DANGEROUS SITUATION

Visalia’s Steve Ramirez is working hard at his new love: mixed martial arts.

By James Gilliland
VSP MMA Columnist

At first, “Dangerous” Steve Ramirez wasn’t interested in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

The first fight he attended was World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 9: Cold Blooded, where his brother was fighting. That’s when everything changed.

“I went to my first fight where I cornered my brother and I was hooked after that,” said Ramirez. “The adrenaline rush… I had never felt anything like that before.”

The Visalia resident has lived in the Central Valley since high school, playing football and wrestling at Golden West.

After high school, he attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, working on a degree in sports medicine.

“I have always wanted to be in sports or around sports,” said Ramirez.

Steve is a personal trainer, but after watching his brother fight, he decided to take up cage fighting.

In his first fight, he fought Chino Esparza (1-1) in WEC and won by rear naked choke in the first round.

“Forty-seven seconds. I didn’t even mess up my hair. It was over before I knew it,” said Ramirez.

After his debut in WEC, he would continue fighting for the WEC and fight in Gladiator Challenge and King of the Cage, building a record of 6-4.

Ramirez would lose his first fight in PureCombat to Jason Von Flue (14-12-1). In the fight, Ramirez showed heart and tenacity, not tapping out to a rear naked choke.

The referee called the fight after he was unconscious. It also proved to be a lesson to his son, Steve Junior.

“I have always told my son to never give up,” said Ramirez. “I decided I was going to punch and punch until I went to sleep.”

In his next fight, he would make his way into the MMA spotlight against Darvin Wattree (2-3) at PureCombat’s Home Turf.

The bell sounded, and three seconds later, the fight was over. Ramirez threw an overhand right, knocking out Wattree cold. One of the fastest MMA knockouts ever was in the books.

“I had my head down but my eyes were open and I saw the bottom of his feet in the air,” said Ramirez. “I didn’t even feel him on the end of my fist.”

With his recent fight, he stands at 7-5 and is always ready for his next challenge.

“I’m a work out fanatic. I’m always in the gym,” said Ramirez. “It’s the greatest job I’ve ever had.”

When asked who he would like to fight if he could fight anyone, one name came to mind.

“I’d like to fight Joe Rogan,” said Ramirez of the longtime UFC commentator. “I want to see what he’s got. He’s got a big head and I probably wouldn’t miss.”

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FROM ALL ANGLERS

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a central San Joaquin Valley native and local fishing expert.

Key: 1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=excellent fishing

ROGER’S COMMENTS: A good buddy and I were fishing from shore at Millerton in the evening a few years ago, when he hooked a nice 10 pound striper that he played up to the shoreline Out of the dark, he suddenly said he needed some help- now! I ran over in the dim light and saw blood running down the stripers side as he carefully held it in the water, when he informed me all the blood I saw belonged to him! Turns out he had reached out to lip the fish before it was played out, and as the fish thrashed around, one 2/0 hook had gone deep into his right thumb. Unfortunately the hook on the other end of the lure was still connected to the fighting fish he was desperately trying to calm down. I grabbed and quickly unhooked the frenetic fish, letting it go, but by now, the barb was completely buried. I tried for ½ hour to get the big hook out, but after trying every trick I knew, as well as trying to pull it out with all my strength, after he had asked me to try, convinced me the long trek to the emergency room was where we were going next. We tried cutting off as much of the lure as we could before heading to St Agnes Hospital, but I found out big stainless hooks are almost impossible to cut off with regular sidecutters, especially when you have someone attached to it. We got out of the emergency room after midnite, and the doctor told me that it had been about the hardest hook to remove he had ever done. In fact, he said they had a collection of removed hooks to commemorate all the angler extractions they had performed over the years. As a special momento of our unforgettable fishing trip, my buddy gave me the small clear medical jar the doctor had given him -containing the tip of the big stainless steel hook he had removed from his thumb!

VALLEY
New Melones Reservoir
Bass-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-4 Trout-2 Kokanee-2
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing said the kokanee bite has dramatically turned slow with the fish as deep as 120 feet. Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods reported they are developing hooked-jaws and losing their scales, as they prepare for their attempt to spawn. The best action has been in the main lake with Glitterbug Micro Hootchies in orange or pink, R and K pink hootches and Apex in pink, orange or blue. Crawdad scent has been effective in enticing strikes. Trout fishing from the banks is over until the lake turns over, but fishing under lights with night crawlers has produced rainbows to 3-pounds. Trolling for trout continues to be slow. The bass bite is fair with a good top-water bite going on at dawn and dusk with Zara Spooks, buzz baits, or Pop-Rs. When the sun is up, crawdad or shad-colored Carolina-rigged 6″ worms, rip-baits, spinnerbaits, Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, or Senkos are working along the strong mud lines that are forming on the lake right now. It is best to target main lake points and fish the edge of the mud line and on the shaded side of coves and against steep drop-offs and cliff faces during the heat of the day, as well. Night fishing with a dark colored Power Worm right now is also a good way to target bass. Catfishing continues to be excellent with fish to 6-pounds on anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of nightcrawlers. Crappie and bluegill action is best at night under lights at depths from 10 to 30 feet around submerged trees with live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white in Bear, Carson or Mormon Creeks. Glory Hole will be holding a seminar on August 30th at 3:00 p.m. with Ed Burlarley of Sierra Guide Service talking about “Catching the Elusive Brown”. The lake dropped to 966.89 feet in elevation and 49% of capacity. The Angels Cove Launch Ramp is closed with the Tuttletown on the low water ramp and Glory Hole at the mid-ramp.
Call (209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Stripers-3 Catfish -2
Bass-2 Crappie-2 Ly Tu of Ly’s Fishing Goods in San Jose reported quick limits of stripers to 26-inches on mooched anchovies in the front of the Dam and the Trash Racks at depths from 60 to 80 feet. The lake levels are coming up slowly with increased pumping from the Delta. In the Forebay, the water is moving quickly as a result of the pumping, and the movement flattens down the grass, allowing bait to hide under the weeds. As a result, fishing is much slower. A few stripers of barely-legal size are landed on grass shrimp or anchovies. Catfish are hitting clams or cut baits near the Forebay Dam. Wind conditions: 800-805-4805. ; Call: Ly’s Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711.

Eastman Lake
Bass-2 Trout-2 Bluegill -2 Catfish-2 Crappie-2
Bob Scharton of Herb Bauer’s Sporting Goods said a few quality bass to 3.5-pounds have been landed on Keeper 1082 worms at 10 to 15 feet. The surface water temperature is high with a greenish tinge to the lake. Catfishing from the banks or up the river arm has been fair with chicken livers or anchovies. The lake dropped a vertical foot to 472.12 feet in elevation and 9% of capacity and is expected to stabilize at this low level. Call: 689-3255.

