The Fishing Queen
08-09-2012, 12:27 PM
7/29, Ventura Harbor: Our arrival day. 7/30 is my son's birthday. We took the family and celebrated his birthday at one the timeshare properties that we own in Ventura harbor. Our two bedroom condo was right on the water and I loved to gaze at the sunset. It changed its color every few minutes. I watched the sea lions swim in the harbor and smelled the ocean air from the balcony. I enjoyed taking pictures of the beautiful views - with white sailboats cruising through the ocean waves into the blue sky then, slowly disappearing into the distance. Life is filled with beautiful pictures everywhere and I can see it through my eyes and feel it with my heart!
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/f29e6e36.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a07906f8.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/73c841ec.jpg
The fishing dock was located just outside my window. I fished there almost every morning and every day I was up at 6 am. It was still foggy outside. Everyone was sleeping and the entire building was quite. The morning was the best time with great fish action. I had a blast and it was fun to catch fish. I brought a spinning rod and a Tenkara rod with me to see which one would work best for catching fish from the ocean.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/83718416.jpg
Fishing Report
7/30, Saltwater Spinning Rod with Anchovies: The second day I fished with my ocean spinning rod with 15 pound line. I thought there must be big fish in the harbor. I was using anchovies as bait and a size 10 treble hook. I fished for 3 hours and caught 4 good sized Jack Smelt, 3 Perch, 6 Croakers and 7 Sardines. I kept the Perch and Scott cooked them for dinner and everyone loved it. I hate to cut stinky bait – the anchovies wouldn't stay on the hook for too long since there was always a school of small fish just nibbling the meat right off the hook every a few minutes. I had to cut more bait, put it on and cast out again and again. I was frustrated that I was feeding the fish instead of catching them. Besides that, the anchovies smelled awful when it got on my hands and my clothes. I had to change all of my clothes, wash them and take a bath after I entered the room.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/84265ce4.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/c601c5fb.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/52c9ca98.jpg
7/31, Tenkara Fishing with Flies: The third day, I used some flies from Orvis. I'd been told that these flies would work great for saltwater fishing. After I posted a help request on the fishing forum, I got some great replies to my questions about what type of flies I should use to catch fish in the harbor. From what I learned, some fish feed on minnows, mini crabs and sandworms. I had two kinds of flies that looked like crabs that should work great. I also had a few flies that looked like small minnows and a worm. I first tried the minnow fly. After 20 mins without any bites, I changed it to a crab fly. I patiently fished for a while, still not producing any fish. Then I tried a few different kinds of flies with different patterns and colors. The last fly that I fished with was an olive green and orange minnow. I let the fly sink in the water about 6'- 8'' deep, did a slow retrieve with a pulse and go motion. I caught 2 Jack Smelt and 1 Perch. The fishing action was slow on the fly.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/26d33aab.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/8457a43c.jpg
8/1 - 8/2, Tenkara fishing with Gulp! Camo Sandworm: The last few days of my vacation I tried something really different. I bought a bag of plastic worms made by Berkley, they were called Camo Sandworms. I put a piece on a size 8 jig head hook and fished it with my Tenkara. I let the plastic sandworm sink about 7-8 feet under the water. I slowly retrieved and twitched the worm. I couldn't believe how crazy those fish were for my artificial bait. I caught 16 Perches, 3 Jack Smelt, 5 Croakers and 4 Sardines within 3 hours of fishing.... The next day I went fishing for 4 hours in the morning. I had 18 Perches, 1 Jack Smelt, 5 Sardines and 6 Croakers. My husband Scott also did well catching. He broke in his new Tenkara rod with a good catch of 7 Perch, 3 Croakers and 2 Sardines. We kept some of the nice sized Perch, gave a few to the pelicans and released the rest of fish.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/ac52899b.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/47958ae9.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/2c1d986c.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a9bfc0be.jpg
8/3, Ojai trip: On the sixth day we went to Ojai. We drove up the mountain and stopped in some areas to check out some creeks on the way. I was disappointed that most of the creeks that allowed fishing were either low in water or had dried out during this hot season. So we spent a couple of hours and shopped in town. Ojai is a charming little town with some interesting artsy characters.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/9ebbf524.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/9d5b4b0d.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/726e19f8.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/b5708de9.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/46b6823b.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/06a9ab8b.jpg
The Pelican Stories
