Ocean Cove abs

JR  (Flipskid) and I made a mad dash to the cove this morning at 4:00 AM.from San jose. We got to the cove at 6:30 to see that the water was looking pretty nice from the truck. So we suited up and climbed down the rocks to the water. The visabillity was not very clear on the surface but once you got down about 5 Ft it cleared up to about 8 Ft of vis. The abs that where in the shallow water last trip where all picked over. I moved out to deeper water and found some nice abs 9 1/2 ,8 3/4 , and 8" Had my abs in about 25 min . climbed up the hill and back home by 12:00 Great trip.


                                                                                              JIM Ricker  (SQUIDLY)

Sounds like you had a great trip. I have never dove Ocean Cove. I often think about it, but continue to Timber Cove where I know my way around. Last time at Timber I did about the same as you and was back in the truck in about half an hour with a limit. One trip I even found a shelf that had legal abs almost stacked on each other. I took a limit on two breaths. Did you see any lings on your trip?

Abs are certainly plentiful, aren't they? 9"+ takes a lot of looking though.
I dive either Fort Ross, Salt Point or Sea Ranch. Never tried Ocean or Timber. How do you access Timber Cove? From the RV campground? Do you have to pay a day use fee like in Ocean Cove? I always thought it's just a lodge without access.

Timber Cove is just south of the Lodge. You do access it from the RV campground. I think its like $7 per day. If its not real busy with the boat launching, he will let you drive and park right on the beach. I have been going there for a few years now and always bring abs in. 8"+ abs are common and my dad got two barely over 10" last year in less than ten feet of water! I don't have a kayak yet...but I am looking to change that after Paddle Fest. I do have a 12' Zodiac with a 40hp motor that just flat out screams!!  Its almost too fast, but when the ocean acts up it is certainly nice to be able to get off the water in a hurry. I have spearfished in the cove with tanks and taken some nice lings and spotted some huge abs. Just finding the same shelves with out tanks can be a bit of a bugger