Hensley Lake
Bas s-2 Trout-2 Catfish-3 Crappie-2
Overall, bass fishing is slow with the low lake levels and high surface temperatures. Catfish provide the best action from the banks upriver at the Campgrounds or in the deep holes in the river arm with chicken livers or anchovies. The lake is holding at 477.44 feet in elevation and 21% of capacity. The swimming area is closed for the season due to a steep drop off caused by low lake levels. Both ramps are open, but the Buckridge – East side – of the lake closes at dark due to recent vandalism. Boaters using this launch need to be off of the lake by closing time. Call:225-1838, 292-3474, 673-5151

McSwain Reservoir
Trout-3
McSwain Marina said the recent trout plants have turned up the bite with chartreuse Power Bait from the Brush Pile or the Handicapped Docks. Trolling has been the slower of the two options, but things are starting to improve with chrome/blue Kastmasters or green Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler from the Dam to the 2nd Fence Line. A Calaveras trout plant is scheduled for the latter portion of this week. Call: (209) 378-2534.

Delta Mendota Canal and Sloughs
Stripers-3 Catfish-3
James Mize of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis reported most area anglers are heading to Mendota Slough for stripers or catfish with anchovies. Flukes in white on a ½ oz. jighead and Lucky Craft 128’s in American Shad or Ghost Minnow are working for the small linesides in the moving water. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait Bucket said the off and on water flows have confused anglers, leaving one to drop a 1-pound weight to stay on the bottom. There is a good deal of moss and debris flowing down with the rapidly moving water. A 4.25-pound lineside still leads the August Striper Derby.

Millerton Lake/San Joaquin River
Bass-2 Stripers-2 Shad-2 Trout-2
There hasn’t been much fishing pressure on this lake with high boat traffic, high temperatures and rapidly dropping water. Based on the normal patterns, small bass should be holding along deep, sloping banks with shad-patterned plastics. No striper reports. Boat traffic is still high, but this should slow down after this weekend with school back in session. The lake dropped 6 vertical feet to 543.07 feet in elevation and 70% of capacity. Upriver rocks becoming dangerous. As a result of water releases, river levels are high, making lures more effective for a reaction strike from the planted trout than Power Bait or night crawlers. Call: 225-1838, 292-3474.

Pine Flat Reservoir
Bass-2 Trout-2 Catfish-2
Bass fishing continues to be difficult as evidenced by the winning weights at the club tournaments over the weekend. There were two limits weighed in during the 31 boat Fresno Bass Club Tournament on Sunday. The lake has been dropping over a foot per day which always slows down the bass bite. Patrick Movey said deep diving crankbaits or dart-headed plastics fished near submerged trees have pulled out the best fish. On the trout scene, Bob Scharton said there are good-sized shad schools in the lake, and trout fishermen are trolling at depths to 30 feet with Cop Car Needlefish, ExCel spoons, Shasta Tackle Matrix Paddletails or 1.5-inch Berkley Grubs in shad colors for some decent fish. Finding the shad balls is still the key to success. An estimated 20-pound catfish was taken on anchovies. The lake has another 11 vertical feet to 784.48 feet in elevation to 27% of capacity. The lower Kings below the Dam is running high from the water releases. Call: 787-2387, 225-1838, 292-3474.

McClure Reservoir
Bass-3 Trout-3 King Salmon-2 Kokanee-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-4
Monte Smith of Gold Country Sport Fishing took a couple of recent trips to the Spillway and Dam area with some decent action on king salmon to 2.5-pounds. On his first trip, Smith put in 6 kings, 2 rainbows and 3 kokanee to 17-inches at depths on dropper lines at 40 to 50 feet with the kings down from 85 to 120 feet. On his second trip, the bite was tougher with 6 kings in the deep water on rolled shad. Manny Basi at the Bait Barn in Waterford reported a strong spotted bass bite with shad-pattern plastics on the drop-shot or dart head, brown jigs with a short skirt cut to the base of the hook or Senkos in color 330 from the banks to 40 feet in Temperance Creek or up in the River Narrows. Top water PopR’s are working early or late. Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling said live minnows or crawdads have been hot for bass from the banks to 15 feet in depth. The Keeper 1082 plastic has been a top seller. Catfishing is excellent with anchovies or live crawdads in Piney Creek or any major creek arm along sloping banks. Crappie fishing has been slow with a few fish taken from the Houseboats. The lake has dropped four vertical feet to 779.58 feet in elevation and 52% of capacity. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Fishwrangler’s Guide Service (209) 604-8222, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.

Lake Don Pedro
Bass-3 Trout-2 Kokanee-2 King Salmon-2
Manny Basi said bass fishing is hot with live minnows from the banks near the Marina or near Moccasin. Tournament anglers are using shad-patterned plastics on a dart-head or drop shot at depths to 40 feet. The reaction bite is still very slow. A few kokanee are possible at depths to 110 feet, but for all intents and purposes, the kokanee season is over. Bruce Hamby of Sierra Sport Fishing has been working the lake on a regular basis, leading one to believe that there may be a quietly kept secret on the king salmon front. The lake is at 789.99 feet in elevation and 77% of capacity. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586-2383, Bait Barn (209) 874-301.

HIGH SIERRA
Bass Lake
Bass-2 Trout-3 Kokanee-2
Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service said kokanee are still a mystery with one fish to 17-inches landed this week with his best day at 4 kokanee on a trip. Overall, the lack of adult kokanee in the lake is unprecedented, and a cause for concern. The best action has been for holdover trout with the blue RGT behind a Blue Ice dodger or the watermelon Radical Glow Tube behind the 5.5-inch watermelon dodger at depths from 25 to 35 feet. He found a few kokanee near the Dam for the first time this week. The rainbow trout have been feeding heavily on snails along the bottom of the lake. Boat traffic is expected to continue to be heavy until Labor Day with less traffic during the week with the start of school. James Mize said a few bass anglers are picking up small fish at night, as fishing during the day is next to impossible with the boat traffic. The lake is holding at 74% of capacity. Call: 642-3141, Todd Wittwer 288-8100, 642-3633, 642-3737; Mike Bieghy 642-3748.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee-2 Trout-3 Smallmouth-4
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters reported trout fishing improved late in the week with limits of trout from 13 to 15-inches located at 15 feet in depth near the Point, Boy Scout Island or Blackrock with homemade chartreuse/orange spinners tipped with a night crawler. The best bite is in the early morning before the jet skiers take over the lake. Captain Jack Yandell said kokanee fishing continues to be a struggle with a few fish found at 55 to 60 feet with the green Fat Bug behind a silver/green Jumbo Jack blade. The kokanee should start spawning in the next couple of weeks, and the bite should improve significantly. Smallmouth bass are found in the rocks between Shaver Lake Marina and Bikini Cove with live crickets or spinners. Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods said the trout and kokanee bite at Huntington has slowed down with up to 2 to 3 decent fish per trip on kokanee gear at depths to 35 feet. The bank trout bite in Rancheria Creek has been excellent with various colors of Power Bait. Huntington is still at 99% with Shaver dropping to 79%. Cal l: 841-2522, 841-2740, Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435, Rancheria Marina 893-3234, Young’s Sporting Goods 841-8271, Dick’s Fishing Charters 841-5331.

