A Dream Come True on Lake Berryessa
It was the second week of October. Finally Fall. Finally back on Lake Berryessa. It was a dream come true moment because I was fishing with my oldest son Skyler. I pulled up to my son’s house at 6:00 a.m. sharp, right on the dot. He’s lucky he lives in Winters, 15 minutes from the Monticello Dam and Markley Cove launch. I got all my gear sorted out in front of Skyler’s house as I waited for him to roll out of the rack and hit the deck. We rolled up to Markley cove at 6:30am, still dark out. There was nobody in the queue, the first wave had already gone through the process.
We got our decontamination seal removed, paid our fee and headed down to the ramp where 25 Bass anglers were still launching and getting ready for blast off. We held back until they all got launched.
We splashed the boat, parked the truck, and blasted off ourselves. My goal when cruising through the Marina is to get my lines in the water before I hit the first point on the way to the dam. This morning was easy because Skyler was driving the boat while I was working the deck. Got my lines in the water right before the first point and then as soon as we turned towards the dam, bam fish on! I was adjusting the down rigger to marks on the graph when the fish hit, good thing I was chasing marks. The fish was really tugging but given we were just coming out of the marina I kind of thought it might be a bass. Next thing I know I look over my left shoulder and the second rod is going off, “Skyler fish on, double!”. I really could not have asked for a better start to this morning, 5 minutes in and a double, let’s go!
I ended up losing mine at the boat and Skyler ended up hand lining his over the rail. We were a little off our game that early in the morning with a double. Both were bright chrome Rainbow Trout, Eagle Lake Trout strain.
We got our lines back in and then halfway between the point and the dam, the port side rod releases from the down rigger and we have another fish on! By this time we are squared away and ready. This one was a 2 pound Small Mouth Bass, nice photo and released.
We ended up going seven for eight right in front of the dam in a matter of 2 hours first thing in the morning. The fish all came on a gold hammered trigger spoon and a shad pattern trigger spoon, scented with ProCure Trophy Trout, 45 and 55 ft OTW at 3 mph.
Sep Hendrickson with the California Sportsman Radio show had texted me earlier to call into the show live if I had any action. After catching three fish in 30 minutes, I figured that was enough action to call in. So I’m waiting on hold for about 10 minutes and as fate would have it, the port side rod goes off again.
Skyler grabs the rod and right away the fish gets airborne, big jump and splash. I’m doing my usual armchair quarterbacking, “play him, give him some drag, don’t horse him in”. Skyler’s got everything under control and then more aerial acrobatics, what a fish, we are giggling at this point.
I have lost many of these Eagle Lake Trout once they get airborne and spit the hook, but not this time. I have been swapping out the standard treble hooks that come with most spoons with a single si-wash j-hook for a deeper hook set and it’s definitely working better!
“You got this Skyler, you’re the man”. Skyler is a bit giddy, “that ain’t no bass!” he says. I set the phone down on speaker mode and grabbed the net and I’m waiting at the rail bringing the boat around while Skyler’s playing the fish to the boat.
It is at this very moment I realize I’m experiencing a dream come true. I’m with my oldest Son Skyler who got up early, made time for his Ol’ Man, both of us giggling, fist bumping, and getting it done.
Skyler finally brings the fish to the boat, but first net attempt fails as the fish makes another run. Then I hear Sep’s voice on my speakerphone “we’re going live on the water to Lake Berryessa with the man himself Darryk Ataide, the Blind Squirrel”. Right at that very moment is when I net the fish and bring it over the rail. Epic fish and perfect timing. Should have made for good radio. I then proceed to spill my guts on Sep’s show and give all the details on the terminal tackle, depth, speed, colors, and conditions. I did my best to paint a picture for the listeners but there was no way to describe what I was feeling.
They say “even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while”. I say “being lucky is great, being good is better, I just want to get better”. I don’t know how it could get any better than that.