Growing up with my dad was a blessing. His love of the outdoors came from a very good upbringing from his father in Ohio and Pennsylvania. His early life was spent hunting and fishing daily not only as a first love, but to feed the family during the great depression. He loved the time spent with his mentors, and the memories he had were awesome childhood stories for me.
Fast forward to my birth, dad’s love of the outdoors was something he viewed as important part of his life so it was inevitable that would pass onto his son. Taking me to the pier in a stroller, barely able to walk, he wanted me to be comfortable around the environment.
We started with opaleye perch around the rocks, then graduated to bonito at the Redondo bubble hole, then trips to San Clemente island, with the end result being my total love of the water and fishing. My dad purchased a piece of land at Canyon Lake and my introduction to freshwater bass was born. My early years fishing salt with pop after work then spending Saturday and Sunday at the lake were the best years of my early life. I learned a lot that became my foundation for the other fishing adventures that the future had in store for me.
With today’s electronic society, it’s really important to get kids outside to experience what’s out there. The importance of finding something that you, your kids, and friends can enjoy together is key. Passing on the passion cannot be forced, it has to be instilled in them at young age by taking them fishing.
When kids are in their formative years, 3 to 5 years old, it’s a perfect time to introduce them to fishing and the great outdoors. It gets them use to being outside and comfortable around fishing, the equipment, and especially the fish. My dad use to fish on the ½ day and ¾ day boats bringing his catch home to show me and let me help clean them. I remember my dad would make the effort for me to touch and hold any fish we caught. If we had plenty to eat, he would have me kiss the fish, and throw it back in to catch another day. He was a pure conservationist prior to the wave of green we see in today’s society. Starting kids off at a young age experiencing the outdoors is good, but I have had a lot of friends that did not have the same upbringing I did regarding the outdoors and fishing.
Throughout the years I have met people and if the subject of fishing comes up, if I see they are really interested I offer to take them. Many of these individuals are getting their first introduction to fishing, and it’s amazing to see how many adopt it as a passion for life. Many of these anglers have become my fishing partners now. I hear a lot the” tug is the drug” and with the newbies it truly is.
I guess my point is, it’s never too late to start fishing, and experiencing the outdoor adventure.
Another common thing I have experienced is my kids enjoyed fishing when they were little, and with the introduction to other interests like baseball, basketball, and soccer they slowly moved away from it. I was fortunate enough to experience the love of sports and learning what it was to be part of a team. I spent my teenage years surfing, fishing, and playing baseball. My love for my dad and the time we spent together was always there so I spent weekends fishing with him until college.
The key influence in my life was my father and the bond we cemented came from our time on the water as a youth. Remember that good memories as kids live in us for ever.
There is no better place to be then with your kids enjoying your passion in life. My kids continued to pursue their interests with Summer playing collegiate softball, Ben running track, and Kailey becoming an artist. The point I am passing onto you now is that if they experience the outdoors and fishing in their youth it becomes part of their DNA, so they will return to it later.
Many of my friends always ask me now “how do your kids fish with you so much?” My answer is that they are asking me to go as a result of those magical moments experienced in their youth. One thing I know to be true is all our experiences through life create many memories both good and bad. The memories my kids have of all the time fishing with their parents have been positive, and that is what drives them as adults to continue the fishing experience. I know that showing your kids or friends true passion to something you hold dear to your heart makes an impression. These impressions tend to introduce others to your contagious love of the sport instilling their passion to explore and experience it.
The best times of my adult life now are to fish with my kids. I have made it an annual trip on my birthday that my daughters and I spend the day fishing. It’s the best birthday present ever for me and they have the time of their lives. To watch them create memories of their own that I am included in is absolutely the best.
Recently my good friend Joe and I took the girls Sword fishing which is like watching grass grow waiting for the bite. We had so much fun talking about our previous adventures that I realized that its not so much the importance of catching fish but the time together that counts.
You can’t go back into their youth and change what is already done, but remember its never too late to introduce your kids or friends to something that can alter their life in a very positive manner.
The key in life is to pass on the something people will enjoy too. Passing on the passion is contagious, and the legacy you leave your kids and friends will always remind them that your love of the sport lives in them all.
Take your kids fishing and remember it’s never too late to introduce people to fishing and the outdoor world of adventure.
Food for thought:
When taking the kids fishing make sure you start with something that will get their attention, and they can enjoy the experience as a whole. It’s all about their experience. Go catch mackerel off the pier. Hit up a lake full of panfish, or time the perfect trout plant. Make sure they catch fish so they can experience the tug. If they want to play with the bait so be it. Just remember it’s about introducing them to the whole scene.
