Birthday Burgers & Bass

Yesterday was my birthday. I won’t divulge my actual age, but let’s just say that I clearly remember when my weight was the same number!
One of my birthday traditions is to make a double-chili-cheese-burger pilgrimage to Marty’s Hamburger Stand in West LA … a little classic So Cal food shack tucked in between a fire station and a gas station. I have been frequenting this place since I was 15 years old … and somehow feel cheated that I didn’t know of this place during those preceding years. Yeah, it’s that good! And, every April 30th, it takes an event exceeding armageddon to stop me from my appointed rendezvous with two burger patties (medium rare), two slices of cheese, shredded lettuce, thick tomato slice, dollop of mayo, grilled onions and “a little extra chili”. Even the 1992 Los Angeles riots couldn’t keep me from burger bliss!
This year was no exception, despite the 40+ mile trip and the nosebleed price of a gallon of gas. As usual, the first bite was nothing short of ecstasy, and the last bite pure sorrow that this gastronomic gala was coming to a precipitous end. Nonetheless, I left this oasis with what was left of my Orange Bang in my hand, and a huge chili-eatin’ grin on my face, and headed towards one of my other B-day customs … FISHING!
I met up with big fish guru Mark “Chief” Torrez at Westlake for 2.5 hours of birthday Bassin’. It was sunny, warm (80°), and clear with a slight breeze. We found a few bedders, but they were very reluctant to strike anything we offered, yet were very willing to blow up recently hatched fry that came too close to their lairs. Finally, Chief got things going with a nice 3.5 pound chunk on an 8″ swimbait (picture is on his camera).
Not too much later I got on board when a Malibu-rigged 5″ Senko (194) got ticked on the drop of a “dinnertime” cast to a dock piling. When the line began to tighten, I dropped the hammer … BOOM! Had an extended fight and several aerials from this 4-14 battler.
I farmed one other, a big bedding female on the hookset, before we decided to spend our last half hour on the other side of the lake. Soon after we got there, I had two nice fish flash on my Custom Cave jig but couldn’t connect. I switched back to the Senko and got a nice 3.5 pounder (no pic) to the net, and then had another pick-up and drop before I had to call it a day … a great birth-day!
I said “Chula vista” to my fishing partner, but not before he bestowed several nice fishing goodies upon me for my big day. Always nice to receive gifts from a fellow angler … they just know exactly what to get you! Thanks, Chief!!

On A Roll! (No … It’s Not A Kaiser)

As you may have read in my previous post, Lost And Found, I was lucky enough to have a very upstanding citizen-angler find one of my beloved fishing combos when I absentmindedly left it behind at Westlake last week. Plus, I also scored my first ever spinnerbait fish … which turned out to be a PB LMB! All of this following a week of other big fish being caught, my wife selling her first book-cover photograph, the Caveboy winning the game ball for his amazing efforts on the field, and me landing a huge voice over gig for Legoland. So, you can say I, and the entire Caveclan, have been on a bit of a hot streak, as of late.
Yesterday, I headed back to Westlake to meet up with my rod’s benevolent savior. When I met up with Tom it was very sub-tropical feeling … warm, humid, and overcast. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to hang and fish. So, we made the handoff, and I started working the shoreline. I started by throwing a buzzbait on my newly reunited rig, and then the Talon spinnerbait I had scored the PB on, both for no love. I picked up the Custom Cave Jig dressed with a Yamamoto Flappin’ Hawg and began hammering the remaining spawners and nailed four quick fish, all in the 3-4 pound range (no pics) – again reaffirming it’s dominance as a bed bait this season.
I was about to call it a day as the weather began getting a bit wacky. In fact, it felt like tornado weather … very weird for So Cal. I called “last cast” as I slung a Malibu-rigged Senko (194) near a notch in the shoreline. I shook and dragged it only slightly when I could feel the faintest of pick-ups on my new Big Bear spinning rod. When I felt the line begin to tighten I leaned back into what I thought was a solid hook-set on a BIG fish. But, after only a few seconds, she quickly came unbuttoned. I reeled in the half of the bait that remained on the hook and decided to give her a few minutes to settle before giving her another go.
While I was waiting, I was pitching the new Senko to a bed where I had previously landed the male but couldn’t entice the female, when another fisherman walked up to start his day. I asked him to steer clear of the notch as I was targeting a big fish there. He cordially agreed and began tossing an A-rig from just past my target area.
I decided to give it one more shot and then head out. Sure enough, on that first cast, I detected a very tentative, noncommittal nip at the bait with no follow through. Of course, now I had to give it another go and placed a perfect cast just outside the notch. I was shaking and dragging it about 1/3 of the way back when I felt a slightly stronger tap, followed by the line moving towards deeper water. Once again, I leaned back for a solid hook-set and could feel my offering slide right out of her mouth. I let out a frustrated grunt as disappointment began to set in. However, it only lasted a mere second … after all, I’ve been on a roll lately!
Suddenly, my line got extremely tight again. She had come back for a second attack on my bait. This time, when I leaned back … KABOOM! Fish on!! She didn’t give much headway at first on the 8# Yo-Zuri Hybrid. Then, she moved to the right and came up for the first of three water-clearing jumps. I could now see she was a beast. It was dogged fight, but she finally surrendered. The other angler exclaimed, “That’s a toad!”, as I lipped her. Yes, big. Yet, noticably newly spawned out and on the chew to bulk back up. Still, she tipped the scales at 5-12.

