Going Back to Cali

I haven’t spent a lot of time in California. In fact, before our recent trip to LA, San Diego and Orange County when we fished with Oliver and Riley Ngy, I hadn’t been there since 2018, when we took a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco with another couple for Hanna’s 50th birthday. The last time I’d been in Southern California was 2013, when my brother and I took my dad to Los Angeles for a Lakers game and an eating tour for his 70th birthday.

The last time I’d fished in California was as a co-angler in the 2007 Elite Series event on the California Delta. I’d also fished as a co in the 2003 Bassmaster Tour derby when Robert Lee won his fourth B.A.S.S. tournament there. One of my earliest times in a bass boat was a guide trip on Lake Castaic in 1993.

It’s a big state. It has amazing natural resources. Now that I have more time available and I realize how easy it is to get there and back, I want to see more that the Golden State has to offer. It’s time to make all of those dream scenarios I’ve heard and read about come true. Here are a few of the most pressing:

Fish Clear Lake

Clear Lake is probably the hottest tournament lake in the country, and one of the few best that I’ve never fished. It’s historic, has giants, and you can catch them all sorts of ways – including swimbait and glide baits. I need to make this one happen ASAP.

Go Urban Fishing for Giant Largemouths

A lot of the swimbait culture that we know about comes from SoCal’s smallish lakes, and many of the true innovators got their start taking backpacks and big baits to pressured park lakes and other venues. I want to see where it all began and if a 10-pounder shows up so much the better.

Catch a Yellowtail from a Kelp Paddy

I loved catching white seabass with Oliver and Riley, but they (and others who’ve we fished with for tuna) have raved about the sheer power and ferociousness of the yellowtail. I want to pull up to a floating mat of kelp, fire out a swimbait, and have my world absolutely rocked.

Chase Giant Spots up North

I’ve never caught a spotted bass over 3 ½ pounds, and while the easiest place for me to best that mark will likely be Georgia’s Lake Lanier, I want to go with one of the spot experts to Bullards Bar or one of the lesser-known record-class spot factories.

Take a Long Range Trip out of San Diego

Several super-experienced anglers I know, including Ish Monroe and Danny Kadota, talk about the long-range trips – from just a few days up to 21 days – provide the most bang for the buck in fishing. You can catch trophy fish, eat like a king, and cover a ton of water for a reasonable price.

Fish for Steelheads Up North

While we were in Panama in May, Skeet Reese talked extensively about his passion for steelhead. I’ve never caught one. They fight hard and live in beautiful places. Seems like an easy choice.

Catch Calicos on Bass Gear

Again, the white seabass were the stars of the show on our trip with Oliver and Riley, but we also caught somewhere between 30 and 60 small calico bass. I want to go back and catch big ones on glide baits and Alabama Rigs. They’re gorgeous and pull harder than our “green bass.”

Fish the California Delta Again—This Time from the Front Deck

I can’t believe that it’s been nearly two decades since I’ve fished the Delta, one of my favorite tournament venues I’ve ever visited. I went twice and still only saw a small portion of the fishery and I’d love to take my time and explore some more.

Catch a Bluefin Tuna on Topwater

We’ve now caught plenty of yellowfin in Panama, but we’re still bluefin virgins. Sometimes they show up in the same waters where we fished on this last trip, they grow big, and they eat surface lures – my favorite way to catch any species.

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That's my current California fishing bucket list—but I know I'm overlooking some legendary opportunities. If you're a California angler, tell me the one trip every serious fisherman needs to make before they hang up their rods.

Also, if you’d like to fish with Oliver and Riley, send us an email and we’ll get you hooked up with a multi-species trips you won’t forget.