10/08 - 10/10 - Lake Shasta Gathering

C-Bill- They have tournaments here all the time and they don't cause problems to us who berth and often stay overnight at the marina. The rush out to the fishing grounds at 7 am or so isn't a problem because we're usually not out in the traffic lanes at that time, and they soon disperse out over the four major arms of the lake, which are all at least 25 miles long. With 365 miles of shoreline, they aren't buzzing down the sloughs like they are in the California Delta. The weigh-in in the afternoon is something we can easily avoid, too. The very best impact of the tournaments is to stay around until Monday morning and fish around the marina where all the bass have been dumped back into the lake after the weigh in! I sometimes indulge myself in a little of this fun, but always catch and release everything.

One of our major reasons for selecting this date was the coincident date of the E.Q. annual pilgrimage to Shasta Lake and the chance for some of us to meet Les and the rest of the crew of the best C-Dory Dealership there is. I'll talk to the marina manager, Norm, who is also a tournament bass fisherman about our concerns and see if he anticipates any problems. Thanks for your concern! Joe.
 
Thanks Sea Wolf...

You have the experience at Shasta. I've fished in several tournaments at Clear Lake & the Delta. I think the October tournament at Shasta is usually the Tournament of Champions. When you mentioned ESPN, I got the feeling this may involve a Bassmaster Tournament which usually involves many spectators and their boats. Of course, Shasta is a large lake and may well handle a crowd with ease.

Personally, at this time of the year, I was looking for calm and a chance to RELAX! :wink

Bill
 
Sea Wolf":31ygcxe4 said:
Bill- I've found out that ESPN and some Bass Fisherman's Tournament group are sponsoring a tournament on the weekend of October 9-10.
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Cool! A special prize for anyone who manages to sneak into a camera angle and get their C-Dory on TV!
Sea Wolf":31ygcxe4 said:
This won't affect us much, but I'd better reserve spaces in the Bridge Bay Marina for any of those participants that want to stay overnight at the marina. Some may prefer to camp out on the lake or stay in nearby motels, but we'll have to reserve slips for any members that want them as they'll go to the bass fisherman and their metal-flake hot rods, otherwise.
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I could go either way on this. Normally, I'd want to have access to the Marina, but that's primarily for showers. However, since I'll be swimming about 90% of the time, campsites sound fine to me as well.

How about we spend the first night at the marina, then camp the rest of the time? Anyone else have a preference?
Sea Wolf":31ygcxe4 said:
Seems like most of these get-togethers are pretty loosely structured, with most of the planning being done concerning the food.
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You've got that right...the only thing that seems to be a planned item on these weekend gatherings is the location and the Saturday night potluck. And the beer.

Sea Wolf":31ygcxe4 said:
Do we want a get together dinner at the restaurant or at the marina on Friday night? How about a dinner and social Saturday night? Can we cruise to a common location and hang out together on Saturday, or do we want too leave things unstructured?
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I like the idea of getting together in the evenings - dinner Friday sounds great, as well as a Saturday night potluck. I'm guessing there will also be a few of us there early - always seems to be that way, and I'll probably get to the lake on Tuesday or Wednesday, since I'll be heading back south from Sequim. Daytime activities - sure, let's float some ideas, but my experience has been folks like to do different things. Sometimes everyone goes for a cruise. Sometimes small groups get together and go out on their own. Some folks like a little alone time. Basically, I say leave the days somewhat unstructured, and people will do what suits them.

Sea Wolf":31ygcxe4 said:
Maybe Bill can talk to Les and negotiate what the E.Q. Gang's input is?
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Hey , man - I'm in CA! Let's get some of those Washintonians to speak with their local buddy... :lol:

Seriously, I'll be up there several times before Shasta - I'll definitely be seeing Les before then. I'll have a chat with him - normally, I'd say he could check in here, but he's so dang busy right now there's a good chance he'll miss this discussion, or just not have time to chime in.
 
C-Bill-- Don't worry, you'll be able to kick back and relax just fine on Shasta Lake in November, with or w/o any rude bass dudes....Actually, they're pretty decent guys and only a problem in confined places during the very beginning and endings of tournaments! We'll steer clear of them with our activities.

DaNag Bill- Thanks for the comments. Talk to Les when it's convenient and you both have the time. I don't anticipate any problems at all, just don't want to assume too much and be rude and imposing.

We can plan on a Dinner at the Bridge Bay Resturant for those interested who have arrived by say 7 pm on Friday night. This will relieve everyone of planing a separate meal and it won't matter if anyone arrives early, late, or cancels out at the last minute.

As for the Saturday get-together, I'll find a great site for a BBQ dinner/party during the few days before the weekend. Exactly where will depend on the water level, as islands, beaches and even private coves come and go with the changing water level which cannot be predicted in advance.