A big thanks to my shore-mate, Steve, for snapping this great pic. Ironically, it turns out that he was fishing with Tom when they found my previously lost combo. Coincidence or supernatural?!? I packed it up and called it a day. But, not before Steve nailed a nice 4.75 pounder on a buzbait. Which now has me itching to get back out there ASAP to “get my buzz on”!

Lost And Found

When I wrote my last post, “From Heartbreak To Heavyweight“, I did not realize that, in my haste to leave, I had left one of my favorite spinning combos behind. In fact, I didn’t discover my brain fart until several days later.
Yesterday, I decided to take a chance and put up a couple of “Lost/Reward” posters at the area where I had left it. With one of the Caveboy’s weekday baseball games coming up, I knew I would only have about 20 minutes of playtime once I had taped them up. So, I grabbed some pliers, my scale, and one pole tied up with a spinnerbait – something I have been working with lately for the first time in my Bass fishing career.
After securing the first of two posters, I made my way down the bank toward the second hanging place and spotted a huge female about 30-40 feet out when she rolled her belly up while dancing with her mate on the bed. I made note of the spot and quickly headed back to it after completing my inauspicious task. Sure enough, they were still rolling around, making their presence obvious even though I had no way of seeing their bed from that distance.
I started running the spinnerbait through their area of operation. I burned it, hopped it, slow-rolled it, dragged it … but they were far more interested in each other than they were in my offering. Since it was my only option I knew I had to try something different to try and induce a strike from this big momma. I decided to piss her off! I began running my bait directly into her.
The first few times didn’t seem to phase her one bit. But, the fourth time she seemed to take a little swipe at it as it nudged her flank. The fifth time, she took a definitive strike at it, but only grabbed the blades. The sixth time … she inhaled it! BOOM!! My rod immediately went bendo and she quickly came up to try and shake herself free – I could see she was even bigger than I thought.
When I finally got her to the bank and got a lip-lock on her I started shaking. I instantly knew that my first spinnerbait fish ever was going to be close to a personal best (PB) Bass. I put her on the digi-scale, which finally settled in at 8 pounds 4 ounces. A 5 ounce upgrade from my previous PB! (Can’t imagine what she would have weighed if I had gotten to her before she dropped her eggs). As excited as I was, I was also so bummed that I didn’t have my usual camera/mini-tripod to take a self portrait with my prized catch. So, I took out the phone camera, stretched both arms out as far as I could, and barely managed to get her into the frame.

I quickly released her back to complete her reproductive duties, and sat there for several minutes with a huge smile on my face. When I finally stopped shaking, I realized it was time to head home to grab my son, my coach’s jersey, and make tracks for the game.
However, the story doesn’t end there. Soon after arriving home from our team’s victory (Caveboy went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI) I get a phone call on my cell. The guy who had found my rod saw the poster and was very eager to return my beloved combo! What a day!!

From Heartbreak To Heavyweight

After getting denied by the huge thunderstorm on Friday, I had been really anxious to get out on the water and get my line wet. So, it was with great excitement that I headed to Westlake yesterday with fellow UFC fishing fanatic Rick “R2″ Raives. It was a gorgeous day (sunny, 80°, slight breeze), which is not the best for Bass fishing – especially after a front has just moved through. Fortunately, there were still were still plenty of spawners around to target, and the post-spawners were on the chew at dusk. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
We started out fishing along a retaining wall and quickly found a nice pair on the bed. Didn’t take too long to get their interest. In fact, the female was nose up on the drop-shot Flashtrix about to inhale it when the male rushed in and snatched it away from here! Though, I wasn’t too disappointed as he was a nice 3.5 pound chunker. Unfortunately, both Rick and my camera were too far away to get a pic. So, I walked him down a ways to release him and quickly went back to work on the female. It didn’t take too long to get her interested again, and she soon followed by chomping on the same bait. Rick, arrived to help net her as I was in the middle of the intense battle with this 5+ pound giant on the 8# Yo-Zuri Hybrid. I was able to get her out from under the nearby docked boats, but on her third jump she shook free of the hook.
We found several other fish in the area, that were still skittish from the storm and easily spooked under the conditions. So, we moved to another area of the lake with plenty of tullies on the bank. I nailed a one pound rat on the Senko. Then, stumbled across a stout male guarding the nest not more than 2 feet off the bank in about 1 foot of water. I couldn’t get him interested in the drop-shot and soon switched over to the Custom Cave Jig. Well that seemed to be the ticket as he kept picking it up and moving it off the bed. Finally, I riled him up enough to take a full on bite of my bait and set the hook … WHAM! It was a short, yet intense battle with this 3+ pounder.

