Steve Merlo: Bass Club to host New Year's tourney
| Thursday, Dec 15 2011 10:45 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Dec 15 2011 10:47 PM
Outdoors columnist
Tired of the same old New Year's Eve functions and all day football bowl marathons? Are you tired of nursing a headache and hangover brought on by too much adult beverage at the party you attended? How about trying something new for a change and taking part in a fun bass tournament on New Year's Day?
Each year on January 1st, the Bakersfield Bass Club holds a kick-off team bass tourney at Nacimiento Lake, the 'dragon-shaped' gem 25-minutes northwest of Paso Robles. Originally the brain-child of local custom painter and bass fisherman, Cary Nasalroad, the fun tournament has been successfully held for a number of years largely due to his unselfish efforts at organizing and coordinating the bass fishing event.
With the recent passing of Mr. Nasalroad, friends and bass club members have stepped up and continued to sponsor the event. In the process, they have renamed the tourney in his memory to honor his accomplishments in life, his friends, his relatives and his fishing prowess.
As usual, the "Cary Nasalroad Memorial Hangover Bass Tournament" will be open to only Kern County residents. The cost of fishing the tournament runs $100 per team, with additional options available, including a "big fish" pot, for a nominal fee. Anglers will be fishing for a limit of 5 bass, 12-inches or better with the winners weighing in the top total weight of their catch. Bakersfield Bass Club rules will be in effect.
So how's the fishing at Nacimiento? The lake has finally 'grown up', with its famed spotted bass growing to much larger proportions than those the lake kicked out several years back. Last weekend, for instance, a local bass club winner brought in over 19-pounds for a five fish limit, including a new lake record spotted bass that went over 7-pounds.
Fishermen can expect the fish to bite a large variety of lures, including worms, jigs and cranks. While depth and speed of retrieve are important, finding the bait fish schools the fish are relating to seems to be the right way to catch a decent limit.
Prospective anglers are warned that the weather at the lake can be cold and miserable, so be sure to take extra warm clothes and good raingear, just in case. Boat owners will also need to fill out a "Quagga Mussel" report while being checked for any signs of water or other potential problems that might accidentally bring the invasive mollusk into the lake.
Anglers going over to pre-fish are reminded to get their boat inspected and then 'locked' before leaving the gates. During our last visit, cheerful lake personnel attached a small plastic 'lock' on our boat and trailer each day before we left so we would not have to face the daily inspection when we returned the next. The procedure takes about 30-seconds and means you and your rig can drive right through the gates without any loss of time the next morning.
The lake charges about $16 for daily car and boat use, with camping and electrical hookups available for a few dollars more.
By the way, be sure to purchase your new 2012 fishing licenses before trying to fish on the 1st. Game wardens seem to cast a blind eye on excuses, so be prepared.
More unusual bird sightings
After last week's 'migrating mud hen revelation" I've received even more questions regarding recent bird sightings. More than a few people have written wanting to know what type of large black bird they've seen flying in huge, 'V-shaped' flocks outside of town around agricultural areas. A careful look will also note the presence of a long, turned down, curved bill.
No, they are not geese, even though they fly around in large gaggles. But they don't 'honk' and they are not cormorants, the large brownish colored, fish-eating, diving bird that also tools around from lake to lake eating all our planted trout and other species.
The birds in question are white-faced ibis, also nicknamed glossy ibis, and usually hang around with white egrets and curlews. The Egyptian Pharaohs once held the Nile River's ibis in high esteem, honoring the species as some sort of god. Here in California, they may not be gods, but they certainly are a successful wildlife story.
When I was growing up, I only saw a total of six until I was over 25-years old. Today, I can wander around almost any mowed, watered alfalfa field and see at least 500 in each one where the birds are seeking bugs, critters and other invertebrates
Occasionally, when the flocks leave the fields and return to their night-time marshy abodes, one can see thousands moving across the early evening sky.
