San Quintin: World Class Fishing

When anglers hear the words, " Let's go Baja fishing", our minds are quickly transported to the warm, clean, blue waters of the Pacific or the gulf of Baja California. Our visions of  tranquil fishing villages, warm, friendly people and hospitable lodgings made our selection easy. We agreed to re-visit one of our favorite places with its fortunate fishing waters... San Quintin. Being only five hours south of LA, it was an easy decision to make.
We made arrangements through El tiburon pangas, an outfitter with a good reputation, skillful captains and good service. We made reservations for two days fishing, the skiffs or pangas, were waiting for us at 5:00 am at the small dock on the only ramp in the village.

Main ramp adjacent to the Old Molino bar and restaurant

 On our first day, we met our captain "el chiflas", the whistler. He earned his moniker because he whistles when he works. And he really works and knows the waters and hot spots. The first thing we needed to do was to catch our own bait. We dropped our sabikis, bait catching rigs, and quickly filled the bait tank with small mackerels about 6 in long.

This is the perfect spot to catch your bait; the birds and the porpoises don't mind sharing with us.

We gathered plenty of live bait, small mackerel about 6 in long. We dispatched ourselves with all deliberate speed to the outer waters of the bay.

Fish on! As soon as we dropped our line, Javi hooked the first one of the day.

Manny hooks on a powerful swimmer and a good fighter, a big yellow tail. We quickly pulled our line out of the water to give him ample room to go around the boat.

Javi and Manny happily show off their first catch of the day.

Having taught these young men how to fish when they were kids... I refused to stay behind so I landed my own white sea-bass.

Just as we were thinking of returning to shore, Javi hooked a huge white sea-bass. He was most proud
of his catch because he brought on board a 69 pound fish with a twenty pound leader.

After a fruitful morning, we decided to look for some bottom fish and completed filling the coolers with a variety of reds, rocker, corvinas and others. Once full, we headed to shore where members of El Tiburon's team were ready to filet our catch while we retreated to  a good rest and dinner.

Our second day was more of the same.  Our new captain that day was Pedro.  We caught our share of sea-bass, barracudas, rock cod and smaller bass, filling our second set of coolers.

Manny and Javi with captain, "el chifles"

Manny with Captain Pedro.

JE NE SAIS QUOI In The Eastern Sierras

Over the past several years, our group of anxious urban city dwellers have taken advantage of the best rainbow fishing the Eastern Sierras has to offer. This year, we eagerly prepared for our trip. Bob, our guide, met us over lunch. He brought with him hand-made topography maps . He shared that his  inspiration were the photographs and presentation we saw at The National Historic site: Manzanar.  He marveled at the skill and success the Japanese had fishing under under dangerous and difficult condition. They  mastered their own skills of hooking trophy size trout. He searched old travel logs, DWP maps, mountain hiker's logs and  Google Earth pictures of hidden streams, lagoon, ponds and fishing holes.

North side view of Mt Whitney, a place of  rough, peaceful beauty.

As we approached the majestic sight of Mount Whitney, Bob quickly foraged through his papers and began shouting orders: "turn here! go straight!No right... left, cross that bridge, Wait, wait ... follow that path". Our fellowship had entered a wild uncultivated area of transitory nebulae and pot holes.
After what seemed like an eternity under the scorching sun, Bob finally said, "Let me study these maps again."
After a few rip-roaring minutes, our brave company stopped and started again ... and again. Finally we pulled into some heavy brush as Bob shouted "over there, there, there the stream!"  pointing to what he called a stream, the rest of us identified it as trickle of water.  As we  walked about the "stream", he shouted,  "Look there's the fish pond!" He grabbed his fishing pole and rushed over to it. The rest us, bewildered, just looked at each other. We grabbed a cold bottle of water and meandered over to find him with his fishing line in a puddle. "Well guys you know... it must be the drought., that's why it's so small" . We praised him for trying and scampered out of there headeding to Intake II,  a small lake in the mountains above Bishop.

Geographic area where we searched for Bob's elusive fishing pond.