'Bob': Every time I was out fishing on the dock, a pelican flew down from the sky, stayed on the dock and watch me catch fish. A local fisherman had named him 'Bob'. He was a quiet bird and was shy at first. He would stand at the far end of the dock and watch me out of the corner of his eye. Each time he watched me land a fish, he would slowly walk sideways to get a little closer to me. After he knew that I was harmless and friendly, he stayed in his comfort zone about 6-7 feet away from me and just sat there and waited. If I had a fish, he would slowly walk towards me and, as I got to know his body language, beg for treat. I would feed him a few fish. After he spent a day with me fishing, he got to know me well and assumed that I was his fish catcher. Every time I had a fish on and he saw my pole bending, even before I pulled it in, he would get so excited and run down the dock to me and wait by my side for his meal. Bob came to join me fishing almost every day. I enjoyed his company since he was a nice bird with good manners. He only ate what I gave him and left the fish that I kept in a plastic bag alone. Not like those seagulls who would sneak behind my back, poke a hole in the bag and steal my fish. After a few days of bonding, Bob and I became BFBFs - Best Fishing Buddies Forever.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/09526b9b.jpg
8/4, A sick Pelican: On the seventh day, as I was fishing in the early morning, I found a dead pelican floating on the surface of the water. I was heartbroken - I thought it was Bob. Bob wasn't there the day before and I hadn’t fished due to the harsh wind. Every horrible thought ran through my mind about what had happened to my favorite fishing buddy. Then I saw a pelican standing on a rock by the shore shivering in the cold air with its head down and his wings spread open but drooped down. I had a moment of relief, but soon my heart was squeezed in pain again - this must be Bob and he looked like he was sick and weak. I worried that he got hurt or that something was wrong with his health. He looked like he had hard time standing and swimming. I caught a fish and I threw to him. He wasn't even able to catch it in his beak. I saved some fish for him and went to the shore and fed him 6 fish while he was on the pile of rocks. After he ate the meal, he tucked his head under his wing and rested......One of the fish fell in the water and another pelican flew from the sky and dived in the water, picked it up and flew to the dock. I went back to the dock to my fishing spot. This bird saw me and started walking towards me. He got to my left side about 8 feet away and sat there and looked at me with a sideways glance. It looked so familiar and it woke up my memories. The joy brightened up my eyes and my heart was lifted from the darkness - it's Bob! This was the real Bob, not the sick bird. The sick pelican looked just like Bob, that's why I had mistaken him for Bob, but it was a different pelican. I was so happy to see Bob back healthy and safe. I couldn't bear the thought that something had really happened to my BFBF.....
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/485e7410.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/d6904421.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/57687b7e.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/53b0abcf.jpg
We went to Ventura County Fair and spent a few hours there. I went back to check on sick pelican when I returned in the afternoon. He wasn't shaking anymore and his feathers looked a little better than they did in the morning. I worried that he might not be able to hunting for food due to his weakness. I caught some fish and fed him 5 Perch. He was able to hop down from the rock and swim for a few minutes. Then he went back to the rock again and I left him alone to rest. The only way that I could help him to get well and recover quickly was through a good meal and nice rest.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/26c17449.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/85ba1cc4.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a8d2b57d.jpg
8/5, The last day of our stay. There was a heavy fog over the harbor and I was up about 4:30 am. I was worried about the sick bird surviving through the cold night. I was going to contact Harbor Patrol to see what they can do about the bird. As I walked near the shore, I spotted him on a big rock under the light. He was sleeping with his head under his wing. I felt relief from worry. I fished under the harbor lights I caught some Perch and Croakers and saved them for him in a plastic bag. Around 8 am, the sun was bright and the day was getting warmer. The pelican was wake and was grooming his feathers. I threw a few fish to him across the water. He got in the water and ate them one by one. He looked much healthier with brighter eyes and swam better with more energy. He swam around the dock for a while then he slowly swam away towards the far side of the harbor. I was happy about his recovery and glad to see him swim away...... I waited and fished for 20-30 minutes until Bob showed up, fed him his last treat and then it was time to say "good bye". I know that Bob will be fine after I left him. He probably will find himself another well trained fisher who is willing to bring him treats. I don't know if Bob will remember me or miss me, but I sure will miss him. Each time I think of him, my heart fills with joy. I have such great memories of this fun and friendly pelican - my best fishing buddies from Ventura.......
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/5bf679b5.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/ce08a53a.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a243c19e.jpg
Downtown Ventura and Chanel Island Harbor: On our trip back we stopped in downtown Ventura and watched Ventura County Fair parade. Then we headed to Oxnard and had some delicious Brazilian cuisine by the water at Chanel Island Harbor and spent some time playing on the sandy beach. It was a beautiful day by the ocean with white clouds floating in the blue sky and a gentle breeze blowing through the air. The kids had good time playing in the sand and I enjoyed walking bare foot along the water. All in all, it was a nice trip, a trip that was filled with wonderful memories and delightful happiness....
