Owen's River Ground Hogs Day - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Iceman · 02-03-2013, 01:40 PM

9 of us met at the HWY 6 bridge at 8:30 am to float and fish our way down to Line St. That is 3 miles as the crow flies, but nearly 8 squiggly miles of river. We had it all too ourselves unless you count the cows. Steveo pulled in a fish from the bank while the rest of us were still getting ready.

This was my first trip to the Owens and I had a blast. More than one person made sacrifices to this river, the faster water into curves with lots of growth meant, no rods sticking up and paddle hard to maintain control! I was expecting it to be a little more of a "lazy" flow and opted to bring the SUP. There is no way that was going to work with the fin on, so fin-less I went which made it wander just a bit, but I stayed dry. Every body caught fish and Eagle Eye John took the jack pot with a beauty. There were some good ones lost too. We timed our landing just around sunset and headed into Bishop for steak dinners all around. Great trip, great guys to fish with and a helluva an adventure.

Thanks to Steve, Steve O, Ron, Grego, Naoki, Yoshi, John and Paul for joining me on this adventure. Steve and I bombed it! We left Seal Beach at 3 am, got to Bishop around 8am, hit the return road home after dinner at 7:30 and got home right around midnight. Everyone else stayed over for the spa treatment.

joker63 · 02-03-2013, 01:49 PM

Looks like good times

Wayne_R · 02-03-2013, 01:58 PM

Thanks for report. Me and a buddy thought bout doing this early summer, but didn't know where to start/end and how would work out.

paintnfish · 02-03-2013, 02:24 PM

It doesn't get much better than this, thanks for everything !

lamb · 02-03-2013, 04:24 PM

Stellar!

mrJB · 02-03-2013, 04:55 PM

You guys are TOUGH! Had to be cold! Also, 395 can be dangerous with tired, hung-over skiiers heading home late at night...

Grego · 02-03-2013, 05:07 PM

Thanks again for hauling the yaks Andy! That Moken was pretty impressive...that seat was rock'n. Enjoyed seeing some long time friends.....been too many years since we've fished together.

Trademark Iceman with the stogie

Steveooo giving his Fonz impression

Ron and a rainbow....finally@!

Me showing off a brownie

bus kid · 02-03-2013, 05:59 PM

Quality right there.

JeffB · 02-03-2013, 07:54 PM

Looked like that was a fun trip. That's what I wanna do for sure one day is a float trip. Very nice scenery too.

roby · 02-03-2013, 08:03 PM

Very cool...

steveooo · 02-04-2013, 09:37 AM

What a cool trip that was. I’m looking forward to doing this again soon. Next time I’ll try to take more pics, but it was so nice and we were busy fishing, that I forgot to take many pics. Here are a few that I did take

Iceman’s Kayak Delivery Service

Paul & Grego at our Hwy 6 launch spot

John is one fishy dude

Ron in his sit inside

I could do this all day

Andy getting ready for a section of rapids

Sup Andy

Steve in the Moken

The man that took our Jackpot money…

The yaks were a pretty cool way to explore the river.

Paul

Lots of cows sharing the river with us

Rainbow

The Sierras

Grego hooked up

My best hookup of the day

Steve

Iceman · 02-04-2013, 10:28 AM

SUP perspective video

bigbarrels · 02-04-2013, 11:17 AM

Looks like a great trip.......first SUP down the Owens river?

ericko · 02-04-2013, 01:16 PM

A few years back stinky matt and i made a few 24 hour trips ...so much fun but you do need atleast two people to carpool with...looks like you all had fun even if the fish is only 1 lb.

seaquinn · 02-04-2013, 02:29 PM

Hah! I have been planning to do this for several months now.... just didn't think to post here to set up a group to do it. Several guides market this trip, but they say 12-16" fish...... looks a bit smaller.

Looks like you need at least two vehicles.

Congrats on a fun trip. I'll do this soon..... anyone wanting to set one up, pm me. But I am sleeping over night on both ends in Bishop...... a nice comfy bed, nice breakfast, dinner, etc....!

PAL · 02-04-2013, 03:56 PM

^There were larger fish. Eagle Eye's jackpot was a 20-inch rainbow, most likely an Alpers. He had a second that size. Someone else did too. My brown was right at a foot.

Epic trip, next time I'm doing the whole thing from the upper Owens all the way to Big Pine, at least 100 miles (yeah right). Some day.

Siebler · 02-04-2013, 04:19 PM

Looks like a blast. Paul when you want to do a long trip let me know, I am all in. Think the Commander would be good for that trip probably.

PAL · 02-04-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siebler

Looks like a blast. Paul when you want to do a long trip let me know, I am all in. Think the Commander would be good for that trip probably.

I'll hold you to it. I'm more serious than not. I'd like to do it all in one go, but figure it may take several sessions, at least 2-3. The Commander would be fine so long as it's the shorty.

Siebler · 02-05-2013, 08:25 AM

Ive got a Commander 12 Plus its so nice to stand on or sit a little higher.

I am all in, just have to plan it around the other trips this year and such. Would be a great trip. Maybe we could convince some of the other old school guys to come like LouDog and Pierpont or even CaboJohn (although that tends to make a fun trip into a rowdy fun trip haha)

blitzburgh · 02-05-2013, 09:33 AM

Absolutely beautiful. Love the video Andy and great song choice!

