First Solo Fishing Outing

So I went on my first solo fishing out to the Forebay (much to the, er, chagrin, of the parents), and came back with this!

I was out there from 4:00 to 11:00, and got 2 bites and 2 fish on. The first is seen above, and the second came off due to a faulty hook that was disfigured due to the fish above, which I failed to replace (bummer!).

He fought well. The way we set up is with the sliding weight holder on the main line (10 lb. test), snap swivel, 15 lb. leader, and size 1 or 2 hook. 

Definitely ready for more this summer!

Fishing and Ethics - not the most common dilemma...

So yesterday was Veterans Day, and my bro and I took off for the San Luis Reservoir area to do some legit fishing. We found a sweet spot by the Delta-Mendota, but a sign saying otherwise was posted, and we deemed it necessary to go across the highway, seeing another legit spot. After we check out the spot, he sees the same exact sign, but this one had fallen off. Technically, we could have said that we "hadn't seen it," but yeah, we decided against it.

So we go to another stretch, and after getting minimal bites, we move on to another section of the Delta-Mendota. I caught a sweet Striper, but after measuring, was only 17.35496 inches...after finding this we were def. tempted to take it since it was so close to the required 18 inches, but let him go. There were certainly times when we wanted to take that baby home, as that was the only real potential keeper that we got. Oh well...there will be plenty of fish out there in the years to come, and it's not worth the fine to cheat even a little bit...
: ]

Fishing Stories

Just got back fr/ the biggest action we've ever had in the CA aqueducts.
Totals: 6 Catfish [1 a monster (to us)]
4 Stripers (8-10 inch, 13, 13 1/4, and a 16)
The total weights and sizes will be measured tomorrow.

1) We stop by a random ditch and start fishing. We say we're going to leave at 7:00. Bro get's a striper (13 inch) at 10 til 7. Then he goes, "Now we just need to catch a catfish and then we'll know this is a good spot." *Bam* He gets a catfish.
2) Netting the striper off bank: I get a striper, and as he gets to the bank, Jr. tries to net him as he comes off the hook and somehow traps him against the bank. He wasn't a keeper (16"), but still, it was amazing that Jr. netted him. Good net job Jr.!
3) Jr. gets a bite, tries to set the hook, and then thinks he lost him. He doesn't feel any weight on the line. Then he reels in the line and on the end is a (tiny) 8-inch striped bass! That was a pretty funny incident...
4) Finally, at 1:00 a.m. we decide to call it quits. At ~1:20 I have my bad to the aqueduct and am putting stuff away in the car. Jr. is putting his pole away (putting the hook against the pole ring) when we both hear line go out from a reel. I think that it's him putting his pole away and ask him, "Was that you dude?" He replies, "No!"
He later states that since my drag was already set pretty tight that the fish was probably a big one. So, I pick up the rod, set the hook when I feel him there, and start reeling in. At first I didn't feel anything there, but later research suggests that he was swimming toward me with the bait in his mouth.
Anyway, Jr. sees him flash in dad's old-school headlight (that he took to Rainier) and knows he's a big one. He turns out to be 22.25 inches long and weighs 3 lbs. 8oz. Sweet!!!

Definitely going any spare day that we get!

That is all!
Glory 2 God!
G2G