If you are going to take the kids or a friend on the boat for the first time, make sure you ask about if they get seasick. If this happens get them back to the dock. There is nothing more uncomfortable then being seasick as a child or an adult. This will definitely be a negative experience and any further trips for the kids will be tough. I think it’s easier to start them on the pier or on the shore.
Make sure you bring tackle that is easy for them to use. Its best to start with spinning reels and work towards bait casters or conventional tackle for the future. Make sure its set up so you alleviate any possibilities of problems. Braid can be difficult at times in the wind so I would look at having a couple rods with mono. Get them set up and show them how to cast and instruct them on the process. If you are fishing with younger kids, either hook and hand so they feel the tug, or actually fish a bait with them. The tackle should be right for the fish. Way better for kids to fight the fish instead of the tackle.
Prior planning will help alleviate the percentage of not catching. Have the kids be part of the preparation process with tackle and lures. This is the best part of the experience, it teaches them that being ready is a critical part of success. Make sure you bring plenty of goodies for them to snack on and some of their favorite drinks. Bringing sunscreen and hats will help keep them safe from the sun. What I did with my kids worked, video games were left at home, making their focus on the surroundings, fully immersed in the experience.
Planning a semi or annual trip for the weekend to some cool fishing location can be a great way to spend family time as well as create new fishing experiences for the kids. My father would take me every August with my mom to the West Walker River and those trips are some of my fondest memories. We caught a ton of trout keeping enough to eat at the local restaurant, and releasing the rest. This experience also got me thinking on how I could catch fish on my own with the river right behind the motel. I remember looking for new turns in the creek or stones that cast long shadows. No better way to learn than doing it.
We also found arrowheads at higher grounds when the sun was high. Exploring the creek and its surroundings was a fun part of my childhood making a great memory.
If you have a child that likes fishing and shows interest introduce him to different species and techniques to broaden his horizon. This will help them understand the basics of fishing and get them thinking how they can do it better. Most of the time the only thing that changes is the size of the tackle. The more you help them to better understand the aspects of fishing, the better your fishing partner will become.
My girls have been to East Cape, Alaska, Montana, northern California, and other locations to pursue their love of fishing.
Teach them catch and release to help sustain the fisheries. As I mentioned before make sure they understand “keep what you can eat and let the rest go.” This will help future anglers enjoy fishing.
The last thing to remember is Pass on the Passion.
They will thank you for the rest of their life.
In 1981 a public fishing pond called Em’s Pond across Habeggers Lane from the park sadly closed to the public. Ron knew his customers would really miss the pond and since Ron and Donna had some vacant land near their resort store, Ron got permission from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to dig and put in a pond with the thought that their customers and the public would still have a fishing pond in the same area. He took his idea to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Fish and Wildlife with the understanding that the DFW would stock the pond.
Currently there still is a trophy trout stocking program in Bishop Creek Canyon. It is coordinated by Jared Smith of Parchers Resort, as well as all the neighboring businesses and Resort Owners who pitch in funds. The program is assisted by Tawni Thomson of the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce. Currently Wrights Rainbows from Idaho and Desert Springs Trout Farms from Oregon provide supplemental trophy trout stockings periodically throughout the summer and fall, so if they’re lucky, fishermen can still land a trophy trout.
In January of 2019, Nick Scira proudly assumed ownership of Creekside RV Park. Nick has worked continuously improving the park. Wi-fi is offered throughout the park. They offer full hook-ups for RV sites up to 42 feet, tent sites, rental trailers, a country store offering fishing tackle, worms, ice, groceries, beer, wine, souvenirs, and self-serve food. The park offers restrooms and showers. Drinking water comes from the parks own artesian well, plumbed in at every campsite and it is the best! Family dogs are welcome.
The Tomahawk is a 68-foot fishing machine that offers just over 24 feet of transom beam, making this vessel one of the better multi-day, limited load sportfishers among San Diego’s vast fleet. Not only does this sport boat fish well under most all conditions, but the spacious galley, tasty food and roomy bunks combine to make each trip a good angling experience. Add in large capacity bait tanks, a new refrigerator system in the slammer and a crew that wants passengers to catch tuna, what more could a deep-sea fisherman ask for. Last year owner Captain Eric Sauerwein invested almost $100,000 in boat work and additional upgrading of equipment to make his boat more fishable.
The first tuna trip on board the Tomahawk was a 2.5-day trip that was co-sponsored by Izorline and it was a trip to remember. This sportfisher departs out of Fisherman’s Landing and with a limited load of just 25 anglers there would be plenty of room at the rail during a bluefin or yellowfin tuna bite. Seas were calm, as they traditionally are during the later part of July, and the hopes of Captain Jeff Spafford were that schools of bluefin would pop up in the fishing grounds offering opportunities to cast big poppers and Colt Snipers at meatballs of boiling bluefin tuna and then slide over the school to allow bait fisherman a chance at hooking a tuna.