Wishon/Courtright
Trout-2
Patrick Movey said Wishon continues to be slow with up to four fish a rod landed on rainbow Power Bait from the shorelines. Trollers are running from 5 to 7 colors with silver/blue Thomas Buoyants for a few fish. Courtright is the best high country option with blade/crawler combinations or red/gold Thomas Buoyants at 4 to 8 colors. Shore fishing is fair with night crawlers or Power Bait. Bob Scharton continues to receive good reports from the South Fork of the Kings River near Cedar Grove with fly fishermen working attractor patterns, stimulator or tubes. Dick Gomez at Young’s Sporting Goods reported planters in the pools in Dinkey Creek are providing good action with crickets, salmon eggs or night crawlers. This is a great place to take a kid fishing. Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Brown Trout-2 Trout-2
Local angler Dale Parrish reported mixed limits of browns and rainbows are possible at Edison, but fishermen have to be patient and work hard. The browns are at depths from 40 to 60 feet with Rapalas behind a Hyperplaid dodger with rainbows holding from 25 to 40 feet with the red/white Assassin spinner. Edison is holding at 68% with the ramp fully operational, Florence dropping to 38% with Mammoth Pool dropping to 59%. Call: 259-4000.

OCEAN
San Francisco Bay
Halibut-2 Stripers-2 Rockfish- 3 Leopard Shark – 3 Albacore-2 Sturgeon-2
Rough ocean conditions limited ocean action until the weekend, but better weather allowed The New Huck Finn and Super Fish out of Emeryville to go to the Farallons on Sunday for 25 limits of rockfish to go with a great ling count at 23 to 14-pounds. They are scheduling rockfish/ling cod trips throughout the week with an open load albacore trip on Wednesday. The weather is expected to cooperate all week, and boats are heading out for albacore from all ports. Bob Wright, second captain of the Happy Hooker, put in some of the largest halibut of the season outside the Golden Gate on Sunday with 11 fish ranging from 38 to 14-pounds with fish of 33, 31, 27 and 25-pounds in the box. The slower tides and heavy boat traffic put a hurt on the halibut counts over the weekend, but the larger tides should keep the halibut counts on the upward swing for the next couple of day with a larger window for picking the bass off of the rockpiles. Kevin Yost of Lucky Strike Fishing put in halibut to 28-pounds and 6 leopard sharks to 25-pounds on the weekend with the sharks picking up the large anchovies on the drift with the small tides. Off the San Pablo Bay shoreline, stripers to 10-pounds are hitting live bullheads on their way up into the river system.

Delta/Stockton
Bass-3 Stripers-3 Sturgeon-2
The stripers are clearly on their move up into the Delta with the first real wave of small fish starting through the system. Despite the presence of great striper fishing on the beaches this summer, and spurts of stripers at Mel’s Reef and the rockpiles and the recent fish moving into the Delta, based upon recent data from Department of Fish and Game Biologist Marty Gingras of the Stockton Office, the striped bass population is declining in California and Oregon with the lowest catch during the spring tagging. According to this report, the adult striped bass abundance in California hasn’t declined like young striped bass abundance, but the adult population includes a much smaller percentage of older fish currently compared to the pre-1970’s. The adult population will continue to decline, making catch and release a priority. Mark Wilson of Mark Wilson’s Sport Fishing put in 188 legal fish in 4 days of trolling both deep and shallow lures, primarily below the Rio Vista Bridge. He had been working deep, but he found fish in shallow water at the latter part of the week. The majority of the fish are just legal up to 8-pounds, but they are willing to strike. On one trip, they had 17 double hookups. The smaller tides have been a key in getting the fish to move up into the system, as well as providing clean water for trolling. Jeff Boyle of the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca reported fantastic action on both sides of Decker Island, both on the deep and shallow troll. The best action was at the change and on the incoming tide. They were even able to spoon up a bunch of schoolies on 1 oz, Megabait spoons in green or chartreuse. Jay Sorensen of Jolly Jay’s Guide Service boated a pair of 14-pound/34-inch fish on the incoming tide off of Decker Island on fresh shad on Sunday. The Hook, Line and Sinker in Oakley reported a good striper bite in the mornings and evenings on top water lures such as Zara Spooks or shad or rainbow-trout wake baits. Schools of stripers have been seen busting the surface in
Discovery Bay, Russo’s Marina and Sugar Barge chasing bluegill or threadfin shad. Further upriver, Dockside Bait in Pittsburg said things have been very slow over the weekend with small, bait-stealing stripers keeping sturgeon anglers from being able to keep the bait on the bottom long enough for a diamondback. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, found a large school of stripers in the 3 to 5-pound range in the upper Delta on Monday, and they hit the linesides chasing bluegill and shad with the IMA Flit rip bait in shad patterns, the IMA Rhumba or Big Stick. For largemouth bass, Pringle advised using the Persuader E-chip jig in black/red or blue/red or the Berkeley Heavyweight worm in earth tones or June Bug. Once the wind makes a ripple on the surface of the water, the Persuader Double Buzzer buzzbait in chartreuse/white is a must. Call:; Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Kevin Yost, Lucky Strike Fishing (707) 301-8050, Mark Wilson Sport Fishing (916) 682-1630, Fin Addict Sport Fishing (209) 367-4665, Jolly Jay’s Guide Service (209) 478-6645.

Tournament Results

Pine Flat –Kings River Bass Club– August 15: 1st –Cesar Gonzalez– 8.18-pounds (Big Fish – 5.87); 2nd –Larry Marshall– 5.24 -pounds; 3rd –Jerry Martens– 5.17.

Isabella – American Bass Association– August 15: 1st –Steven and Brett Davies– 27.17 -pounds (Big Fish – 11.63); 2nd –Randy McAbee Sr. and Jr. – 27.12 -pounds; 3rd –Jim and Carl Dobbs – 15.71.

Pine Flat – Fresno Bass Club – August 16th : 1st –Morgan Swisher– 8.20-pounds ; 2nd –Cliff Woods– 6.17-pounds; 3rd –Todd Hayes– 3.44( Big Fish – 2.44).

Upcoming

August 27th –Terry Walton–Custom Rod Building– 6:15 p.m. ––Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse
September 3rd –Randy Pringle, The Fishing Instructor – Bass Fishing – 6:15 p.m. ––Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse

8/29 Nacimiento – Jim’s Pro Bass
Lopez – Taft Bass

9/5 Pine Flat – Fresno Bass

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A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

The valley will be well-represented in this year’s Arizona Fall League.

By Andrew Marden
VSP Senior Writer:

Merced native Eddie Gamboa has already played for three different teams this year, so why not add a fourth?

Gamboa, a former standout at Merced High School, is set to play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League. He is 10-0 with a 1.20 ERA this season pitching for Baltimore Orioles affiliates at Class-A Delmarva, Class-A Frederick and currently Class-AA Bowie.

Former Fresno State outfielder Steve Susdorf will be joining Gamboa in the Arizona Fall League, but not on the same team; he’ll be playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Like Gamboa, it’ll be Susdorf’s fourth team this season.

