NorCal Kayak Anglers

Kayak Fishing Zone => Hookups and Fishing Reports (Viewable by Public) => Topic started by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 12:48:31 PM

Title: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 12:48:31 PM
Dillon wins again!!  :groupwave

Dillon proved to be a fine young fisherman....despite the tough bite, he managed to catch a starry flounder that took him to another First place finish  :smt038 He was on his Tarpon 140 - the one that he won last year when he caught the heaviest ling at the Kayak Connection at Santa Cruz. THis time, he's going home with another WS Tarpon, but a 160 instead.  :smt041 CONGRATS AGAIN DILLON  :smt023

The conditions were good but the fishing was tough...the sand dabs and king fish were getting in EVERYBODY'S way  :smt013 But the company was hard to beat  :smt002 Newbies and veterans were present and we had some great fishing stories during the BBQ. Thanks again to Mark and Kayak Connection for hosting the derby and many thanks to the guys from Wilderness Systems (I think it's great that the winner gets to pick the kayak of his or her choice :smt023 = GREAT JOB WILDERNESS SYSTEMS :smt023 :smt023 :smt023) - In the end, the money went to a great cause (Trout & Salmon Restoration Project of Santa Cruz) so technically, everyone WON  :smt045

Pics to follow.....


Derby results from last year:
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=1683.0
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 01:40:24 PM
the morning line-up...
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 01:48:40 PM
I fished the "swirl" to no avail.....bait fish popping, birds diving and pesky sea otters kept me company ...but no "predators of choice" around  :smt011
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 02:02:34 PM
....while I was busy getting the annoying sand dabs out of my rig :smt013, a local tried to board my ship  :smt104 I told him "No!" repeatedly as he swam around my bow...trying to get a free ride.....what a mooch  :smt118

Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 02:10:44 PM
...after my encounter with the deadly rabid sea otter ( :smt002), I found my fellow "hella asian" bro, Alex/Aliens making friends with another local......(this pelican took advantage of a squid that just happend to be pinned on Alex's hook  :smt011 It was released unharmed.....Steve Irwin aka the Crocodile Hunter would have been proud  :smt003
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: greg d on September 11, 2006, 02:14:21 PM
well Thanks to everyone who attended.   Dillion is quite the young gun out there :smt068

I learned a ton, seeing as it was my first derby, and my first day of saltwater kayak fishing!  I'm really excited to get out to the ocean again soon.   The sand dabs and kingfish might be a nuisance to most yall,  but I was stoked to catch anything.  although I was workin up all the newbie luck one could muster, but eventually,  just mustered up my morning coffee   :smt078           (its a good thing Demany did not have a camera).

thanks,
Greg Didriksen
Wilderness Systems Kayaks

-and as always, nice pics Joel!


Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 02:29:51 PM
....the birds were going nuts around 40 ft. of water on the South side of the jaws...I quickly rigged a 5 inch magnum mackerel rapala and trolled along the bombing pelicans...once again, to no avail  :smt011 I marked bait balls at the lenght of a football field and it seemed that the pelicans were the only ones doing carnage :smt088
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 02:35:49 PM
......and the picture that you were all waiting for.......THE CHAMP and his winning starry flounder  :kick
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: & on September 11, 2006, 03:06:54 PM
Love at first sight by the otter!   :smt005  really amazing account and great pics. thx for report,  mooch.
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 11, 2006, 03:20:30 PM
...ooops, I forgot to mention my "Whale Hunt"....there was a humpback hanging along Moss Coast....I've always been wanting to get close enough to one for a camera shot and so I spent a few hours paddling/trolling hoping to get a closer encounter of the cool kind  :smt004 Everytime she went up for air, I did the Hawaii Five - O   :yak but always got to the spot a little too late  :smt013 She must have surfaced half a dozen times but never close enough to the mooch  :smt011 BUT, she did fancy Doug/marmite  :smt007 and she surfaced RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS BOW  :smt118 I paddled towards him to see if he got a shot...he simply said "No".....and said "I thought you guys see whales on a regular basis"....as much as I wanted to  :smt075 Doug, I held on to my sanity and paddled away....disappointed  :smt011 Doug........you're killing me  :smt003
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: guitarzan on September 11, 2006, 03:55:22 PM
Great report Mooch- the sea otter is too cute!
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: surfingmarmot on September 11, 2006, 04:25:44 PM
I guess Otters like spam :smt044 I didn't know Mooch had joined the Otters Big Bruddah program  :smt003

