Winter Doldrums

January 29, 2024 – The weather forecast was ominous as an atmospheric river was approaching, promising excessive wind and rain that could lead to street flooding and river runoff by Wednesday. However, today was a surprising exception for Dan Blanton and me as we enjoyed sunny skies and warm weather on an uncharacteristically pleasant winter…

First Striper of the Year

It’s been more than a month since I last went fishing at the lake or the forebay. Gina and I spent the latter part of December with my pregnant daughter in Charleston, where I aggravated an old sports injury while playing pickleball with my son. As a result, I ended up with an injured left…

More Situational than Seasonal

Dec 15, 2023 – Almost exactly a year to the hour, I experienced one of my most memorable days on the Forebay. I had been reminiscing about that incredible day all year, eagerly anticipating the possibility of reliving a similar adventure this December. Despite the slow fishing experiences throughout November and recent reports suggesting that…

Fishing with Don

Monday Dec 11.2023 -Winter fly fishing in the lake presents a challenging period, often characterized as the slowest time of the year, even for the seasoned anglers. Water temperatures drop, daylight hours are short, and bait becomes scarce. Despite the unfavorable conditions, my friend Don and I ventured out for a day of camaraderie and…

Funky Cold Stripers

  December 2, 2023 Saturday  -It’s been five days since I last fished at the Forebay, and I was eagerly looking forward to another exciting and challenging day on the water. The reports from the lake were promising, with Vaughn, Steph, and Brian all showing enthusiasm for the big water.    On the contrary, I…

Should have Fished the Boat Ramp

Sunday November 26, 2023  –  It’s quite amusing how one often assumes that the best fishing spots are out in the middle rather than where they initially set out. This morning, I launched my boat at Cottonwood onto ONeill Forebay, while there was a frenzy of fish activity right under and around my moored boat.…

Stripers on the Bank

November 10, 2023   After receiving enthusiastic reports from Frank yesterday, in which he vividly described the spectacle of Striper boils scattered throughout the lake, accompanied by a frenzy of birds working large schools of bait while stripers relentlessly attacked write at the boat ramp. I simply couldn’t contain my excitement. My original plan to tie…

A Tale of Four Fishermen…

This is a tale of four seasoned striper fishermen fishing  the O’Neill Forebay on 4 separate days in a week.  Their outcomes varied dramatically, reflecting the impact of social media and our extensive network of fishing reports which allowed us to gather a wealth of up-to-date information about fishing conditions at San Luis Reservoir and…

A No Hitter on the the Forebay

November 3, 2023 – I decided to try the Forebay today hoping that it would start to pick up as the lake starts to slow down but ended a short day from 9-1 with not even a touch despite all the ingredients for a a great day except feeding fish.   I livescoped the entire forebay…

Cold Snap and Full Moon slows the Lake

The Kiosk employee informed me while he was de-banding my boat that the temperature had dropped into the 30s this morning. Just a week ago, I distinctly recall sweltering in 90-degree afternoons. The gentle, cool breeze throughout the day signaled the arrival of autumn, and the sight of the full moon last night had already…

Serendipity -Best Day of the Year

Serendipity – the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.  “a fortunate stroke of  serendipity” October 20, 2023. – Yesterday, I received some intel from the scouts about the fish’s whereabouts. They reported that the fish were congregating in Portuguese Cove and Las Peidros. On the flip side, it seemed…

Rack and Roll Hoochi Koo

Inspired by Muddy Waters in his timeless classic “Hoochie Coochie Man,” the term “Hoochi Koo” symbolizes a state of pure rock and roll euphoria and liberation. That’s precisely how it felt today as I ventured out to fish the Trash Racks at San Luis.  My spirits were high, riding the wave of a rock and roll…