The 2008 WAC Player of the Year was recently promoted within the Philadelphia Phillies organization to Class-AA Reading. He started the year at Class-A Lakewood where he batted .333, then went to Class-A Clearwater where he batted .371.

One of Susdorf’s soon-to-be teammates is catcher Buster Posey, who is currently batting .299 for the Fresno Grizzlies. Posey, a first-round draft pick in 2008, is the second-rated prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization.

The Peoria Javelinas will have former Merced College pitcher Omar Aguilar on their roster. Aguilar, in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, is 1-0 with a 0.67 ERA in 16 games for Class-A Brevard County.

The Arizona Fall League season starts on October 13th and runs through November 19th.

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MENDONCA PROMOTED TO BAKERSFIELD

The former Fresno State third baseman moves up from the Spokane Indians of short season ‘A’ ball.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer:

Tom Mendonca still strikes out a lot.

But that still hasn’t stopped him from getting promoted.

The former Bulldog and current Texas Rangers farmhand was promoted to high single ‘A’ ball, right in his backyard. Mendonca is now with the Bakersfield Blaze of the California League, the same league the Visalia Rawhide play in. Mendonca will be in uniform for the Blaze tonight against the Modesto Nuts in Modesto, which is about 20 minutes from his hometown of Turlock. The Rangers have allowed Mendonca to stay with his parents during the four game series.

Mendonca won’t be traveling far after that. The Blaze play up the 99 freeway at Stockton for three more games September 1-3.

Mendonca was batting .309 for Spokane, with a team leading nine home runs and 26 RBI in 49 games. He struck out 66 times in 188 at-bats, which means he struck out 35 percent of the time. But his improvement at the plate average-wise and power helped get him promoted, not to mention his solid defense at the hot corner.

“You set yourself goals and my goal was to get to Bakersfield by the end of the year,” Mendonca said. “I did, and playing in Modesto is always a bonus. Now the next goal is to make it to Double-A, or start off in Double-A next year in Frisco (Texas).”

Not bad just three months after being drafted in the second round by the Rangers.

The Blaze will return to Bakersfield to play Rancho Cucamonga September 4-7 to wrap up the regular season.

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PITTMAN SIGNS WITH UFL TEAM

The former Fresno State running back joins the Florida Tuskers.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer:

Former Bulldog Michael Pittman has changed leagues.

Pittman signed with the Florida Tuskers of the brand new United Football League in an attempt to revive his career. The Tuskers are based in Orlando with their first game scheduled for October 10th. There are only four teams in the UFL, based in San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando.

Pittman played for the Denver Broncos last season, scoring four times, but his season ended after eight games with a knee injury. He is well known to football fans in Central Florida, largely for his role as the starting running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their Super Bowl XXXVII winning season. Pittman rushed for 124 yards against the Raiders in the Bucs’ 48-21 win. He’s rushed for 5,627 yards with 25 touchdowns in his 11 year NFL career.

Pittman was a two-time first-team all WAC selection with Fresno State, rushing for 3,017 yards in his Bulldog career.

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FORMER BULLDOG NEAL CUT BY RAIDERS

Oakland says good-bye to the four-time Pro Bowler.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer:

Former Fresno State star running back Lorenzo Neal’s brief stint with the Oakland Raiders is over.

The Raiders released Neal in between practices Wednesday, a move Oakland head coach Tom Cable, a Merced native, called ‘tough.’

Neal played in the Raiders 31-10 preseason win over Dallas last Thursday, leading the way for Darren McFadden on his 45 yard run in the first half.

The San Francisco Chronicle (sfgate.com) reports the Raiders cut Neal to make room for safety Rashad Baker on the roster, who was signed earlier in the day. Baker was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday.

The Chronicle reports Neal did not finish Wednesday morning’s practice because of a sore hamstring, but that wasn’t the reason why the Raiders cut him.

Neal is a four-time Pro Bowl selection, best known for leading the way for a handful of 1,000 yard rushers, including Tampa Bay’s Warrick Dunn, Eddie George of the Titans, and Chargers All-Pro LaDainian Tomlinson. This is Neal’s 17th season in the NFL.

It is not known whether or not Neal will try to sign with another team. He is the longest tenured former Fresno State Bulldog in the NFL, but that distinction may now go to Cardinals defensive end Bryan Robinson, who is entering his 13th NFL season. Robinson, Neal and Chargers quarterback Billy Volek are the only remaining former Bulldogs in the NFL that played for former Fresno State head coach Jim Sweeney.

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CALM, COOL FISTER BEATS YANKEES FOR 1ST ML WIN

The former Bulldog pitches seven strong innings in the Mariners 10-3 win.

By Christian Caple
mlb.com:

This is likely how Doug Fister will have to make his living as a Major League pitcher.

There are certainly worse ways — especially if more of his outings involve a congratulatory beer shower at the end.

Fister, a rookie who doesn’t possess an overpowering fastball, gave up eight hits and one very long home run against the Yankees on Sunday. But over the course of his seven innings, most of the contact the soft-throwing righty allowed was harmless, and he handled the Yankees’ powerful lineup like a veteran to earn his first career victory in a 10-3 Mariners win before 45,210 at Safeco Field.

Since joining the team on Aug. 8 after spending the season in Triple-A Tacoma, Fister has thrown two solid outings, the first of which was a six-inning start in which he allowed just one hit and no runs.

“Doug Fister was outstanding,” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. “He really has a feel for pitching. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but we talked about the command he had in the Minor Leagues. I think the first time he pitched in the big leagues he got a little nervous, walked a couple of guys, but he threw a gem today.”

There were no walks on Fister’s line on Sunday. And his numbers have been even better up here than they were in Tacoma, where he allowed more than one hit per inning and was 6-4 with a 3.81 ERA.

It was almost assumed that Fister would need a good amount of run support to have any kind of success in the Majors, but he’s given up just three runs in 13 innings in Seattle.

Not bad for a guy who started the season in Double-A.

“It’s always in the back of your mind,” Fister said of thinking about playing in the Majors when he was working his way through the Minors. “You’ve always got to pay attention to your goal and have it in hand, but making sure that you do the little things day to day, that’s what gets you.”

What got him, also, was almost entirely the work he did in the Minors this season. Before then, only the most diehard Mariners fans would have recognized his name.

It rings bells with the Yankees, now.

“He wasn’t really on the radar, in all honesty,” Wakamatsu said. “This year is where he put himself on the map.”

He’s done it without a mid-90s fastball. Kenji Johjima, who has caught both of Fister’s starts with Seattle, said the rookie’s changeup is one of his most useful weapons, and that’s why he called more changes than sliders.

“He has a lot of confidence in his changeup, as well as command,” Johjima said through an interpreter. “And that’s what I saw the previous start, so I tried to make that as effective as possible.”

And unlike his last outing, the Mariners’ offense gave Fister enough to get him in the win column.

Jose Lopez responded to Derek Jeter’s RBI bloop double in the third with a double of his own in the bottom of the frame, this one scoring two runs to put the Mariners up by one.

