Sports

Thursday, Aug. 07, 2008

Father and son claims new S.Margarita Lake largemouth bass record

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A father and son from Soledad were only practicing at Santa Margarita Lake last week when they carved out a new largemouth bass lake record.

And they did it the correct way.

The practice that Carlos Vasquez, 45, and his 16-year-old son Jacob were doing was tuning up for a competition Aug. 23 at Clear Lake. It’s a very specialized competition. Anglers may use only plastic replicas of frogs as their attractant.

That’s what Carlos and Jacob Vasquez were doing at Santa Margarita.

“The lake is comfortable to fish and it has lots of grass mats on which to pitch frog baits and thrill to fish blowing up on your bait,” Carlos Vasquez said. “You almost have to winch the fish out of the grass and underbrush.”

That’s why he arms his rod with 65-pound test braided line when he’s targeting bass with plastic frog presentations. He described his frog baits as being about 4 1/2 to 5 inches in size with the skirts masking as legs and accounting for 2 1/2 inches of the total lure.

July 30 was the second time last month that father and son had worked their magic on the lake’s bass population. Ten days earlier, Jacob had outfished dad with a 9.2-pound bass and a 7-pounder.

He had nine of the dozen bass the duo caught last week. But dad had the record fish.

After marina operators Don and Sandra Lopez photographed the fish, Carlos Vasquez returned the it to the live well on his 2006 Ranger boat and headed for Albertson’s store in Atascadero. The certified weight of the largemouth was 13.13 pounds. Once he had the weigh slip in hand, Carlos Vasquez returned to Santa Margarita Lake and released the fish just as the anglers had done with their other catches.

Carlos Vasquez, who is in the produce business in the Salinas Valley, also owns a saltwater charter fishing business (Pochos Charters) at Cabo San Lucas in Baja.

Wiped off the Santa Margarita Lake record book was the 12.96-pound catch made by Mark Masicampo of Oceano on May 6, 2006. Until recently, that fish caught on a fly rod was an International Game Fish record for 12-pound tippet. Santa Margarita Lake Johnny Johnson of Santa Maria reeled in a 9.5-pound largemouth bass while fishing near the dam with plastics Aug. 2. Crappie as large as 10 to 14 inches are being caught in The Narrow, according to the marina’s Don Lopez. Lopez Lake Presentations of mackerel are working for catfish up to 20 pounds while nightcrawler baits have produced whiskerfish up to 15 pounds.

Fishing from the F dock, Henry Salinas of Oceano caught 10 bluegill.

Tarzana fisherman Ethan Colman, using nightcrawlers for bait, brought a mixed bay of 11 bluegill and crappie to the marina. His catches were made at Strawberry Flats.

Marina manager Jerry Weatherly says trout have disappeared from the cleaning station. Nacimiento Lake The fish wasn’t weighed but Matt Spencer from South Shore Village caught a largemouth bass that measured 23 inches long. Anchovy and worms have been producing catfish harvest especially in the morning. Marina spokesman Steve Rymal said he was amazed last week when an angler caught an 8-pound catfish on a Roostertail. The connection was made in a small cove near the marina. Cachuma Lake Broken Back Rapalas, Pearl Bikini and Rainbow Needlefish are working for trout, according to the marina’s Tiffany Lingham. The rainbows are down deep. Rat-L-Traps are enticing bass in the Mohawk area and Harvey’s Bay. Catfish up to 10 pounds are biting on mackerel in Harvey’s Bay. Patriot Sportfishing

Five lingcod more 10 pounds were released alive July 31. On July 27, six lings more than10 pounds were released by fishermen. Free tickets for a Long Range fishing trip are awarded to anglers who voluntarily participate in this act of conservation. Long Range trips are offered on Thursdays and Sundays. The fare is $75. Call 595-7200 for trip schedules, reservations or more information.

Forty-one lingcod were in last week’s catch. Topping the jackpot winners with a 16-pound, 10-ounce ling was Kurt Miller of Santa Maria.

Other jackpot winners included Lonny Petrowski, Madera, Richard Coluga, Bakersfield, both 8-pound lingcod; Alberto Contreres, Paso Robles, 6 1/2-pound bocaccio; Benny Rosario, Bakersfield, 6-pound red rockcod; Frank Brooke, Tehachapi, 5 1/2-pound red rockcod; Mariano Monzon, Santa Maria, 5-pound red rockcod; Mark Clifton, Kingsburg, Ashley Johnson, Arroyo Grande, Terry Pearce, Atascadero, and David Ornales, Paso Robles, all 4-pound red rockcod. Last week 363 passengers caught 41 lingcod, 433 red rockcod, 1,912 assorted rockfish, 15 bocaccio and 2 cabezon. Virg’s Landing The 11-pound lingcod Cambria’s Mark Seals caught on the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 1 trip north of the Piedras Blancas lighthouse was the big fish of the week.

Thirty-five passengers aboard the Princess caught 300 red rockcod, 8 lings and 50 assorted rockfish.

Long Range 12-hour trips are offered Fridays and Sundays for $105.

The next overnight trip departs at 3 p.m. Aug. 16 and returns by 5 p.m. on Aug. 17. The fare is $205.

For trip schedules, reservations and more information call 772-1222.

Other jackpot winners last week include: Manganito Esqueval, Lost Hills, Anna Kimbell, Atascadero, Carl Brichey, Lompoc, all 9-pound red rockcod; Steve Curlos, Los Osos, James Clenden, West Covina, both 7-pound whitebelly; Danny Wi, Newport, 7-pound red rockcod; John Pierce, Big Pines, Jacob Galvan, Bakersfield, Rob Fel, Maricopa, and Bill Sega, Bakersfield, all 6-pound red rockcod. Port Side Marine Alejandra Diaz of Santa Maria earned Whopper of the Week honors with the catch of a 12.3 lingcod Aug. 2. Forty-one lingcod were bagged by anglers aboard 87 launched boats last week. Seventeen lingcod were in the catch and a 100-pound thresher shark by Todd Vido of Grover Beach. Whale Rock Reservoir For the eighth time this season no fish were caught. Nine anglers were blanked. For the year 168 fishermen have caught 19 trout. The base has been open 73 days (Wednesdays through Sundays). Camp Roberts Fishing Only 116 trout were caught last weekend. It’s the second smallest weekend catch in the 16 weeks the base has been open to fishing. The fewest fish caught was in week 2 (May 3-4) when 145 anglers caught 56 trout. Thirty seven adult fishermen caught 64 trout Aug. 2. The harvest by 42 anglers (36 adults, 6 juniors) Sunday was 52 trout. Only guests on base were seven Sunday.