The Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California [Paperback]

Chris Shaffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

Complete with more than 900 color photo graphs, 768 pages of fishing informations and tips from the best guides and pros in Northern California, The Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California is the most comprehensive fishing books ever compiled on Northern California. This full color, glossy book covers more than 525 lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds and streams in Northern California and tells you the truth and secrets on how to fish each and every spot.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The founder of the “Definitive Guides” to California outdoors, award winning author Chris Shaffer has spent the last decade of his life exploring, investigating and documenting more than 1,500 lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and waterfalls throughout California. The California native is a graduate of Cal State Northridge and Crespi High School in Encino. Shaffer has taken an active role reporting on and photographing California outdoors. Currently in print, The Definitive Guide to Fishing in Southern California, The Definitive Guide to Fishing Central California, The Definitive Guide to Fishing in Northern California and voted book of the year by the Outdoor Writers Association of California in 2004, The Definitive Guide to the Waterfalls of Southern and Central California, will be joined by The Definitive Guide to the Waterfalls of Northern California in the future. A former LA Times sportswriter, Shaffer is currently working on several other outdoor related titles. More than 1,700 of Shaffer’s photographs have been printed in newspapers, books and magazines worldwide. Shaffer’s work extends far beyond the book business. Aside from running a publishing company and writing books, he is a regular guest on California Sportsmen radio with Sep Hendrickson, Northwest Wild Country Radio with Joel Shangle and other local radio shows. Shaffer also is a columnist and regular contributor for Fishing and Hunting News and The Sportsman’s Series, Salmon & Steelhead Journal, Salmon, Trout & Steelheader, Fish Alaska Magazine, Game & Fish and a freelance consultant for the California Department of Fish and Game and Pautzke Bait Company. Shaffer has performed seminars at Fred Hall Fishing Shows in the past and is a regular speaker and host at International Sportsmen’s Exposition shows. Shaffer also is a full time product tester for several companies in the fishing industry including Sea Eagle, Panther Martin, Luhr Jensen, Pautzke Bait Company, Rebel, Bomber, Yakima Bait, Silver Thread, Heddon, Cotton Cordell, Megabait, Optimum, Castaic Soft Baits, YUM, Pistol Pete, Smithwick, Castaic Soft Baits, Costa Del Mar, Excalibur, Creek Chub, Lowrance, St. Croix, Thomas Buoyant, Canon, Sep's Pro Fishing, Shasta Tackle Company, Powell Fly Rods and Lamiglas. A member of the Outdoor Writers Association of California, Outdoor Writer Association of America and Western Outdoor Writers, Shaffer also contributes to several newspapers and magazines, including the Los Angeles Daily News, Fish Taco Chronicles, Ojai Valley News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Florida Game and Fish, Oregon Game and Fish, Washington Game and Fish, California Game and Fish, ESPN.com Outdoors and Outdoor California magazine. Shaffer's expertise as a freshwater fishing expert has taken him to Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, Yukon Territory, Canada, Ireland, Kitimat, British Columbia, Everglades National Park and countless destinations in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Shaffer has caught and released more than 37 species of freshwater fish in North America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Shafdog Publications (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971281432
• ISBN-13: 978-0971281431
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best California Fishing Guide EVER, June 28, 2005

By 

Ryan J. Hollister (Manteca, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California (Paperback)

Chris Shaffer has outdone himself with this third installment of the "Definitive Guide to Fishing California" series. Having received the Central California guide two years ago as a Christmas gift, and absolutely loving it, I'd been eagerly awaiting Shaffer's newest release.

Without a doubt, this "Northern California Guide" will keep any angler busy with a lifetime full of great angling. Nearly 800 (!) pages of superb information and photo's are packed into this book. Every major and minor body of freshwater from the Oregon border to the northern San Joaquin delta are described by no less than one full page of text and rated on a scale from 1 (no fish) to 10 (One of the top 20 fisheries in CA.). Shaffer fished every single body of water listed in the book, consulted with pros, and even snorkeled many of the waters to get a first-hand glimpse of the fish population. Shaffer does a great job describing in detail why a certain body of water was rated the way it was, even including unusual biological factors like how the endangered yellow-legged frogs have caused the DFG to cease planting in many high sierra lakes. Having fished nearly thirty of the spots listed in his Central California book, I can vouch for the accuracy of his ratings system.

Shaffer writes with a very personable tone and readily divulges the best methods to catch fish on each body of water. He even lets readers know how challenging it is to reach each body of water. Many of the waters are drive-to, while the remaining are hike-to waters which range from an easy path to butt-kicking five mile hikes. Shaffer's directions are easy to follow, and he also lists local guides and fishing shops to contact for further information in his "If you plan on making the trip" section of the review.

Having owned this jewel of a book for only a week, I have fished five spots described and landed nearly 60 trout in three days using Shaffer's tips. There literally is something for every fisherperson in this book.

The only downside to this book? Your arms may get tired from holding this behemoth of fishing literature after several hours of reading!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a pleasant surprise, March 20, 2006

By 

Tandy K. Bozeman (Lake Almanor CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California (Paperback)

I opened this "definitive guide" with trepidation as I assumed that the book was one of those something-for-everyone tomes that covers a lot of territory, but lacks the sort of specific detail about any one location that would prepare a novice or expert fisherperson setting out to try new spots. I was dead wrong-this book is big, heavy (don't drop it on your foot), and impressively detailed. I checked out the fishing locations with which I am most familiar in Plumas County (prime trout country with several world famous streams) and was impressed that Chris Shaffer writes about my home area like a knowledgeable insider. Places that I thought were little known and the preserve of local anglers are all in the book. With Shaffer's book you will learn about great fishing spots in my backyard that I would just as well prefer to keep secret. I would venture to guess that this sort of detailed description is true of other areas in Northern California covered by Shaffer, but with which I am not personally familiar. In sum, this book is a splendid reference and well worth the price.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Written by a[..], June 1, 2007

By 

Northern Boy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Definitive Guide to Fishing Northern California (Paperback)

It's a great idea, but poorly executed. Hopefully the second edition will feature:

1. A proof-reader.
2. A second proof-reader.
2. Maps of the fishing sites.

Also the fishing sites in the SF Bay area are split between this edition and the "Central California" edition, meaning Bay Rea residents, who will form a significant portion of the readership, will be forced to buy two books. Even then Lake Chabot doesn't get featured.

In all it's a decent place to start, but online resources are much more detailed and informative.