We moved down the bank a bit and I quickly stumbled across another bed with a pair of nice fish on it. I spooked the male who took off. However, the female, a 6+ pound behemoth stuck around to guard the lair. I started working the jig into her area and she showed interest but wasn’t attacking it at all. So, I started hopping it through her bed … that was the ticket! She took three swings at it and missed all of them. But, I still hadn’t struck out. Because, on the fourth swing, she inhaled it and I leaned back … BOOM! She immediately took to the sky, but the jig held as she violently shook her head. Rick came quickly with the net but, before he could get into position, she deftly wrapped me around a sunken tree branch (as if she knew exactly what to do) and snapped me off. Needless to say, I was heartbroken over losing my second giant of the day. But, it only strengthened my resolve for redemption!
We moved to our last spot of the day. A flat where I know the fish come in to feed at sunset on a regular basis. And, it wasn’t long after we arrived that we saw big fish busting bait against the bank. After vainly trying several offerings I went to one of my old standbys … a Cave Customized Booyah Boogie Bait. After a few casts, I worked it just outside the shoreline. When my bait wasn’t six feet from me there was suddenly a huge swirl on it. I stopped reeling momentarily until I felt the fish inhale it and then set the hook … BANG! Another short but intense battle ensued before I landed this 4 pound class post-spawner.

After the photo shoot and release, I quickly went back to the same spot and started casting the same rig. It wasn’t long before I flung it out in the opposite direction into deeper water. I only cranked the reel handle several times before I felt another fish grab it. I lowered the boom … BAM! But, this time, when I set the hook the fish took off and peeled 20 yards of line off the spool … then she peeled another 10 yards! With my rod totally doubled over I was sure it was a HUGE fish on!! She dug in and took me up and down the bank as Rick rushed over to help me land the beast. When we finally got her on the scale I was surprised that she was “only” a 5 pound 4 ouncer. Yet, as you can see from the photo, I was totally stoked that redemption was indeed mine.

Sooner after releasing my day-maker, we decided to call it a day. Unfortunately, R2 wasn’t able to manage even a bump. But, he did see what this body of water is capable of producing and is anxious to come back to extract his revenge very soon. That is, if we don’t head to Lake Casitas in his boat first!

Wake Up! It’s Bedtime!!

Big Bass and their beds are easily located during the spawn

Depending on where you are located in the lower 48, you are either near a lake that is full-on into the Spring spawn, or about to be. Which means you need to be on the water sight-fishing for what may be the biggest Bass you may catch all season … if not all time! Because when Largemouth are locked onto their beds for the spawn, you have a chance to visually target lots of big fish in shallow water that won’t easily be spooked away. Or, at least, not spooked away for long.
To be successful fishing the spawn, you need to practice the “Three P’s”: Patience, Persistence, and Piss-em-off! If you can incorporate these three principles into your bed-fishing game plan, you will find yourself becoming more productive when the Bass begin to find love in the air … errrrrr … water.

PATIENCE – First thing you need to do when fishing for bedding Bass is to slow WAY down. If you like to turn and burn you may catch a bed fish here and there, but you will be bypassing many fish that you could have easily added to your sack. Put on a good pair of Polarized sunglasses (a necessary tool for bed fishing) and get ready to go for a slow Sunday cruise – put that trolling motor on low, or unhurriedly stroll the bank, looking for beds which are usually easily spotted by a circular area of the bottom that has been dusted clean by the tail of the male fish.
When you spot a fresh bed with no fish on it, don’t immediately assume it has been abandoned. Very often the bed will be guarded by a fish that is 2, 3, 4 or even 5 feet away. So, be sure to look well outside the immediate bed area for it’s occupants. Also, your approach may have caused the fish to dart away. Give them a minute or so to return … because if they are still on the bed they will return!

