Lost Coast - 11/8/11 - non-kayak - Abking TV episode added on page 2

Ocean shaped up nicely this morning, and wind sounded light on the buoys.  I bailed the office around 1:30, grabbed groceries, texted the wife that I'll make dinner, got home, packed up beach gear:  backpack, dive gear, spear, beer, Boggs, layers...  Hit the road from my place at 2 o'clock sharp and got to Lost Coast parking at 2:45.  Cruised down the beach with a pleasant 60 degree south breeze in my face.  A mile in paradise with weight in the pack doesn't even register on the fatigue meter.  Passed a couple old spots and stopped short of the usual spots that are well-known to me.  I decided to explore a new area as the ocean was pretty flat for the near 0.0 tide.  The viz sucked (zero), so I stayed shallow and left the fins and weightbelt in the pack.  Searched around in a beautiful 2-6' deep kelpbed, but boulders were hard to come by in the bedrock.  It turned out I could see several inches in some calmer areas, and I managed to scare off a few fish that I saw the tail of - one greenling didn't seem to mind me until I tried to grab him!  30 minutes into what would be 1.25 hours in the water I found a healthy little ab up under a boulder.  Good sign.  Hopped over a few channels to a large pool where I found 3 more abs - two in the nine inch range.  Popped a healthy 8.75 x 7 inch beauty in 5' of water.  It was sidewall on bedrock - rare!  I found it, videoed it, then went down and grabbed it right off with my hand!  Couldn't get that on video because I was bobbing like a cork as I had no weightbelt.  Found the second nice ab and left it - mentally marked the spot for a future rendezvous...     Hike back to the truck by dusk was the capper to a stellar afternoon.  Cold beer waiting at the truck was a special bonus.  Got home at 6PM, had burgers barbecued with sautee'd onions and bacon by 6:45.  I may have to do it again tomorrow for a minus tide and a little flatter ocean.  (and it'll be wifey's turn to make dinner!)   

...

You got talents,

Thanks for the trip,

great photography,

we are all only visitors, fleeting ones at that.

Good choice.  It was a beautiful day.  I had a nice ride this morning on the Shellback for a good limit of crab.   The ocean was so flat, but nothing to fish for except sand dabs.

Thanks, Dale.   

Rob - you want in if I head out there again tomorrow?  The water was actually looking pretty nice in the channels at the point where we usually launch - was thinking to fish from the rock and dive with spear there if I go.

An Ab report from LoletaEric!?!? Man, thats like a drink of water on a hot day. Thanks for sharing buddy. Pulling Abs with your bare hands, badass.

Awesome report and beautiful pics. Put this day in the memory bank for sure. Thanks for sharing!

Eric,

appreciate the report from up there. Have missed the area and hankering to get in a walk down the beach, maybe before the end of season.

SRJ

Sweet Nessie shot but the water boarding pic's a little creepy. 

  just keep living the good life! Awesome pics and sharing. Thank you.

I envy your life style    Thanks for sharing your trip and great pictures with us Eric.

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Thanks for the nice comments.  You're right, Jim - kinda creepy!   

Usually in the tidepools you don't see an ab hanging off the rock so far, and not all abs have a huge meat hanging outside the diameter of the shell.  That made this guy pop off without the iron.   

Nice, I only wish I had that kind of therapy at my disposal. 

Right on Eric! Thanks for a refreshing report there