When Fister allowed a mammoth two-run home run to center to Nick Swisher in the fourth that gave New York a 3-2 lead, the rookie was picked up again by his offense. With two outs and runners on first and second in the fifth, Franklin Gutierrez and Jack Hannahan lined back-to-back RBI singles to push Seattle back in front, 4-3.

Fister responded positively to Swisher’s tape-measure blast. He gave up three harmless singles the rest of the way, retiring 10 batters in a row at one point.

“The only time he got hurt was when he got into a 3-0 count [to Swisher] and gave up the home run,” Wakamatsu said. “But I think the sixth and seventh innings show the kind of character this guy has, especially in the seventh when they got a couple of bloop hits and then got out of the inning.”

Fister’s resilience buoyed the Mariners’ offense long enough to find its groove against the Yankees’ bullpen, after they’d already chased New York starter Joba Chamberlain after five innings.

Yankees reliever Alfredo Aceves hit Josh Wilson with a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh to force in a run, and the Mariners, who were 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position in the previous two games, added on.

Ichiro Suzuki followed with a two-run single through the right side of the infield. Russell Branyan plated another run with a base hit. Lopez hit his second double of the game down the left-field line to score another.

Johjima added a solo homer to left field in the eighth inning for good measure.

“The turning point for me was the two-out RBIs by Gutierrez and Hannahan,” Wakamatsu said. “And later in the ballgame, even Wilson getting hit by the pitch — the momentum changed right there.”

Fister, after deserving it in his first start, has his first win. And the Mariners finally grabbed one in this four-game series after dropping the first three, earning their 61st victory of the season — a total that matches their output all of last year.

“To be able to keep your head up high and know that you gave the fans their money’s worth is important to us,” Wakamatsu said. “We came out today in front of one of the biggest crowds of the season. They came out to play, and I’m awfully proud of them.”

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FROM ALL ANGLERS

Compiled by Dave Hurley and edited by Roger George, a central San Joaquin Valley native and local fishing expert.

Key: 1=poor, 2=fair, 3=good, 4=excellent fishing

ROGERS COMMENTS: Catfishing is rapidly improving as the summer doldrums continue to stifle most bites. Some big bass action in the south valley is another surprising development at the low level lakes, with a few real monsters showing up mostly on live bait.

New Melones Reservoir
Bass-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-4 Trout-2 Kokanee-2 .
Melanie Lewis of Glory Hole Sporting Goods reported kokanee are starting to develop hooked-jaws and lose their scales, but aren’t showing much color yet. The bite was tough during the past week with most anglers having a hard time finding limits unless they spend quite a bit of time trolling. The bite has been best for those anglers who are on the water at dawn, and who bottom-bounce (let your downrigger ball bounce along the bottom). The main lake seems to be the most popular place for trollers, but we are hearing a few reports of action picking up upriver above the Highway 49 Stevenot Bridge, and at the mouth of Carson Cove. Kokanee are as deep as 80-120 feet deep- deeper in the hottest part of the day. Glitterbugs micro hootchies in orange or pink, R & K pink Hootchies, and Apex in pink, orange or blue colors are all working. Blue, especially, has been showing more action lately. You may want to try adding a bit of Bang crawdad scent- when kokanee get close to spawning, the scent of crawdad will sometimes incite a bite, since crawdads eat their eggs. Jo Sanders of Murphys landed a 3-pound, 11-ounce rainbow that she caught (along with three other nice rainbows) while night-fishing with a crawler/Power Bait combo 80 feet deep near the spillway. Trollers at Melones are mainly catching kokanee right now, but we are seeing nice rainbows in mixed trout/kokanee limits. Most have been caught on kokanee rigs. As a rule, trout are 10 feet shallower than kokanee in the main lake and upriver, and are hitting brightly colored lures. For browns, troll Rapala Countdowns or Trophy Sticks in rainbow trout or shad patterns, or roll shad, 50-60 feet deep (in the same areas, but closer to structure). The bass bite is fair with a good top-water bite going on at dawn and dusk with Zara Spooks, buzz baits, or Pop-Rs. When the sun is up, crawdad or shad-colored Carolina-rigged 6″ worms, rip-baits, spinnerbaits, Zoom Baby Brush Hog, or Senkos are working along the strong mud lines that are forming on the lake right now. It is best to target main lake points and fish the edge of the mud line and on the shaded side of coves and against steep drop-offs and cliff faces during the heat of the day, as well. Night fishing with a dark colored Power Worm right now is also a good way to target bass. Catfishing is excellent with anchovies, mackerel, sardines, chicken liver, or a ball of nightcrawlers. Crappie and bluegill action is best at night under lights at depths from 10 to 30 feet around submerged trees with live small or medium minnows, or crappie jigs with jigs in red/white, black/chartreuse or purple/white in Bear, Carson or Mormon Creeks. Glory Hole will be holding a seminar on August 16th at 3:00 p.m. with Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, talking about top water lures for bass. The lake dropped three feet to 968.85 feet in elevation and 50% of capacity. The Angels Cove Launch Ramp is closed with the Tuttletown on the low water ramp and Glory Hole at the mid-ramp.
(209) 736-4333, Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586 2383, Sierra Sport Fishing (209) 599-2023.

Lake Isabella/Bakersfield area
Bass-3 Trout-3 Crappie-3 Catfish-4 Bluegill-3
Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait in Bakersfield said the bass bite is much slower than in the past couple of summers, but a 22-pound limit was top weight in the weekend’s Western Outdoor News tournament. 12 and 10-inch worms, including the Deadly Duo Purple Pepper, have been effective; in addition to deep-diving crank baits. Catfishing is excellent with frozen shad, shrimp or clams for fish to 7-pounds throughout the lake. The large Alpers trout have been creating a stir in the cooler water locations near the Cemetery or the Edison Canal with rainbow Power Bait, night crawlers or salmon eggs. A DFG trout plant is scheduled for this week. The plants are taking place at the upper end of the lake near the golf course to allow the fish to move up the river. Crappie fishing is still strong at depths to 30 feet in submerged trees. The lake dropped three vertical feet to 2558.84 feet in elevation and 28% of capacity. In the Bakersfield area, blue gill and the occasional bass continue to be the top species at the small, local lakes. An 8-pound largemouth was taken out of the lower Kern River on a night crawler. Call:Big Ed’s Bait and Tackle (760) 379-4170, Bob’s Bait (661) 833-8657, North Fork Marina (760) 376-1812

San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay
Stripers-2 Catfish -2 Bass-2 Crappie-2
Ly Tu of Ly’s Fishing Goods in San Jose said a 46-inch/42-pound striped bass was landed at Check 12 on a pile worm. This angler worked hard for this fish, remaining at the spot the majority of the day with no bites before hooking this fish in the evening. A huge 40-inch catfish was also taken off the shoreline after biting an anchovy. In the main lake, mooched anchovies are still working at depths from 60 to 80 feet for small keepers to 24-inches. Anglers are reluctant to walk the long distance through the mud to reach the water with the lake extremely low, particularly with slow top water action. Anglers are working the Forebay under the bridge for stripers to 26-inches. The hot weather is encouraging fishermen to continue to seek stripers at the area beaches. Wind conditions: 800-805-4805. Call: Ly’s Fishing Goods (408) 629-9644; Coyote Bait and Tackle (408) 463-0711;

