Pete Thomas Outdoors

Eastern Sierra trout opener always a big story for anglers

Saturday marks the beginning of the Eastern Sierra general trout-fishing season, and thousands of anglers from Southern California will be on hand to enjoy the region's most festive day.

Unfortunately, this also marks the first opener for me as the former outdoors reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and I have other plans and will not be attending.

But fond memories are piled inside my brain after covering perhaps 20 of these remarkable rites of spring.

I recall ice-fishing with numb feet one year at Lake Sabrina (and loving it!), and out-fishing all others another year on a blustery parcel of Crowley Lake shoreline (very unusual for me to out-fish anyone).

The most lasting impressions were made by happy children as they reeled in wriggling trout, or toted stringers up the docks, or used long, sharp knives to help their fathers' clean and gut their slimy catches.

This tradition has outlasted recessions and high gas prices. It remains popular despite what you see--or no longer see--in fast-shrinking modern-era newspapers.

Back in another era, the newspaper I worked for would send a photographer with me and play up the opener for what it represents: the ushering in of a new fishing season by families and friends, and introducing children to the majestic Sierra wilderness.

Some of the children I interviewed back then--I always tried to get a kid's perspective--will bring their kids to this year's opener, which spans the scenic 100-mile stretch from Bishop to Bridgeport.

This could be a colder throwback type of opener, as wintry weather is still lingering. There will be lots of snow in some areas, so there will be snowmen built and snowballs thrown among the early arrivals killing time before the first legal day of fishing.

On Saturday, someone, probably at one of the Twin Lakes in Bridgeport or at Bridgeport Reservoir or at Convict Lake, will land a double-digit whopper and earn bragging rights for having caught the day's biggest fish.

But that's not the most important aspect of opening day. It's just being there. I know several families and groups of friends who have been carrying on this tradition for more than 25 years, and a few who have done so for 40 years.

One of my former colleagues, photographer Thomas Kelsey, emailed today to alert me that his group is gearing up for its 27th annual adventure.

My tradition was to file my advance story then drive up two days early, on a Thursday, and spend those days--before my workday began on Saturday--fishing the few waters that are open year-round, with friends such as Carrie Wilson, Shawn Arnold, Joe Trgo, Marlon Meade and Dave Strege, my former counterpart at the Orange County Register.

Most of us would stay in Bishop on Friday and enjoy the press party staged so graciously the night before each opener by the Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. We'd rub elbows and sip beer and wine with local residents, fisheries biologists, outfitters and community leaders.

My opening days were spent doing a little fishing, if possible, then driving from fishing hole to fishing hole, looking for big fish and the stories behind them.

Unfortunately, though, times are changing and outdoors reporters at newspapers are an endangered species. Strege got laid off via telephone the day after covering the 2008 opener. My walking papers were delivered last Dec. 18.

The good news, however, is that when I do attend my next opener--and I will attend future openers--I won't have to take notes and can do more fishing. Just maybe I can even earn bragging rights, although as my friends will attest, that prospect is highly unlikely.

-- Pete Thomas

Photos from last year's opening weekend by Pete Thomas

Zihuatanejo anglers enjoy unusually good striped marlin action

El Niño could be a factor, or it could simply be a seasonal fluke, but anglers off the mainland Mexican port of Zihuatanejo are enjoying some highly unusual striped marlin activity. For more please see guide Ed Kunze's report, pasted below:

With the change to a cooler dirty water, and some very large waves hitting the beaches, the very good inshore action for jack crevalle and sierras has taken a nose dive this week. However, the slack has been taken up in spades with excellent blue water fishing.

Striped marlin, like last year, showed up again this year. Historically we rarely catch striped marlin here, but when they have shown up these last two years we have been getting more striped marlin than sailfish. 

Most of the fish are being caught between 12 and 18 miles offshore, with each boat in the fleet averaging two striped marlin and a sailfish a day. Naturally the better captains are doing better than that.

Some notable catches this last week were with Adolfo on the panga Dos Hermanos with four striped marlin and five sailfish in one day. All fish were released. 

Capt. Santiago of the panga Gitana, reported the following:

--Debbie Goggins from Alaska on released two striped marlin and one sailfish fishing with Adan on the Gitana II.

--Dan Gaffney with his wife and son from North Carolina released three striped marlin, two sailfish, and caught many jacks and bonitos in six days this he past week. They fished with Santiago on the Gitana.

--Also, Cheva on the panga Dos Hermanos II released three striped marlin yesterday, and Arturo on the panga Janeth released three striped marlin and two sailfish.

-- Ed Kunze

Striped marlin photo courtesy of Chic McSherry

Baja roosterfish on the fly? It doesn't get much better

The relationship between fly-fishing guide and client is special if all gears click, and when the former puts the latter on a truly remarkable game fish and the quarry is landed, photographed and released, it's just a perfect day.

