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

[LoletaEric]

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!)   

[LoletaEric]

...

[Dale L]

You got talents,

Thanks for the trip,

great photography,

we are all only visitors, fleeting ones at that.

[matanaska]

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.

[LoletaEric]

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.

[Shellback]

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.

[obkook]

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

[SRJ]

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

[Salty.]

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

[DrDave]

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

[Sailfish]

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

[BigJim]

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

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

[LoletaEric]

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.   

[beenfishin]

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

[dpshim]

Right on Eric! Thanks for a refreshing report there