PERSISTENCE – Once you find nesting fish don’t be in a hurry to leave them. I see way too many anglers make a few casts to a bedding fish and then move on if the fish doesn’t seem interested right away. Quite often, the fish won’t hit your offering until you’ve made numerous casts into the bed. Ninety five percent of the time, it will look like the fish doesn’t want to have anything to do with your bait. You’ll see them take a look at it, and then wander off. But, don’t give up! If you leave it there, the fish will usually circle back and take another look. This may happen several times, over several casts, before the fish goes “nose down” on your lure and inhales it. They may look like they are being coy with your bait, but they are most likely very upset that it is in their lair. When you see them circling back, especially if their pectoral and pelvic fins are flared and “lit up”, they are very interested in getting your bait off the bed. Be sure not to move the bait too much on the bed … dead stick it, alternating with slightly shaking it in place.

A good "Teaser Bait"

The other part of this particular principle is that you will usually catch the smaller male fish first. So, you’ll have to remove him from the equation to get the female fish to bite. If you’re in a Bass boat, it’s not a problem if your livewell is in working order. But, if you are fishing from shore, you will need to walk a ways down the bank before releasing the male. Then, quickly get back to the bed and go to work on the female. She will likely be very riled up and willing to defend the nest until the male returns.

PISS-EM-OFF – This part of the technique is, in my view, the most crucial of the “Three P’s”. Most of the time when fishing the spawn, you are getting a reaction strike from the fish. They aren’t eating your bait for sustenance, but rather to defend their nest. So, usually, you have to agitate them into striking.
To accomplish this, you need to have two rods rigged and ready to go. One set up with what I call the “Teaser Bait” – a jig with a crawdad trailer, a Texas-rigged worm, a shakey head worm, etc. The other, with the “Closer Bait” – a small (3″-4″) drop shot swimbait or worm, a Malibu-rigged (weightless T-rig) small stick bait, a darter head with a sculpin, etc.

A good "Closer Bait"

Put the Teaser on the bed, several times if necessary, until the fish is quickly circling back to the bait with the above mentioned flared fins. Then, spring the Closer on ‘em! They will frequently hit the secondary bait on the first or second offering. Occasionally, they will attack the Teaser … so, be ready! But, quite often the “old switcheroo” will be the ticket. Just be sure to experiment with different combinations of Teaser and Closer baits until you find what is working on that particular day and/or body of water.

If you’ve tried all of these principles and they still aren’t biting, try changing the angle from which you present the bait. You’d be amazed how casting from the other side of the bed can make such a difference. Also, try changing the presentation itself. When the fish is riled up, hopping the bait into the nest will often get the interest of a fish that would only stare at it when it was sitting in the middle of the bed.
So, go find those spawners and give the Three P’s a try. I think you’ll find that Spring may just become your best Bassing season!

5 Pounds 10 Ounces - The Rewards of the "Three P's"

Momma Always Said, It Pays To Be Nice!

It’s one of those old axioms that actually is true most of the time. And, it certainly proved it’s validity last night. But, I am getting ahead of myself here as this is kind of a combination report.
Last Friday, and again yesterday, I got to hit Westlake for an hour and a half of bed hunting. The weather has finally stabilized and the fish have definitely been moving up. Friday I found numerous beds with males waiting for some company that never seemed to show. Yet, they were still very willing to defend their lairs. I ended up catching 11 cookie-cutters like this 4 pound classer.
But, by yesterday, there were plenty of beds that were double occupied. Unfortunately, the big females were very skittish and easily spooked. Plus, I didn’t have the time to really let them settle once I had nailed the male. I ended up with another 7 boy-Bass.
That’s the good news. The great news was that I also got to give my new Custom Cave Jig a real go. The results were even better than I expected! I had hoped that it would be a great “enticement bait” for bed fishing, before turning to the “fulfillment bait”. But, this thing turned out to be great for both! Many times I had the fish nail it almost instantly after it made it’s way into their nest. And, when I couldn’t get them to bite the bait, it certainly was sufficient to rile them up enough so that they would quickly hit the follow up offering. Ah … but, once again, I digress!
Even though my results of the last two sessions were not bad, I really wanted to give those big girlies another go when I wasn’t rushed. So, I headed back to the lake after dinner last night for the late bite. Just as I arrived and unburdened myself from all the equipment I was sporting, I heard the voice of opportunity behind me. “Hey! You want to go out on the boat?!?” Turns out, it was the voice of Chris, a guy I had run into at the lake a couple of weeks ago who was docking his boat after a fruitless fishing expedition. As he watched the Cavegirl and I hook a couple of fish while he was securing his vessel, he asked how we were doing so well when he couldn’t manage even a nibble. I gave him some advice and even gave him one of the baits we were using and, in return, he offered to take me out on his boat sometime. Last night, my good deed was certainly repaid in spades!
We headed out and went to fish a bank that I knew was loaded with beds and some of the plus-sized ladies. Unfortunately, between the breeze and fading light, bed fishing was nearly impossible. But, we began blind casting the bank. On one of his first casts, Chris hooks into a very nice fish. But, halfway home she came unbuttoned. He had another one do the same and missed another on the hook-set, which made my fishing-fanatic partner understandably frustrated. However, it wasn’t long before he hooked into another stout one that was a 4 3/4 pounder! He released that one before I could get a picture, but I didn’t have to wait long before I got to snap one of him holding another identical fish. After that, we decided to go for a change of scenery and headed to an area I could only dream about fishing before stepping on to his boat.