The accompanying photo shows Alaska's Stacy Corbin beaming after the capture, from the beach in Baja California Sur's remote East Cape region, of a large roosterfish after a 20-minute fight. The angler was just as emotional while watching the fish swim to freedom (below).

Corbin had sought a quality rooster for a long time and Jeff deBrown of The Reel Baja finally put the angler on a fish that would cooperate.  "It was a great afternoon," boasted DeBrown.

You can see by Corbin's expression that it was a marvelous afternoon.

And as for general fishing off the East Cape, it's improving as the windy season finally seems to have ended. A lot of anglers are targeting marlin offshore in the morning, and roosterfish and other near-shore species during the afternoon.

-- Pete Thomas

Photos courtesy of Jeff deBrown

Annual Fly Fishing Show arrives this weekend in Pasadena

The Fred Hall Show, which catered largely to conventional anglers, had its big run last week in Long Beach. Now fly fishermen are looking forward to the Fly Fishing Show this weekend at the Pasadena Center.

It's an ideal manner by which to kick-off the spring season or, as the event website says, to cure your cabin fever. The gathering will include representatives from prime destinations around the world, as well as renowned casters, fly-tiers, tackle manufacturers, authors and artists.

Those considering booking a trip will have plenty to choose from, as reps from as far south as Argentina and as far north as Alaska, including many points between and beyond, will be on hand. Tarpon, peacock bass, steelhead, barramundi, roosterfish... take your pick.

About 80 commercial exhibitors will fill the Pasadena Center's exhibition hall. There will be two casting ponds for demonstrations and instructors include Mac Brown, Jason Borger and Ed Engle.

Door prizes include tackle giveaways and trips for two to Pesca Maya on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula; Four Rivers Fishing Company in Montana; Picacho Lodge in Chilean Patagonia, and Restigouche River Lodge in New Brunswick, Canada.

Cabo San Lucas fishing slow, but showing some improvement

The following fishing report was sent from Cabo San Lucas on Monday by Capt. George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing. Those planning a trip to Baja California's tip ought to skip directly to the "Inshore" portion of the report, because that's where the good news is typed (expect for the sierra poaching, of course). On the bright side, offshore fishing will pick up in a few weeks, if not sooner. Here's Landrum's report:

Billfish: Marlin fishing has remained slow, the best I saw this past week was one boat flying three flags as he returned from a charter. Quite a few more boats were able to find the fish this week, compared to last week and they were biting a bit better, but it was still nothing to write home about, at least for those of us who go out all the time. The fish seemed to be concentrated closer to shore than normal, most of the fish were found within three miles of the beach, and on both sides of the Cape.

Yellowfin tuna: Just like last week, most of the tuna that were found were quite a long way from home, necessitating a two hour or more cruise to get to where you might find some. At least that was the conditions for most of the week. There are always exceptions though and on Saturday there was a pod of dolphin found three miles off of Chileno Beach that had loads of football tuna, 5- to 20-pound fish, and the first dozen boats to get there had a blast. There were a few other close in fish found this week as well but for the most part tuna were a long run from home with your fingers crossed!

Dorado: Just a few yellow flags were flying this week, most of the boats did not have any luck with Dorado and those that did only got one or two at the most. The fish were found offshore on the Cortez side by boats searching for tuna and there were a few very small ones in close to the beach, also on the Cortez side of the Cape.

Fred Hall Show is first great fishing expedition of the season

If you live in Southern California and are a fisherman, your most anticipated excursion of the spring season does not result in a single catch, or even a cast, and it involves no getting back to nature whatsoever.

It's a visit to the Long Beach Convention Center for the annual Fred Hall Show, which runs Wednesday through Sunday and, as usual, has lured thousands from within the industry.

For many, this great gathering of destination reps and tackle and boat manufacturers affords a chance to rub elbows with past acquaintances, and to bump into old friends who likewise have become show regulars. I can't wait to stop by the booths of some of the friends I made over the years: Shawn Arnold of Fish Taco Chronicles; Phil Friedman of 976-TUNA; John Ireland of Rancho Leonero Resort; Jared Smith of Parchers Resort in the Eastern Sierra; Seth Bone of Kingfisher Charters in Sitka, Alaska, and many more.

There is no beating the crowds at the Fred Hall Show, which last season, despite the global recession, experienced an increase in attendance as more than 200,000 had passed through convention hall doors throughout the five days.

But as is the case with the Eastern Sierra during the general trout-fishing opener, which this year falls on April 24, you'd be disappointed if there wasn't a large crowd. Hope to see you at both events.

(Note: A smaller version of the Fred Hall show is scheduled March 24-28 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.)

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Fred Hall Show courtesy of Fred Hall Show

Zihuatanejo: Influx of blue marlin catches most anglers by surprise

It has been years since my last fishing trip to Zihuatanejo but I'd like to go back as I recall it to represent a refreshing change from Cabo San Lucas, which has become Americanized to an unfortunate degree, and elsewhere in Baja California.

