Digital Camera

Hunting the River King as been updated! The format will still be adjusted a bit, but I think this look will be the new one for now. Thanks for reading I have also launched a separate website, Gadgets & Gear Guru . You will find a host of affordable items, from smart lamps to minimalist running shoes and more at this new site. Check it out here:  http://gadgetgearguru.blogspot.com

Fished the beautiful Eastern Sierras over opener weekend at the end of April. I landed a few nice brown and rainbow trout on ultralite gear, and safety released them all.  Hiked to several creeks, and explored a few others but had quite a few trails blocked by snow. With temperatures down to the 20s at night, it was important to dress warmly! Enjoy the photos: And yes, I spotted the locked-up Haiwee Reservoir(s) from the 395. Sad Haiwee is still closed to fishing. 

Picked up a couple of new fishing reels recently and finally compiled my thoughts on 'em. First is the SeaKnight CM3000 reel (http://goo.gl/DXs7db), which I'm using for bass and carp fishing. I have it spooled with 8lb monofilament line for now, but I'll be putting heavier line on it soon.  It comes with two spools, so I can swap lines easily. I initially bought it for $17, it's now closer to $20 but still a steal. The second is a interesting JS3000 Ming Bu reel ( http://goo.gl/uojjh0 ). It has a useful folding reel handle and I've been using it for light fishing, both saltwater and freshwater. Works great for me so far. This one was an absolute bargain at $7, but it's since gone up in price as well, closer to $15-$17.

After a helpful discussion on the FishingNetwork forums , I have determined exactly what the classic lure I found at Puddingstone Reservoir is! It is a Spinno Minno Lure, produced in the 1950s and 1960s by Pecos River Tackle Co./Uniline Bait Co. The design is unique and close inspection reveals that it was most likely one of their earlier generations of the Spinno (based on the spinner hinge design). Check out this great collectable lure website for more information on the Spinno Minno Lure: Spinno Minno Lure - Pecos River Tackle Co./Uniline Bait Co.

Remember the GitUp1 action camera I reviewed several months back? I recently got to try out the latest upgrade to the GitUp series, with the GitUp2 courtesy of GearBest. Wow! I am happy to report that it blew away my expectations and has taken the premium features seen in many more expensive action cameras, and packaged it all into a very affordable package.  First, let's start with the specification. The GitUp2 the high-quality Sony Ezmor IMX206 16MP image sensory + Novatek NTK96660 chipset, a significant upgrade from the GitUp 1. This allows it to take not only high quality video (with resolution up to 2K video resolution) but also photopgraphs in up to true 16MP quality. One of the weak points of the original GitUp was the very low-quality photographs (unless you extracted individual frames from each video); the GitUp2 has rectified that problem nicely. (Continued below the jump!) The GitUp2 also rocks 1080p 60FPS resolution, in addition to the higher resolution 1440p and 2...

Haiwee Reservoir ( Summitpost ) Have you ever spotted an awesome body of water from the road and wondered if you could fish it? On a recent road trip to Bishop, I encountered Haiwee Reservoir and could not help but think about just that. After considerable research, emails, and phone interviews, I have a tale for you! North and South Haiwee Reservoirs may be seen just to the east of 395, before Olancha and after Fossil Falls. Two picturesque bodies of water, they represent a tantalizing target for anglers and a symbol of the historic conflict over water that has haunted this region for years.  Do they have fish? Absolutely, according to the LA Times, the lakes hold rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout, Sacramento perch, bluegill, carp, and more. The lakes were even stocked by DFG for several years ( Daily News Outdoor ). Sadly, while once open to anglers, these lakes remain closed for the last 10 years. Fortunately, concerned locals are pressing fo...

Fished Puddingstone Reservoir (Frank Bonelli Park) this week.  Fishing was very slow, only landed one small largemouth bass. The water was very stained. Did find an old fishing lure, no idea on the identify.  Check out the video of fishing at Puddingstone!