The Impractical Fishermen: Raising Sportsmen

My Son's First Fishing Trip

2017-10-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

Moved the family to Upstate New York. I drove the 3,100 miles and arrived yesterday. Got to take the boy out to a small retention pond this evening and get him his first fish.

His rod is the Frozen themed Zebco style plastic reel. It is crap and he got about three casts in. He would just reel and reel it in and the line twisted right up.

He did a great job listening and was positive the whole trip.

After a few missed strikes I hooked a small one. I wanted to get him picture holding it, but like most kids he was scared. I kept positive, let him touch it, and eventually.

He warmed up to holding it for long enough for me to get a picture.

More to come...

Dan

Man, They Grow Fast

2017-05-29T22:34:00.001-05:00

My Son

2016-03-20T14:01:00.001-05:00

My son was born in January. Had some complications and about a week of NICU time before we got him home, but now we are a family. Fisher is a great big brother.

It's a Boy!

2015-08-29T23:25:00.001-05:00

Thing have been busy. We have to get the crib ready for the new baby so I built my son his first big kid bed.

He seems to like it a lot. Just screwed and glued 2x10 lengths of Douglas fir together with deck screws. The headboard is joined with dowels.

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It is sturdy, high enough to change the sheets without wrenching your back, and he seems to have no problems sleeping in it. I finished it with a mixture of Minwax early American. and dark walnut. I used three light coats of clear spray liquor and buffed it out with clear wax.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Ultrasounds

2015-08-14T22:05:00.001-05:00

My wife is expecting again. I might be a fishermen, but I am a father first.

She is 19 weeks along and we just found out the gender. What do you think?

Boy or Girl?

Comment what you think it is.

Stay tuned for the gender

Tight lines

Aqueduct Baptism

2015-08-09T18:44:00.000-05:00

I met Rick on the Central Coast Kayak Fishing Forum over a year and a half ago. We just never got a chance to fish together though. The funny thing is he works on the same base I do practically the next building over. Things just didn't pan out until about the second week of June when I Facebooked him to see if he wanted to hit the aqueduct with me. Things were fairly uneventful. The area near the locks was loaded with people fishing for cats and stripers, but we didn't see any boils.

After about half an hour of fan casting we decided to move. One of the strategies on the duct is to look for boils of fish attacking bait and casting into it. I like it because it is active fishing and you get to cover a lot of water. When we saw activity on the surface we started casting. Finally near a bridge I hooked into a small one. I didn't want to let it flop on the concrete so I stepped closer to grab him and my foot slipped on some algae. The water level dropped leaving the concrete bank lined with slick green goo.

I slowly slid into the water. I couldn't believe how long it took. I was up to my knees, waist, and finally when I was chest deep in the water I became neutrally buoyant. I wasn't going any further, but I couldn't get up the bank either. Rick kept telling me to climb out but I was stuck. I eventually managed to grab his arm and he pulled me back on the bank. I was just glad I didn't lose the rod. It was the custom rod my wife had made for me. Losing that would have sucked. I reeled in a little and to my surprise the fish was still on. I may have been soaked, but I still got the fish.

Right after that we got a visit from the game warden, and it was funny seeing his face when I pulled out my dripping wet wallet. I got wet and killed my cell phone, but I got a laugh and a story out of it. As far as I see it, ~~I couldn't ask for more~~ it could be worse.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Kings River Report

2015-08-02T12:33:00.000-05:00

In case any of you are wondering how the Kings river is flowing near me...

It looks like quads, bikes and trucks can flow fairly well. At least if we ever do get water there will be tons of cover for fry to eat and hide in.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

I am Officially a Bachelor

2015-07-26T19:36:00.000-05:00

I reached one of my goals this year by earning my bachelors in psychology from Columbia College of Missouri. I could not have done it without the Post 9/11 GI Bill. (If you served your country do yourself a favor and use your GI Bill.) I feel extremely lucky to have a bachelors and not have a student loan payment.

It has not been easy attending school with everything else going on but I managed to graduate with Latin honors and qualify to join SALUTE a national honors society for veterans.

On the left is Joe my academic adviser, and to the right is Betsy the director of the Lemoore Campus.

