Going bendo with a Lamiglas X711 MTS
This round of Ask JD comes from Kevin P. who’s looking for a 4-trick pony rod that will cover several fishing situations.
JD, I’m looking for a spinning rod that I can to use for side drifting, boondogging, drifting minnows, and maybe some swimbait action. I guess I’m looking for a jack of all trades…It’s kind of hard choosing a rod when you have never fished with it. I really like the Rogue Rod Hot Shot series but then again those are the rods I have the most time on and, at $250 a pop, they might be a little steep for me. Do I really need that? I do want something quality that is built to last…so where is the happy medium? Am I asking to much for a 3 or 4 in 1 rod? What would you spend your money on? Thanks for your help! –Kevin P., Auburn, CA
Kev, well…yes, it’s definitely difficult to find a rod that that’s perfectly suited for several techniques. Most of the time when you try to find one of these multi-taskers you end up with something that does a bunch of things okay but nothing well. It ends up being, as trusty sidekick Reilly often says, “A little bit pregnant.” But there is one stick that I can think of that just may cover ya pretty well…
[click to continue…]by JD on February 26, 2011
Like most fish that have to swim through the CA Delta, shad numbers are on the decline
This round of Ask JD comes to us from Dave E., who’s obviously got spring on the mind. His question pertains to American shad and it’s relative health in the rivers of Northern California.
JD, How healthy is the shad fishery in Northern California? I fished for shad a good bit 15 to 20 years ago and remember great runs. Has the shad fishery suffered like the salmon collapse? Thanks, Dave
Dave,
Well, I assume you’re talking about the rivers of the Central Valley — the Sacramento, American, Yuba and Feather, right? While there are mini runs in the Klamath and Eel rivers and a remnant population in the San Joaquin River, most of California’s shad come from those listed above. [click to continue…]
It's been many moons since I ran this boat, but I still have that good ol' Honda kicker!
This round of Ask JD comes from Vince who just made the tragic error of purchasing a drift boat. A terrible error in judgment, indeed! No, not because he bought a Willie (those guys build one of the best boats on the market), but because he didn’t let a buddy buy one instead! Now, Vince is going to be stuck on the oars playing guide while his buddies sit up front and do all the fishing! But he is talking some sense…Vince is considering a kicker motor. Here’s his question:
JD,I’m getting a 17×54 willie drift boat. Any opinions out there on outboard motors. I will be on the lower Sacramento River mostly. Do you think an 8 HP Merc 4-stroke would be good? A ny help would be appreciated. Thanks, Vince
Vince, I have owned ‘em all and have had zero trouble with Yamaha and Honda. They’re both so stinkin’ reliable it’s stupid! What size you get all depends on what you want to do with it… [click to continue…]
by JD on November 9, 2010
Fishing solo out of the boat is a challenge but it can be done!
Here’s a good
Ask JD question, coming to us from Rob, who’s looking for a way to catch some steelies while fishing solo from boat.
JD, I’m looking for a solo technique to fish for steelhead from a small raft on the Smith in Northern California. What do you think about adding a float to the side gliding technique and bobbergliding? I was thinking of using a 10′ 5″ rod with power pro and setting my rod holder to be almost vertical to keep as much line off the water as possible while I row. Since there are too many boats to anchor up whereever I’d like, it would be nice to have a solo technique to cover the runs in between where I stop to float fish or throw spoons.
Thanks for any advice in advance, Rob. Rob, my best advice would be to talk one of your buddies into buying a drift boat and have him row you around (you never want to be the friend who
owns the boat!). Short of that,
[click to continue…]by JD on November 4, 2010
You can't beat a fresh sardine!
Our latest Ask JD question comes from Rob Y. who’s looking to make some sense out of scents when it comes to fall salmon fishing with plugs. Rob writes:
JD, I have a quick question about fishing with Kwikfish for salmon. I heard or read somewhere that instead of doing a sardine wrap you can put some self-stick Velcro on the bottom of the plug and then smother it in gel sent. How well does that work? And, do you think a sardine wrap really works since the fish are on the move anyway? By the way, loved your steelhead book!
Thanks, Rob Hey Rob! There have been several methods devised over the years to avoid having to wrap plugs with sardine or herring fillets…some guys have done the Velcro thing, while others have glued sponges or stuck scent pads to the bottoms of their plugs and then doused everything in some sort of scent. Then there was Pro Cure’s Bait Butter, which was a scent concoction with a peanut butter consistency that you could just lather your lure in. All of the above worked, but…
[click to continue…]by JD on September 2, 2010
Well, I admit, I kinda just needed an excuse to post this classic shot of Ava Gardner, the original “Woman in Waders from filmnoirphotos. Seems like the Hollywood hotties back in those days were a little more willing to get a little fish slime under their nails than they are today. But I digress…It’s time for another round of Ask JD. This one comes from Chris L, who’s looking to emerge from the dark ages :)
JD, I’ve had my current BARE neoprene waders for about 10 yeas now and I think its finally time to retire them. I was looking into getting some breathable waders but don’t know what brand to get. I’m sure you have gone through your fair share and wanted to see if there was a brand that you favor over others. I’m also a pretty big guy (6’7″ with a size 15 shoe) and might need to get some custom made so if you have any recommendations I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
Hey Chris…ten years outta one pair, eh? Either you don’t get out much or BARE makes some seriously bad ass waders! [click to continue…]
Shorter oars help in these situations...
JD, I have a 16-foot wide-bottom drift boat. I have 9-foot wooden oars and am considering purchasing new ones. What do you think about 10-foot oars on a boat that size…will they give me more power or will they be too long?
Thanks, Lee [click to continue…]
Hi JD-
I just read the article about your experience at Bruin Ranch – sounds awesome. I’m a big fan of bass fishing on such smaller lakes/ponds with no motor boats and the local example I really like is Lake Francis near Oregon House/Dobbins off Hwy 20 between Nevada City and Yuba City.
I’ve long been looking for something similar to Bruin Ranch or Lake Francis where the bass fishing is good and it’s great for a float tube or maybe my Seyvlor inflatable Fish Hunter with a small electric motor – no motorized boats allowed.
Question: Do you know of anything similar to Bruin Ranch or Dobbins’ Lake Francis, within 150 miles of Sacramento?
Thanks and take care! –Jerry
Hey Jerry, have you ever tried Rancho Seco Lake? Some HUGE bass in there and no motors!