Eastman Lake
Bass-2 Trout-2 Bluegill -2 Catfish-3 Crappie-2
Ranger Keith Willis said overall fishing action is slow with the best bite for catfish to 18-pounds on night crawlers or chicken livers. A few small bass can be found at depths from 10 to 15 feet with dark-colored plastics or deep-diving crankbaits. The lake is loaded with baitfish, and the bass are chasing the bait. The Mid-Valley Bass Club held an open night tournament on Saturday night with a winning 10 fish limit of 22-pounds, including fish at 7.5, 6 and 5-pounds. Jeff Hobbs of the club landed two 6-pounders in the past week. Willis said the water quality is fair. The lake dropped four vertical feet to 473.34 feet in elevation and 9% of capacity. Call: 689-3255

Hensley Lake
Bas s-2 Trout-2 Catfish-2 Crappie-2
Patrick Movey of the Fisherman’s Warehouse in Fresno reported a few bass are possible on dark-colored plastics or deep-diving cranks with the best action at night. Catfishing remains decent from the banks upriver at the Campgrounds or in the deep holes in the river arm with chicken livers or anchovies. The lake dropped a vertical foot to 477.68 feet in elevation and 21% of capacity. Call: 225-1838, 292-3474, 673-5151

McSwain Reservoir
Trout-3
Diana Mello of A-1 Bait in Snelling reported a good early morning bite for limits on chrome or chrome/blue Kastmasters from the banks. Trollers have to work hard for limits at depths to 30 feet with Kastmasters or green Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler from the Dam to the 2nd Fence Line with chrome Ford Fenders trailed by a night crawler. A DFG trout plant is scheduled for the latter portion of this week. Call:(209) 378-2534

Delta Mendota Canal and Sloughs
Stripers-2 Catfish-2
Patrick Movey said local anglers have been tossing white flukes, Lucky Craft 128’s in American Shad or Ghost Minnow for undersized stripers to barely legal fish in the moving water. Pete Cormier of Bob’s Bait Bucket said the water is running hard in the south aqueduct, and debris is floating down with the flows. Striper action remains good with anchovies, Gitzits or RatLTraps. Their August Striper Tournament is still led by a 4.25-pound fish.

Millerton Lake
Bass-2 Stripers-2 Shad-2 Trout-2
Patrick Movey said there is an early morning reaction bite with top water or spinnerbaits, but you don’t have much time to fish before the Armada of recreational craft hits the lake. The majority of fish are still in the 11/12-inch range. Striper action slow, as fish reposition themselves in deeper water as levels fall. The lake dropped another 7 vertical feet to 549.77 feet in elevation and 75% of capacity. Upriver area getting dangerous with underwater towers lurking in several areas. A trout plant is scheduled on the lower San Joaquin River this week, but the water levels are high, making lures more effective for a reaction strike than Power Bait or night crawlers.Call:225-1838, 292-3474.

Pine Flat Reservoir /Kings River
Bass-2 Trout-2 King Salmon-1 Crappie-2 Catfish-2
Patrick Movey said trout action continues to be decent, but successful fishermen have been tight-lipped on their depth and location. The clues lead one to believe the best bite is near Deer Creek with slow action up the river arm. Cop Car Needlefish or other shad-patterned lures are the top producers. Finding the shad balls are the key to success. Judging by the Fresno Bass Club night tournament results, finding 1.5 to 2-pound bass is difficult with the best action on black plastics or spinnerbaits. The lake has fallen another 11 vertical feet to 795.43 feet in elevation to 30% of capacity. The lower Kings below the Dam is running high from the water releases, but it is scheduled to receive a trout plant this week. Call: 787-2387, 225-1838, 292-3474.

Lake Kaweah
Bass-3 Crappie-3 Trout-1 Catfish-2
Sierra Sport Fishing reported several trophy bass from 6 to 16-pounds were landed this week, highlighted by a pair of bucketmouths at 16 and 12-pounds on live crawdads by a fishermen targeting catfish. Sergio Cano of Woodlake also caught a 12-pounder on live crawdads. Crappie fishing remains solid with some nice fish in the 2.5-pound range at the end of the pier on small minnows. The Visalia Bass Club tournament sported 16 limits out of the 41 teams with a total of 121 fish to over 7-pounds. The reservoir dropped 15 vertical feet to 612.27 feet in elevation and 16% of capacity. Call: 592-5922.

Lake Success
Bass-3 Trout-1 Catfish-2
Jerry Williams of the Success Bass Club said some quality fish to 5-pounds have been landed on both shad and crawdad plastics at depths from the banks to 20 feet on the drop shot or dart head. There is an early top water bite. The lake dropped another 4 feet to 589.83 feet in elevation and 9% of capacity. As the lake continues to drop to minimum pool, bass fishing should continue to improve. Call: 784-0215.

McClure Reservoir
Bass-4 Trout-3 King Salmon-2 Kokanee-2 Crappie-2 Catfish-4
Manny Basi at the Bait Barn in Waterford said spotted bass fishing is “On Fire” with PopR’s in the morning with shad-patterned worms on the dart head, drop shot or Carolina-rig at depths from the banks to 20 feet working after the sun hits the water. Small profile jig head on a brown/purple jig with a brown/purple Yamamoto twin-tail trailer are also working. Diana Mello said the Keeper 1048 or Robo Worm Purple Punisher are the top selling plastics with live minnows or crawdads working from the banks at Barrett’s Cove or McClure Point. Trout limits have been possible in the early morning at depths from 30 to 40 feet with green Wedding Rings tipped with a crawler behind a dodger or shad-patterned lures at the Dam or up the river arm. Night fishermen are using live minnows at night near the Houseboats at 25 to 30 feet in depth for trout and the occasional crappie. Anglers are also drifting in the coves and tossing chrome/blue Kastmasters in the early mornings. Kokanee action is slow with a few fish landed near the Dam at 60 to 80 feet with the occasional king salmon found below the kokanee schools from 95 to 100 feet with rolled shad. Few anglers are targeting these species. Catfishing is excellent in Piney or Barrett’s Cove with anchovies or live minnows along steep, sloping drop offs. The lake has dropped five vertical feet to 783.92 feet in elevation and 54% of capacity. Call: A-1 Bait (209) 563-6505, Fishwrangler’s Guide Service (209) 604-8222, Bub Tosh (209) 404-0053.

Lake Don Pedro
Bass-3 Trout-2 Kokanee-2 King Salmon-2
Manny Basi said bass fishing is best with watermelon red Brush Hogs dragged along the bottom at depths from the banks to 40 feet. Brown/purple jigs followed by a brown/purple trailer on a small profile jig head is also working. Drop shotting, dart heading or Carolina-rigging shad-colored worms are also a good technique. Live minnows and crawdads are also productive. No trout, salmon or kokanee reports. Call: Monte Smith (209) 581-4734, Danny Layne -Fishn’ Dan (209) 586-2383, Bait Barn (209) 874-301.

