Featured Outdoorsman
March 29th, 2017
Meet REEL OBSESSION Outdoorsman of the Month:
Jason Swearengin
Fishing has always been my passion. It feeds my soul. If life gets me down or gets tough, I try to make it better by going fishing. My dad first took me Freshwater Bass and Cat fishing when I was three years old! By the time I was five, I was good enough to go Salmon fishing in Northern California rivers. We fished places like Paper Mill Creek, Russian River Salmon Creek, and a few others.
Back in 1976, Angler Magazine ran a small article with a picture of me holding one of my Salmon. I still have a copy!
I’ve been a member of the Point Seekers Bass Club (Riverside, CA) since 2008. In the 2010-11 season I was their Angler of the Year. Bass fishing is my favorite, but I also very much enjoy ocean fishing. I fish Large and Smallmouth Bass (freshwater), Tuna, Bluefin, Albacore, Yellowfin, and Yellowtail (saltwater).
I fish as much as I can, at least once but sometimes three or four times a month. Primarily, I like Bass fishing in the spring. Most of those trips are to the Colorado River and related lakes. In the Eastern Sierras, I camp and go fly-fishing for Brook Trout.
I often fish with good friends Robert Deville, Doug Ramos, and Matt Middendorf (to name a few). We’ve done well in several Bass fishing tournaments, weighing big fish and placing in the Top 3.
Almost every summer, I take a Baja fishing trip down to the Sea of Cortez. There’s a little fishing village there named Bahia de Los Angeles where the Yellowtail fishing is epic! I take Tuna fishing trips out of San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.
Biggest catches:
Bass: 9.17lbs (California Delta)
Tuna: 80lbs (San Diego, H&M Landing)
Striped Marlin: 153lbs (Cabo San Lucas)
Gear:
I have a 2007 Nitro 911 CDC Bass tournament fishing boat. Primarily, I like Gloomis rods, but I like Powell rods as well. Most of my reels are Shimanos, but I have a few Diawas as well.