On the following day of our fishing escapades, we decided to venture out to Little Virginia Lake. Upon arrival and noticing that the parking lot was overflowing with  recreational vehicles, we discerned that we had arrived arrived in a hot spot. The was a rumor that the lake would be restocked today. Bob had been tracking the fish stoking dates closely and he was sure that the rumor was true.  Jorge and I quickly made our way towards the far side of the lake. We arrived  out of breath, found a suitable spot, baited our hooks, cast away our lines and sat down to catch our breath. Bob, Manny and Javier, all stationed themselves  for a fruitful fishing day. No sooner than the time it took us to settle ourselves, we noticed a stampede of anglers heading away from the lake. It didn't take long for to find out why... No one was catching anything! After another 30 minutes, we joined them. We would  travel further but we were sure to catch more fish. Jorge, who was already in a grumpy mood because our trip was one day longer than he wanted, was not keen on driving to the Walker River. Getting lost on the way north didn't do anything to improve his disposition. Instead, we decided to stop at Rock Creek, a lake that always gives a good return.

From left to right Manny, Javier, Jorge and Bob getting their poles ready for their insertion into Rock Creek lake.

Here's how Javier and Jorge skulking their best efforts of hooking trout at Rock Creek,
 no wonder they left empty handed.

While  we saw anglers catch some fish, we felt that it was most important for us to take time and enjoy the experience. There is no hurry or quota to meet, no time cards to punch. When we had our fill of admiring the wonders of mother nature we would just mosey on down the mountain for a good dinner with a nice glass of Chardonnay.

We followed the group's wishes to "hit" a variety of water environments: creeks, lakes, streams and river. Therefore, the following day, we headed out to the Owens river in Bishop by the airport district. For the first time Jorge became animated at the sight of trout jumping out of the water.  He grabbed his pole and ran to the edge of the river, the rest of the group followed.

Jorge and his reflection on the water, casting out for the jumping rainbow trout.

Manny fly fishing with a variety of  flies.

Bob trying some "field goal' casting his line some 15 feet above the river bank.

Javier using two poles: one north, one south trying his best to catch a big one.

While many anglers come strictly to fill their cooler, our team's primary goal is to indulge ourselves in the high country, enjoy the comradeship, get a few fish but most of all, admire the majestic Sierra Nevada. We take the time to enjoy the magnificent mountains, vivid waters,  picturesque towns and their wonderful people.

We'll be back again next year.

Sophia: A name of Greek origin. Meaning: knowledge, wisdom

It was a warm autumn morning when my phone rang.  My compadre's name, Jorge, appeared on the phone screen. "Don't forget that we are meeting for lunch in Riverside," He reminded me. I told him that Javier and I were on our way and Bob was meeting us at the restaurant. We were meeting in Riverside, being that he has been living in Hemet for the better part of a year. This is because he and his wife have a new commission: babysitting their beautiful new granddaughter.

Hemet is a dusty little town in the San Jacinto Valley of  Riverside County. You know you have arrived when you come across numerous sun-drenched, heat stoked, brush and trees with occasional dry dusty creeks. You can conclude why I was incredulous to hear his claim that he has been living there for so long and only comes down to the city to inspect and pay the caretaker of his principal residence.

In the  forty or so years that I've known him, Jorge has never been away from his home for more than two weeks. He likes to be available to take care of his rental properties He is serious about his hobby of constantly maintaining and upgrading his real estate holdings. He enjoys, landscaping, painting and updating all of his rentals. He also enjoy purchasing tools and heavy construction equipment, " I like to be ready for any job that comes up and I don't like to rent machines or tools," he asserts . His friends have warmly named Jorge, a slum landlord.

Therefore, you can certainly understand my bewilderment when Jorge disappeared for months until we met for lunch at Simple Simon's restaurant in the heart of Riverside's historical center. "I am babysitting my beautiful new granddaughter, Sophia," he cheerfully declared.  His exuberance  was accompanied with a wide ear-to-ear smile. "I prepare her breakfast, lunch and dinner, bathe and change her.  Sometimes I let my wife help me. But I do most of the work". When he noticed the incredulous faces of his closest friends, he added, "Really, I'm even teaching her to crawl... by crawling on the floor with her, I'm also making her some flash cards of the numbers, vowels and colors. She is very intelligent!" Then he stated his  main goal, " I'm going to have her reading by her third birthday"!