HIGH SIERRA
Bass Lake
Bass-2 Trout-2 Kokanee-2
Todd Wittwer of Kokanee.net Guide Service said things really haven’t changed much this week with the exception that there were no large kokanee taken this week. He said, “It is primarily a rainbow lake right now, although we keep picking up a few smaller kokanee”. He continues to average about a dozen trout hookups daily with a few kokanee in the 14/15-inch range taken. The best action has been on the watermelon Radical Glow Tube behind the 5.5-inch watermelon dodger, the pink/chartreuse UV Assassin spinner behind a pink/chartreuse split-tape dodger, the solid green Assassin Spinner or pink RGT tube behind a Tiger Pink dodger at depths from 25 to 35 feet. There are very few fish down by the Dam. Boat traffic is expected to continue to be heavy until Labor Day. A result of the motor fee and high recreational boat traffic is a slowdown in the number of bass fishermen on the lake. The lake dropped slightly to 74% of capacity. Call: 642-3141, Todd Wittwer 288-8100, 642-3633, 642-3737; Mike Bieghy 642-3748.

Shaver Lake/Huntington Lake
Kokanee-2 Trout-3 Smallmouth-4
Dick Nichols of Dick’s Fishing Charters reported a cooldown in both trout and kokanee action in the past few days. He has been averaging over 18 fish per trip this summer, and he was unable to approach this number on his last few trips. The combination of a full moon, cool weather and a receding lake could be the cause for this drop in action. Mixed kokanee/trout limits are possible for an all-day venture. He touts the best kokanee action on Captain Jack’s Green Bug tipped with corn with homemade Wedding Rings for trout. Small mouth bass action continues to be hot with Matt McCandless of Shaver Lake Sports sending bankies to Bikini Cove, and the rocks near the Sierra Marina. Boaters should work the rocks at Scout Island or in Stevenson Creek. Crickets and small spinners on light tackle work best for the smallies. The repairs on the Dam have been postponed until the winter of 2010/11 which will require dropping the lake severely. At Huntington, Dick Gomez of Young’s Sporting Goods said things have slowed down, but there are still decent schools in the lake which appear to be moving towards the creek inlet. Competition with sailboats is still a concern on the weekends, so the best action and conditions take place during the week. Russ Doylan of Fresno had a surprise this past week while trolling in the middle of the lake off of dam # 3 at noon with 4 ½ colors of leaded line out pulling a Shasta Tackle UV Hum Dinger green Tiger behind a Shasta Tackle silver and red Sling Blade. On the hook of the Hum Dinger was a combination of a worm, rainbow Power Bait and a single kernel of white corn. Something big hit his lure and in a few seconds took out about 1 ½ colors of line on the way to almost spooling the reel and breaking the 8-pound leader. A big Brown hookup certainly is the suspicion for such a display of power. Both lakes are scheduled for DFG trout plants this week. Huntington is still at 99% with Shaver dropping to 83%. Cal l: 841-2522, 841-2740, Dinkey Creek Inn 841-3435, Rancheria Marina 893-3234, Young’s Sporting Goods 841-8271, Dick’s Fishing Charters 841-5331.

Wishon/Courtright
Trout-2
Chuck Crane of Wishon RV Park said action at Wishon is very slow with regulars to the lake struggling for a couple of fish even after trolling all day long. The most effective lure has been the Thomas Buoyant in silver/blue at 5 to 7 colors. Shore fishing is also slow with the best action at the inlet in Short Hair Creek with orange or Captain America Power Bait. Courtright is also slow with limits possible for trollers working all day. Blade/crawler combinations at 4 to 8 colors or Speedy Shiners from 3 to 6 colors have been the best. Shore fishing is very slow with night crawlers or Power Bait. Bob Scharton continues to receive good reports from the South Fork of the Kings River with fly fishermen working attractor patterns, stimulator or tubes. Dick Gomez at Young’s Sporting Goods reported good action in Dinkey Creek for planted trout in the pools. The fish are heading straight to the deeper water, and they are providing good action on crickets, salmon eggs or night crawlers. Trout plants are scheduled at Dinkey and local creeks this week. Call: Wishon RV Park 865-5361

Edison/Florence/Mammoth Pool
Brown Trout-2 Trout-2
Trout action at the high country lakes continues to be fair with Edison holding at 68% with the ramp fully operational, Florence dropping to 47% with Mammoth Pool dropping to 65%. Call: 259-4000.

OCEAN
San Francisco Bay
Halibut-3 Stripers-3 Rockfish-3 Leopard Shark -2 Sturgeon-2
The winds ramped up a bit over the weekend, and rockfish counts diminished with the rougher offshore conditions at the Farallons. The Captain Hook and the New Super Fish out of Emeryville combined for 232 rockfish for 30 anglers to go with a dozen lings to 12-pounds after five of their boats posted scores 135 limits of rockfish and 23 lings to 12-pounds on Saturday. Inside the bay, the tides dropped down a bit and as a result, the striper counts dropped from Fridays limit fishing. Jim Smith on the Happy Hooker boated 27 limits on Friday, 42 fish on Saturday, and 20 bass to 16-pounds on Sunday. The combination of the smaller tides and heavy boat traffic depressed the scores of linesides. Smith’s halibut count has been steady with 17 fish on Saturday and 16 Sunday to 25-pounds with four of the fish weighing in at over 20-pounds. The halibut counts will improve throughout the week with the smaller tides. Kevin Yost of Lucky Strike Fishing got in on the striper action on Friday with 6 limits and 3 halibut to 12-pounds in the central bay. Alcatraz, Angel Island and Crissy Field have been the best locations for the flatties with all of the rockpiles holding bass. John Akina at Oyster Point Bait, Tackle and Deli reported overall slow action in the south bay with loads of sharks and rays landed off of the pier. In San Pablo Bay, Keith Fraser of Loch Lomond Bait in San Rafael reported private and party boats averaged a fish a rod on Sunday with things slowing down a bit. Further upstream, Chris Seabourne at C Biscuits in Vallejo said the striper bite up the Napa River has really started to take off near the 37 Bridge with fish to 32-inches taken on bullheads, grass shrimp or anchovies. There have also been a few sturgeon picked up in the Napa, but most guys are concentrating on stripers. The linesides are also in Sonoma Creek, and they have been caught from the banks on bullheads.

