It's Party Rock on a Boat!

Is that your rod or mine?

Crowds and fishing go together like reading Shakespeare at a LMFAO concert. Maybe if you wear industrial strength ear plugs you can get through a page or two but you are not going to finish Hamlet. Save yourself the trouble and go down to the library. Lines get tangled, tempers get flared and the occasional stomach gets really upset all in the name of catching a few fish for dinner. 

The crew! 

Our trip out of Marina Del Rey on the New Del Mar started at 7:30 am. We picked up bait at the bait dock and cruised out to our first location. The deckhands dropped anchor while we dropped our set ups in the prospect of catching rockfish.  Our rig was simple, a 3 ounce weight held down a lively anchovy that was hooked through the nose like a Fall Out Boy groupie. The hard part was catching the fish and not the other anglers or pelicans that waited right beside our boat opportunistically.  

Bait gone bad.

We caught Sculpin, Cabezon and Red Snapper as we battled for position on the boat like Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley did on the hardwood for a rebound. Boxing out anglers and snatching up loose fish as we reeled them in from their ocean haunts. While all this activity was happening on the boat the swells really started to pick up and made me queazy. I have always fantasized about kicking the crab out of the Bering Sea with the Deadliest Catch crew, but after this little outing on the calm waters of the Santa Monica Bay I realized vomit would be coming out of my ears battling the stormy seas of Alaska.

We caught dinner! 

Our party boat arrived back at port around noon and we all had enough fish to take home for dinner, which was great. But for me, fishing is an activity enjoyed best with the company of few, while partying is a fun activity to enjoy with the masses. So next time, I'll take my beer and jean shorts to the LMFAO concert, my Shakespeare book to the library and get my fish tacos at Wahoo's.

To fish, or party. That is the question.

Getting the thumbs up from the deckhand. 

Skyman out.

Catching Memories... and maybe a little buzz.

Whether you start your fishing day off with a cup of coffee or a whiskey ginger ale like my friend Joel, the real pick me up is the anticipation in our "mental mug". Will this be the day you catch a trophy or will it be a day you go home with a participation certificate? The only way to tell is to get out there and go fishing! 

To help me understand the "mental mug" of the fisherman, I thought I would start writing angler profiles to see what makes us tick (in a clock kind of way not the Lyme disease way). Below is my first interview with Joel "Style" Bonilla, the most fashionable fisherman on the water as well as a good friend of mine.    

Angler Profile:

Name: Joel Bonilla  
Age: 27
Where are you from: Los Angeles
Occupation: Environmental Planner

1) How did you get started fishing? How long have you been fishing?
I got my start during my adolescent years, back around 1991. Back then, fishing was just something my folks would do during our yearly vacation trips to the San Gabriel Mountains. My brother and I shared a “snoopy catch ‘em kit fishing rod”. I really wasn’t consistent until this year (2012). I think it’s difficult for a child to pick up fishing. Fishing requires patience, basic knowledge of the environment and money.

2) Do you remember your first fish? How did it make you feel? Species, size?
My first catch happened at Castaic Lake, where I caught a one pound, largemouth bass.

My buddies and I were fishing from a boat in Castaic Lake. The entire day went by without success. I had nibbles here and there, a big one that got away, and ducks trying to eat my bait. It was a warm sunny day in the high 80s during the month of April. The wind was really picking up that day so we had to stay in the cove where the wave action and winds were calm. While boating around we found a shallow cove with lots of shade. The fish seemed to like hiding under the floating algae mats.

3) How much did your biggest fish weigh? What did you catch it on?
My only catch was a one pound, largemouth bass. I caught it with a crankbait. I was really careful not to get my line tangled in the dead vegetation. Things that didn’t work were my Texas rig senko and spinner bait. Additionally, my knots need some work since I lost a fish after my line snapped at the knot.