I'll bring a 30 x 50 inch stainless BBQ grill (manufactured by the Westinghouse Marine Division as an Official Government Lunchtime Project) and 3o-40 lbs of charcoal that will allow us to cook over and then use as a safe/smokeless campfire afterward.

Instead of planing a detailed and person-specific menu, we ask everyone that comes to bring the following:

1. BYOB/soft drinks, etc.
2. Snacks for the afternoon get-together.
3. Meat for yourself for the BBQ dinner.
4. A dish to share for the dinner-either a salad, a side dish, or desert.

In this way, we won't have to go back to square-one when someone can't make the weekend who was bringing the potatoes!

We can have the get-together on Saturday afternoon with the dinner to follow in the early evening, so that at about 7:30 those that want to go back to the marina or to a separate campsite can have time to travel. After dark, Shasta Lake, without any appreciable lights around it, becomes difficult to navigate as the shoreline and reference points are very hard to see. The moon on Saturday night (10/9) will be 5 days shy of a New Moon, so it won be up at all early in the night, and will provide only fair illumination once it is.


One thing that would be very helpful at this point is for all of our signed up attendees to let me know if they want marina dock space and for how many of the nights. This will make my dealings with the marina manager more specific and less ambiguous when reserving slips. Please check in with me via private e-mail on this site so I can reserve the approximate correct number of slips. Haven't signed up yet? Please do so ASAP!!!

More later! Let me know what you think!!! Joe.
 
Lake Shasta Cruisers:

Here's a quote from Pat Anderson regarding the general type of planing and event format followed at C-Brat gatherings when he was discussing the options for of of the gatheriongs back east:

OK, take it from a "veteran" (a whole year!) of Left Coast C-Brat events.

Rule #1 - there are no rules!
Rule #2 - an agenda would be entirely too organized!

Seriously, after a date and place get set by somebody suggesting it and enough people saying they will probably show up, the resident Nerds make an Announcement thread and set up a signup list. After that, the only thing we count on is a Saturday night potluck. Friday night for those who show up is admiring boats on the dock and drinking beer. Sometimes it is dinner in a local restaurant if there is one, more often it is dinner on board everyone on their own. (From Cathlamet, we went up to a little restaurant in town, can't remember the name, but awesome prime rib!) Saturday more people show up, more admiring boats, more beer. After breakfast, fishermen go fishing, maybe somebody suggests a cruise and some people (or maybe everybody, if it is a great cruise, like whale watching or something) go for a cruise. Saturday night, ah Saturday night! A veritable feast usually! Beer, if any is left. Sunday, maybe we fix breakfast on board, maybe we go to a local restaurant (From Jarrell's Cove we went to Leonard's Place in Allyn), then disperse and go our separate ways home.

That's been pretty much the program to date...




So it looks like we're following the standard format, if that's any consideration of importance!!! Joe.
 
Help!
Perhaps some help from the local knowledge will assist in our Lake Shasta planning. The DaNag has made the trip south a few times now so Bill, any idea on travel time from say Portland to the lake? And Joe, what is the launch ramp like there and the parking situation, especially with a batch of other trailering bass boys? I know I can leave here at 0-darkthirty and arrive by evening but wounder if I'll get in the water and find a slip or I'll be boater homing in the parking lot or camp site in Redding. All this makes a difference in our departure time form here for the trip down as well as the return trip home. A little help will make it easier to plan on the number of nights in a slip or maybe tied up at a beach.

Thanks in advance for the help so I can get back to you Joe on the slip reservations.

Tim
 
Lynn Marie":7zt81xxh said:
Bill, any idea on travel time from say Portland to the lake?
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I can take a stab at it...

I average a little over 60MPH when I'm towing - I go about 65 on the flats, slow down for the hills and twisties. The trip from the Seattle area to my house is about 14 hours driving time (not counting rest/food stops.)

It's about 4-4.5 hours from Shasta to my house. That makes it about 9.5 - 10 hours from Seattle. So, if you know how long it takes to get from Portland to Seattle, subtract that from 10 for a good guesstimate.

None of the above counts bad traffic...I try to schedule my trips to avoid rush hour around the cities.

On edit...

I just realized "Seattle area" for me means Whidbey/Anacortes or Port Angeles. Both of these locations add another hour or so to the "north of Portland" leg, so you can probably subtract another hour from whatever you come up with above.
 
Tim-

I'll reserve a slip for you in the marina at Bridge Bay. For which nights do you want it?

Launching and parking shouldn't be a problem as many of the bassers will launch Saturday morning, although some will reserve slips, just like us. A huge island/peninsula appears along side the ramp in the Fall when the water level is down, which adds to the parking space.

If there's anyone else that wants to stay in a slip at night besides C-Bill and you, they'd better contact me before it's too late.

There are 7 launch ramps at the lake, the one at Bridge Bay actually has two, and there is a nice Forrest Service operated ramp at Packer's Bay about a mile or so directly across the lake.

