I have been fishing for about 40 years, started when I was about seven years old. A couple of friends
and I would hitchhike to LEGGS and PUDDINGSTONE Lake just to catch a few small bluegill.
We use to offer the bluegill to people who were going our way just trying to get a ride home.
When I got old enough to drive, I started fishing in the Pacific Ocean. Usually on the Half-Day or
Full-Day boats and occasionally on an Overnight boat. This lasted for about 8 years. On my LAST
trip to the ocean, we were fishing for rock cod at Catalina Island. I felt something hit my bait. I set
the hook and started reeling. About halfway in, it felt really heavy and the only thought was that of
JACKPOT (biggest fish). Reeling harder and pumping the rod (bent close to double), the catch
made a run and almost lifted me up off my feet. I had to grab the rail just to keep from going
overboard. The line went slack. I reeled very fast just to take up the slack line and as I lifted the
rod tip a bit, the water alongside the boat seemed to come alive. Looking down, I was staring face
to face, eye to eye with a BLUE SHARK with big baby doll eyes. The Captain saw the shark and
pulled out a 38 pistol (from somewhere) and emptied it into the shark. He leaned over and cut my
line and the shark swam away just as if nothing had happened.
I put the rod down and began to think if my boat capsized around sharks and I had my fishing knife in my hand, instead of trying to fight off the sharks I would just kill myself quickly so I would not have to feel them nibbling on me. After seeing JAWS I realized ocean fishing was no longer for me. I made up my mind right then to go back to freshwater rivers and lakes.
I have had the opportunity to fish a few of the lakes and canals in Mexico. It was not uncommon to fill half a dozen coolers with catfish. This was done in about 110 degree heat for five days at a time. Don’t know which is really worse, baking (without being basted) in 110 degrees for 5 days or being nibbled by sharks (think I will take the heat). When I got home my family did not recognize me. They said that I was about five shades darker and as of today I still have not regained my natural color.
I started going to Sacramento, Ca. where I had lived as a small child. Here I started fishing with my cousin Vernon Gilbert who turned me on to BASS fishing, which I have been doing ever since.
In 1989, a few friends and I started a BASS CLUB (BCB), Beach City Bass in Torrance, California. I stayed with the club until 2000. During those eleven years I could only claim one first place win which came the last year. Previous to my last year I had numerous 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishes. The next year I did not fish for bass very much.
Throughout all those years, I would take my kids fishing as often as possible. Although we got pretty good at bringing in the pan fish, I started to concentrate more on the bigger red-ear, shell-cracker, blue gill, and crappie. I would talk to, listen, and learn from those fishermen who could really catch them. One of those being a guy from the BCB bass club. He was really good at crappie fishing and taught me a lot. I compiled all the information from him and others and developed a pattern for finding crappie. I believe my pattern for crappie is at least 100% better than my patterns for bass.
During 2000 thru 2003, I fished three crappie tournaments sponsored by Vermont Bait and Tackle in Los Angeles.
I managed to come in First Place in two of the three tournaments. I have taken a lot of people out crappie fishing and believe the success rate is at or near 95% of the time being able to find and boat limits of crappie. I have caught crappie over 3 pounds numerous times. I can not guarantee you the size of fish, but can (almost) guarantee to put you on fish. (Notice I said “almost” that is why they call if fishing and not catching).