02-03-2013, 01:40 PM	#1
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,948	Owen's River Ground Hogs Day 9 of us met at the HWY 6 bridge at 8:30 am to float and fish our way down to Line St. That is 3 miles as the crow flies, but nearly 8 squiggly miles of river. We had it all too ourselves unless you count the cows. Steveo pulled in a fish from the bank while the rest of us were still getting ready. This was my first trip to the Owens and I had a blast. More than one person made sacrifices to this river, the faster water into curves with lots of growth meant, no rods sticking up and paddle hard to maintain control! I was expecting it to be a little more of a "lazy" flow and opted to bring the SUP. There is no way that was going to work with the fin on, so fin-less I went which made it wander just a bit, but I stayed dry. Every body caught fish and Eagle Eye John took the jack pot with a beauty. There were some good ones lost too. We timed our landing just around sunset and headed into Bishop for steak dinners all around. Great trip, great guys to fish with and a helluva an adventure. Thanks to Steve, Steve O, Ron, Grego, Naoki, Yoshi, John and Paul for joining me on this adventure. Steve and I bombed it! We left Seal Beach at 3 am, got to Bishop around 8am, hit the return road home after dinner at 7:30 and got home right around midnight. Everyone else stayed over for the spa treatment. __________________ Last edited by Iceman; 02-03-2013 at 03:27 PM.

02-03-2013, 04:24 PM	#5
lamb Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,568	Stellar! __________________ [------------------------ <)))< ....b-a-a-a-a

02-03-2013, 04:55 PM	#6
mrJB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: O.C. Posts: 352	You guys are TOUGH! Had to be cold! Also, 395 can be dangerous with tired, hung-over skiiers heading home late at night... __________________ "I Brake for Halibut"

02-03-2013, 05:59 PM	#8
bus kid Team Keine Zugehörigkeit Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Way out there Posts: 2,854	Quality right there. __________________ Não alimente os trolls------------Don't feed the trolls---------------インタネット荒らしを無視しろ

02-03-2013, 07:54 PM	#9
JeffB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: La Jolla Posts: 1,216	Looked like that was a fun trip. That's what I wanna do for sure one day is a float trip. Very nice scenery too. __________________ If you're looking for me I'm

02-03-2013, 01:49 PM	#2
joker63 Junior Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 1	Looks like good times

02-03-2013, 01:58 PM	#3
Wayne_R Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Riverside / Temecula Ca Posts: 92	Thanks for report. Me and a buddy thought bout doing this early summer, but didn't know where to start/end and how would work out.

02-03-2013, 02:24 PM	#4
paintnfish Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 72	It doesn't get much better than this, thanks for everything !

02-03-2013, 05:07 PM	#7
Grego Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 445	Thanks again for hauling the yaks Andy! That Moken was pretty impressive...that seat was rock'n. Enjoyed seeing some long time friends.....been too many years since we've fished together. Trademark Iceman with the stogie Steveooo giving his Fonz impression Ron and a rainbow....finally@! Me showing off a brownie

02-03-2013, 08:03 PM	#10
roby CEO of Team Roby Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 905	Very cool...

02-04-2013, 09:37 AM	#11
steveooo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,921	What a cool trip that was. I’m looking forward to doing this again soon. Next time I’ll try to take more pics, but it was so nice and we were busy fishing, that I forgot to take many pics. Here are a few that I did take Iceman’s Kayak Delivery Service Paul & Grego at our Hwy 6 launch spot John is one fishy dude Ron in his sit inside I could do this all day Andy getting ready for a section of rapids Sup Andy Steve in the Moken The man that took our Jackpot money… The yaks were a pretty cool way to explore the river. Paul Lots of cows sharing the river with us Rainbow The Sierras Grego hooked up My best hookup of the day Steve

02-04-2013, 10:28 AM	#12
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,948	SUP perspective video __________________

02-04-2013, 11:17 AM	#13
bigbarrels Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vista Posts: 1,111	Looks like a great trip.......first SUP down the Owens river? __________________ The shorter you are, the bigger your fish appear

02-04-2013, 01:16 PM	#14
ericko Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Huntington beach Posts: 594	A few years back stinky matt and i made a few 24 hour trips ...so much fun but you do need atleast two people to carpool with...looks like you all had fun even if the fish is only 1 lb.

02-04-2013, 02:29 PM	#15
seaquinn wishin' I was fishin' Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Blossom Valley (near El Cajon) Posts: 148	nice! Hah! I have been planning to do this for several months now.... just didn't think to post here to set up a group to do it. Several guides market this trip, but they say 12-16" fish...... looks a bit smaller. Looks like you need at least two vehicles. Congrats on a fun trip. I'll do this soon..... anyone wanting to set one up, pm me. But I am sleeping over night on both ends in Bishop...... a nice comfy bed, nice breakfast, dinner, etc....!

02-04-2013, 03:56 PM	#16
PAL Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 754	^There were larger fish. Eagle Eye's jackpot was a 20-inch rainbow, most likely an Alpers. He had a second that size. Someone else did too. My brown was right at a foot. Epic trip, next time I'm doing the whole thing from the upper Owens all the way to Big Pine, at least 100 miles (yeah right). Some day. Attached Images

02-04-2013, 04:19 PM	#17
Siebler Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Richland Oregon Posts: 1,547	Looks like a blast. Paul when you want to do a long trip let me know, I am all in. Think the Commander would be good for that trip probably. __________________ CJ Siebler

02-05-2013, 08:25 AM	#19
Siebler Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Richland Oregon Posts: 1,547	Ive got a Commander 12 Plus its so nice to stand on or sit a little higher. I am all in, just have to plan it around the other trips this year and such. Would be a great trip. Maybe we could convince some of the other old school guys to come like LouDog and Pierpont or even CaboJohn (although that tends to make a fun trip into a rowdy fun trip haha) __________________ CJ Siebler

02-05-2013, 09:33 AM	#20
blitzburgh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Menifee Posts: 2,509	Absolutely beautiful. Love the video Andy and great song choice! __________________ ”The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.” ~Thomas Jefferson.........maybe