Finally, after a wet winter and early spring, the team's been able to get back on the water. Colin, Mike, Luke and I have all been on the Lower Sac with some nice fish brought to the net. Fishing should continue improving in the coming weeks as flows drop and then, stablize. MIke, Colin and I have been on Hat Creek and for the next few months it's go time. Spring on Hat can be awesome. Luke's also been running a few bass trips on Shasta Reservoir, so if you want a day full of action, it's a good bet and a chance to do something different. GUIDE TIP: Set the hook often and don't be disappointed if 8 out of 10 isn't a fish. You're not doing anything wrong. In fact, you're doing exactly the right thing.
I just returned from hosting a week in the Yucatan at Tail Inn, a lodge situated at the southern entrance to Espiritu Santo Bay, or ESB. Here is a short recap of the trip:Two grand slams on day 1: We had great weather our first day of fishing and two of our guests, Andreas and Mike, managed a grand slam, which means they landed bonefish, permit and tarpon in a single day.Lots of challenging weather: We had two days of pretty good conditions and four days that were a bit rough. High winds, no sun, or both. Fortunately the guides knew how to handle the rough weather. Permit fishing was difficult but we still did well on bonefish and baby tarpon on the rough weather days.Great location: This was my first time to ESB and I was really impressed by the sheer size of the fishery and the diversity of habitat. There are hard sand flats where you can wade for bonefish in ankle-deep water. There are vast permit flats of all sorts, from the wadable kind to the boat-only kind. There are mangroves with baby tarpon and snook. There are flats inside the bay and then more ocean-side flats. There was plenty of solitude as the guide boats spread out to different parts of the bay every day.Big permit day for Bill: On our fifth day we had great weather and one of our guests, Bill, managed to hook 7 permit - all before lunch! Multi-species action: Throughout the week we hooked up with bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook, jacks, snappers, sharks, and barracuda.Great Lodge: We really enjoyed our time at Tail Inn. The food was really good, the accommodations were comfortable, and the staff worked very hard to make a great experience for us. The guides were all very good. I also love having the boats right in front of the lodge. That allows each group to consult with their guide for the next day and pick their own departure time.I would like to send many thanks to my guests on this trip. This group of anglers was determined to have a great trip, to enjoy eachother's company, and to see all the fishing possibilities that this destination had to offer. I am looking at dates for a return trip and will post them soon!