The San Luis Obispo Tribune
Dec 4, 2008
Record largemouth bass caught at Santa Margarita Lake
Largemouth bass record is set for the second time this year at Santa Margarita
There was a lake bass record, a big payday for two anglers in Patriot Sportfishing’s three-month lingcod vontest and an exclamation point was affixed to the final fish caught aboard Michele Leary’s boat, the Rita G.
Santa Margarita Lake’s largemouth bass record was set for the second time this year. Both times the new record holder was professionally involved in the produce business. Their approaches were markedly different.
Courtesy photo.On July 30, Soledad’s Carlos Valdez, 45, caught his 13.13-pound bass on a plastic frog imitation. His rod was armed with 65-pound test braided line, which he deems necessary to winch bass out of their tangled underbrush domain. After photos at the marina, he transported the prized catch in his live well to Albertson’s in Atascadero where the fish’s weight was certified. The bass was returned to the lake and released alive.
Nipomo’s Ron Reccord established a new record Nov. 29 while fishing with Cecil Morgan of Arroyo Grande. The catch was made with one of Morgan’s hand-poured salt worms.
The pair had limits of bass by early afternoon. They began to leave the productive location but instead decided to stop at a main lake point.
“I was using a 4 1/4-inch amber grub and fishing in 25 to 30 feet of water,” Reccord, 46, said. “Cecil lipped the fish and it weighed 13 pounds on his Cull-M-Rite fish scale. We put the fish in the live well and headed for the marina and then the Ranger Station.”
Several months ago a scale that has been certified by SLO County Weights and Measures Department was purchased for just such occasions.
Reccord’s catch, which was made on 6-pound test line, weighed 13.33 pounds, a record.
“We returned the fish to the lake with a blunt hook in its mouth and lowered it to a depth of 20 feet. It spit the hook and never surfaced during the 10 or 15 minutes we watched. So it’s there for someone else to catch,” he said.
Lingcod contest Tuesday was payday for Joe Torres of Arroyo Grande and Jason Butler of Santa Maria.
The 65-year-old Torres averaged two Long Range trips a week to Vandenberg during the three-month lingcod contest sponsored by Patriot Sportfishing. By landing lings weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce and 19 pounds, 8 ounces, he placed first and third to win $4,000.
The retired aircraft mechanic from Burbank has been coming to the Central Coast to do his saltwater fishing since 1976. Nine years ago he settled in Arroyo Grande.
“I’ve competed all four years in the contest,” Torres said.
His two prize winners outweighed his previous best, which was 16 pounds. He used a Seeker rod with a Trinidad 12 Shimano reel and caught his winners with blue head and green head swimbaits.
Butler has been on the Central Coast only since early August. He has completed classwork and will graduate next month from the University of Florida with a wildlife ecology degree.
“I’ve only competed twice,” the 27-year-old said “I won the $2,000 on Oct. 23, my first trip, when I caught a 21-2 ling using a plastic squid rig with a live anchovy. The money will tide me over until I get a job.”
Final voyage Michele Leary’s final day piloting the Rita G out of Morro Bay was Nov. 29.
“Rockfish were not biting at all,” she said. “The 19 passengers didn’t even have half limits when the Coast Guard called advising me of sudden rough bar conditions. They said we might not be able to come through the harbor entrance.
“I didn’t want to end the season so abruptly so I slid into one last spot off of San Simeon. I expected the gang would be able to load up on blue and Johnny bass. Instead, only two fish were caught. A call from home told me conditions at the entrance were serious. I told the crew to wind ’em up. It didn’t happen right away. When I went to the back deck I saw a friend with his rod doubled over.”
“ Jerry Dutsch from Exeter pulled up a 33-pound halibut from 150 feet of water. This was literally the last fish of the season as the bar was closed on Sunday.
“We kicked it for home and got a Coast Guard and Harbor Patrol greeting at the entrance where the waves were breaking all the way across the bar around 15 feet high. The Coast Guard helped me to pick a nice big flat spot to get us home safely.”
The 30 passengers caught 5 lingcod, 74 red rockcod, 109 assorted rockfish, 30 bolina, 1 halibut, 1 rock sole and 1 bonito.
Jackpot winners included Dutsch of Exeter and a 9-pound lingcod reeled in by Jeremy Harkins of Morro Bay.
Virg’s Landing Passengers aboard Virg’s boats cannot only view the Morro Bay Lighted Boat Parade Saturday, but they can be in the parade. Virg’s decorated boats will leave the landing at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.
