by JD on January 13, 2011
It all starts here...
I caught a mess o’ trout recently and, while I typically release most of them, I decided to keep a couple for dinner this time around. I usually just wrap the fish in foil, add some lemon, butter, pepper and garlic and throw it on the barbie…you really can’t go wrong with that method…but I was just in the mood for something different. So, I checked in with our resident master game and fish chef, Scott Leysath.
Leysath, co-host of the popular TV show,“
Hunt-Fish-Cook,” suggested doing the trout with a herb vinaigrette.
He said you can bake, broil or pan-fry trout this way, but his favorite method is to throw it on the grill. Anyway, here’s how to impress your family, friends and taste buds:
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Lately, my wife's been saying maybe I should have married yarn instead of her
I the current issue of
Salmon Trout Steelheader Magazine (Jan. 2011), I wrote an article called the “Ultimate Steelhead Bait,” which highlights why yarn eggs are a wonderful tool for those of us addicted to chasing anadramous rainbows. I also talked about how to fish them. Well, here’s kind of the companion piece…how to tie the little buggers!
For step by step directions, read on…
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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 December 7, 2010
This time of year, you can go from Indian Summer to winter overnight. One day, you’ll be fishing in shirtsleeves and then it snows on you the next. When you get a sudden cold front, bass fishing often gets extremely tough. Luckily, all is not lost. Professional bass angler Fred Contaoi has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the bass chewing — even when they’re hunkered down after the first storm of the year.
While most folks turn to drop-shotting finesse baits and spooning in deep water when the temps go frigid, Contaoi says that there’s a short window in which the bass will still be up in the shallows and he employs three main weapons to get the fish to go. [click to continue…]
by JD on November 19, 2010
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…
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A nice surface bass from the CA Delta!
Catching big striped bass on topwater plugs is about as fun as those bikini Jello wrestling matches we used to have back in college…oh wait, did I say that out loud? Er, well..anyway, let’s just say having a jumbo striper blow up on your popper is pretty damn fun!
And it’s even more fun when you catch lots of fish! Here are a few simple tricks that should help you do just that!
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