While most of the tuna caught that day weighed in the 25 to 50-lb class, there were a few bigger class bluefin landed along with a quality yellowfin tuna. The hot stick for the trip was held by Bobby “G” Gonzales of San Pedro who seemed always to be hooked up to a big bluefin and had no problem in landing his 2-fish limit of 100-lb tuna for the day. A number of other anglers on board also landed their daily limit of bluefin, but it was Lorenzo Robles of Montclair that topped anglers by decking a 30-lb. class yellowfin that was hooked on a kite rig.
Spafford then went on to add, “Our off shore fishing program of offering 1 to 3.5-day fishing packages, with limited loads, has been paying off for anglers. We have the ability to move around during longer trips to the fishing grounds and when we have to make a run to a new spot, we will try to do it while passengers are asleep in their bunks. This night travel allows us to be right on the fishing grounds at day break, often a good time to kick off a great day of tuna fishing. As to what next season will offer up in the way of off shore angling, I would hope that the bluefin and yellowfin stay around. I would also like to see more kelp patty fishing for yellowtail and a return of those large schools of dorado that were around for a long time a few years ago.”
In addition to the excellent bottom fishing the king salmon fishing was better this year than the previous year. There are two ways to fish for salmon and Big Blue Charters both trolls and mooches. I personally prefer to mooch, which is simply dropping either a cut or whole herring down to near the bottom and reel
ing up and then repeating. I like this method as you get to feel the salmon hit. Salmon have very soft mouths unlike bass so there is some finesse needed when hooking them. The old rip a lip method will lose you a lot of fish. When the salmon hits you reel, reel, reel until it is tight then just give a slight hookset. And once the king is on be prepared for battle. They are known to come to the boat rather easily until they figure out they are hooked. At that point hold on as you are going on a ride. Just like catching a yellowtail or tuna, it is a follow your fish mentality until you get it in.
their contribution to the vets, and it was a huge one. Dan served in the military and through conversation found out he was in boot camp with one of the wounded vets. Small world, right? Since this was early in the season the Big Blue deckhands were not available yet, so Jesse and Dan also did double work and really worked their butts off for free. But both understand freedom is not free and without these vets risking their lives for us we might not be free at all. I feel that both 
Jesse and Dan are to be commended for their efforts and honestly, I feel lucky to know such fine young men.
While Captain Mike guided me for 3 days, Captain Jesse Graham took the vets out two days without being paid and Captain Dan Corduan did it once. That was their contribution to the vets, and it was a huge one. Dan served in the military and through conversation found out he was in boot camp with one of the wounded vets. Small world, right? Since this was early in the season the Big Blue deckhands were not available yet, so Jesse and Dan also did double work and really worked their butts off for free. But both understand freedom is not free and without these vets risking their lives for us we might not be free at all. I feel that both Jesse and Dan are to be commended for their efforts and honestly, I feel lucky to know such fine young men.
arriving on the island around noon. With the second half of the day to burn, the option exists to take the pangas out the first afternoon for a few hours of fishing. In the several trips I personally have taken down to the island, we have never come close to having the option to fish the first day. This was indeed a welcomed change.
and landed 4 giant yellowfin tuna on that trip. Kevin will be the first to tell you that he is not a widely experienced angler, but he always seems to have the talent or ability to get the right bites at the right time. My hats off to Kevin for his humble nature and his willingness to try new things. He again showed the fish who the boss was. He took a blue and white Killer Jig EX-7 and promptly hooked and landed a
number of yellowtail from the high teens to the low 30’s. Not only did he make the right adjustments to this retrieve, he changed his reel as well as rod until he found a combination that he was able to make the right distance casts as well as retrieve the jig at the proper tempo to entice the fish to bite. He had a fantastic trip.
Roy Rose quote of the day – “Whatever you do….don’t look them in the eye”.
As we approached the Rocks, the anticipation was high as many us were ready to pull on some fish after 2 days of travel. Capt. Roy drove around the high spots and we put the anchor down and it was game on. John Collins, Matt Chang and myself prefer the long rods and it did not disappoint. The 3 of us were slinging the surface iron deep into the flat spots, watching these bruising yellows chase down the jig and eventually blowing up on it like nobody’s business. Yes, we sacrificed some jigs as they burned us off going over the ledge, but that’s part of the game.