4) Fondest memory you have from fishing?
My fondest memory came while fishing at Big Creek in the Sierra National Forest with my old college friends. I fished for hours and never felt more at ease. I caught two crayfish and broke my friend’s fishing rod after getting the line tangled in a tree, Laugh!!

5) Why do you fish?
As described in my fondest fishing memory; fishing, for me is less about the fish, and more about the time spent with family and friends.

I’ve been told by experienced anglers that I have my entire life to become proficient at fishing. I’ve been told that over time, I will collect tons of gear and would have invested a lot of money and time into the sport. I see myself becoming engaged in the sport with every outing and have no doubt about what I’ve been told by my wiser colleagues. So for now, when I cast my line out into the water, I fish to enjoy the moment.

7) Any pre-fishing rituals, food you like to eat on the water?
I enjoy a ginger-ale and whiskey drink early in the morning, before my first cast.   

Joel's "mental mug" provided me with some great insight. He lives for the moment and is more concerned with catching memories than fish. If he sticks with it, his memories will start to include more fish to go along with time spent with loved ones and the expensive gear that accumulates. That is of course, he can remember them at all, considering he is woofing down whiskey and ginger-ales at 6 am. Take it easy on the sauce buddy, the only thing you're going to catch is a hangover, and that's not something you can mount above your fireplace!

Skyman out

Don't drop me Pop!

Before I could walk my Father used to balance me like a circus monkey six feet above the ground, and thank god he was good at it or I would not be here today. In fact, he was a natural as he is with most things, well except for maybe fishing. Over the years though, I have taught this old dog some tricks and he has earned the confidence needed to expect the fish to be there.   

Now that is confidence! 

Starting out in fishing the hardest part is getting the confidence that comes with experience. You know this lure or technique works because, hey I have had success with it in the past. My Father has gained that now over time and we decided to see how cocky he and I could get out on Santa Margarita Lake for Father's Day 2012. 

North County San Luis Obispo, looks relaxing right! 

It was a lovely summers day out on Margarita, so nice in fact that I would have really loved an ice cold one of those with some salt and lime. Since there was no blender on board, I kept cool by taking off my shirt and reaching into the cold water as much as I could, hoisting out three nice bucketmouths. My Father was able to catch one, making it a successful outing in my eyes.

Thanks Aunt Wendy for my sweet bass pro shops shirt! 

My happy bass face. 

That is the look of a confident angler. 

Like son like father.

Not everyone in life can be naturals at things like balancing babies or catching bass consistently, but over time with enough practice, your experiences will earn you the confidence needed to get the job done or at least fool yourself and others into thinking you can. It also helps on those tough days to have good support on the home front, so I thank you Pop for not dropping me. 

Skyman out.     

Tug Me Tammy, One More Time!

The time had come for Tammy and I to tango! It has been too long since our first dance, so I thought what better way to bring us together then with the erotic and sometimes down right dirty moves of the tango. 

First bass of the day on texas rigged creature bait.

The Castaic Lagoon was the backdrop for our routine. Everything was going smoothly until the wind butt in and started whirling us all over the place, making it difficult for me to make my move and fish as thoroughly as possible. It managed to finally push us to the very back corner of the Lagoon. Nobody puts Tammi in a corner, not even Mother Nature! We responded by getting a little dirty and catching another really nice bass, see below:

Nobody puts Tammi in a corner. My Patrick Swayze face (RIP).

Like the wonderful and often forgotten about, tasty treat of cinnamon and sugar on buttered toast, Tammi did not disappoint. I promised to take her out again soon but next time, we are going square dancing. The tango gave me the spins like a high school kid drinking moonshine down by the train tracks.   


Skyman out!

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), best angler on the water.

Dude, you got a hook in your back.

The "Jerk" and his Jerk-bait. Actually, a really nice guy.  