I even managed to make Deans list the last semester. I don't know what is next because I have a few options I can choose with little control over what happens, so all I can do is keep moving forward.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

My First Striper

2015-07-23T10:46:00.001-05:00

(Back to catching up on fishing reports and such. This is from Memorial Day weekend.)

I don't consider myself a good fishermen. I have yet to catch a rainbow trout in the state of California despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be a 10 year old in the state without a photo of them holding a full stringer and I have not caught a striped bass. So when my buddy Derick invited me out to fish the duct I was not aiming for a 40 incher. I just wanted a bite.

I must have made a hundred casts before getting a bump. When it happened I didn't even know what do do. It took another hour or so. Derick and his friend already had half a dozen between them before I caught mine.

I finally got a bite, but I couldn't set the hook. I finally rigged the fluke sideways and on the next cast hooked into one.

Not the biggest fish, or even average sized, but it was a striper. I beat the skunk and caught my first striped bass.

We fished until it got dark and my friends caught a few more small ones. I was just happy to be fishing and to not be skunked.

Tight lines,

Dan

Worst Morning Ever.

2015-07-21T22:13:00.001-05:00

Worst Morning Ever might be a little dramatic,but it sure did suck.

I owned a 2004 Fuji Outland disc. It is a 27 speed 26 inch mountain bike that I bought new up in Whidbey Island, Washington. I left my bike on the back of my truck last night. It was locked and parked against my garage in my driveway. When my wife left to go to work she came back in and asked if I had my bike on my truck. The scumbags used tools to disassemble my bike rack and steal the bike I paid for with my bonus for signing up for the Navy.

I am going to miss that bike. It has helped me get back into shape and given me a lot of joy over the years. I don't know how I am going to be able to replace it. A part of me was stolen.

To the guy who stole it,

Eat a dick and die.
Love,
Dan

My FSA Custom Rod

2015-07-20T08:13:00.001-05:00

So my amazing wife figured out the perfect gift for my birthday last November. She got a hold of my buddy Ed Schmitt, who builds some sick custom rods, to make me something special. The Diawa Lexa spinning reel paired with it is sooth and has a nice smooth drag. The reel is spooled up with Nanofil and the thing casts a mile.

The rod features a Batson Rainshadow Immortal IMMS610MXF 6'10" blank, Fuji K series Alconite micro guides, and a Fuji SK2 reel seat. Ed also lathed some beautiful custom grips using cork with cherry and burl wood as accents.

Photo by Ed Schmitt

Ed really went above and beyond to make this thing beautiful. It is a real work of art.

Photo by Ed Schmitt

You would think the hardwood would be hard on the hands, but the rod is light, plus the wood accents are not is places the hand comes in contact with often.

The tiger wrap is stunning and photos and video do not truly do it justice.

I could sit and stare at it for hours.

To protect this beautiful build I ordered a Rod Condom sleeve and am very happy with it. The price was awesome, shipping was under a buck and it arrived quickly. Not to mention it is a veteran owned American company. You should check them out.

I took it out to the upper Kings River back in late November. I tried throwing spinners and a bubble fly but nothing was biting.

At least it is a pretty place to get skunked.

Unless you count this giant crayfish my buddy spotted and I pulled out of the water.

Tight Lines,

Dan

Check out these guys.

FSA Custom Rods:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/FSA-Custom-Rods/144864788920834?fref=ts

The Rod Condom:
http://www.therodcondom.com/

Dry.

2015-07-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

It has been hard to write. I love writing and I love the outdoors and I haven't had as much of either over the past few months. The biggest problem for me is my brain crack addiction. If you don't understand what brain crack is watch this video.

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I am an addict. I come up with ideas about what to write and then just don't do it so I become over whelmed with all these ideas for what I want to write. I have folders with pictures to upload and post. Story ideas and other projects. It piles up and when I do sit down to write the wife needs something or my son gets all clingy and wants to stick to me like Velcro.

I don't feel a need to share every thought I have, and like minded people reading and liking what I wrote is strictly a bonus. This is no apology for not writing, but a a challenge to myself to keep writing. Being strapped for cash, in the middle of a drought that has severely hindered the amount of time I can get on the water, and personal obligations I am overwhelmed, but the best way to get over this is to face it straight on and keep doing what I love.

