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FROM HONEY-DO'S TO
CHEESE & WINE TO BLACK BASS
"WHAT A WEEKEND"
By: Ron Wilson
April 24, 2003.... Saturday I met Guide
Bruce Hamby at his Ripon home at 5
a.m. We were planning a days
outing at Lake Camanche. Bruce's client wasn't there so we went in the
house and chatted about hunting, fishing and everything else under the
sun.
Maybe the client thought 6 a.m. so we
waited a while longer and still a no-show.
At 7:15 I left to go home and do some
yard work. I sure hate doing honey-do's on my day off! I mean after all,
when you miss a day of fishing, that's one less day you will fish in
your lifetime. No matter how often you go you will never get back the
day you missed!
That evening my wife Diana and I went to a California Dairy Industry
Association college scholarship fundraiser at Hilmar Cheese. Talk about
some good cheese, wine and conversation. My in-laws, Easy and Thelma
Young, along with our daughter and son in law, Michele and Bill also
came along.
We spent some money for a good cause and
had a good time.
If you have never been to Hilmar Cheese
factory, I would highly recommend you go take a tour and check out all
the goodies they have. I have been by there a hundred times on the way
to go duck hunting, but have never stopped to shop! I guess that's why
us guys miss out on some of the hidden jewels that the gals find!
 Sunday
I called my son Donald to see if he and my grandson Derick were
available to go fishing. He was heading to breakfast in Waterford, but
after that, they would be willing and ready to go.
I threw in a dozen rods and grabbed some fishing tackle along with some
snacks and headed to his home.
We arrived at Kelsey Bass Ranch at noon
and started fishing. The water was low and clear. However, it wasn't
long before we put together a fish catching pattern of worms, grubs and
brush hogs.
It was a race to see who could catch the
most fish. Grandpa scored first with a nice bass that weighed over three
pounds.
I had to show Derick how it was done as
he missed the first bite, but then stuck a nice bass.
Donald was next as he and Derick covered the water catching fish after
fish.
The bite wasn't red hot, but it was
consistent. We were catching about 10 fish an hour and that wasn't
counting all the fish I missed. I didn't want them to get the hook down
deep, so I set on grass or anything that didn't feel right.
Donald has always been notorious for coming up with weird patterns and
mixes of baits to catch fish. Unbelievably he did it again! He mixed a
worm and grub combination and caught a couple fish in the 5 pound class!
I kept telling Derick to pay attention to what he was doing and look for
the tell tale signs the fish were giving us! I said "look at that
fish slurping down a dragon fly snack, or that one jumping in the air to
catch one, or the swirls in the water from a bass taking a minnow down
below".
I said "Derick its like deer hunting, you have to be somewhat quiet
and really pay attention to what is happening in the outdoors, and what
is happening around you. When you do that, you will be able to shoot
that buck you've been chasing for a couple years, and you will also
be able to keep up with your dad catching black bass"!
We left at 5 p.m. happy and tired from 5 hours of fishing. Derick's
dozen bass had grown to almost 20 by the time we got to his friends
house for dinner. Now I have heard for years about fish growing but I
was amazed at how his catch count climbed as we headed home. I guess
maybe he caught a few more bass when he dosed off on the drive home!
Kelsey Bass Ranch does not have any membership openings right now But
you can check out their website at www.kelseybassranch.com,
and if you are interested in the fishing call Jon Kelsey and ask him to
put you on his list for a possible membership in the future.
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