish stomach soup which were also excellent and a couple other dishes that werent that impressive.  It was great fuel for the afternoon fishing.

Lobster done right.

Roast Squab

Fish stomach soup.

A little preview of something Im working on for my BIG Fly Bass Box.  Well see how it turns out.  I was inspired by Jeff Currier and Paul Puckett to add a little pizzazz to my fly box.  Now all I need to do is get some permanent markers.  Hopefully it doesnt come out like shit otherwise Ill have to just cover it with decals like it is on the other side.