They may be purchased in the tackle shop or by telephone. Refreshments will be available on board.
Bonito fishing trips are scheduled Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fare is $75. On two crew trips bonito limits were caught with fish up to 15 pounds. Crew members fished off Diablo Canyon using feathers and surface iron. Eight passengers caught 80 bonito.
Call 772-1222 for reservations and more information.
Last week 148 anglers caught 20 lingcod, 398 red rockcod and 978 assorted rockfish.
Jackpot winners included Terry Lamb, Atascadero, 13-pound lingcod; Rick Brebes, Morro Bay, 9-pound lingcod; Alex Zamara, Oildale and Bob Collins, Las Vegas, both 6-pound red rockcod; and Pat Kapp, Las Vegas, 6-pound whitebelly.
Patriot Sportfishing A “good time and a good fight,” that’s what manager Roger York is advertising for passengers who opt for a bonito fishing trip. The first such trip was set for Wednesday. The next offerings are Saturday and Sunday. The eight-hour trips from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. are priced at $63. Loads will be limited to 20 passengers. Call 595-7200 for reservations and more information.
Patriot will offer bonito trips “as long as the bonito are biting,” York said.
The biggest lingcod landed during the final week of the season was an 18-pound, 8-ounce fish by Inez Oliva of Santa Maria on Nov. 29.
The catch by 313 passengers last week included 114 lingcod, 135 red rockcod, 1,429 assorted rockfish, 8 cabezon and 24 bonito.
Other jackpot winners were Jerome Terjak, Arroyo Grande, 16-pound lingcod; Duane Seals, San Luis Obispo, 15-8 lingcod; Joey Masters, Arroyo Grande, and Jodee Bybee, Hesperia, both 11-pound lingcod; Dakota Zamus, Los Osos, 10-pound lingcod; Aaron Quarles, San Luis Obispo, and Daniel Bernal, Guadalupe, both 9-pound lingcod; Kurt Lake, Arroyo Grande, 8-pound lingcod; Greg Jacobson, Arroyo Grande, 8-pound bonito; Jared Farris, Bakersfield, 6-pound lingcod; and Matthew Perry, Bakersfield, 4-pound vermillion.
Port Side Marine For the second time in the past four weeks of the rockcod season, the Whopper of the Week was caught by Joey Rademacher of Atascadero. He won with a 10-1 lingcod caught Nov. 28. On Nov. 8, he took honors with the catch of a 12-6 lingcod.
Fifty of the 101 boats launched last week were dispatched Nov. 29. Fourteen lingcod, 9 cabezon, 1 halibut and 761 bonito were caught last week. Anglers focused on the bonito swimming close to the coast rather than rockcod. This week, 21 bonito were caught by anglers on three boats Monday and 25 were caught and released by fishermen in one boat Tuesday.
Lopez Lake Dennis Williams of Los Osos employed a purple Roboworm to catch a 6 1/2-pound largemouth Nov. 26. Ruben Ruvaclaba, 8, and Zury Martinez, 9, caught a trout and a catfish on nightcrawlers while fishing Nov. 28 in Cottonwood Cove.
A 2-hour Nature Boat Cruise of the lake is scheduled for Sunday, beginning at 10:15 a.m. The fares are $7 for adults and $3.50 per child. Participants will learn about the history and mystery hidden below the water as well as the flora and fauna that live in the park.
Santa Margarita Lake First-time angler Conner Nolan, 9, of Creston, fishing with his dad, caught two catfish on nightcrawlers dunked in The Narrows.
John Sherry reports his fishing buddy, Mark Shelton, caught a 6-pound bass while fly fishing in The Narrows on Nov. 29. Shelton was using a “Muddler Minnow” for the first time in pursuit of bass. It was the only fish caught in their four hours of fishing.
He’s coming back Jack Dennis, legendary fly fisherman and flytier, will be making a return visit to San Luis Obispo on Jan. 12. This could be his last trip to the Central Coast because of his numerous obligations, which limit his lecture tours.
His appearance is sponsored by the Santa Lucia Fly Fishers Club. He has mentored such celebrities as Curt Gowdy, Chuck Yeager, Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, Richard Pryor and Arnold Palmer as well as former presidents.
Dennis’ discussion will be the San Luis Obispo Library Community Room. Seating is limited to 125. Club members have until Dec. 21 to purchase tickets at $8 each. Checks should be sent to Santa Lucia Fly Fishers c/o The Treasurer, P.O. Box 166, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406. The general public may purchase tickets at $10 each after Dec. 21.
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