'Fish are like people'

“Back when was growing up in Ohio,” reminisces Altadena’s Bob Johnson, “my grandmother would give me a worm, a line, a stick and a spark plug for a weight. That’s how I fished. When I got a little older, I got an old bamboo pole. But you just don’t see bamboo poles anymore.”

Johnson grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and beginning at age 5 started fishing for crappies every summer, usually at Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. He also fished for carp and perch in the Maumee River, and at Sandusky.

Today, Johnson uses fiberglass rods and graphite reels when he trout fishes in the Sierra and San Gabriel mountains. He’s got an extensive collection of lures and flies, including a unique lure that he makes from bottle caps. He’s learned from nearly five decades of experience to not rely on any special system or trick for catching fish. Johnson says that fish are just like people — they’re not all the same.

“Their habits change,” says Johnson, “so you just can’t rely on the same old method, the same old lure, the same old fly.” He never persists with a method if he isn’t getting results. “I’ll try a lure five times, and if I don’t get action, I’ll throw it out and try another. Don’t stick with a losing system just because you read an expert in some magazine say that it ought to work. You’ve got to watch and observe and make changes if needed. That’s how you catch fish.”

These days, he fishes primarily for trout in the Sierras, or more locally at lakes Castaic, Piru and Pyramid. Locally, he’s fished the rainbow trout of  the Arroyo Seco and the west fork of the San Gabriel River. He’s also done his share of ocean fishing, but mostly he enjoys fishing for trout in his boat with his wife.

“Fishing is good for the whole family,” he says. “It’s relaxing and it gives you a way to forget your troubles.”
His wife Terrie smiles and says, “How many other wives do you know who would go fishing with their husbands like this?” then recounts some of the run-ins with game wardens, a time when the boat nearly tipped over and other fishing tales probably best forgotten.

Suffice it to say fishing for Johnson is a way of life, not a way to get a cheap meal. In fact, if he wanted cheaper fish, it would be far easier to go buy it at Von’s. Fishing has made him a naturalist and an amateur meteorologist, since the observation of nature is essential to catching fish.

For example, he points out that a good time to catch fish is the hour before darkness sets in. And the middle of the day is usually a poor time to get bites, he says.

“Right before a storm hits is the best time to catch fish. They feed heavy right before the storm.” In fact, Johnson points out, one could catch a lot of fish during a rainstorm as well, but it’s extremely dangerous. “That fishing rod, if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, could act like a lightning rod and you could get electrocuted,” he explains.

Johnson says that a new moon phase is one of the best times to catch fish, but that you can’t catch any during a full moon. And windy weather is not a good time, either, since fish feed close to bottom when wind blows.

Johnson’s found that mid-October through April are the best fishing months, since fish tend to go deeper during the warmer months. Timing and observing the weather have become second nature to this longtime angler.

How does he choose the best location? “I have my own favorite spots that I’ve found over the years to be productive. I often go back to these same spots. But if I’m in a new area, I’ll look for an inlet. Then I’ll look for a shallow shoreline with reeds and cattails and a sudden drop-off to a depth of 20 feet or so. Fish will always be in spots like this, since this provides them with a good hiding spot for the baby fish to avoid getting eaten by the bigger fish. And you’d be surprised how often you can find big fish in the shallow water. They’re hiding from the even bigger fish in the deep water.”

Johnson’s observations of nature also enhance his fishing experiences. For example, he watches for the “snow plant” when he’s in the Sierras. Its fiery red presence indicates snow is about to fall, or that there’s about to be a major temperature change. “The Indians knew about this plant indicator,” he says, “but hardly one in 1,000 campers know about it.”

Johnson lives in Altadena and operates his own handyman business. He can be reached at 626) 797-3068.

Christopher Nyerges is the editor of Wilderness Way magazine, author of “How to Survive Anywhere” and a wilderness instructor. Contact him at ChristopherNyerges.com.