Lake Mendo, 10-28

After hearing my fish tales of how great kayak fishing is I finally got one of my buddies to go out with me to Lake Mendo.

My friend Billy and I met Bob the Lingster at his house in Windsor around 8:30 and loaded up and made our way North along 101. Just past Healdsburg I happened to look in the back of my truck and noticed that the paddle Bob had let Billy use was not back there. I called Bob and we both pulled over. The paddle wasn't in either truck, so Bob turned around and went back for it and Billy and I kept going North. Right around Cloverdale I get a call. It's Bob and he says that the paddle is locked in the back of Billy's Durango. D'oh! So I bust a U-turn and drive over the grass median and head almost thirty miles back to Bob's house.....

So....Billy and I finally get to the South launch at around 10:30 after picking up 14 minnows for the two of us. Billy helps Bob take his yak down to the water and Bob takes off towards Vinegar Point. Billy and I get all set up and hit the water and head North, by this time Bob is just rounding V.P. Billy has never even sat in a kayak before, but he had no problems on the glass surface of the lake. However, since he was a noob I tied all his rigs, baited his hooks, etc.

So I baited Billy's hooks and gave him a shove, baited one of my hooks, and was putting a minnow on my second pole when he gets nailed and goes for a ride. I finish baiting my second hook, send it down, set the depth on it, and BAM!...my first pole gets nailed. I quickly battled and netted a smaller, ~24"er and paddle over to assist Billy. Just as he gets the fish up his other rod gets nailed! This guy has never even paddled before and within 30 minutes of launching he has a double hook-up on Lake Mendo love!

Anyway, to make a long beautiful day's story shorter - the rest of the day was more of the same. Billy and I both had two more double hook-ups through-out the day and I was headed back to the bait shop for another dozen minnows by 1:00. In his haste to get to V.P. Bob neglected to fish the area we did and had a slow start to the morning. By the time we got his attention Billy and I had both landed 5 stripers.

I ended the day with 6 stripers, Bob had 3 and a few that got off, and Billy the freakin' noob landed 7 stripers (including the largest of the day) and a 15" smallmouth!

We saw Obie Juan as we were leaving. He was on the boil hunt!

That is freaking awesome!! First day on a kayak, and has some awesome weather and catches fish.  I wish Mendocino was closer for me.  I still haven't caught a striper!! 
Besides forgetting the paddle, it sounds like your trip was perfect.  Awesome pictures

Nice job on those stripers. They look like they should be at least another 5lbs. heavier though. Long and skinny... but so much fun to catch.

Freddie

Nice job on those stripers. They look like they should be at least another 5lbs. heavier though. Long and skinny... but so much fun to catch.

Freddie

No doubt. You'd think the one Billy has in the second pic would go 12 or 13lbs, but it was closer to 7.

They are getting fatter but they have a ways to go.  I saw you guys out there.  I was hiking on the eastside with Paige.  Glad you got em.

Looks and sounds like your buddy is HOOKED, way to have a awsome day.

Pat R

Nice report! It must have been super cool to have no boats on the water and perfect striper action. I think I saw you guys out there too. I had to work. 

CHEERS!

The noob gets first-hand MADNESS on his "virgin voyage"?? SWEET!!  Great Times on the lake w/o the buzz of PB's around ya.   Did you guys even get past the bouy line?   did you check VinegarPt. or to your GO TO SPOT? the Isle of No Return"   the lake is low, but them STRIPERS are getting HUNGRAY'       
Props' on the DUB-HOOKs too!  LOVE IT!..when THAT HAPPENS!
thnks for getting me thinkin bout a last chance camp-out this weekend B4 the time changes!...hmmmmm?

Serious noob mojo! You killed it again too RH, nicely done and way to get your buddies on the fish.

Z

Hey Dustin , Congratulation Bro...we're there in south side that day, towards the dam...not that much action though, I saw you guys when were about to head back home...thanks for the report..



Kiel

Saweet noob action!! Nice job getting your friend into some quality fish.

FF

To bad that lake is so far from San Jose. Looks like a real nice day. Good job to the noob.

To bad that lake is so far from San Jose. Looks like a real nice day. Good to the noob.

I hear you Kevin......but just imagine if mendo was 10 minutes away from SF or San Jose....it would most likely be overfished by the end of the week

I just wished we had more striper fisheries in our area. You would think that Anderson would be another lake where stripers can flourish 

WTG, Champ!!!
Awesome to bring fish tales to life!

....i just noticed that both of you have the same hat!   no wonder he HOOKED UP FAT!  that's the hat you wear when giving me lessons (schoolin) on how to find fish without a FF.....and i think that CAPER might have some type of "special powers" or something like that.   better keep that one Dus'