Vacation Fall 06

Music, work, fish, work, eat. Repeat.

(click photo for full size)

Lake County was in fine form this August of 2006. 3 shows at Konocti, Los Lonely Boys, UB40, and Willie Nelson. Summertime and the living is easy. The only night time sounds I heard were bullfrogs. No 9mm.

I spent a week in Lake County doing a little of a lot of things but not everything. I took my mountain bike up and was going to try to ride Boggs a little but got busy and it never happened. I did some "work that Americans won't do" on a redwood deck. The stain was wasted and worn away, so I had to strip it off then clean and brighten the deck, then wait for it to dry, then restain. Stripping the deck stain was the worst part. You apply a gel and activate it with water, let it sit, keep it wet then scrub it. It works well, but man it is not much fun in 95 degree heat.

I did get in a full day of summer fishing and got out a few more days for a few hours. Summer bass fishing means early topwater bite and later fishing underwater structure. I took another trip with guide Bob Myskey, a pro who lives on the lake and only guides there so he really knows the tricks of Clear Lake well. I met him for a full day of fishing starting at 6 am last Wednesday. I started the day by getting about 12 fish on a Heddon "Super Spook" a big topwater lure that makes a big splash and has an erratic side to side motion called walking the dog as you work it. It is a great thing to catch any fish on topwater, trout on a dry fly, dorado on a trolling lure, and bass as well. In the dim morning light you work the lure and BOOM there is a fish blowing up from below to hammer the spook. It is the kind of fishing John Madden would love.

I spent the rest of the day catching about 20 more fish on the offshore rockpiles and got off the water around 2:30. It was a long day and lots of fun.

The rest of the week included an off road trip into the Mendocino National Forest. The roads were very dusty but the views were awesome and it is always fun to get away into the trees. It must be why God gave us SUV's, well that and Costco I guess.

Saw a few wild turkeys up in the hills.

Konocti had 3 shows I saw the week I was up. Susan Tedeschi and Los Lonely Boys played Sunday, Reggae Sunsplash was Thursday, and Willie Nelson on Friday. At all 3 shows everybody ended up playing together.

Susan joined LLB, who also brought out their dad to play during their set. She had opened the show. Both artists tore it up. Susan is such a great player, and her band is really tight. LLB did their usual fun set, a local fishing guide took them out on the lake before the show and the LLB drummer Ringo caught a 10 lb bass! Man that's a trophy! I am sure he took a few pictures and released the big fish. They seemed to really have fun on stage and everybody thought the 10 pm cut off was a little early but hey rules are rules!

UB40, Toots and the Maytals, and Third World were on the reggae bill. Third World did a set of their hits. I had no idea so many people could sing along to 96 Degrees In The Shade, but many did. Toots is fun to see live, kind of like James Brown, lots of energy. And man UB40 are such a solid band. It had been a long time since I had seen them and they sounded great. They are more of a RnB reggae band these days, not as political as the early years but that is ok. UB40 brought out Maxi Priest, and some of the other artists on the bill to sing "I Shot The Sheriff." The set started with "Rat In The Kitchen" and ended with "Satta Amasagana" with the horn section all dubbed out and sounding great.

Willie played his guitar with the hole in it (I mean an extra hole not the regular one!) and soloed during every song. He did about a 1 1/2 hour set including a few Hank Williams songs and some cowboy songs and a few from the Starsdust album. Shooter Jennings and Deana Carter opened up the show and Willie brought them out to help sing "Will The Circle Be Unbroken." Willie, he's a one of a kind for sure. Big Rick says check him out.

Chow stops included the always good Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville, and a new place the Blue Wing Saloon in Upper Lake next to the new, er restored, no that's not it, new, built like restored, but really new old timey Tallman Hotel.

I also caught up on the second season of 24 on dvd.

Yeah. When can I go again?

(No fish were harmed during this vacation. Catch and release of course.)


This Just In from the Record Bee newspaper:



Ringo Garza of the group "Los Lonely Boys" took time from his concert schedule on Sunday and Monday at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa to get in some fishing. He didn't come away empty. Garza, the drummer for the group of brothers, caught this 10.25-pound bass on Sunday morning. The group's second biggest bass was a 6-pounder caught by Garza's dad, Enrique. (Photo by Ross England)