I plan on making a bunch of posts to get rid of my brain crack over the next month when I get the time so they might be right on top of each other.

I hope you enjoy them and if you don't they are for me anyway so just go somewhere else

Dan

Biking to Work.

2015-05-09T13:56:00.001-05:00

For the past month and a half or so I have been biking into work. I live too far to bike directly into my office, and it would be impractical to ride my son on my bike the 26 miles to his daycare on base, so I am dropping him off and riding in from the main base at NAS Lemoore to Operation side.

The trail I ride is five miles as the crow flies an a rocky dry dirt roads for the most part. I tend to make the eight and a half mile trip between thirty and forty minutes. I try to get three days a week. Doing more is a little much for me. It is nice doing something active twice a day.

I manage to put around 50 miles per week in on my Fuji Outland Disc. I was having problems with tires popping, but slime tires and plastic tube protectors have really been working well for me. I need to replace the things that strap my bike down to the Thule bike rack. They keep falling off on the highway.

Only a week left of school and I will have my bachelors. The temp is starting to raise and I am busy, but at least the pool is looking good.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Beard Trims and Hummingbird Moths

2015-05-02T23:12:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I had a visitor in the house. A Spinx moth flew in the house and really startled us. The funny thing was it kept dive bombing me hitting me in the head and the face like he was drunk and wanted to fight. Then as fast as he came he was gone. The next morning I heard a buzzing and the moth was attempting to go out a closed window so I snapped a picture.

The other day on my way out the door I noticed another moth near my front door light so I snapped a picture. I have been seeing a lot of them recently. I think the climbing jasmine I planted in the front yard. They are such cool bugs.

On a less buggy note, I got a trim and shaved my beard. I spent the past six months growing my beard out for Whiskers for Wounded Warriors a non-profit bringing awareness and support to our wounded warriors. Check them out on Facebook.

The beard was a little much, so after much protect from my wife I trimmed it down.

Thanks for reading, and please check out Whiskers of Wounded Warriors.

Dan

https://www.facebook.com/WhiskersforWoundedWarriors?fref=ts

I'm Still Alive

2015-04-25T16:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't been fishing since 2014 and have had so much going on it has not been a priority to write. Money is tight so I haven't ever bought a fishing licence this year. Plus if I were to drive an hour fifteen minutes to the nearest lake I'd miss out on half a day to a full day with my son. I have had a lot of papers and other school work to keep me busy, not to mention the other stuff going on. I have three weeks left in my bachelors program and summer is on its way in. I am going to try to get back into writing because it just feels right to me. It has become a part of who I am and I realized that not writing was denying myself something I enjoy. I even stopped reading other blogs. It was becoming overwhelming watching the days click past, but the break has just proven I need to keep writing.

I am very proud of this climbing jasmine I planted next to the garage.

Writing vacation is over...

Thanks for reading,

Dan

2014 in Three Pictures

2015-01-03T13:30:00.000-06:00

Yep. That is how it felt. Let's hope for a better New Year.

Thank for reading,

Dan

300,000!

2014-12-06T18:02:00.002-06:00

I log in after not even looking at the blog for a while and....

Crazy!

I have had a hard time writing lately seeing as I have only fished six times this year,

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Cambria Slam Down Video

2014-11-09T19:34:00.000-06:00

Fisheye Channel just put the video up. Check it out.

Cambria Slam Down 3 Kayak Fishing Tournament from Fisheye Channel on Vimeo.

Happy Halloween!

2014-10-31T21:47:00.004-05:00

My son in his spider costume.

Cambria Slam Down III

2014-10-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

Things have been busy and I fell out of the habit of writing. The worst part is the ideas kept coming but I wasn't doing anything with them. My wife took something like 412 photos at the most recent Cambria Slam Down, so I figured posting some of the wife's pictures would be a good start to getting back into a routine. If anyone reading recognizes someone, or themselves, please let me know if you want a copy of the picture.

The whole crew

Ryan heading in.

The Rainbow Armada

Lots of action shots

Sideways landing don't often end dry...

