Featured Outdoorsman

July 10, 2017

Meet REEL OBSESSION Outdoorsperson Steve Appleby

An angler since his teens, Steve chats with us about his fishing club, reveals his biggest catches, and shares favorite fishing spots and gear.

 

When I was 15, my best friend Fred Kollar invited me on my first fishing trip. I’ve been fishing ever since. On that first trip, we went to Irvine Lake, which is great for trout. Fishing is my passion; I enjoy the challenge and the thrill of not knowing how big the catch will be.

I go fishing and/or camping about three times a month. I usually go with my son Brad, my longtime friend Tutt, or with members of my Men’s Ministry, in a club called “Fishers of Men.” I’ve belonged to the club since 2015.

If I had to pick a favorite locale for fishing/camping, I’d say the ocean, but I also really enjoy lakes and rivers. The locations of my trips vary and are dictated by seasonal conditions. In September, I typically enjoy ocean fishing in Mexican waters. In April, I take longer trips, traveling to freshwater locales like Klamath River. If I’ve only got time for a day trip, another favorite freshwater spot is the Santa Ana River Lakes, a grouping of man-made lakes in Orange County, CA. I head there periodically between the months of October and May.

My favorite ocean catches are tuna and yellowtail. For freshwater, I like all species of trout. My biggest ocean catch was an 80lb Wahoo just off of Catalina Island. This species normally swims much farther south, but due to the warm waters resulting from the strong El Niño weather cycle two years ago, they had come north. In freshwater, I’ve reeled in a 15lb rainbow trout.

Biggest catches:

Wahoo: 80lbs (Channel adjacent to Catalina Island, CA)

Trout: 15lbs (Santa Ana River Lakes, CA)

Gear:

When I’m ocean fishing and/or camping, I go out in a sport fishing charter boat. I use a Phoenix rod with an Avet 2-speed reel. For freshwater fishing, we take my personal 14-foot aluminum boat with a 9.9 outboard motor. I use an ultra-lite Berkley rod and Shimano reel.

Steve lives in Corona, CA and is a Corrective Exercise Specialist and personal trainer.