Lake Mendocino - 10/20 & 10/21 (pics)

Saturday 10/20

Met up with Adam / Fish Hunter and "Shark attack Dan" at the minnow store by 8AM....we basically picked our nose's     till it was finally opened at 8:45AM  . Sean met us at the store just before we headed for the Dam. He kindly reminded us about the mud situation and to make sure we had the 4-WD option available just in case.

I made my way to the Buoy line in front of the Dam while Adam and Dan went around the Island. They both hooked up immediately and Dan called me in (thanks Dan). As soon as turned around the corner, "HULI KA" !!! I hooked up and felt like I caught the record striper. This bad boy pulled, pulled and pulled...and then pulled even more I thought that I maybe tailed snagged it or it was a very big catfish. After what had seemed to be forever, I was totally amazed to see that it was a typical 27 inch striper BUT really FAT. I hooked up again and got a similar fight but it got unhooked before I had a Chance to see it. Dan and Fish Hunter had their share of "free towing" - I'll let them tell their stories.

Dan definitely had the hot stick of the day - he took me and Adam to Striper School 

By the way, the bait we got from the store sucked big time - half were dead by the time we launched 

The wind came up  early in the PM and we packed it in. And then Sean and Paige showed up. Adam took the liberty to go back to the store and "regulate"    . The lady ended giving us a deal because of all the dead minnows that we had bought earlier. (thanks Adam ) So, we unpacked and followed Sean and Paige (AKA "San Dab") to Crappie Cove. Sean hooks up using a fluke (twice I believe) and Dan caught one drifting a minnow by the mouth.

Sunday 10/21

We trolled minnows towards Vinegar Point. I hook up with the first fish on the way and hooked another one at Vinegar Point - but lost it by the boat  Adam also hooked up with a nice "AOTY Upgrade Striper"  I paddled in to help him measure, photo and release.

I also met another Kayak Fisherman from San Jose (sorry, I forgot your name brother). He had a nice striper limit and a SMB at the end of the day.

Later in the Day (Adam and Dan already took off), two other kayak fishermen called in of channel 69 and they were on the fish by the Boat-in campsite. I thanked them for the intel but decide to look for SMB instead. I ended up finding 2 LMB (one caught with a kast master with a bucktail on the business end and the other was caught with a saber tail soft bait. Got out by 4PM.

Thanks again the Adam and Dan for keeping me company at the camp site. Food was epic as always. Steak,Beans, rice and Soy Ve Chicken. Had our dinner by the fire - nothing better than that 

This was my 3rd camping weekend in a row - I WANT MORE!!!

pics to follow....

Good Job guys! Nothing like slapping fatties! sounds like more fun than I had.-next time!!

Thanks for the report Mooch!
We had some rain up in Redwood Valley on Saturday but it looked like you guys may have missed it.

I went out to Mendo on Sunday with my 7 year old son  (we bank fished as he did not want to 'yak yesterday) We entered the Bu-Shay area on the North end and hiked down to the water by the river mouth (a trickle still.) I wanted to hike in a little further (not all the way to Miti where you went tho) but my son was not up to it. Weather was fine, nice to be out, not a bite.

John

Dang Mooch
You are a camping animal! I wish I could do that many. Very jealous about that and the fish!

Weather was fine, nice to be out, not a bite.

Yeah John, Sunday afternoon turned out to be the icing in the cake. The water was so flat that I stopped fishing and just paddled to "paddle"

You are a camping animal! I wish I could do that many. Very jealous about that and the fish!

Compa, that's just how I roll 

Nice Job Guys I was headed your way but the wind made me turn left at Canyon Rd.

This was my 3rd camping weekend in a row - I WANT MORE!!!

(Saturday)
Pic 1: Here's Dan "paddling" his new Ocean Kayak Trident with a LMB.
Pic 2: Dan "Check out my sexy legs" with a one of the many stripers he caught and released....

Saturday pics:

pic 1: "Cyborg" Sean and "Sand Dab" with a Crappie Cove Striper
pic 2: "Cyborg" Sean and Adam the Fish Hunter.....

...i finshed my nails early frinite and decided to take the ride to Mendo and then wait from 7:30 to 8:45 until the DUMBFU_ _s decided that it was a saturday and needed to open up?  (i starting to HATE this shop!)
as I was waiting patiently(NOT) Dan pulled up and then to my surprize, Mooch too!

after getting only 1 from the bouy line that was hot(BAM weekend) I went on the other side of the island and spotted KINDLY MARKS below in 25'FOW, I don't troll anymore when HUNTING DOWN these things, I hunt along the drop-offs and look for them on the TV and when I find them at a contant depth I then look for the drops and "V" channels that break-up the shoreline and usually creates bottom change and a place for them to ambush prey(my minnows)My poles are set and the minnows are kept just below the water-line and when it's time to send them on a mission, i know that they're are going DOWN to BE SEEN by FISH! Dan was close by when I said,"wish me luck!, I see some right below me!" I opened the bails on both, minnows deployed then in LOCK-n-LOAD postion.....INSTANT BAMO!!  and this thing was a BEAST!! (thought it was foul hooked) it shot down and deep and DID NOT GIVE UP!!..so Dan give Mooch a shout on the radio that Adam got a good one(your WELCOME brudah Mooch) while he's PADDLING?,Dan? to the NOW vacated HotSpot, ZZZZZZZZZZ goes his drag! DOUBLE HOOK UP!! Mine is pulling me away from the shore and Dans' is taking him around the block a few times, Mooch then paddles around the corner...TRIPLE HOOK-UP!!   and ALL FOUGHT like they were 20lbs+!!

...more too come

pic1~ Dan with one from the south-bouyline

pis2&3 ~ bouyline battle

As I was paddling towrads crappie cove to join Cyborg Sean and little Sand Dab, I came across the "Lake Mendo Nessie"   I could not get close enough to really identify the creature........cause I was afraid it might turn around, jump into my kayak and put it's teeth around my throat   So, I followed it to shore....from a safe distance  

It turned out to be a "deadly"   otter.....the size of a dog!

Pic 1: the "deadly" creature on water...
Pic 2: the "deadly creature" finally identified    ....it looks like a baboon on the run but it's really a deadly otter  

by the way, I found this rod and reel combo inside crappie cove....didn't want to get muddy, so I left it there. Does it look familiar? I do know a couple of Kayak Fishermen who lost a rod in this area.....

pic1~ the 20lb'er that measured 29" and fought like a DEMON!

pic2~ Dan and Mooch on a DOUBLE!!

pic3~ Mooch and a Striped-Bass BATTLE ROY-AL'er!

Sunday pics:

Adam / Fish Hunter on the hunt......

pic1~ Sean and Paige hookin and releasing....showin us BAIT'ers how to feel ASHAMED 

pic2~ a LMB I got while hunting the elusive Mendo-Smallie at the dam corner.

.....stayed out in the water til 6pm, then packed it up and headed for camp, food, refreshments and RESTART.

more pics to follow after lunch

Great pics fellas.  Sorry I couldn't make it out Sunday too.  Sunday was ALL pop warner. 

We tried logging Paige on as sanddab but its already taken, so she is now "schoolie".  I have some great video from the other day, I'll try and post it up tonight.