When someone says, "I got your back", it generally means they are there to support you, but this last weekend while fishing at Cachuma Lake that phrase took a more literal meaning when my boater had my back at the end of his fishing lure. While winding up for a long cast he stuck me directly in the back with a jerk-bait. Two treble hooks pierced through my cotton sweatshirt and into my flesh, requiring "The Jerk", to grab his pliers and rip it out. 99% of the time fishing is not a contact sport but the 1% of the time when it is, you can wind up in the hospital with a hook in your eye or a prop wound to the calf. Luckily for me it was my back and not my eye ball, enabling me to shake it off like a wet dog and keep on fishing for what turned out to be a really great weekend.

Cachuma Lake in all its glory! 

The "Jerk" incident took place on day one of a two day tournament and proved to be the largest thing any of us hooked into. Fish were in the post spawn stage and feeding heavily on crayfish, based on all the skeletal remains in our boats live well. We caught fish on a variety of baits, topwater, spinner-baits, creature baits, drop shots, senkos as well as the aforementioned jerk bait. Fish were taken off points, steep rocky bluffs, woody shoreline and near weed lines. The ability to catch so many fish on such a variety of baits and on almost any cover made it a really unique experience, the only problem being that we did not have the size needed to put us in contention for any awards, except for maybe best dressed. If only they accepted humans, then we might have a substantial 160 pound lead. 

Two beautiful smallmouth bass and the biggest thing caught all weekend. 

"The Jerk" who accidentally hooked into me was a really nice guy, which was fitting since nice guys finish last and that's exactly where we ended up with a total weight of 15.99 pounds for two days, well behind the winners total of 26.05 pounds. Did I just crack some kind of bass code here, if I invent a nice-bait and start acting like a jerk maybe I can win some tournaments? It's worth a shot, "Hey everybody, I hope you all get parking tickets and eat bad seafood tomorrow!" Now time to work on the bait.

Until next time, Skyman out.

Real excited about my catch! 

Like I said, a great weekend. 

Two more smallies for ya! 

Havasu Heartbreak Day 2...

Got to love a good desert sunset.

My partner for day number two was a guy named Guy, no joke. Currently in 12th place (out of 117), he had a lot to fish for. With a chance to make the final cut (the cut being at 10), there would be no messing around this morning. Guy was flashing a full frontal flavor savor with a touch of just for men's gel, I'm guessing to savor the taste of victory for a few extra days if he happened to win. What this told me about the man, was he had a game plan and an organized boat. Anyone willing to spend time getting all Picasso on their lower lip hair must live and fish in a clean environment.

My keen awareness of his facial hair situation was spot on! It was an honor to bring my gear on to the the back deck of his boat. Less clutter meant no distractions, just fishing! The only problem being that fish don't care about facial hair or clean boats. The real story on day number two was the wind! Gusts were up to 40 mph blowing our faces like a torch and really ruining Guy's bite from day number 1. This supreme breeze made it difficult for me to fish the smaller finesse baits I like to throw from the back of the boat. I had to switch to a heavier arsenal of jigs and a texas rigged soft plastics. Guy ended the day landing two keepers (not enough to make the cut), while I was able to pull out just one.

Unfortunately bigger trucks don't = bigger bass. 

Finishing 78th out of 117 humbled this salmon greatly, like a burly Alaskan grizzly bear. Stopping me mid leap, hurting me temporarily and putting things into perspective so I could make the educated decision to jump again or swim back to sea. The weekend may have left my figurative flavor savor filled with defeat, but tomorrow is another day and I just bought a bunch of razors from Costco.

Alright, so it wasn't all heartbreak. Beautiful 4.03 pound Lake Havasu Largemouth.

Havasu Heartbreak

It is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all. Alfred Lord Tennyson's famous quote really summed up my latest fishing adventure. On the long drive out to Arizona, I dreamed of winning a fully rigged bass boat only to have my dreams crushed by a hottie named Havasu. This was my first big money tournament and a chance for me to take a salmon style leap up to the next pool of competitive bass fishing. 

Leaving the concrete jungle for the chance at fishing fame and fortune.

