Tony Buzolich
05-08-2014, 04:56 PM
I guess I've just gotten spoiled and have forgotten how good I've got it. Living close to several great rivers, being retired, getting to fish pretty much anytime I want, and for the most part being fairly successful at catching a few fish too.
Well once in a while it takes an off day to remind me how good other days have been. Today was just such a day.
I got together with two of my good buddies, Bob Bradbury and Brett Allis for a fun morning over on the Sac. Bob gets to fish a lot but hasn't taken a striper yet this year on a fly. We arrive at the dock like usual at 5:30 and note that we have some breeze and cloud cover today. No problem, we're used to a little wind and the clouds will make the fish think it's early morning all day.
We start like always, Bob on the bow, Brett in the midship and I'm in the back controlling the electric and trying to keep the boat straight and in the zone for these guys to cast. If you checked today's weather forecast you should see that the wind is coming from the south/ south east at around 5 to 11 mph. Nothing too serious to worry about except that the Sacramento River also runs pretty much north to south as well. Unfortunately this makes it a little tough to keep our boat on course and we find ourselves twisting and swirling as every gust pushes us around. This isn't starting my day out with a quick double hook-up:(
We deal with it and make several unsuccessful passes on my favorite wall. Even within good casting range we haven't gotten a grab yet and keep drifting our way south as the wind continues it's way north. We keep going and try to hit only my high percentage spots but it isn't working. The wind has become our enemy and it's winning. We try and hug tight to the banks and the walls of the levees with little relief as the wind keeps pushing us in any direction it wants.
With only a slight break in the gusts we're able to get into the cover of some trees and I get to cast too while still trying to control our drift. We work a good spot and I hook up to a nice schoolie which gets the skunk off the boat and breaks the ice for the day. Maybe now we can get going and find some fish? We drift past our cover and into the breeze again. The wind seems to be picking up and stopping the boat from any drift at all and the currant isn't strong enough to keep us moving south. We hug the rip-rap wall at the end of the mudflats and Bob finally lets out a whoop and holler and is solid to a nice fish. Finally another hook-up.
The fish takes off across the river at a steady pull and is into Bob's backing quickly. Yah! this is the kind of fish we like. Those that stay deep and work around smoothly are usually bigger fish. Smaller fish take off fast and dart around a lot but don't have the shoulders of more mature fish.
Bob gets his first striper of the year to the boat. A nice 10-12 pounder :)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/0027x5upload_zps0fff7dbe.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/0027x5upload_zps0fff7dbe.jpg.html)
A few quick pics and back in she goes. A bright fresh hen full of color and ready to spawn.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/0045x7upload_zps4f455d18.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/0045x7upload_zps4f455d18.jpg.html)
We continue on downstream swirling around in the wind like a leaf in a pond. Controlling the boat is almost impossible as this "breeze" continues to build. We make another turn in the river and the wind seems to pass over us briefly. Now it's time for Brett to finally hook-up on another of our good walls. His fish is quick though to head straight around a snag and break off. Damn!
This has really been tough fishing and we decide to call it a day. The wind continues to blow from the south and it's time to go home.
Maybe tomorrow I'll remember how good I've got it, but right now ,,,,,,,, I'm tired.
Tony
Well once in a while it takes an off day to remind me how good other days have been. Today was just such a day.
I got together with two of my good buddies, Bob Bradbury and Brett Allis for a fun morning over on the Sac. Bob gets to fish a lot but hasn't taken a striper yet this year on a fly. We arrive at the dock like usual at 5:30 and note that we have some breeze and cloud cover today. No problem, we're used to a little wind and the clouds will make the fish think it's early morning all day.
We start like always, Bob on the bow, Brett in the midship and I'm in the back controlling the electric and trying to keep the boat straight and in the zone for these guys to cast. If you checked today's weather forecast you should see that the wind is coming from the south/ south east at around 5 to 11 mph. Nothing too serious to worry about except that the Sacramento River also runs pretty much north to south as well. Unfortunately this makes it a little tough to keep our boat on course and we find ourselves twisting and swirling as every gust pushes us around. This isn't starting my day out with a quick double hook-up:(
We deal with it and make several unsuccessful passes on my favorite wall. Even within good casting range we haven't gotten a grab yet and keep drifting our way south as the wind continues it's way north. We keep going and try to hit only my high percentage spots but it isn't working. The wind has become our enemy and it's winning. We try and hug tight to the banks and the walls of the levees with little relief as the wind keeps pushing us in any direction it wants.
With only a slight break in the gusts we're able to get into the cover of some trees and I get to cast too while still trying to control our drift. We work a good spot and I hook up to a nice schoolie which gets the skunk off the boat and breaks the ice for the day. Maybe now we can get going and find some fish? We drift past our cover and into the breeze again. The wind seems to be picking up and stopping the boat from any drift at all and the currant isn't strong enough to keep us moving south. We hug the rip-rap wall at the end of the mudflats and Bob finally lets out a whoop and holler and is solid to a nice fish. Finally another hook-up.
The fish takes off across the river at a steady pull and is into Bob's backing quickly. Yah! this is the kind of fish we like. Those that stay deep and work around smoothly are usually bigger fish. Smaller fish take off fast and dart around a lot but don't have the shoulders of more mature fish.
Bob gets his first striper of the year to the boat. A nice 10-12 pounder :)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/0027x5upload_zps0fff7dbe.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/0027x5upload_zps0fff7dbe.jpg.html)
A few quick pics and back in she goes. A bright fresh hen full of color and ready to spawn.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/0045x7upload_zps4f455d18.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/0045x7upload_zps4f455d18.jpg.html)
We continue on downstream swirling around in the wind like a leaf in a pond. Controlling the boat is almost impossible as this "breeze" continues to build. We make another turn in the river and the wind seems to pass over us briefly. Now it's time for Brett to finally hook-up on another of our good walls. His fish is quick though to head straight around a snag and break off. Damn!
This has really been tough fishing and we decide to call it a day. The wind continues to blow from the south and it's time to go home.
Maybe tomorrow I'll remember how good I've got it, but right now ,,,,,,,, I'm tired.
Tony