Mooch, thanks for the pictures. I had great time and it was my first launch from Moss Landing. Congrats to Dylan (sp?) on his repeat win. One more and he's got a dynasty going. And thanks to Mark of KC and Demany, Doug and the others from Wilderness Systems as well at the Elkhorn Yacht Club for providing the venue for the tasty lunch mark served afterwards. As Mooch said, it was all for a good cause. But I jsut couldn't bring myself to eating the left-over squid off the 'Barbie'.
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mickfish on September 11, 2006, 06:43:22 PM
Maybe he saw your feet and got confused he does look sorta lonely
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: Seabreeze on September 11, 2006, 07:01:33 PM
Joel, it was photo day (seriously) for the otters.  He was just cooperating!  Congrats to  Dillon.  Randy REALLY wants a starry.  Where'd that one get found?
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: surfingmarmot on September 11, 2006, 07:16:26 PM
Pat, I'll give you my take as Mooch might just dissemble a bit since he doesn't want to give away the secret of success. While most of us first went to fish the drop offs at the canyon edge first a bit South out past the 'Mile Buoy' and then drift in the flats North for Godot, otherwise known in those parts as Halibut, the best we can tell Mooch and (now we know) Dylan stayed South and tighter to shore :smt013 . Clever rascals  :smt011 Judging from Mooch's Otter pictures I'd say they were in tight. It didn't matter much--except for that Flounder--it was all Sand Dabs and Croaker no matter if we were in 50 or 90 or 150 or over 200 feet of water  :smt010. Still great to be out there anyway :smt005
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: Seabreeze on September 11, 2006, 07:36:04 PM
Thanks.  Allen caught a sole and a starry in Alaska.  This is more varieties of flat fish than I have seen in past years from a kayak.
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: JTF.. on September 11, 2006, 09:05:52 PM
smooth hook removal on the pelican Alex  :smt023 as for you Joel, the sea otter pics remind me of a disney movie,

maybe it can be called, "swimming with otters" one young man's lifelong journey to understand the cute sea critter we call the otter....  jtf..
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: e2g on September 11, 2006, 09:34:46 PM
seabreeze, back when the power plant had floating buoys just to the north of the harbor, there used to be lots of flounder in that area.  Dont know if they are still there as the buoys are gone.  Used to hide in there before the days of GPS.

Alex, you better check the by laws of the tourny bro, do pelicans count?  :smt002  I mean he took the bait right?

Eugene
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: granitedive on September 11, 2006, 10:48:22 PM
Those otters sure are timid creatures...
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on September 12, 2006, 10:43:31 AM
on another note: I was driving back on HWY1 and noticed active birds by Waddel Creek and I stopped to take these photos.....note Ano Nuevo Island on the background  :shark

The birds were working close enough to shore - should have had my striper gear on me  :smt011
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: jselli on September 12, 2006, 01:21:06 PM
The sea otter pics are some of the best I have seen.  Great job. Too bad there wasn't any fish to go with all the bait.

Jason
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: TyFishing/Airgun on September 13, 2006, 11:58:33 AM
A lot of people, a lot of kayak anglers, fish and win a prize. Wow, sound very fun. Absolutely, I will join next year.

ty :smt002
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: Seabreeze on October 01, 2006, 08:40:56 AM
Heh Joel, I have learned that your little otter buddy is a she-otter.  Now you just need to tweak that cologne a nudge bit so it attracts ladies of another species!
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: mooch on October 03, 2006, 09:50:54 AM
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Heh Joel, I have learned that your little otter buddy is a she-otter.  Now you just need to tweak that cologne a nudge bit so it attracts ladies of another species!
It's really Chef's fault  :smt003 He was the one who told me to start wearing that "Tag" body spray  :smt001
Title: Re: Kayak Connection - Moss Landing Derby - 08.10.06
Post by: ZeeHokkaido on October 03, 2006, 09:59:05 AM
Check their website! GEEZ!! Should have an 18 and under warning.. :smt003

http://www.tagbodyspray.com/

Z