Recent content by CoachPotato

  1. CoachPotato

    Vented Cabin Heaters

    I've blown a small fortune on vented cabin heaters for my 22' C-Dory Anglers. The first one was a very troublesome Scan vented heater or which even the Scandinavian maker and US distributor couldn't agree was the best fuel. I had lots of trouble with it. After five times pulling it out for...
  2. CoachPotato

    Nov 14-15: It's sturgeon time again!

    Ahhh. It's sturgeon fishing time again on the wonderful Kalifornistan Delta! I made my first cruise of the season down to Suisun Bay, just above San Pablo and San Francisco Bays, to try for a mighty sturgeon. I spent the night at anchor out in the remoteness of Suisun Bay, miles from anyone or...
  3. CoachPotato

    The salmon are running the Sacramento River!

    Having spent all summer doing other things or sittin' in the rocker, I finally got my old bones moving to load up the coach and boat for a few days on the California Delta near Rio Vista, CA chasing those salmon! It was a grand three days of fishing, and while a limit eluded me, I did manage a...
  4. CoachPotato

    Sturgeon! April 19, 20 on Sacramento River

    Finally... this ol' wimp found the weather to be tolerable - high70s and even into the 80s - and finally headed out for some sturgeon. I fished Light 25 on the Sacramento River below Rio Vista, Kalifornistan on Thursday and managed a 44 incher that was about as wimpy a fighter as I've ever...
  5. CoachPotato

    Dec 6-7: Suisun Bay (Cal Delta) Sturgeon Brawl!

    This old man swore off fishing for awhile after the trip two weeks ago. I'm too old and wimpy to fish the cold days and nights of December and January. But the tides and the weather were aligning so perfectly that I had to make one more effort at using my second sturgeon tag! We're allowed...
  6. CoachPotato

    Nov 21-22 Suisun Bay (CalDelta) stripers

    I cruised downriver from Rio Visa, CA to Suisun Bay, about a 20 mile cruise, on flat water under sunny skies - in my T-shirt! It was an awesome November day on my beloved Delta. The plan was to catch another sturgeon and to spend the night at anchor on the bay. I fished from about noon 'til...
  7. CoachPotato

    Nov 8,9: Two Sturgeon Keepers on Suisun Bay!

    After declaring my Delta salmon season over last week, it was time to head for Suisun Bay on the California Delta, near Pittsburg and Antioch, CA, and get my sturgeon season under way. I arrived at my honey hole on Suisun Bay about 1130 Tuesday morning. A huge outgoing tide was predicted and...
  8. CoachPotato

    Oct 25,26: Old Sac Salmon Limit

    I launched into the Sacramento River at Rio Vista, then began a troll up river to the Old Sac, clear on up to Locke, CA, about a half days troll. It was a breezy day, and I had my hands full with keeping the boat on course, tending the lines, etc. In fact I gave up trolling two lines as it was...
  9. CoachPotato

    October 11-12, 2011: Finally! My First Salmon in Six years!

    Waaaay back in 2005 I caught my last salmon - a gorgeous 25 Lb. chromer that fought her heart out! The following years were so bad for salmon fishing that I gave up early in the season, skunked. Then in '09 (I believe) they closed the season 'til, essentially, this year as last year's...
  10. CoachPotato

    Sept. 12-15: Fishing Oregon?s Record Holding Kokanee Lake ? For Trout!

    Inspired by last year?s world record 9.7 Lb. kokanee, I drove to Oregon, picked up my old high school buddy, Al, in Prineville (and I do mean old; he was class of ?58!). We continued on to the northeastern, and much unheralded, Oregon?s Wallowa State Park. For me it was nearly a 2000 mile round...
  11. CoachPotato

    8-31 & 9-1: Hard Times on New Melones Lake (Kalifornistan)

    I just couldn't seem to do anything right this trip. After the 65 mile drive to the lakeside bait shop, Glory Hole Sports near Angels Camp, CA, I discovered I had no wallet and no phone! To add to the troubles, I managed to cross the downrigger weights at 85+ feet deep and get them hung up on...
  12. CoachPotato

    At wits end with Raymaine A70D FF - insists that downrigger weight is bottom!

    I never would spend $1800 for a FF/GPS/Chartplotter, but that's what came with my '09 C-Dory. So far, I have learned to hate the $%&@*! thing. Just for shucks and giggles, I counted the number of button pushes to change the depth alarm setting: it takes SEVENTEEN button pushes to accomplish...
  13. CoachPotato

    First try at Berryessa - where are all those kokes?!

    I've read several glowing reports about the great koke bite on Lake Berryessa (about 40 miles west of Sacramento), and having never visited the lake, decided it was time to give it a try. I hooked up the boat on Tuesday morning and started the 105 mile trip. I launched late and didn't begin...
  14. CoachPotato

    New Melones Lake (Kalifornistan) August 4,5 + trying my new Raymarine S1000 outopilot

    After installing a new Raymarine autopilot on my C-Dory, I was anxious to head for New Melones Lake (in the Kalifornistan Gold Country foothills) for some kokanee fishing. I read the report from Glory Hole Store near the lake that trout fishing was slow and kokanee was fair to slow. As a fair to...
  15. CoachPotato

    July 20-21: Fishing a Volcano for Kokanee!

    I took a week's trip with Wifey to Oregon to visit family. While there, an old high school buddy, Al, met me and we went to Central Oregon's Paulina Lake, in the Newberry Caldera about 25 miles south of Bend. This is the most beautiful lake I've ever fished! (Check out the photos.) Al had his...
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