In fact, these days not too many Americans visit the sleepy fishing village next to Ixtapa. It has become sort of a forgotten paradise, where for fishermen the productive blue water can be just a few miles offshore.

Presently the blue water is about 10 miles beyond the shore, and holding lots of blue marlin and sailfih. Unfortunately, according to fly-fishing guide Ed Kunze, fishing is inconsistent and too many anglers are inadequately armed to catch the mighty blues.

But there is ample opportunity, along with some very consistent fishing inshore for roosterfish and other species. Here's Kunze's report, issued Thursday, and you can trust it to be accurate:

"The blue water fishing has been a bit erratic, but the quality has increased dramatically. The boats are averaging about a sailfish a day each, but the 15-boat blue-water fleet caught three blue marlin Tuesday, six on Wednesday, and another five today (Thursday). Plus, the action is taking place only 10 miles off the beach in front of Ixtapa. This does not reflect how many other boats, armed with lighter sailfish gear, lost a blue. For every blue marlin hooked, there had to be at least three lost.

Anglers at Baja's East Cape catch plenty when wind doesn't blow

North winds continue to hamper fishing in Baja California's East Cape region, but when they subside anglers are enjoying some spectacular fishing, says Jeff deBrown of the Reel Baja.

The fly-fishing guide issued a report today lamenting that the winds again were raging across the Sea of Cortez. But deBrown also stated that during a recent break he was able to treat visitors Bruce and Shelly Corson to three days of calm-water fishing for mostly inshore species.

The couple from Alaska, using conventional and fly gear, caught cabrilla, roosterfish, grouper, jack crevalle and sierra mackerel.

"We also encountered some very big schools of roosterfish that would be considered in the “grande” class," deBrown reports. "We had many of these fish up and Bruce was able to get three of the fish to eat his fly but we could not get one to stay on."

DeBrown expects the wind, however, to keep people off the water for at least the next couple of days. North winds are typical during the winter but the end of the windy season is at hand and and soon visiting anglers will not have to worry about getting blown off the water.

I hope that's true, anyway, because I've scheduled a spring visit to the region's Hotel Palmas de Cortez.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Bruce Corson poses with a rare golden cabrilla caught in the Sea of Cortez. Credit: The Reel Baja

Rancho Leonero Resort on Baja's East Cape to reopen Feb. 28

Rancho Leonero Resort, one of my favorite Baja California destinations, will open for the spring and summer seasons on Feb. 28.

The hotel, atop a bluff overlooking the Sea of Cortez in Baja's remote East Cape region north of Cabo San Lucas, has been closed during the slow windy season.

Owner John Ireland told me this morning that improvements will include live bait tubes, GPS and sonar units on fleet vessels, and that Accurate will provide its high-end reels for the fleet. "We're also adding a couple of Topaz twin Sportfishers to the fleet," Ireland added.

On Sunday he issued this brief fishing report: "Sierra: Abundant, as usual for this time of year.  A wide-open early sunrise bite producing as many sierra to six pounds as anglers can pickup in the sunrise hour.

"Yellowtail:  A strong bite, with anglers taking fish to thirty pounds. Live mackerel or iron jigged off the bottom producing quality yellowtail. Directly off the hotel and La Ribera drop-offs.

"Roosterfish: Very active inside. Mixed with jack crevalle feeding aggressively in front of the hotel. Mostly 5- to 10-pounders with some larger gallos mixed in."

I can't wait to get down there this spring.

-- Pete Thomas

Japan's Manabu Kurita ties 77-year-old largemouth bass record

George Perry, meet Manabu Kurita.

The former has long since passed away, of course, but the latter angler today stands prominently alongside Perry in the book of International Gamefish Assn. records.

Beating Perry's all-tackle world-record catch of a 22-pound 4-ounce largemouth bass, made in 1932 in Georgia's Lake Montgomery, has been the chief aspiration for thousands of bass anglers. Tying the record, well, for Kurita that's the next-best thing.

He made his catch on July 2 in an ancient Japanese reservoir called Lake Biwa, but it was not approved as a co-record until today.

Kurita, 32, who lives in Aichi, Japan, used a Deps Sidewinder rod and a Shimano Antares DC7LV reel loaded with 25-pound-test line. He enticed the female bass with a live bluegill pitched next to a bridge piling, where he had seen the fish swimming. Three minutes after the hookup, he had the bass in the boat.

He was quoted as saying what lots of fishermen say: "I knew it was big, but I didn’t know it was that big."

The bass measured 27.2 inches with a 26.7-inch girth. Congrats to Manabu, but the question remains: Will anyone ever break Perry's record?

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Manabu Kurita and his bass courtesy of the IGFA