EGG SALVAGE EFFORTS

CWA runs a great egg salvage program and Regina coordinates the whole effort. The long and the short of it is our local nesting ducks have a tendency to nest in agriculture fields, especially set aside fields, wheat, hay and even in orchards where grasses are allowed to grow. Nesting season in the valley can start as early as the end of March and usually goes thru Mid June. This timing coincides with typical AG type work weather it's pre planting mowing and discing or in the grain crops harvest, and hay crops cuttings. CWA tries to gain access to fields with nesting activity  prior to any work being done to rope drag or hand line the areas for nests. If a nest is found the eggs are picked up and taken to a local hatchery where they are hatched, raised until 5-6 weeks old, banded and then let loose back into the wild. In crop type fields CWA provides egg cartons to the farmers and asks for them to stop when they flush a hen and pickup the eggs. The eggs are kept in the tractor until the end of the day and then picked up by a CWA employee or volunteer and taken to a hatchery. They also have drop off locations set up if the farmer prefers to deliver themselves.

This program is awesome and the end results are more mallards in the fields come fall! If you are a farmer or know a farmer who you think would be willing to participate in this great conservation effort please spread the word! Regina can be reached on her cell at (530)870-7589 with any questions!       

Back on the hunt for sturgeon!

Regina and the kids love to sturgeon fish as well so we decided to head out and do some scouting! We launched the boat, ran up stream and got anchored. We had baits in the water and patiently waited as we watched several fish roll behind and beside the boat. Early on we had some line rubs and a few bites that may have been sturgeon but it was fairly quiet. I fished hard until 2:00 AM, before putting on fresh EEL, setting the clickers and going under the top to lay down for awhile. At 4:00 AM the clicker sounded and Regina woke me from the dead with the words I always like to hear, FISH ON! I quickly scrambled for the rod, set the hook, and the fight began. The fish immediately jumped right behind the boat and I could tell it was a keeper! She hustled out to grab the rod but as quickly as it was FISH ON, it was FISH OFF, dammit! The fish jumped 3 or 4 times right behind the boat and on the last jump threw the hook! Oh well, that's just how it goes some times in the world of sturgeon fishing! We all had fun and Regina bagged herself a catfish, not what we were after but damn sure better then nothing.      

Sturg On!!!

My favorite fishing to do has always been sturgeon fishing! I don't know if it's the pure relaxation I get while fishing for them or the chance of catching a fish that could be as big as 10-12 feet long! Either way I love it and am always excited to get out on the water with clients and show them the ropes!

This afternoon I met up with Brett and Gina and we headed out in search of a river monster! On my way up stream I checked several holes and finally found one that was holding fish and threw the anchor. We quickly got the rods baited up and into the water. As we waited we had several fish roll down stream of us and I knew sooner or later one would snap! It didn't take long and one of the rods went down and the fight was on! Brett grabbed the rod and I cranked in the others and then tossed the float so we could go with the fish. It was pulling hard but Brett stayed after it and after an epic battle we had the monster beside the boat. I took a quick measurement but couldn't be exact so I netted the fish and we brought it into the boat! A quick tape job revealed a 68 inch fork measurement. The fish was too big to keep so we snapped a quick picture, and got the fish back in the water and spent 15 minutes or so reviving the fish until it swam out of my hands to fight another day! I was on cloud 9 and Brett's arms were on fire!!

We quickly got back to the anchor and got some fresh bait in the water with hopes of catching another. At 9:00 the rod doubled over and it was fish on again. As Brett fought the fish I got all the rods out of the way and readied the net. The fish was fighting good but acted as if it was possibly a smaller, keeper sized fish so we waited patiently to see what he had a hold of. As soon as the fish showed its self it was apparent that we would not need the net as the fish was way too big to keep! When the fish saw the light coming from the lantern it took off like a bat out of hell and even jumped a few times, it was awesome! Brett finally won the battle and we threw a tape on the fish real quick as it lay beside the boat, 84 inches, a true river monster. The fish was quickly un hooked and set free to do it's thing.

While the rest of the night was un eventful we did have some more bites and swung on a few fish that we should of had! All in all it was a great night on the water and I can't wait to get back out there!               

Boat Upgrades!

My old Lowrance finally gave up after 10 years and it was time to move into the new era of fish finders! Today I had a new Lowrance HDS 9 touch installed on the boat and can't wait to get it on the water and start learning how to make it work right! I also installed a custom built lantern holder so that I quit knocking the lantern over and breaking the glass every other trip! Now we just need to get on the water and start chasing dinosaurs!

School Visit

One of the teachers from Brittain Elementary school always asks me to come in and talk to her students about my line of work. It's something different to them and it never hurts to try and get kids involved in the outdoors! Today I went in and talked to a room full of 3RD graders, explained the hunting and fishing side of the business as well as the conservation end of it. It's pretty neat to see their eyes light up when I talk about certain things and the questions that follow are great! If you have the chance always make sure to try and involve any kid in the outdoors. They are the life line of our beloved sport!

Sturgeon Time

The river is looking good and the boat is dialed in and ready for action!! I got the top on this afternoon and figured it was time for a recon mission! A quick call to our local bait shops confirmed that no pile worms or ghost shrimp were available, so eel, sardine, and nightcrawlers would have to do! I launched out of Tisdale and headed south until I marked a few fish. We set up above the fish and the waiting game started and lasted thru the night! We had sveral fish roll around the boat but nothing that took the bait. Either way it was a nice night on the river and I was happy to be back out there!

That's a wrap!

The season has come to a close and all the decoys are picked up and put away! I wanted to take the time to thank all of our client's and sponsors for another great season! Without you guys none of this is possible. I had a great time with each and every one of you in the field this year and we are already planning and looking forward to next season!! A big thanks to everyone and hope to see each and every one of you again next season.