Fishing Report: Father-son duos faring well in tourneys

When Jared Lintner and Dana Chatterly compete in bass tournaments these days there’s a whole lot of teaching going on. Each has a very special partner — their sons. Success also is part of the equation.

Jared, a six-year pro on the Bassmaster Elite tour, and his son J.C., 10, won the final regular season Tri Valley tourney at Lopez Lake. The Arroyo Grande dad is on tour most of the year so he and his eldest son managed to compete in only three club tourneys. They placed second at Lopez in January and Santa Margarita in July.

Lompoc’s Dana Chatterly and16-year-old son Clayton claimed Angler of the Year honors with a runner-up weight of 22.67 pounds. It was their fifth top-10 finish of the season and provided a 389 to 379 points advantage over Santa Maria’s Danny Knotts and Bill Lukeman.

“We were drop-shotting and throwing jigs in the Pozo Arm,” Dana Chatterly said. “By 7:30 we had a limit and were culling 2-pounders by 8:30 and 3-pounders by 9:30. Although we had 30 keepers, we were unable to get anything bigger than 4.23 pounds.

“Finishing second to an accomplished fisherman like Jared is not a bad thing. I remember him as a 16- or 17-year-old at Lake Casitas in a Gold Coast Club tournament. He had a blue Champion boat and he fished all day using just his trolling motor. He’s come a long way.”

The Chatterlys led Knotts and Lukeman by three points beginning the final test.

Lintner, who turns 38 on Monday, said: “I only caught seven fish and had only one other bite. The wind was blowing hard. Mostly we fished with jigs off shore in 25 to 35 feet of water. When probing bushes we used Brush Hogs.”

Their six-fish weight of 23.43 pounds amounted to a 0.76-pound victory margin.

Lintner summed up son J.C.’s second season of tournament fishing with pride.

“He’s learned a lot and does well with spinnerbaits and topwater baits,” the older Lintner said. “Now he’s looking forward to receiving his birthday wish — to fish with me at Clear Lake. We are going there soon.”

Tri Valley Top 10, Number of Fish, Weight Jared & JC Lintner, Arroyo Grande, 6, 23.43 pounds; 2. Dana & Clayton Chatterly, Lompoc, 6, 22.67 pounds; 3. Scott Garman, Morro Bay, Dan Barrios, San Luis Obispo, 6, 18.08 pounds; 4. Ron & Derek Morrison, Lompoc, 6, 17.05 pounds; 5. Brad & Lynn Austin, San Miguel, 6, 15.82 pounds; 6. Frank Michaud, Josh Signorelli, Lompoc, 6, 14.55 pounds; 7.Brad Shepherd, Clark Endres, Atascadero, 6, 14.44 pounds; 8. Felix Camacho, Nipomo, Ken Camacho, Santa Maria, 5, 13.45 pounds; 9. Danny Knotts, Bill Lukeman, Santa Maria, 6. 13.02 pounds; 10. Johnny Johnson, Santa Maria, Rob Marquez, Orcutt, 6, 12.94 pounds. 1st Big Fish, 5.52 pounds, Mead Hedricks, Tom Vienola, Lompoc; 2nd Big Fish, 5.05 pounds, Michaud & Signorelli.

Albacore prospects

“There probably will be as many as a dozen boats in the hunt for albacore Friday and Saturday,” Harrell Kimball said.

The Cape San Martin buoy, which is approximately 50 nautical miles from Morro Bay, is where the tuna prospecting will take place.

“The temperature break is as close as 34 miles and the water might be clean enough to hold albacore,” Kimball said.

Port San Luis Boatyard

Last week, 14 salmon, 12 white seabass, 61 lingcod, 25 halibut and two barracuda were in the catch by anglers aboard 98 launched boats. Full rockcod limits were logged three days and three quarter limits four days. Dusty Musgrave of Pismo Beach earned Whopper of the Week honors with the catch of a 50-pound white seabass Sunday. He was fishing from Danny Bivens’s boat, Sea Squirt. Two 40-pound white seabass also were caught from the same boat Saturday.

Nine salmon were caught the first two days this week including an 18-pounder by Anthony Nagy.

Patriot Sportfishing

The 146 lingcod caught by 304 passengers last week swelled the total for the season to 1,537. The lone jackpot fish not a lingcod was a 5-pound red rockcod caught by Terry Fredline of Bakersfield. Anglers winning pots with lings and their weight were: Chris Tompkins, Murrieta, 18-6; Heather Wood, Grover Beach, 17-0; Mark Sullivan, Lakeshore, 15-8; Thad Johnson, Lemoore, 15-0; Michael Balbolo, Fresno, and Mark Masicampo, Atascadero, both 10-0; Jim Robinett, Atascadero, Glen Joseph, Pine Tree, Joe England, Bakersfield, all 8-0; and Karen Moore, Grover Beach, 5-0.

Last week’s catch also included: 943 red rockcod, 1,413 assorted rockfish, 385 bolina, 17 cabezon, 12 kelp greenling, and two bocaccio.

For reservations and trip schedules, call 595-7200.

Virg’s Landing

A complete report was not available.

John Rowley reported these jackpot winners: Jake Farr, Pasadena, 15-pound lingcod; Bob Archibald, Vista, 14-pound lingcod; Bob Bishop, Fresno, 9-pound ling; and Don Russell, Morro Bay, 6-pound red rockcod. Forty-four lings were caught by 310 passengers last week.

For reservations and trip schedules, call 772-1222.

Central Coast Sportfishing

Space is available on a 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. fishing trip Sunday. Cost is $69 for adults and $34.50 for children 15 and under.

Call 772-3474 or 704-2084 for reservations and more information.

Nacimiento Lake

Heritage Ranch resident Dave Rymal reported a rarity. On Monday, a Heritage resident caught a 14-inch trout trolling a Rat-L-Trap. Employing the same tactics, Rymal landed a 2-pound spotted bass. Spots are chasing shad in water near the condos.

Santa Margarita Lake

A nonlocal bass tournament Saturday was won by a team with a 28-pound, 5-fish limit. Marina manager Don Lopez had no other details. He added: “Bass are being taken on topwater lures. Red worms are tempting bluegill and redear up to three-quarters of a pound. Mackerel is working for catfish.”

Cachuma Lake

Fall patterns are beginning as shad move up into shallow water. Small and largemouth bass are suspended on main lake points feeding on shad. Spoons and spinnerbaits are producing. Catfish remain in shallow coves with creek channels but the bite has slowed. Mackerel, nightcrawlers and packaged dough balls are working. Drifting mini jigs tipped with pieces of nightcrawlers works for crappie in The Narrows. Trout fishing has been tough. Bows are down 50 feet at the dam.

Lake San Antonio

The marina’s Ryan Roth says stripers are in the shallows early, then move to waters between Harris Creek and the dam later in the day. Anchovies, Rat-L-Traps, topwater and Zoom lures are working.

Bob Begley, the bait sales rep, says spinnerbaits and swim baits are attracting bass in the shallows. Crawlers and red worms are working for bluegill in Harris Creek.

Lopez Lake

No report.

Whale Rock

Catching trout for the third week in a row, Joe Reynolds pulled into a tie with Gary Collier for the most rainbows caught this year.

Both have caught 19. While Collier did not catch any fish during the week, Reynolds reeled in 14- and 16-inch fish Sunday with lures.

Twenty-two anglers tried their luck last week. The reservoir will be open through Labor Day. It will be closed Tuesday, then resume the regular Wednesday through Sunday schedule.