Bank ATM malfunction aka “Tough Fishing”.
it was now time to focus on tuna fishing. We anchored up on the corner of the bank along with the XL and we would pluck away at these fish for the next couple of days. I’m not going to sugar coat anything, but tuna fishing was tough overall. The tax men and their gangster pack of colleagues made things worse. They were eating big baits, sardines, chunks….you name it, they were on it.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. A sound I love. That is the sound of line peeling off a reel. The screaming noise at the moment was coming from a PENN spinning reel which was making that sweet sound. The PENN spinning reel I was using was part of the excellent collection of rods and reels that were on the boat while I was at Crocodile Bay in Costa Rica. All boats there are equipped with a wide array of updated PENN gear which is some of the best in the business. It always makes me feel more confident when using boat provided gear to have up to date products from a well- respected company.
It was late March and we were trolling for sailfish with live bait when our first mate Alex decided to tie on a green hoochie on a spinning outfit in case dorado were around. The dorado might have been around but for some reason the 70-80 pound sailfish ignored the live offerings for which sailfish normally prefer and attacked the hoochie. Just like a cheetah is the fastest animal in the jungle, most claim that sailfish are the fastest swimmers in the sea. They have been reported to hit speeds up to 68 mph. So, when they have your bait and are trying to get away, they are moving.
The other pesky fish was needlefish. One of our highlights was watching two, 5-foot needlefish glide on top of the water to try and get the same bait. It looked like two missles on a collision course. We missed quite a few of these toothy fish and actually we were mad they were going through our bait.
All the great customer service, friendly staff, great food and wide variety of things to do was just a cherry on top of the sundae. I am pretty sure this inshore trip redeemed the last time I was there and made a bad call. And in all honesty, one doesn’t need a reason to come back or go to Crocodile Bay. Just realize that after being there a few days you will be wondering why you have to leave.
One day last year after having ran 40 miles due west in search of large bluefin that wanted to eat the yummy, we ran into a large volume of quality sized yellowfin. Just before we did though, we stumbled upon a paddy that was holding fish, and both started off the day with couple of quality yellowtail. That was not our intended fish but were happy to get them. We stayed on the yellowfin all day and picked a fish off on the popper, essentially each pod of foaming fish that we strategically stopped on. However, even with the volume of fish around, the many boats on the water would often stop right on top of the fish, sending them down much quicker then they came up. Instead of allowing these “foamers” to develop, the boat pressure placed on these fish sends them down almost instantly if the the boat is stopped right on top of them. As the majority of the boats went home, we continued to pick away. Until finally, the school of all schools came together and encircled us, creating an absolutely deafening sound, drowning out the sounds of the motor. It was chaos yet peaceful at the same time, until Jeff and I both fired out a popper, and instantly were both hooked up. These weren’t your typical school sized yellowfin either. They were 25 pounds to 60 pounds, with some that we saw down below the rest of the school that really made you wonder.
I let my frustration get the best of me and it hindered my ability to get bit. I got skunked and it was lesson learned. I was determined to catch a fish but I needed a new strategy, so on my next trip I spoke up like all the other Anglers did on the rail on my previous trip. I then decided that getting to know my fellow Anglers would benefit me – especially the ones that are hooking up & look like they know what they are doing. We are all a team at the rail.
Theresa Sampson
Janette Fuson
Sophia Huynh
Jessica Cano
#2 Learn your knots. YouTube is you best friend when learning new knots. The deckhands can help you with tying your knots as well but when it get busy you can feel confident that you can do it with these 2 easy knots plus men are impressed when a lady can tie her own hooks and leaders. *The Palomar Knot: One of the strongest knots & quick to tie to a hook or jig *The Royal Polaris other wise known as the “RP” Knot it’s my go to for tying Spectra which is braided line to leader. *A Leader Consists if either Monofilament or Fluorocarbon (a less visible leader when the bite is sensitive)
The past few years have seen a spawn of new fishing opportunities on the west coast with the influx of both bluefin and yellowfin tuna here almost year-round. The focus on these other species has taken pressure off of other species including rockfish.
All the reels mentioned above come in a two gear ratios, a power and speed ratio. The higher or mid range gear ratios are more effective so you can get your lures back from the depths quicker. The other important feature to look at is a counter balanced power handle. Its way more comfortable and easier to wind, giving you more torque to wind when bringing up a big red.
Artificial lures: There are a lot of artificial lures to choose from but here are a few to consider for rock fishing.
Optimum lures have been in the fishing business for many years developing a variety of swim bait lures. They have recently focused on the Optimum Magnum Pus in 5” and 7” sizes that work extremely well on a jighead or as a metal jig trailer. (Optimumbaits.com)