HOLY MOTHER OF NOAH!!!

I think I'm going to Photoshop my head into this picture 😁

I've found that an ice-pick and a tiny crochet come in reel handy when you're getting out bird's-nests (especially with braided line).

I've never used a baitcaster but I have 50+ years experience surfcasting with a conventional to pass on a couple of tips...

1. Point your rod so that the line comes straight out. If the lines going up, point up and lower it as it drops. If the wind is blowing it sideways, point sideways. The reason you get bird's-nests is because the reel starts spinning faster than the line is going out and even the slightest drag from the guides will slow the line down. Also slow down the spool before the lure hits the water.

2. You will get more distance if you educate your thumb than using a spool drag which applies friction on your line throughout the entire distance of the cast. You also don't have to adjust a well-educated thumb every time you change lures. (See below for how to educate your thumb in 3 easy steps).

3. If you have a knot in your line, make sure it gets wound to the far side of your thumb. Having a gash in your thumb makes for an uncomfortable day.

4. If you use braided line and need to put on the brakes because your line is headed for the trees, apply pressure to the side of the spool not on the line. Fast spinning braided line will either burn or remove skin.

____________
The ABCs for Educating Your Thumb...
(a) Start your cast with your thumb on the line and against the side of the spool (away from any knots).

(b) As soon as you release, put light pressure on the smooth side of the reel. As soon as you've pointed your rod tip inline with your outgoing line, lift your thumb and keep pointing.

(c) When you want to slow down the line, put your thumb back on the side of the spool.

Hope this helps.

Have fun and GET SOME!
PapaD

Actually, it's four poles (usually 3 soaking, 1 retrieving lures). I always fish with my son and we both have 2-pole licenses.

Actually, it's four poles (usually 3 soaking, 1 retrieving lures). I always fish with my son and we both have 2-pole licenses.

The best part about Don Castro is it's a lot of fish and a tiny little area.

Next new T-shirt ad we'll be seeing...

DON'T MESS WITH ME!
(I played with mercury and lead)

A few more of my "no rolls" that I use for trolley rigs when fishing for salmon off the pier. I throw them with a 15-ft pole on 300 lb braided line using an off-the-rail style cast.

For some reason I don't have to yell "MAKE A HOLE!!!" twice.

If I could only take one bait for both crabs and fish, it would be squid. I buy mine at an Asian market and any I don't use for bait get beer battered and boiled in oil (recipe available upon request).

Crabs are scavengers so they will eat just about anything. I've got a 5-gal bucket in my garage that I start filling in October. Right now it's got 4 hacked up Striper carcasses it. I'll also clean out the freezer and toss in any meat that's freezer-burned. My brother used to shoot coots for his pots. If the bucket isn't full before we go crabbing, I'll go to Ballena (Alameda, just south of the Rock Wall) and catch bat rays to hack up.

The bucket has salt brine in it to preserve the bait. To make the brine I add 2 lbs of salt to a gallon of water and bring to a boil. If all of the salt dissolves, I add more until I can't get any more to dissolve.

I also use the same brine for all of my bait. I have a jug of cut anchovies, a jug of whole shad, a jug of squid, and a jug of chicken liver in my car (some bought 8 months ago). None of it ever went in the fridge or freezer (although I will move it into the garage when it's super hot).

Here's a pic of some of the ones that I make (these are 2 and 6 oz).

I just cut a piece of 1/4" ABS plastic into the shape and sizes (roughly 2-10 oz) and pushed them down flush into a plaster of Paris (dried in the oven through a couple of nights bakings).

The eye hole is drilled. For extra sticking power I drill tight fitting holes in the bottom two corners of some of the 10 oz'ers to tap 2-1/4" pieces of soft wire through--the wire bends if it snags.

I like this shape because they will plane to the surface when retrieved and doesn't get stuck in the rocks like a lot of the others.

2 and 6 oz no-roll planing weights

OK, I should have seen that your in the next town over.

Here's some more info...

Also be sure you bookmark the East Bay Fishing reports and planting calendar:
https://www.ebparks.org/recreation/fishing/anglers-edge-online

My personal favorite is Don Castro... lots of My Lassen plants (up to 15+ lbs) in a small pond and it's only 7 minutes from I-580. I would much rather be sitting on the dam/dock than sitting behind the wheel waiting for the car in front of me to move 5 ft!

Lake Chabot is also quite productive. It's relatively deep, with a lot of shore access. They also rent boats and allow kayaking.

Since all of the EBRPD lakes are planted from one hatchery, the same bait/lures work for all of them.

For bank fishing:

Power Bait on a #10 treble, 10-14 (depending on water clarity), 5/8 ounce slider. I carry three flavors of Power Bait... two poles get Garlic Chartreuse, third pole gets Green Pumpkin, and the forth gets Bubblegum or Rainbow. Most of the regulars dip their bait in cods liver oil with garlic powder.

I also carry a color assortment of Mouse Tails.

The wire loop that's attached to the 12 guage shell is what I made to hang on the slack between the bottom guides. They go on and off a lot easier and don't twist up in the wind like a bobber does. I use a 12G shell because I've given away so many that I had to hang something unique in order to tell which pole was mine.

For casting from shore: See attached... I've caught fish on all of the ones shown. In there are:
Rooster Tails
Kastmasters
Crocodiles
Blue Foxes
Panther Martins
Mepps Anglia
Rapalas -- In order to get any distance on my cast, I snap on a Kastmaster to my main line then attach 24-30" of leader ahead of the Rapala
Homemade -- flasher from a trashy rooster tail followed by two small kastmasters


For trolling: Most use a Cast master out behind between 75-100 ft with no flasher/dodger. I've caught far (10X) more and much bigger fish using a jointed Rapala (see left side of pic) 30" behind a 5" dodger. My best performers have been the Rainbow and Brown Trout patterns.

Hope this helps. Hit me up if you want more info.

Have fun and get some!
Papa in D

I might have released it but it would have been a septupus (I have a killer recipe for octopus stew😁).

Can you narrow down where in Cen-Cal are you?

Also tell us your fishing preferences (i.e. river/stream vs. lake, boat vs. bank, etc.)

Red & white is my Go-To.

I've pulled out a lot of limits (especially at the Stanislaus/San Joaquin confluence) with this one.

Best fished during nautical twilight.

Me thinks it's Rivers (not Dead) End marina off of Byron Highway. 😊

You may also want to consider Bullfrog Landing ... Head North and check out Mildred Island and Little Mandeville Island.

I would stay away from Frank's Tract... it can get a nasty wind chop especially in the afternoon.

Also beware of Fisherman's Cut and Dutch Slough. With the draught dam up on False River the current through these two is exceptionally strong in both directions.

Unless you are going with someone that knows the Delta well, I would highly recommend taking the Delta map (Fish-n-Map Co.) and LOOK AT IT on your way out. From the water there are few visible landmarks (except My Diablo) and most of the Delta looks the same (ie water, reeds and rock lined levees). The map also has a lot of fishing area recommendations.

Have fun and get some!