Jorge recounted his experience since it had been some forty-five years since he fed a baby, "I'll be honest with you". He said, "There was some trepidation in my heart; I didn't think I 
would be up to the job. But I did it all by myself... I'm committed to it, Yea!" 

Here Jorge is happily and proudly posing for the camera with his grand-daughter. 
He told us that she is beginning to sound out the vowels as he showed us her pictures. 
Robert said , "She is beautiful, looks just like Gloria... her grandma". Javier and I were in 
complete agreement "Que bueno que no se parece a mi",  Jorge added. 
"gracias a Dios". Bob murmured.

Sophia, the Goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology, leisurely crawling towards grandpa. 

As we were concluding our lunch and conversation, I discerned that Jorge's commitment and dedication are lovingly bound to a manda. A solemn vow by Gloria to God on behalf of their family, as is the custom in Mexican families.

Jorge's enthusiasm was evident in his speech; he was energetic, animated and, in fact, he seemed inspired. Sophia when grandpa teaches you to read, you can read what he said, 

" Sophia your grandma, and I love you with all our heart".

Well... after lunch as we departed and in unison, congratulated Jorge in his commitment. In spite of my rhetoric, we know who is the driving force on this endeavor; la jefa my comadre. Laurels to you Gloria!

Quotable quotes:

Grandparents: A grandchild's press agent. 

Grandparents: People who come to your house, spoil your children, and then go home.

The challenge at Intake 2... It's Hydraulics

Early the following morning, I pointed our Suburban in the direction of the mountains on Route 168. Within forty minutes, we were at 7000 + feet of elevation. I turned left onto Intake 2, a wonderful place to fish. The lake is about the size of a football field, with a huge water pipe constantly restoring water to the lake. This hydraulic movement of water is a perfect environment in which to study the surface flow and oxygenation of water. These conditions are great for fishing. As soon as I parked the car, the doors swung open, the anglers reached for their fishing poles and rushed towards the glistening, clear waters. Each angler quickly claims his real estate along the inviting surfaces of the lake.

Javier, with great expectations after winning the Mammoth competition, boastfully tried to intimidate the rest of us. Unfortunately Dagon, the ichthyoid god of fishing was against him. He ended up in 5th  place. The rest of us believe that his downfall was because his son, Javi, didn't stock his tackle box. Javier isn't usually aware of what to use or what he'll need.

Jorge, the first one out the door, quickly crawled underneath  the canopy of trees seeking a shady spot. There, completely hidden from view, he remained and was not seen again until he emerged from under the trees at departure time. Here, he happily displays his catch for the day. Good enough for 4th place... Opochtli, his Aztec god of fishing, failed him. "I tried to do better, I really wanted to beat Bob well... I'm happy that the kid beat him ". 

 Bob, a cranky, conservative fisherman of the old school, who lives with one thought in mind, "Catch more fish, (roar) more fish hence his moniker, the trout slayer. "I don't need no stinking demigods", He shouted as he stationed himself on a small section of the dam  next to the intake pipeline. He was attentive and determined to win. He hustled, changing baits frequently; powerbait to rat tails, plastic worms, hook sizes and leaders. With eagle-eye precision he casts his rig into the oxygenated current at the intake of the pipe. He worked it!  With his very respectable catch and the crowd behind him he, disappointingly, fell just short of first place. He settled for 2nd. place. Obviously sadden and disillusioned, he walked over to the New Champion, Little Dave and with his rapscallion charm, he congratulated him.

The championship plaque for first place was awarded to the 2014  champion Little Dave. Click play to hear the championship song from one of Dave's favorite singers.

"Work hard, play hard and fish hard... that my mantra" said Dave as he enjoyed a cold refreshment after winning the derby.  "This is a very delightful win", he added. "I had to go against some very good anglers. They have been fishing ever since I was child". "I won because I found the sweet spot in this lake, I have to plot it on  GPS . This is a special win and I owe it all to my dad who started me in fishing".