Though I had had a couple of fish swirl on my offerings, I couldn’t manage a bump. After chucking all sorts of different baits, I switched to something similar to what Chris had been getting bit on, a Senko in the old familiar 297 pattern … Malibu rigged, of course. I flung it to a spot I have always wanted to cast to, and finally could thanks to my new boating friend. I worked the bait slightly before I felt a faint little tap. I let it fall, and then suddenly my line quickly began moving towards deeper water. I reared back … BAM! Big fish on!! After several drag pulling runs and a couple of dives under the boat, Chris was able to net this 5-8 beast for me.

We set up our drift on the same bank again. Chris nailed another one in the 3.5 pound class (no pic). Soon after, I got another light tap followed by a pick-up. I reeled down and leaned back … BOOM! Another fatty on the line!! The fight wasn’t as sustained as the last one, but good nonetheless. When it was all said and done, Chris netted another one for me that came in just a tick under 5 pounds. I think the smile says it all!

We had a few more bites, but couldn’t connect. Still, in our short time on the water we managed to put together a nearly 22 1/2 pound sack! And, I think we are both very eager to get out there together again soon. Best part is, I got a great “Karma Rebate” just for being a friendly fisherman. I might just have to be even nicer in the future!

Rattl’n Roll

Cave Club Rating:
4.5 Clubs

Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe

When it comes to hard baits, Yo-Zuri has to be considered amongst the top names in the fishing industry with their ability to create innovative lures that attract a lot of fish … and, big fish, too! From their widely acclaimed Pins Minnow series, to their ground breaking color-changing Sashimi series, the folks at Yo-Zuri have consistently taken the hardbait to new heights. So, it was with great excitement that I decided to check out their newly redesigned Rattl’n Vibe rattle-shad type lures.
Right out of the package, you instantly notice the detailed state-of-the-art scaled holographic foil that makes the “skin” of the bait look incredibly life-like. Add to that the large holographic eyes, and you immediately can see why a fish would mistake this bait for a real meal.

4.5 pounder caught on a Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe in Gold Back/Orange Belly (GBO)

Once you tie this rattler to the end of the line and whip it out there, the added distance on each cast is quite noticeable thanks to the 10 stainless steel balls. Which also add incredible vibration and rattle to the lure, drawing big fish from far distances.
The balance of these baits is spot on, allowing it to fall like a dying fish … unlike other lipless cranks that tend to fall over and drop like a rock. Combine that with the 1 foot per second fall rate that Yo-Zuri designers engineered into this bait and you can see why a vertical yo-yo presentation can be absolutely deadly with the Rattl’n Vibe. However, this bait is just as effective burning it over weeds and submerged structure, slow rolling it along the bottom, or stop & go retrieving over open water. Plus, with it’s perfect nose-down attitude, don’t be afraid to run it through some structure, too! Range is not a problem with this lure, either, as you can effectively work it just under the surface to as deep as 20 feet.
There are two sizes and 17 patterns to choose from. My favorite, so far, are the Gold Back/Orange Belly (GBO), Ghost Shad (GSPS), and the Bass (BS). Though, I’m anxious to get my hands on a few other patterns like the Ghost Bluegill (GSGL) and the Red Crawfish (RC).
Yo-Zuri now makes a Sashimi version of this lure type, with their patented color-changing technology, which I will be reviewing soon. But, if you want a uniquely designed, durable, versatile rattle shad with a look the fish haven’t seen before, search no further than the Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe … it will rock your world!

MSRP – $9.99 (2.5″ 5/8 oz. or 2.25″ 3/8 oz.)

Cave Club Scale
5 Clubs = The Missing Link
4 Clubs = Rock Solid
3 Clubs = Better Than Sharp Stick
2 Clubs = Not Fully Evolved
1 Club = Should Be Extinct