Greetings from an outcast!

Hello my name is Bob Watrous and I am a fishaholic.  Man I wish it was that easy.  LOL  I’d like to start with the understanding that I fish, I fish a lot.  It’s not that I fish because I like to, but I fish because I have to.  Wow, that almost sounds like my first date with my wife Wendy.  Anyway, it’s just what and who I am.  I fished as normal child starting on a camping trip around two years old.  I say normal child because the early years of my fishing career, between the ages of 2 and 8, I only fished on camping trips, or day trips to the lake, etc.  Just like most kids do or have done.  Then when I was 8 years old I was befriended by old man Ron, a family friend, and he took me out catfishing at Becky’s bridge in his zodiac.   I hooked a ten pound catfish on my zebco 33 and it was all downhill from there.
I went fishing with Ron just about every weekend for the next ten or so years of my life.  There was one year, which was my  8th grade year, that we were on the water 50 out of 52 weekends that year.   My Mom still has that calendar with all the markings stashed away some where.  Ron started it all, I blame him!  From that day forward I was mowing lawns, pulling weeds, and doing any kind of odd job around the neighborhood I could do so I could order stuff from Bass pro shops.  I was addicted as a young child.  In my younger years I spent most of time  in three types of fishing; on a bass boat,  striper fishing, or sturgeon fishing.  Sturgeon is my ultimate passion.  I’ve spent many years towing a boat through baja, running to Alaska, spending a lot of time on the Columbia, and basically any place there is water.  If there is a hole in the ground with water in it, I’m scoping it out and trying to figure out how to catch whatever can be in there.  Yes, everyone’s koi ponds included.  It’s far beyond a hobby for me, it is fettish and I accept it.
Fast forward to today.  I have not been able to control the addiction.  I’m 34 years old and I have not had a single hour go by in the last 26 years without at least one thought, idea, or day dream of fishing going through my brain.  I love, admire, and respect every single type of fishing there is and want to master them all.  Yes, that is a tall order, but I sure want to try and accomplish it.  I have a strange sense of humor, been told I have a funny kackle when I laugh, I am loyal to a fault, and will help anyone hook any type of fish on the planet.  My style of fishing has been changing over the past couple years.  I still, and will always, love to sit on my boat and wait for that one big fish of a life time to make my reel scream with ripping drag.  I am a clambed fisherman and I am proud! What I am seeing in our fishery now scares me as I’ve been through the cycles and seen the good stock numbers and poor stock numbers.  I now fear for the future and have made a commitment to practice selective harvest.  I fear that if I don’t, my son Zachary may not have the opportunities his Pop had.  After all, the poor kid will most likely be fighting this same addiction for his entire life.  At three years old he’s already been crawdadding, crabbing,  and fishing.  He’s already caught fish on his own and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the days when I get to start spending the entire day with him fishing, I won’t even go into the over night trips……
However, over the past couple years, my buddies, some of which are on this board already, have introduced me to a whole new drug.  Flyfishing!  It’s a hell of a learning curve, but it’s fun as hell.  It has totally changed  my fishing experience and I’m just a noob to it.   I’ve talked with my friends about this before there are two main types of fisher people.  Some are just waiting for the fish of a lifetime, and some are just looking for that grab.  I have been the first type my whole life and have been slowly morphing into the second type. To me that grab is the culmination of homework, the hunt, the stalk, the experience, the self learning process, the trickery, and most of all the desire to get that grab.  That is what flyfishing has brought into my experiences; the desire for that grab, the adrenaline , and thrill of the hunt.  What can I say, I’m a junky! 
So here are just some highlights from the past year or so.  Hope you like them.
My two Best friends in the whole world.  My wife Wendy and my son Zachary.





He’s already getting his “sea legs”
And he already wants to be the captain!



Yup'nough said!  LOL



ONe of my latest life changing trips...











I like pink meat too

I have an affinity for stripers.







My friends do to!


I like them all with fins!








Even as twins….



Right now this is what I dream about the most!  I can’t wait until he can last 24-48 hours on a boat!!


He's winning derbies too lol.






Some pics from the latest drug I got addicted to






And this is how I like to end a good work day!  I've recently gotten the bug for a yak. I love the simplicity of it on the water and especially getting tow around by fish. I'm currently in the market for a used hobie outback. I’ll end it with these photos.  Thanks for taking the time to read, and thanks for looking.  Now go fishing!  LOL

looks like your problem is bigger than mine! Welcome!

welcome
great pictures

Great introduction.  Welcome

Excellent intro! Welcome to the fun, Bob.

Great intro.  You have definitely joined the right group.

Hmmm ? the Force is strong with this one !!  . Tight lines Bro. From Salinas.

Hey Bob, good to see you made it.  Welcome and let's go Yakkin when you get your new ride.....

Hmmm ? the Force is strong with this one !!  . Tight lines Bro. From Salinas.

 Me thinks Yes.

Roberto....you and your rods...get a room! Not good weather for abalone opener. May try plugging Big Break. Keep me posted, Ron

Hey Bob, good to see you made it.  Welcome and let's go Yakkin when you get your new ride.....

Stellman is that you? Small world Sir, now help me find an outback! Thanks for the nice welcome everyone!

Try Adventure Sports in Oakley at Big Break. They have good deals on used ones. If you are going to dive off of it, what about the Pro Angler? Not sure how easy it is to get back on. The Outback works good for me. I have even suited up, full 3mm in baja on my Outback.
On a good day on the ocean, 5 hours peddling and drifting is doable. Great for trolling for salmon. Keep me posted, Ron

Roberto....you and your rods...get a room! Not good weather for abalone opener. May try plugging Big Break. Keep me posted, Ron

Holy crap, even mold man Ron.....excuse me Fishmo aka Pesca mas. LOl the internet is such a small world. Rap is my fishing mentor I spoke about in my intro. I consider him my second Pop. So stoked to know you're here. So you to need help find me an outback.....it's to your advantage! Lol this weekend is family stuff in grass valley, following weekend Zach and are winning a derby. Come join us Saturday the 12th. I've got room for ya!

Try my outback out first. I have the cart wheels...pop it in around your area, or Big Break. Give me a heads up. Ron

Try my outback out first. I have the cart wheels...pop it in around your area, or Big Break. Give me a heads up. Ron

Will do, I've been on one a couple times so far. Haven't gotten to fish it, just talked a few guys into letting me test drive.  Seems like the best one for me. A bit  wider beam and the most stable I've tried.  The pro angler seems like I need a trailer for it which defeats the purpose of simplifying.  Nice ride though, but I want to be able to put my yak on top of my jeep by myself. The pro angler seem like you always need two people, a pickup, or a trailer. I've got a line on one fully outfitted one for 1800 bucks though. I'm going to go fondle it for a few minutes tomorrow anyway. Lol