Hobby Sports

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.

Today was the grand opening of John Herkowitzs Pacific Sporting Arms.  The old man and I  just got back from the new location just down the road from Perazzis US showroom.  The store is nice with plenty of room for all the guns John wanted to stock but had no room for at this last location. 

John once told me he would like to carry more rifles but didnt have the space for it until now.  Today he had several from double rifles to repeaters mostly of Teutonic origins (Blaser, Ferlach, Sauer and Kreighoff among others) from 308 to 500NE.  The majority of guns in his old store were more competition and clay based so its nice to see John is now stocking more hunting related guns than before as well.  He had side by sides in stock including several from Grulla, Simson, and Holland and Holland among others.

Like  Jerry and Jims store Ivory Beads (now closed), this store is a place to hang out a shoot-the-shit with the boys.  It even has a lounge to have a beer or rest your legs.  PSA is now loaded with various fine guns and all the accompaniments that go with them.  I imagine Ill probably be spending a lot of time here as John depletes my savings account. 

Krieghoff Drilling 20x20x30.06

A Fine selection of rifles

The Blaser and Perrazi reps were on hand to answer questions and help sell their guns.  I wanted to talk to the Blaser but since he was helping another customers with a F3 shotgun I had no time to talk rifles with him. 

It looked like an excellent turnout with several people filling out their DROS paperwork.  So I wish John the best of luck as he is a good man and with any luck Ill win the raffle (even though I didnt care for the gun but thats okay if its free).

Free caps to everyone who attended.  I really like the logo on this cap its much better than their old cap.

Afterwards it was time for lunch and a quick drive to Rosemead for some Islamic Chinese cuisine.

Green Onion bread

tripe

Homemade hand cut noodles

Lamb and green onions