FREE! FALL 2007 Tune in to “Let’s Talk Hook-Up” every Saturday and Sunday 7am to 9am on XX Sports Radio 1090 AM/105.7FM KATMAI - IS THIS A FISHING OR A CATCHING LODGE? By Pete Gray about fishing, it is also about where you do the was one of his favorite places in the world, and Anyone that has listened to our program for fishing. It has been said that trout don’t live in ugly since visiting last year, I now understand why. Our over 16 years knows I am a hard core saltwater places, and for the most part that is true. When it trip last year was fantastic. We caught king and angler. I do love to fish, and I even occasionally comes to trout fishing in Alaska, it’s like an NFL sockeye salmon and huge rainbow trout. I asked like bass fishing! About 15 years ago Marty player going to the Super Bowl - it truly is the ul- our guide Scott when the best time to catch big Milner introduced timate experience. rainbows was, he said early to mid August. I de- me to fly fishing for Marty used to tell cided right then I had to come back, and I did with trout in Alaska, and me stories about this my good friend Rich Topp. Scott was absolutely I have been hooked incredible place in right, it was the ultimate rainbow fishing I always ever since. Hard to Alaska called Kat- dreamed about. believe this hard core mai Lodge. He told Our first day we arrived at the lodge from saltwater guy likes me stories about this Anchorage about 10:30am, got our bags to the to finesse trout in a river called the Alag- room, put our waders on and headed down river river or stream, but it nak that runs right in for an afternoon of silver salmon fishing. We re- is true. I must even front of the lodge. ally lucked out, though this years run was not a confess that it has You could not only strong one, we hit a fresh group of silver salmon become a real pas- catch all 5 species of flushing in by the hundreds into the river. Fly rod, sion. Whether in the pacific salmon on this spin tackle - it didn’t matter. Rich and I caught high sierra, Oregon, Pete Gray with his “Morain Monster” rainbow trout river, you could also 10 - 14 pound salmon one after the other. It was Montana or Alaska, caught on the Morain river. The fish measured 26” catch trophy rainbow trout fishing isn’t just long and had a 15” girth. trout. He told me it See KATMAI, Page 4 EXCELLENT FISHING ON THE “EXCEL” By Bob Blum The next day seven other long range boats fish in the aforementioned aquarium. By the time would be at Cedros, and since Guadalupe Island I caught the YT on the fly rod we had put over “It was like fishing in an aquarium.” I had not been producing, Captain Justin Fleck 200 yellows on board for the day and over 400 had heard that expression before but did not decided to look elsewhere. That is the advantage for the trip. Since all 30 passengers now had their fully appreciate it until the third day of the 6 day of a six day trip over a five day trip. It gives more Mexican limit or near limit of 15 yellowtail for Let’s Talk Hook-up options. the trip, the captain decided to move the boat trip on the “Excel” T h e n e x t closer to shore in the kelp. Here we caught an September 18-24, morning found assortment of calico bass, sand bass, rockfish, 2007. Yellowtail us 150 miles whitefish, bonita , and small sheepshead, most of were swimming all south and east of around the boat and Cedros near the See EXCEL, Page 3 bit any lure or bait town of Abreo- (sardines) that hit jos. The town the water. At one is on the same point I got four yel- latitude as Santa INDEX lowtail on four suc- Rosalia which cessive drops of a is on the west- Hot Bites Page 2 butterfly jig. I then ern side of the Grubbing for Perch Page 2 assembled my 12 Baja peninsu- Ladies Corner Page 6 wt. fly rod and got lar. Abreojos is Fishing Challenge Page 7 one on a fly. known to surf- Jennifer Sung and deckhand Derrick Waldman with 20 lb. LTH Guests Page 8 The trip had yellowtail caught on surface iron ers and not many started with the Ex- else. Hookup1090.com Page 10 cel making the 280 mile run from Fisherman’s Captain Fleck set the boat up on a high spot Shimano Seminars Page 11 Landing to Cedros Island. On our first afternoon where we caught about 150 yellowtail in the LTH Sponsors’ Trips Page 12 of fishing the 30 passengers (29 men and one 10 - 20 lb. class. LTH Club Card Page 12 woman) caught 55 yellowtail in the 25-35 lb. That night we moved 60 -70 miles up the class. We also got 15 halibut to 32 lbs. coast to San Pablo Bay This is where we got to HOT BITES GRUBBING FOR PERCH By Gundy Gunderson barred surf perch can provide the breaking wave. The fish in- some fast action on light tackle stinctively strike whatever moves On a clear brisk winter’s for the opportunistic angler. in this feeding zone. For this rea- PETE GRAY & RICK MAXA morning, I make the last of the Although these aggressive son, a small grub with its whirling Hosts of Let’s Talk Hook-Up steps down to the beach and stop surf line feeders will eat a variety tail action can be deadly on these to survey the scene. The water is of live and cut baits, my favorite aggressive predators. As citizens of the USA we way to take them is using small Terminal Tackle: are fortunate to be able to involve glassy and calm, a mild offshore ourselves in political process and pushes in the smells of the coastal The grub is best fished on a make our voices heard. scrub and the surf barrels cleanly carolina rig. In light surf, use a As an angler living in the USA, onto the beach. 1/4-ounce sinker, in heavy surf, we are also fortunate to be able to a 1/2 or 3/4-ounce sinker. With get involved in political processes A side-armed lob puts a caro- that dictate access to our fisheries. lina rigged grub in the dark green the sinker on the main line, use a If you haven’t already noticed, water of a surf-formed trench. I bead, a swivel and eighteen inches there are many that are working flip the bail and wind tight to the of leader. Under most conditions, hard to deny us access to some an inch and a half grub, a # 6 of the most productive fishing sinker. The moment I feel the grounds. If the extreme environ- sinker... bang! A fish inhales the baitholder hook and six-pound mental groups have their way, we grub. I lay back with my rod and test is ideal. When big perch are will loose many of our favorite present, go to a three-inch grub and most productive fishing areas. the light tip arcs sharply toward The Marine Life Protection Act the surging surf. on a #4 baitholder on six or eight (MLPA) is real, and it is happen- The barrel of the spinning ing now. We are on the verge of reel turns as the fish takes line in See PERCH, Page 10 loosing key areas we love to fish in. We have talked about it for years, short bursts. With constant pres- but- really- now is the time to get sure, the game adversary begins involved. The MLPA comes to to yield. On a small breaker, the Carolina rig showing swivel, southern California soon, and we tired fish is laid on to the wet all need to be a part of the creation bead, and sinker. Note, swivel to slope of the sand. The morning lure distance should be about 30” of the laws that shape the future of This Let’s Talk Hook-Up newslet- our fisheries. glow colors the beautiful perch a ter is published three times per We are very fortunate that rich gold. I land him, admire him artificial grubs. year by Let’s Talk Hook-Up, Inc. the American Sportfishing Asso- then release him into the shallow Barred surf perch are most ciation (ASA) has entered into the Let’s Talk Hook-Up is a radio political process. This national remains of the last breaker. The often found in the turbulent water program that is broadcast every organization realizes that these next cast produces another qual- of the breakers. The wave action Saturday and Sunday, 7 am to 9 MPA’s (Marine Protected Areas) on the beach dislodges food and am on XX Sports Radio ity fish and the next another. The 1090 AM and 105.7 FM threaten the future of our industry. small prey drawing the perch into It is not just in California, but in barred surf perch are biting well many coastal states. ASA knows this morning. the shallow water to feed. With This publication is distributed that California MPA’s are just the keen eyesight, the perch can spot free at most landings and tackle In the doldrums of winter, stores throughout Southern beginning, and that is huge for us! when fishing ebbs to its slowest these meals through the sand, air California.