Monterey
Rockfish-3 Albacore-2 Stripers-3
Todd Arcaleo of Chris’s Landing in Monterey said an unusual south wind came up Monday afternoon, keeping their afternoon whale watch boat at port. Rockfishing continues to be solid on their ventures down to Point Sur for quality bottom fish with the occasional ling cod. Local trips to Cypress Point or Carmel Bay are producing limits, but the grade of fish is smaller. They continue to head south to Point Sur throughout the week whenever a minimum of 20 anglers are on the books, and the weather cooperates. Ly Tu said stripers continue to be taken from New Brighton south of Sunset Beach with lures or bait. The overall bite has slowed, but baitfish schools are still moving with the currents. Finding diving birds is the key. The Little Neck Popper is the hot lure, and Tu will have a shipment in on August 13th. These lures haven’t been staying on the pegs more than a day after hitting the shops. Bayside Marina in Santa Cruz reported there were a few boats out on Sunday at 36′22/122′42 for albacore with one boat hooking four fish and landing three. Inshore, a mixed swell and wind slowed down action with a few rockfish taken at the Lighthouse.
Call Chris’ Landing (831) 375-5951, Bayside Marine (831) 475-2173, usafishing.com

Delta/Stockton
Bass-3 Stripers-2 Sturgeon-2
Stripers continue to move in to the river systems in small, exploratory groups, perhaps due to high water releases upstream from the American, Feather and Sacramento River. Bank action in Benicia has improved for fish to 32-inches on small bullheads or anchovies along the Dillon Point State Park or 9th Street. Dockside Bait in Pittsburg said the overall quality of bass is improving with a 15-pound striper and a few in the 8-pound range found on grass shrimp or bullheads. Unfortunately, grass shrimp was in short supply over the weekend in the east Delta. Fresh shad continues to be difficult to obtain with only a few bait shops consistently supplying a generally small grade of bait. Trollers are starting to find stripers on the main Sacramento River at the West Bank or up in the Old Sacramento near Isleton or Steamboat Slough. The San Joaquin River near Lights 33A to 38 is giving up a few stripers to 6-pounds on red/chartreuse Rebels, particularly on the incoming tide. Randy Pringle, the Fishing Instructor, said Monday’s hot weather turned on the top water bite with Poppn’ Furbet the Frog along the weedlines and the weeds. The IMA prototype Big Stick top water lure and the IMA Rhumba , a small profile top water wobbling lure, are also working. The fish are dropping deeper in the afternoons, and the Chigger Craw in green pumpkin or brown or Persuader E-chip jig in black/red or brown are working along the outside weed lines. When the wind breaks up the surface of the water, the Persuader Double Buzzer buzzbait is effective, as the fish come to the surface to chase bait fish in the oxygenated water. Call:; Randy Pringle (209) 543-6260; Kevin Yost, Lucky Strike Fishing (707) 301-8050, Mark Wilson Sport Fishing (916) 682-1630, Fin Addict Sport Fishing (209) 367-4665, Jolly Jay’s Guide Service (209) 478-6645.

Tournament Results

Kaweah–Visalia Bass Club– August 8: 1st – James Beasley/Gary Wasson – 15.79-pounds (Big Fish – 7.24); 2nd – Noe and Joshua Sanchez – 11.93-pounds; 3rd –Jeff Sr and Jeff Jr. DeMacabalin– 11.15.

Success –Success Bass Club– August 8th: 1st – Randy Weldon– 11.06-pounds (Big Fish – 5.69); 2nd –Dave Davis– 9.00-pounds; 3rd –Jerry Williams – 8.85.

Isabella–Western Outdoor News – August 8th – 1st –Jim Dobbs/Bob Grayson – 22.04-pounds; 2nd – Jason Newby/Mike Stiles – 14.77 -pounds(Big Fish – 7.47); 3rd –Leo and Mark Abler– 13.06.

Pine Flat–Fresno Bass Club– August 9th – (10 fish limits): 1st –Mark Corrente/Jim Snow– 15.43-pounds (Big Fish – 2.21); 2nd –Ralph Encizo/Jeff Mathews– 9.79-pounds; 3rd –Tim Turner/Chet Elia– 9.35.

Upcoming

August 20th ––Larry Hodge –Take a Kid Fishing–– 6:15 p.m. ––Fresno Fisherman’s Warehouse

8/29 Nacimiento – Jim’s Pro Bass
Lopez – Taft Bass

9/5 Pine Flat – Fresno Bass

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RYAN’S GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL WINNER!

Chef Ryan Scott, a regular contributor to valleysportspulse.com, won the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s cooking competition (and five-thousand dollars) with this tomato-themed dish. Ttry making it yourself and enjoy!

Winning dish at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
By Ryan Scott

Sundried tomato crusted beef tenderloin with sungold tomato succotash and watermelon beefsteak tomato salad

Tomato jam recipe

4 cups yellow onion, small diced
½ cup ginger, Minced
2 Tlb minced garlic
¼ cup evoo
6lbs tomatoes, blanched and diced
2 cups white balsamic vinegar
1½ cup brown sugar
2 ea cinnamon stick
2Tlb salt

1. Sweat onions, ginger, garlic and evoo in pan till the onions are tender and soft (5-10 minutes). Add tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, and cinnamon stick, salt and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and bake for 2hrs at 300* or until the mixture is thick and jam like. You may have to adjust seasoning with more salt or sugar; it all varies on the tomatoes, so adjust to your liking.

Watermelon and cherry tomato salad with red onion and scallions

1 large sliced heirloom tomato
6 1-inch cubes watermelon (or melon of choice)
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp sliced scallions
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup croutons
¼ cup whole grain mustard
1 cup verjus (or vinegar of choice)
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp salt

Procedure
1. To make vinaigrette blend mustard, vinegar, and salt. In a gradual stream add olive oil to blender until it becomes a nice creamy vinaigrette.
2. Season watermelon, tomatoes, red onion, scallions with vinaigrette, salt and pepper and arrange on a thick slice of heirloom tomato that is also dressed and seasoned then arrange on plate.

Sun dried tomato pesto

4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

1. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with warm water for 5 minutes, or until tender.
2. In a food processor or blender combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and onion; process until well blended. Add vinegar, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and red wine, and process. Stir in olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste.

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HEY NOW, HE’S AN ALL-STAR

Former Diamond Dog Alan Ahmady was named to the New York Penn League All-Star Game.

By George Takata
VSP Senior Writer:

His junior season at Fresno State may have ended prematurely, but Alan Ahmady’s bat has stayed hot during his brief but successful professional career.

Ahmady was named to the Class ‘A’ Short Season New York Penn League’s National League All-Star team, with the All-Star game set for Tuesday, August 18th. Entering Sunday’s game, Ahmady was batting .320 with two home runs and 24 batted in for the Batavia Muckdogs, the low single ‘A’ affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals who selected Ahmady in the 19th round of this June’s Major League Baseball Draft. Ahmady was selected as a third baseman for the game.

“It’s going really well,” Ahmady said in an exclusive interview with valleysportspulse.com. “It feels great to be selected as part of the all-star roster. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”

Ahmady has played everywhere for Batavia; third base, left field and designated hitter to name a few of the positions. He was suspended from Fresno State for the rest of the 2008-2009 season for violating athletic department policy. Ahmady could have returned for his senior year, but opted to turn pro instead.

The All-Star game will be hosted by the State College Spikes on the campus of Penn State University.

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