Fishing Season is finally open. Get my gear ready. A fishin' we will go!

For a few weeks now, it's officially been fishing season and my instincts say, "Get the gear ready."

A month or so ago, I cleaned out the storage shed that houses my fishing poles and tackle box as I was preparing for a yard sale. These items, however, are sacred and never go in yard sales. I don't care if I miss a season of fishing, the tackle and poles stay put for the year I plan to hook a limit.

The fishing gear I keep close at hand includes everything from a light-weight, collapsible stream fishing rod and reel to an ocean-size rig that I use for trips to the California and Oregon coastal waters.

I have a snare that goes on the end of the ocean fishing rod that captures crabs when I visit Brookings Oregon's Jetty. It's a great place to reel in crab where the ocean salt water and river fresh water meet at the mouth of the Chetco River.

Crabs seem to hang out right in the middle of the channel. Boats coming and going from the harbor don't seem to interfere with the crab fishing.

Previously, I used a ring device that had a hook in the center for the squid bait, and four little lassos for the crab to get its little pinchers entangled in.

The manufacturer stopped making the device and another company was supposed to bring them back. The last time I went to Brookings, two years ago, I checked the marinas and no such device exists yet. So I went with the more awkward snare, a flat net that attaches to the rod and when it sinks to the bottom of the water, is designed to capture the Dungeness crabs that await on the channel floor.

I haven't tried it yet, but I am anxious to see if the thing works.

In the meantime, I plan to launch Dad's old aluminum fishing boat that has oars and an electric motor. It's fishing by simplicity and is a snap to launch at any lake that allows boats. The nice thing about a row boat is that it can go where power boats are not allowed such as small mountain lakes that are stocked full of trout.

Some of the best fishing on earth is in those hard-to-get places, you know.

I have packed with horses into the wilderness on trails that are regularly maintained by equestrian crews, Backcountry Horsemen of California's Shasta Trinity Unit and the U.S. Forest Service packers. Both groups help bring California Conservation Corps crews in to do trail repair and maintenance. I'll bet a lot of Sierra Clubbers didn't know that.

The fishing in those high mountain lakes is generally superb. But, it isn't always a short hike to get there. Usually it's a day's ride in, camp over night and eat what you catch during your stay.

However, I just happen to know about some places where it's easy in and easy out on a horse and you can bring your fish home. Sorry, they are BIG secrets ... but I will admit that they are close to home.

There are numerous lakes off the great Pacific Coast Trail that cuts right through Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity counties.

It's a matter of finding the right parking place for your rig, then saddle up and head up the trail. Oh, don't forget the collapsible fishing pole and, if you tow a pack animal, you can carry a couple of ice chests for the ride home with your day's limit.

So, if you don't have a horse or a boat, I guess you can fish from the lake's shoreline or the edge of the creek.

The only requirement for successful fishing is persistence and patience. Quitters don't get far when it comes to waiting for the fish to bite. I've waited hours to catch fish.

The best advice to beginner fishermen is to start early, 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Fish will bite mid-day, but the best results seem to be in the morning and evening.

I like to fish streams - whitewater pools where the trout like to hang out.

I think I have caught more fish in swirling water than any other spot on a creek.

So, I think I'll head to the mountains this weekend and see what variety of trout is inclined to take the bait - a variety of red worms, night crawlers and red eggs. If that doesn't work, we have lures, flies and power bait.