May 4-12 2025 The last time we fished La Ventana, my cousin Wayne and I stumbled into what can only be described as a once-in-a-generation dorado bite. Our guide, Yoni Cabrone—a local legend in his own right—said it was the best dorado week he’d seen in his 35 years guiding and diving these waters.…
April 28-31, 2025. After years of returning to Henderson Springs—often multiple times a year—I’m still struck by how no two trips are ever the same. The five lakes on the property haven’t changed on the map, but each visit offers something new, something surprising. Every lake here has a distinct personality. Some favor midges, others…
April 15, 2025. It’s been almost a month since I last fished the home waters, and apparently, the lake took it personally. Everything’s different now—water’s way up, temps are lounging in the mid-60s like they’re on spring break, and algae is smothering everything like a bad cologne. The wind has officially become sentient and moody,…
April 2-7 2025. First off, credit where credit is due—this whole trip happened because my amazing wife Gina won the TDIC raffle. While most folks win golf bags or a new office chair, Gina managed to hit the jackpot: a full week, all-inclusive stay at Portofino Beach Resort in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. That’s right—white…
March 28-31 2025. With a month to go, I was getting all giddy inside—like Kimmie the Fishig Dog that just heard the word “walk”—knowing that the 2027 trout season was just around the corner. Henderson Springs in March is basically Disneyland for fly fishermen, minus the churros and long lines. Mark Henderson even sent me…
Dodging the Storms and Chasing Stripers Saturday March 15, 2025 – It’s been raining for three days straight, and tomorrow promises more of the same. But today? Today was one of those freakishly perfect days—sandwiched between storms—when the wind disappears, the sun comes out, and everything feels just right. I wasn’t the only one who…
It’s raining today, so I figured I’d spend some time at the vise, tying flies and contemplating my life choices. My cousin Wayne and I are both practicing dentists and retired commercial fly tyers—though at this point, our fly tying skills might be more reliable than our dentistry. Maybe it’s our age, or maybe we’ve just…
March 5, 2025 – Somewhere in the Wild Bureaucratic Hellscape of California Another bout of rain looms on the horizon, but the real storm already passed—an eight-day exile at the hands of California Parks and Recreation. Banished. Quarantined. A punishment so absurd it could only have been conceived by a government agency with no clear…
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 -California’s water managers have come up with yet another genius plan to save us all: stop boats from moving between O’Neill Forebay and San Luis Reservoir for eight days. Why? Because of the newly discovered Chinese golden mussel, an invasive species that’s now calling O’Neill Forebay home. Never mind that O’Neill…
Monday February 24, 2025 – February striper fishing these days is a roller coaster—a transitional circus of nature gone mad. The rains have come down like a curse, swelling both Forebay and Lake to surreal levels. Water turbidity is off the charts, with murk reducing visibility to a mere 1–4 feet, and a bitter cold…
January 24, 2025 -Fishing on the Forebay today turned out surprisingly well, despite there being no current flowing through from Check 12, the dam, or the powerhouse. I would have thought that by now water would be rushing south to Los Angeles, but there wasn’t enough current anywhere to swing my Clousers for stripers. Instead…
January 19, 2025 – Fishing the Forebay in January is usually slow. Cold weather, chilly water, heavy rains, and muddy conditions are the norm, but today was anything but typical. Maybe it’s because there’s something in the air—a feeling of renewal, like a rebirth of a nation. Or perhaps it’s special for a more personal…
January 5, 2025 January has always been a challenging time of year for me on the lake and forebay. The lively blitzes and the big schools of bait are long gone. The fish have moved deeper, leaving the shallows empty and lifeless. It seems like the only ones catching fish now are the trollers, consistently…
Wednesday December 4, 2024 The mission for the day was simple in theory: catch one keeper for dinner. But in reality? A gamble, a twisted roll of the dice. December fishing is a schizophrenic beast—either the jackpot of blitzing action or a cruel exercise in futility. Vaughn and his merry band of misfits had taken…
Sunday November 24, 2024 – The first major atmospheric river of the year swept through the Bay Area this week, and as in past years, I made an effort to hit the Forebay after the first big rain. Fortunately, today’s weather cooperated—flat water and sunny skies made for an ideal day on the water, even…
It’s really frustrating that rebanding is no longer allowed, especially now that they’re inspecting boats as they leave. If the goal is to prevent mussel contamination in other bodies of water like the Forebay and the lake, inspecting boats on the way out doesn’t make much sense if. your not rebanding. I timed my inspection…
November 7-9, 2024 – Over the years, Gina and I have had the pleasure of sharing many live music experiences, including season tickets to the Paul Mason Concert series. Live music has always been a big part of our lives, from our first real date at Grant Park—where we enjoyed a symphony practice over a…
Can you feel it? The tide has turned. The blitz to make America Great again is on! Lessens learned from last night, Let success be your revenge. Trump wins and its the dawn of a new era, but more about fishing – specifically fishing Blitzes. October through December is Blitz time on the lake and…
Monday Nov 4, 2024. – Is it too soon to start slinging Christmas cheer? Hell, it’s the day before the election. The stakes are high, my nerves are fried, and it’s all too surreal to face alone. So, I dialed up my favorite aging Republican fishing buddy, Don, an 86-year-old Stanford PhD in Electrical Engineering…
Friday November 1, 2024 – Someone told me the stripers were going wild in Portuguese Bay all day, so I thought I’d give it a shot on the Friday morning after Halloween. I headed out to the back of Portuguese Bay on San Luis Reservoir, hoping to hook a few big stripers blitzing on shad.…