For all Lake Shasta attendees wince we'll be planning on beaching the boats while camping/hanging out, it would be wise to bring a suitably large piece of used carpet to shield the boat bottom from the gravel and rocks, as Lake Shasta is not made of tropical white beach sand. We'll try to find an island with sandy beaches for the Saturday get-together, but bring the carpet to be sure to protect your boat.

Other questions or comments? Any newcomers out there?

Joe.
 
Bill and Joe,

Thanks for the information. Looks like we'll make it down on Thursday and leave on Monday. Our plan will be to stay dockside on Thursday and Friday then stay at the cook out beach Saturday and the marina Sunday for an early morning departure on Monday. The Friday night dinner sounds good to us and I don't want to be motoring around after dinner and drinks. Same thing goes for Saturday night so I'm just as happy having a cold beer on the beach and staying there. Joe, quess my needs for dock space are Thursday, Friday, and Sunday nights. I'll try to repay you for the work involved while we're there with some sort of transported refreshments. Most likely in the evening since the DaNag has the morning latte gig sawn up.

Bill, thanks for the driving times. The Anacortes to Seattle time is close to what it will take for us to get from here to Portland so that confirms that we'll be about nine hours on the road. Departure at 5:00A.M. will get us in there about mid afternoon. Perfect. That info means I'll owe you too. Maybe payoff at Blakely?

Tim
 
Lake Shasta Guys and Gals-

Today I called Norm, the Marina Manager at Bridge Bay, and made reservations for slips:

C-Bill- Friday and Saturday

Lynn Marie- Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (may have to include Saturday night with the rest of the weekend)

John Eudy- Friday and Saturday

Slips are $20/night and include bathrooms, showers, parking, etc. Shore power is available.

MORE GOOD NEWS: The bass tournament is the following weekend, not Oct. 9-10, as reported to me earlier.

Stay tuned for further developments. Joe.
 
SeaWolf...

Thanks for the reservation of Friday & Saturday. Will that cover me until I pull out Sunday morning? I'm not familiar with berthing hours, only motels & hotels. :oops:

Bill
 
Sorry guys.... I still can't handle the boat by myself yet... the left arm just does not work without lots of PAIN ! Only way I can attend anything is to have my wife take the helm.... Doctor says the rotator cuff is OK but the joint is frozen... funny I don't feel cold...
Maybe next year.

Thanks

Joel and Susan
SEA3PO
 
Joel and Susan- Too bad about your shoulder. We'll miss both of you. Enjoy the red wine and asprin! We'll hope to see the two of your next year. Hope your shoulder gets better soon! Joe.
 
Sea Wolf,

I have added our name to the Shasta gathering sign up list.

Please reserve a slip for us at Bridge Bay for Fri, Sat, & Sun nights.

Do we need to secure the reservation with a deposit?

In the 13 years we have had our C-Dory, we have never beached our boat, and I don't think we could climb on and off the boat if it was beached(old and slow) :D

If there is a party on the beach we would anchor and use our dingy.

Larry & Nancy
 
Larry and Nancy- Welcome to the Lake Shasta get together! We'll reserve a slip for you for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. No deposit required. I'm sure you're not alone in not wanting to beach your boat!

There may be some young whipper-snapper types amongst us C-Brats, but-

Some of us are slow. Some of us are old. And then some of us are both. All the better to enjoy an easy paced weekend together. You're among friends!

Great to have you aboard. We'll look forward to meeting you this fall.

Anyone else out there interested?

Joe.
 
Hi, Joe,

Just to let you know Jan and I gave the Lake Shasta get together a few thoughts. Our calender (vacation time) is pretty well booked up for this year, BUT...like some others, it would be better for us in '05 which brings up a question....would the dates be similar? Trying to plan a few things w-a-a-a-y ahead.

Dan and Jan on Flat Iron
 
Dan and Jan- Nice hearing from you! Haven't seen you in person since the C-Dog Benecia Bash in "03.

As far as the dates go, my guess is it will be the same, especially if we continue to coordinate with the EQ Marine annual houseboat pilgrimage to Shasta Lake. This assumes, of course, that we don't make ourselves unwelcome in their presence after this year's festivities (!).


Early Fall is the best time of year for the weather here in Northern California, as well. We'll take a vote more or less after this year's get-together, and see what everybody thinks.

Hope to see you next year! Maybe I can get down to one of the Delta doings this next winter or spring. Joe (and Shadow).
 
Joe-sounds pretty good, I'm going to mark those dates on my calender and we'll see what happens next year. We've never been up to Lake Shasta before so it would be the 1st time for us. A few guys at work have been there and talk about it quite abit. Hope to see you and Shadow maybe this winter or spring down here....take care.

Dan and Jan on Flat Iron
 
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