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/8b50eb79.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a48fa34e.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/5154080c.jpg
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http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/27815b45.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/7923adf5.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/3cadd005.jpg
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http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/f29e6e36.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a07906f8.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/73c841ec.jpg
The fishing dock was located just outside my window. I fished there almost every morning and every day I was up at 6 am. It was still foggy outside. Everyone was sleeping and the entire building was quite. The morning was the best time with great fish action. I had a blast and it was fun to catch fish. I brought a spinning rod and a Tenkara rod with me to see which one would work best for catching fish from the ocean.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/83718416.jpg
Fishing Report
7/30, Saltwater Spinning Rod with Anchovies: The second day I fished with my ocean spinning rod with 15 pound line. I thought there must be big fish in the harbor. I was using anchovies as bait and a size 10 treble hook. I fished for 3 hours and caught 4 good sized Jack Smelt, 3 Perch, 6 Croakers and 7 Sardines. I kept the Perch and Scott cooked them for dinner and everyone loved it. I hate to cut stinky bait – the anchovies wouldn't stay on the hook for too long since there was always a school of small fish just nibbling the meat right off the hook every a few minutes. I had to cut more bait, put it on and cast out again and again. I was frustrated that I was feeding the fish instead of catching them. Besides that, the anchovies smelled awful when it got on my hands and my clothes. I had to change all of my clothes, wash them and take a bath after I entered the room.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/84265ce4.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/c601c5fb.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/52c9ca98.jpg
7/31, Tenkara Fishing with Flies: The third day, I used some flies from Orvis. I'd been told that these flies would work great for saltwater fishing. After I posted a help request on the fishing forum, I got some great replies to my questions about what type of flies I should use to catch fish in the harbor. From what I learned, some fish feed on minnows, mini crabs and sandworms. I had two kinds of flies that looked like crabs that should work great. I also had a few flies that looked like small minnows and a worm. I first tried the minnow fly. After 20 mins without any bites, I changed it to a crab fly. I patiently fished for a while, still not producing any fish. Then I tried a few different kinds of flies with different patterns and colors. The last fly that I fished with was an olive green and orange minnow. I let the fly sink in the water about 6'- 8'' deep, did a slow retrieve with a pulse and go motion. I caught 2 Jack Smelt and 1 Perch. The fishing action was slow on the fly.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/26d33aab.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/8457a43c.jpg
8/1 - 8/2, Tenkara fishing with Gulp! Camo Sandworm: The last few days of my vacation I tried something really different. I bought a bag of plastic worms made by Berkley, they were called Camo Sandworms. I put a piece on a size 8 jig head hook and fished it with my Tenkara. I let the plastic sandworm sink about 7-8 feet under the water. I slowly retrieved and twitched the worm. I couldn't believe how crazy those fish were for my artificial bait. I caught 16 Perches, 3 Jack Smelt, 5 Croakers and 4 Sardines within 3 hours of fishing.... The next day I went fishing for 4 hours in the morning. I had 18 Perches, 1 Jack Smelt, 5 Sardines and 6 Croakers. My husband Scott also did well catching. He broke in his new Tenkara rod with a good catch of 7 Perch, 3 Croakers and 2 Sardines. We kept some of the nice sized Perch, gave a few to the pelicans and released the rest of fish.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/ac52899b.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/47958ae9.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/2c1d986c.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a9bfc0be.jpg
8/3, Ojai trip: On the sixth day we went to Ojai. We drove up the mountain and stopped in some areas to check out some creeks on the way. I was disappointed that most of the creeks that allowed fishing were either low in water or had dried out during this hot season. So we spent a couple of hours and shopped in town. Ojai is a charming little town with some interesting artsy characters.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/9ebbf524.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/9d5b4b0d.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/726e19f8.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/b5708de9.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/46b6823b.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/06a9ab8b.jpg
The Pelican Stories
'Bob': Every time I was out fishing on the dock, a pelican flew down from the sky, stayed on the dock and watch me catch fish. A local fisherman had named him 'Bob'. He was a quiet bird and was shy at first. He would stand at the far end of the dock and watch me out of the corner of his eye. Each time he watched me land a fish, he would slowly walk sideways to get a little closer to me. After he knew that I was harmless and friendly, he stayed in his comfort zone about 6-7 feet away from me and just sat there and waited. If I had a fish, he would slowly walk towards me and, as I got to know his body language, beg for treat. I would feed him a few fish. After he spent a day with me fishing, he got to know me well and assumed that I was his fish catcher. Every time I had a fish on and he saw my pole bending, even before I pulled it in, he would get so excited and run down the dock to me and wait by my side for his meal. Bob came to join me fishing almost every day. I enjoyed his company since he was a nice bird with good manners. He only ate what I gave him and left the fish that I kept in a plastic bag alone. Not like those seagulls who would sneak behind my back, poke a hole in the bag and steal my fish. After a few days of bonding, Bob and I became BFBFs - Best Fishing Buddies Forever.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/09526b9b.jpg
