Pillar Point Tidepools

I was at pillar point today right under the radar towers.
It was low tide so we could look at the tidepools. At first it was
just the usual Hermit Crabs and Sea Sponges, but then we started seeing
something swimming and we found a couple small areas FULL of small (1-3 inch)
cabezone (im guessing) it was cool seeing those little babies swimming around. And then we saw
a giant purple blob, it was some type of StarFish I think. It had 20 tenticles,
and it was a flat blob. It was really wierd ive never heard or seen anything like it. But I recomend doing this
with your family or kids, its really interesting. I will try to post pictures late.

Yep this is the weekend for tidepool strolling.........with a cautious eye towards that @#$@# swell.

Minus tide (-1.1) around 3:42 today and they just get lower towards the weekend.

Pat

looks like a perfect weekend of Poke Poling for Monkey Face eels 

You bet!  Can/do you eat them?  We've done this before and it was fun.

Pat

You bet!  Can/do you eat them?  We've done this before and it was fun.

Pat

I always catch and release ....but if I had the cooking skillzz, I'd keep a few to munch on 

I ate a couple earlier this year, panko style!  They're all right.  To me they were kind of like greenling.  A sweet meat, but not real flaky.  Now ... they do kind of creep me out and they are really hard to clean as they are slimey and hard to get a grip on.

I didn't use a pole.  I just used a short length of mono with an egg sinker and #4 treble hook baited with squid.  The sinker was night next to the hook.  Just drop this in ANY crack that has water in it even if only 2-3 inches deep.

-Allen
 

I hooked a starfish that looked exactly like the one you described (purple, blobby looking, 20-30 legs) in about 70' of water in front of the radar a couple months back.  It was about the size of the front hatch on my prowler.  I also brought one up near pescadero on a party boat.  These things weirded me out a bit, this is the first time I've ever seen them before. 

 

was the star fish something like this?

Thats it!

That would be a sun star.  I've seen them in many different colors including yellw, orange, pink, red, brown, purple and in combinations.  These are quite common and sometimes are quite the nuisance in crab pots.

-Allen

yeah - I've caught 'em twice thinking it was a halibut at the end of my line  I caught one at Monterey and one in Moss Landing at around 40 - 50ft.

This is the first year I recall seeing those things.  After 3 mins of trying to dance my jig off a snag I tried to snap the line.  I was reeling down on it and started gaining line back.  When it got to the surface I had brought up the star and the rock it was attached to. 

Ya that was exactly what it was except purple.

You bet!  Can/do you eat them?  We've done this before and it was fun.

Pat

I always catch and release ....but if I had the cooking skillzz, I'd keep a few to munch on 

Joel,

Let me know when you want to go. I'll accompany you...and if we get lucky to catch a monkey face. I'll show you how to prep them for B.B.Q.

I'm ready anytime baby Look for a good minus tide and just give me a holler  I know some productive spots 

(I made extra poke poles)