WATER FLOWING back to wetlands...

For those looking for a follow-up to the wetlands project at the south end of Lake Elsinore, I can tell you, the plants are in–aquatic and semi-aquatic–and the water is already flowing back through the dike.

It turns out, the official count of volunteers was 275, with about 225 of those volunteers involved in pounding dirt and putting a couple thousand 1-gallon willows, cottonwoods and Mexican Rush, as well as other smaller species in the habitat ground (5900 in all).

And I promise you, and especially any political pundits (more…)

Okay. On the one side, I was right. Jeff Michels of Lakehead was leading the Everstart points race by a fat margin after three events–and he ultimately won it this weekend at Clear Lake.

But only because an upset win by Jay Wright (Huntington Beach is nowhere near Redbud Park) pushed everyone back (more…)

Don’t look at me, I’m asking. Certainly I went ahead and got a custom cover for the red boat, figuring there will be a time and a place, or a time and a trek. But with this odd April rain and who knows what in store for the rest of this year, when do you cover yours for travel? (more…)

Did you get your Bassmaster Magazine Top 100 U.S. Lakes list today? I got mine, and yes, both the Delta and Clear Lake made the Top 10. But if you slide down the list, as I did, you’ll find some interesting positioning, some almost baffling, as the experts have had their say.

According to the news release, “The list was compiled in a months-long process (more…)

NEW MARINA moving along at north end...

The panels are in place, the coffer dam has been partially removed, and is that rip rap I see going up around the base of the new parking lot?

The new launch ramp/marina (which includes restrooms, fish and boat cleaning stations) is progressing toward what is hoped to be a June grand opening at Lake Elsinore.

Built with all likely water levels in mind, that barge and crane have been dredging in front of the ramp to make sure the facility will be usable under just about any conditions. Since I just shot the photo, (more…)

AL LINDNER doesn’t fly to Florida for Florida bass…*

I don’t know if you caught this bit, but if you don’t read the Orlando Sentinel, you may have missed it. It focuses on the use of DNA testing on stocks of largemouth bass in central Florida and the implications regarding commerce. You can see it here.

Talk about “loaded language” in the story, a research scientist for the Fish and Wildlife Dept., Mike Tringali was quoted as saying, “We’ve been surprised in some cases where we have lakes in what should be ‘pure Forida’ strain had high levels of genetic contamination by the Northern Species.” (more…)

NOW you know...

There’s a lot of good tackle out there, and for sure, there are also some extremely high-end options. Yet, at some point in your life you probably need to figure out whether you’re truly a discerning fisherman and not just some social media billionaire.

I know, it can be hard to figure. It’s not like the old rules for buying an engagement ring: that your bass rod should cost no more than a two months salary, (more…)

DAVE SCHRECK holds one of the presumed culprits at DVL.

Fishermen are often criticized or even dismissed for relying on their personal observations to draw them to certain conclusions. Yet while the lake regulars may not actually work as “fishery biologists,” a consensus is being formed over the condition of Diamond Valley Lake.

Its called “anecdotal” evidence because it’s not finitely measured, but going back three Octobers, the amount of surface activity (as relates to bass foraging on shad) has dipped–significantly. And it’s not for a lack of bass, but by all accounts, it reflects a lack of threadfin shad.

They’re not observed on sonar; (more…)

TROJAN TIPS now available...

What do I know about bass boat batteries? Probably two things: Plug-in the cable on my onboard charger and I’m good to go. When the motor won’t turn over, it sounds like an electrical problem. Kinda sad, I know.

But I’m thinking, maybe I’m not the only one out there who’s not a deep-cycle pro. And frankly, that’s what Trojan Battery Company, here in Santa Fe Springs, must be thinking too. Otherwise, I don’t believe (more…)

Through no fault of the participants or the organization, FLW’s Everstart circuit is pretty much an upstate party this year.  And after three events and 207 different players, the score sheet says it all.  The race–such as it is–says Jeff Michels of Lakehead probably needs binoculars to see who’s behind him in the standings. (more…)