Hope and anticipation fueling my mind like a tikki torch, I left the concrete jungle for the arid desert landscape of Lake Havasu, Arizona. My game plan was to go out and fish like I normally do, taking advantage of the opportunities put in front of me by the professional, working a drop shot or senko with some reaction baits thrown in if the fish were actively feeding. The weather was going to be nice, in the upper 70's with some high winds expected the second day. Water temperatures were in the mid fifties, meaning some of the fish would be spawning or getting ready to spawn (60 degrees being the magic #) while others would be in pre-spawn mode.

Damn!

Gas was nothing nice but the open road was sure friendly.

The open road...

I arrived at the pre-tournament meeting to register and find out who my partner would be for day number one. After a few prayer sessions with Al Lindner (host of In-Fisherman and Hall of Fame Angler), I got partnered up with Jim. He was enthusiastic and hopeful but seemed a little tipsy when I got up close to talk with him. Swerving back and forth like a buoy, Mr. Beam grabbed my shoulders and repeatedly asked me what my name was. I got what little information I could off of him, then went back to my room to prepare myself for the big day.

A little pre-tournament clutter. 

Jim was in better shape when he picked me up at 6:00 am outside of my motel. As a co-angler you have to be able to adapt to the conditions of the day as well as the conditions of the angler you are fishing with. We launched our boat and enjoyed another prayer session before blast off. Jim's dog accompanied us on our adventure as he slumped Pink on his radio and drove to our first spot. I had a feeling I was taking this day a little more serious than he was. Mr. Beam  was a pro, with sponsors spooning him $$$, while I had to fork up the entry fee myself and when you eat with a fork, every bite makes it to your mouth while a spoon tends to spill out and get messy. I sure hope Mr. Beam eats with a bib.   

The anticipation at the start of the day.

The highlight of the day came at Jim's expense. A fish took his bait while he was untangling line from his reel. How was he going to get this fish in the boat you ask? Well, he decided to transform into the Fresh Prince of the Desert and get all hip-hop, wrapping the line around his hand, putting on coil after coil faster and faster to the beat of the fish, as it cut into his flesh. After an epic battle, he finally got the fish to the boat and I netted that small-mouth bass like DJ Jazzy Jeff! We exchanged knuckles feeling really good about ourselves as if we had just finished a great set. 

How bout a bite, huh. 

Jim ended the day with two bass in the live well while I goose egged. The question leading into day number two was;

Will this salmon keep swimming against the current or will he be discouraged and swim back out to sea with his caudal fin tucked between his pelvic fins?

To be continued...     

A little embarrassed, skunked on my first big tournament. Rather be winning than watching.

It Takes Two Tammi!

To make a dream come true! My float tube mistress, Tammi, came through on our very first date. Not only did she satisfy me once, she gave it to me a second time.

First float tube go out. 

I originally planned for a test run, not expecting anything, just making sure I would be prepared for a second date. Did I give her enough air? Where should I stick my extra rods? Do I have the right kind of fins?

First bass of the day.

Like any great first date, you don't want to move too fast, but you want to make sure to give the other party a sign, so they know you are interested. This fine line between classy and trashy is a tough one to balance.

Mid battle with bass number two.

If she would have stood me up (shown up with a hole in her tube or something), I would have been devastated. If she came out with me, but I didn't catch anything, it might be awhile before I take her out again (I'm talking bass not crabs, this isn't deadliest catch people). Finally, if I took her out and she hooked me up with 20 ten pound bass, I would think geez, this is a little too easy.

Tammi balanced this fine line between classy and trashy like the great Shawn Johnson did the balance beam at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tammi might not of won gold but she metaled in maturity in my eyes! Giving me a taste, not stuffing me to the gills by putting me on two nice bass! Equivalent to a heavy make out session with some tushy touching. Like Ace of BASS says, "I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign!"

Way to balance that beam Shawn!

Tammi made my dreams come true on our first date, can't wait to see what she does for me on our second! Is it too soon for 6 ten pounders?