8/4, A sick Pelican: On the seventh day, as I was fishing in the early morning, I found a dead pelican floating on the surface of the water. I was heartbroken - I thought it was Bob. Bob wasn't there the day before and I hadn’t fished due to the harsh wind. Every horrible thought ran through my mind about what had happened to my favorite fishing buddy. Then I saw a pelican standing on a rock by the shore shivering in the cold air with its head down and his wings spread open but drooped down. I had a moment of relief, but soon my heart was squeezed in pain again - this must be Bob and he looked like he was sick and weak. I worried that he got hurt or that something was wrong with his health. He looked like he had hard time standing and swimming. I caught a fish and I threw to him. He wasn't even able to catch it in his beak. I saved some fish for him and went to the shore and fed him 6 fish while he was on the pile of rocks. After he ate the meal, he tucked his head under his wing and rested......One of the fish fell in the water and another pelican flew from the sky and dived in the water, picked it up and flew to the dock. I went back to the dock to my fishing spot. This bird saw me and started walking towards me. He got to my left side about 8 feet away and sat there and looked at me with a sideways glance. It looked so familiar and it woke up my memories. The joy brightened up my eyes and my heart was lifted from the darkness - it's Bob! This was the real Bob, not the sick bird. The sick pelican looked just like Bob, that's why I had mistaken him for Bob, but it was a different pelican. I was so happy to see Bob back healthy and safe. I couldn't bear the thought that something had really happened to my BFBF.....
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/485e7410.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/d6904421.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/57687b7e.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/53b0abcf.jpg
We went to Ventura County Fair and spent a few hours there. I went back to check on sick pelican when I returned in the afternoon. He wasn't shaking anymore and his feathers looked a little better than they did in the morning. I worried that he might not be able to hunting for food due to his weakness. I caught some fish and fed him 5 Perch. He was able to hop down from the rock and swim for a few minutes. Then he went back to the rock again and I left him alone to rest. The only way that I could help him to get well and recover quickly was through a good meal and nice rest.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/26c17449.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/85ba1cc4.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a8d2b57d.jpg
8/5, The last day of our stay. There was a heavy fog over the harbor and I was up about 4:30 am. I was worried about the sick bird surviving through the cold night. I was going to contact Harbor Patrol to see what they can do about the bird. As I walked near the shore, I spotted him on a big rock under the light. He was sleeping with his head under his wing. I felt relief from worry. I fished under the harbor lights I caught some Perch and Croakers and saved them for him in a plastic bag. Around 8 am, the sun was bright and the day was getting warmer. The pelican was wake and was grooming his feathers. I threw a few fish to him across the water. He got in the water and ate them one by one. He looked much healthier with brighter eyes and swam better with more energy. He swam around the dock for a while then he slowly swam away towards the far side of the harbor. I was happy about his recovery and glad to see him swim away...... I waited and fished for 20-30 minutes until Bob showed up, fed him his last treat and then it was time to say "good bye". I know that Bob will be fine after I left him. He probably will find himself another well trained fisher who is willing to bring him treats. I don't know if Bob will remember me or miss me, but I sure will miss him. Each time I think of him, my heart fills with joy. I have such great memories of this fun and friendly pelican - my best fishing buddies from Ventura.......
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/5bf679b5.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/ce08a53a.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a243c19e.jpg
Downtown Ventura and Chanel Island Harbor: On our trip back we stopped in downtown Ventura and watched Ventura County Fair parade. Then we headed to Oxnard and had some delicious Brazilian cuisine by the water at Chanel Island Harbor and spent some time playing on the sandy beach. It was a beautiful day by the ocean with white clouds floating in the blue sky and a gentle breeze blowing through the air. The kids had good time playing in the sand and I enjoyed walking bare foot along the water. All in all, it was a nice trip, a trip that was filled with wonderful memories and delightful happiness....
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/8b50eb79.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/a48fa34e.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/5154080c.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/81338c2f.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/27815b45.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/7923adf5.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/3cadd005.jpg
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