Westlake Marina

Archive for February 3rd, 2010

Whats the best campsite at Lake Isabella, CA, kern river? on the water with fishing shade? where can I rent a raft?

i am going camping this memorial day weekend at lake isabella by the kern river. i am going with a friend who is an experienced rafting guide. i need to know info like the best part of the kern to raft upper or lower? also cool places to visit or swimming holes/waterfalls. need some inside info. is there an outfitter who will rent the raft for day use and not take a guided tour? and also info about the best campsite. one with fishing preferably on the river and good shade

there isn’t all of this in one place, but the best campsite is exactly ten miles north up the north fork from the cobblestone bridge is a campground called corral creek it’s shallow enough for crossing the river just downstream and you can camp under the shade of oak trees on a sand beach with huge rocks above deep snorkel able holes where very big trout live year round. there are creeks that feed the river from the mountain side behind you and you can hike up into the mountain following the creeks and find perfect natural holes with brookies in them too. (I haven’t been there since the last fires swept much of the mountains there but I never heard about corral creek in the news. About five more miles north is the “blow hole “where you slide with the water pushing you through holes in the rocks as you careen a natural water slide down stream. I fear the water being low much of the river might have too many rocks to actually enjoy rafting that area though. You will need fire permit and don’t camp too close to the water it is notoriously famous for rising and taking lives.

Kern River Fishing

I can’t find the fish I want in the stores in my area. I have seen many online aquarium suppliers selling fish on their websites but I haven’t met anyone who actually buys their fish from an online store. Could someone please tell me if they’ve purchased fish online and if it was a good experience? Also, could you recommend a reliable website for ordering?
Thank you, Sara! Liveaquaria.com is the one that I’ve been looking at the most but I don’t wanna pay for dead fish. :- /
If you shouldn’t buy in the winter, spring, or the fall should you not buy fish from pet stores during those times too? Don’t pet stores also get shipments of fish from similar places?

I haven’t bought fish online, I prefer to see them before I buy them to I get an idea of size and health before I bring them home. If there’s something in particular you want, you can ask the next time you go to where you usually buy fish [unless it's a WalMart] and ask if they can order what you want. Most stores are happy to do this for their regular customers. I know who orders what in the stores I visit [sometimes separate people order FW, SW, and plants, sometimes it's all the same person] and what days the orders have to be in by. Doing it this way has 2 advantages – you can get to see and pick out the fish you want if they order more than your need, and you don’t have to worry about losses during shipping. And as you said, fish are shipped to pet stores over the winter too. But there’s always someone they to get them, and put them into tanks right away, that may not be the case if you have them shipped to your house.

If you decide to order the fish you want online, I’d only order them from a store that guarantees safe arrival. If any have died during shipment, they’ll give you your money back or replace the fish. Liveaquaria is a store with this guarantee. http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=23 So is That Pet Place http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/index.web – guarantee http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/LFguarantee.web see their Aquarium Livestock tab for what they have in stock. I’ve never ordered fish from them, but I’ve ordered lights and filters, and everything has arrived in good condition. If you sign up for their email list, they’ll notify you of specials where there are good discounts or free or reduced shipping for online orders. But having the *Arrive Alive* guarantees is the best way to go. The store will contact you and tell you what day the shipment will be there so someone can be home to receive it. You just have to have the tank set up beforehand.

If you’ve never ordered online before, the biggest risk you’ll be taking is that the fish will be in bags for some time, and when you open them, the fish will have immediate ammonia stress. This is the main cause of fish deaths from a new shipment. One fish store I shop at even has a 15% discount if you buy fish still in the shipping bags – a price break for you, but a chance that it’ll be killed by the ammonia when you open the bag if you aren’t prepared for this. High pH fish [saltwater or cichlids are most susceptible]. Unlike how you’re taught to acclimate fish by floating then doing small water changes in the bags, that’s NOT how to acclimate fish that have been crowded in a bag for a long time. The pet store version of unpacking is to float as normal, but then cut the bag, then pour out all the water, catching the fish in the net and transferring him right to the tank. That goes against what you usually hear about how to acclimate your fish, but the pH in the bag drops from the wastes, and when the bag is opened, it can shoot back up causing ammonia burns and pH shock. Some stores have specific acclimation guidelines to follow or their guarantees are voided. But if you leave him in the bag with all the wastes he’s produced for the last 10+ hrs, he’ll start listing over on his side and have trouble breathing [ammonia damage to his gills]. If there’s enough ammonia, the fish can die, or have enough damage that he’ll be affected for a few days to a few weeks. I also try to have a little AmQuel in their new water just to be on the safe side, although I not a believer in using in my tanks on a regular basis. Read these for more about unbagging and acclimating a fish that’s been in a bag for several hours. http://www.southtexaswgc.org/fishtransport.htm http://aquascienceresearch.com/APInfo/Acclimate.htm http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2008/09/fish-shipping.html

After all that, it seems easier for you to let your lfs take the risks and handle all the acclimation for you, doesn’t it?

ALSO, when the fish come to the store, they’re in big styrofoam boxes with several bags of fish and a heat pack if it’s cold out, so there’s not as great of a chance for the temperature to fluctuate. If you order online, they’ll still be packed in styrofoam with a heat pack, but the box will likely be smaller [more chance for the water to get colder]. If you buy from a store, you can bring along a cooler of your own to put them in to bring them home to keep the temperature more consistent than if you were just putting the fish bag into a paper or plastic bag. If you don’t have a cooler the size that’s convenient, I’ve also wrapped the fish bag in a towel or several layers of newspaper, them put this into a cardboard box with a lid or flaps on the top and stuffed more crumpled up newspaper around the sides. Crumpling the paper lets there be some air space, which is what really insulated the bag with the fish.

Kayak Fishing Tournament – La Jolla Calico Chaos

Where to Trout fish in Tennessee? I am planning a Tennessee fly-fishing trip need a good location.?

A few friends are going fly-fishing in Tennessee but need a good location to go. Wild trout streams would be great but will consider a stocked stream. We are also taking the families so a few will want other daytime activities. We will be doing a self-guided fishing trip, will be camping but have thought of a cabin if available. Maybe 10 people total with two kids. I have need to fight a wild trout on a hand tied fly.

Cody

Fly Fish Tennessee seem to have some good info for you.

http://www.flyfishtennessee.com/

Also R & R

http://www.randrflyfishing.com/

Fly Fishing for Rising Trout on Tennessee’s Holston River