After the competition of fishing challenge, we got together the following day for a very delightful lunch . Being an outdoors-man Dave ordered an elk steak with chipotle sauce and country fried potatoes along with his favorite brew. He promised to win again in the 2015 season. The trout slayer reminded him not to count his fish before they are caught.

Want to hear another song? click play

Me? well... I came in in third place. Thank you for asking.

In the Sierra: Intake II fishing derby. Part 1

The five Rainbow Anglers headed out toward the Sierras. We each prepared ourselves to win the rainbow trout tournament. El perico, who more often than not, returns empty-handed, was in good spirits. Lil Dave was relaxed and ready to claim the first place. El dormido, the current champion,  was still in high spirits over having vanquished, Bob, the Trout Slayer. He persistently taunted him on his loss, " You are all washed up Bob.  You can't handle it anymore". For his part, Bob, who enjoys the give and take, was mostly silent, taking it all in. This was not at all like him. For my part, I concentrated on driving, maintaining the peace and taking in the beauty of the drive. As we approached Lone Pine along the mighty Sierra Nevada, we decided to make a pit stop at the Visitor's Center facing Mount Whitney.

Javier was very eager to get started, ever since he earned the championship during the
Mammoth Lakes Challenge Cup by besting the long time title holder, Bob. "I opened up a can of
whip ass and laid it all over him," he boasted to this reporter. 

Lil Dave on the left is a recent member of the team. During the few tournaments he has
 attended, he has consistently placed second. His enthusiasm for fishing is contagious, 
he is positive and always willing to assist other anglers. David is eager to give advice, 
share his magic dust-fish attractor or share his snacks and cold beers. When Javier stole 
his bag of snacks, he just said "Go ahead.  Take as much as you want" which he did.

El perico, on the right, seems to be the one who brings everything: a small refrigerator with 
deli food, maintained at a constant temperature, his medications, boutique lounge chair 
and slippers.The first thing he does is find a shady spot near the lake to set up his chair. 
He won't move from there for the duration of the tournament. No wonder he is always last... 

Bob is the senior member of the team, he eats, dreams, drinks and lives fishing. He fishes
 about 300 days a year. Some of the locations where he fishes, want to charge him rent. As far
as we know, he was undefeated in tournaments until el dormido unleashed an assault on him
 and walked away with the championship. Bob was just overconfident! After the 
loss he seems lethargic and on a decline. But we are all pulling for him.

Bob finally broke his silence, "Let's stop at Baker's Pond and see what's biting." Everyone eagerly agreed. We made a left turn on Baker Road, just as we passed the town of Big Pine. Soon we were at the waters edge, casting out power bait, gigs, plastic worms and rat tails tempting those fussy rainbow trouts into our custody.

Baker's Creek feeds this small pond.  It's an ideal place to catch some lunkers for lunch. 
Just as we were getting ready to leave, the Department of Fish and Game showed up.

... and deposited a tankful of rainbow trout for our enjoyment.We fished here 
a while longer before continuing towards Intake II for tomorrow's challenge. 

Stay tuned for part II.

"Ceviche" with a fresh Hawaiian Taste

One universal truth about coastal towns throughout Mexico is their love for ceviche. Nothing offers a more vivid reflection of sea side restaurants as their artisan ceviches. Typically, ceviche is made with fish, limes, onion, cilantro and hot peppers.
Today, I am presenting to you ceviche with a fresh new taste. Many of the ingredients are the same. However for your consideration, I have added or substituted others. This recipe gives an added dimension, freshness and flavor. Try it. I am confident you'll love it.

Start with firm red tomatoes. Here I am using Roma, however, any variety will do just fine.

One medium size white onion, fresh limes

Zanahorias en escabeche, marinated carrots: they can be found in you local Mexican market.

Five or six ripened plums. Since they are sweet and sour, they add an exotic dimension to the dish.

My preference for ceviche are surface fish; barracuda, yellow tail, bonito or dorado, (mahi-mahi) .
Chop about a pound of your choice of fish filets into half inch pieces. Cut limes into halves, 
squeeze the fresh juice into the bowl until the fish is completely covered with the juice. 
Cover and store in refrigerator for a minimum of four hrs., but no more than six.