But someone landing on top of you is a lot more dangerous

Luckily nobody got hurt...that I heard of anyway.

Ricardo of Fisheye Channel had a dry landing.

Rainbow Armada

There is plenty more to come from CSDIII(even if it was almost a month ago)...

Thank for reading,

Dan

For more info on the Cambria Slam Down check out http://centralcoastkayakfishing.com/

Navy Shadow Box.

2014-09-18T00:38:00.000-05:00

I have been kicking around the idea of building a shadow box to display some of the uniform items, awards, and other keepsakes I have collected over my eight years in the service using a Navy dress blue uniform as the background. I bought some yellow pine for the project on Thursday but was hesitant about what I wanted to do. Saturday I got a bug in me around 9 PM and by 9:30 the box was in clamps so the glue could cure.Saturday night and made the door, attached it, and stained and finished it sunday night. I didn't use a forstner drill bit and had a big chunk of wood knocked out by one of the dowels so I sanded the round-over a bit over all the corners. The walnut stain gave it a dirty old wood look I like for some strange reason and after two coats of spray shellac the wood was sealed. All I need is to get the glass cut for it and a hook to secure the door. Not bad for something I whipped up in a few hours. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Building a Block-Tower Fail

2014-09-13T23:55:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to put up a How To on building a sweet block tower, but I just can't keep one up long enough to get any good pictures.

I promise to keep trying.

Thanks for checking in,

Dan

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

2014-08-17T22:51:00.003-05:00

Long time no post. Lots of school, work, taking care of an eight month old, and not a lot of fishing, I got tagged by Ed of FSA Custom rods and figured I would join in. I can't wait to see their videos, and I will post them. Funny thing is when I tagged Brookfield Angler I called him Nick Droumel instead of Doumel. Sorry Nick.

Thanks for stopping by,

Dan

Donate here: http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html

Kayak Fishing Off Montana De Oro.

2014-07-22T23:12:00.000-05:00

It was a busy week, but I got the paper due Sunday night on Friday and from reading the surf report I knew it was going to be an awesome day. My buddy Willy informed me he was going to fish from Spooner's Cove in Montan De Oro State Park with his father. Just to be there at 0600 I had to pack the truck the night before and head out at 0345. Along the way I ran into another member from www.Centralcoastkayakfishing.com and pulling up the the parking lot we could see the surf was mellow and it was going to be calm seas for us. I got on the water before Willy and his dad so I turned on the fishfinder and set up my rig. In about twenty feet of water I saw a fer rocks and a mark so I dropped down and caught a short lingcod. I let it go and shorty after Willy and his dad made it my way. As we were working our way out to the deeper reefs my fish finder died, so I sm not sure what structure, or depth I was fishing, but most of the botom felt rocky and the fish were biting.

I was using a jigging iron with a soft plastic bait as a teaser, this little gopher could not resist the iron.

This China rock fish was beautifully mottled

This kelp rock fish liked my poliminner

Even with half its tail missing

I got my first double involving a lingcod

Caught a twenty inch cabezon

The vermilion seem to like the Poliminner as well

I ended up with a nice stringer

Willy making his landing

Willy's stringer

His dad's stringer

My stringer

It was nice getting out of the sweltering valley and feeling the cool coastal breeze. I wound up catching four ling cod, three cabezon, one red vermilion, one kelp rock fish, one treefish, seven gophers rockfish, and one China rock fish. I can't ask for much more. The other nice thing is I only lost one jig and used three soft plastic baits total. That is not a bad rate if you ask me.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

My Great-Grandfather's Flies: Part II

2014-07-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

One of the few things I have of my great-grandfather's is his metal tackle box. There was the assortment of spoons you'd expect in a mid-western tackle box of the time, but my great-grandfather also fly fished. There were a few other strange flies, but I am not sure if they are flies or ice fishing lures. What do you think?

This could be a weighted fly or an ice fishing jig/spoon.

Still shiny after all these years.

Looks like a good Cheetos imitation to me.

Whether they are flies or ice fishing lures I bet they were for pan fish. Shell-crackers love Cheetos.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

Read Part I Here: http://www.theimpracticalfishermen.com/2014/07/my-great-grandfathers-flies-part-1.html