With your fish chilling, now is the time to chop your marinated carrots and onion into
quarter inch squares.

Instead of cilantro, I use roasted seasoned seaweed  for an excellent smoky flavor.

Then,add three tbsp. of virgin olive oil, a quarter tsp. of lemon pepper, one tsp. of Hawaiian
seasoning mix, quarter tsp. of sea salt and a quarter tsp. of black pepper. Mix all of the 
ingredients and seasonings together.

After 4 to 6 hrs. in the refrigerator, use a cheese cloth to strain the lime juice out of the fish. 
Mix seasoningsand all ingredients. Your ceviche is ready to serve.

The traditional way of serving ceviche is on a tostada...

...or if you prefer in a bed of lettuce.

In the traditional Mexican style, raw jalapeños or serrano chiles  are added
  to the ceviche. I prefer a spicy salsa, either green or red, so that each person can add the
desired amount into their serving.

In my home, my family and friends enjoy the summer because it allows us plenty of time to go fishing. Always hoping to land one of those big surface fish for grilling and for ceviche...

Twilight fishing @ 22nd Street Landing, San Pedro CA

The first week of summer with high temperatures, was upon us.  It was a good time for me to get the outdoor dinning area ready for a nice BBQ dinner this coming week-end. Just as I mustered enough energy to gather my cleaning tools, the phone rang. " Dad, lets go fishing", my son David,  suggested. Manny, my oldest son, had informed him that his employer, Turner's Outdoorsman Sporting Goods, was sponsoring a twilight fishing trip on the Monte Carlo, out of 22nd. St. Landing, San Pedro CA Well... what's a father to do? I was compelled to accept the generous offer. I'd save the cleaning for another day.
With all deliberate speed, I went to the garage to gather my ocean fishing equipment, including the most important item: my CA fishing licence.

Two fishing poles per person for light tackle and one for heavier tackle, depending of what's biting. For of-shore, I recommend casting rod with 15 lb test line. If larger fish are biting, you can rely on your heavier pole and line:25 lbs - 30 lbs. 

Always have your fishing  licence with you. Over the years, I have witnessed a number of citations being handed out. When you least expect it, the fish and game warden will show up; fines are steep . I always display mine, although it isn't necessary. By having your license visible, the warden will approach someone else to check. Also, have a wide assortment of hooks and weights in your box, along with a variety of lures and gigs.

We arrived at the port of Los Angeles with plenty of time to spare. Soon a variety of anglers joined in with tall fishing stories which only salty anglers can remember. A short time later, the sponsors from Turner's began to arrive, including my son Manny. They were prepared to raffle a variety of great gifts, fishing equipment and tackle, including fishing poles.  Thus equipped and looking forward to a great time, we boarded our ocean going vessel, the Monte Carlo!

On board the Monte Carlo, we passed the welcome to Los Angeles sign, on our way to the bait barge.

Deckhands scooping anchovies on board  along with squid, our primary bait.

David, relaxing and making friends as we get on our way to the fishing grounds.

Manny, in the galley setting up the prizes and tickets for the raffle. 

Everything is in order...anglers are ready.

This is the last picture I took, the Palos Verdes peninsula, before the captain said, " We are right on top of a school... lines away ". Everyone rushed to their designated places. Fishing on! Everyone was enthusiastically  engaged in casting out gigs, plastics, anchovies and squid. For my part, I put my camera away and for next four hours I joined the celebration, pummeling the ocean with my jigs. I could hear shouts of gaff! gaff!  which means," I hooked a big one and need some help landing it".

Manny, with a big smile after a happy evening fishing and working. He then asked me to take his fish home to make some of my famous ceviche.

David was feeling good; he had been looking for some good ocean fishing for awhile. He will come by my my place this week-end along with the half-filled sack of fish fillets to grill some of his award winning dishes.

Finally, the Monte Carlo, its crew getting ready for its next outing. It's a very spacious fishing boat with an excellent crew,willing to assist you  in every way and has the best burritos in town! We'll be back soon.