NorCal Kayak Anglers

Dive Zone => Kayak Diving and Spearfishing => Topic started by: Wilderness medic on November 20, 2017, 10:05:39 AM

Title: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: Wilderness medic on November 20, 2017, 10:05:39 AM
My girlfriend just got her first free diving suit and fins in the mail and wanted to give spearing a try. We headed to Russian Gulch and launched and immediately saw crystal clear water from the shore break out to the middle of the cove. As we paddled out I could see the bottom from the kayak at 30'.

Halfway to the spot DFG pulls up and shakes us down.
(http://i.imgur.com/xSiQUvq.jpg) (https://imgur.com/xSiQUvq)
One is very cool and talks about diving, recommending a nearby spot he says are loaded with scallops. After a quick hull search all is fine.

We pull up to the spot and hop in, crystal clear for over 30'. I found a nice scallop at 25' and show her what they look like, but am unable to get it off. Within 10 minutes she shoots a 15 pound ling hiding under a ledge in 20'. Not bad for her first fish ever taken on spear, and biggest ling ever taken period.
(http://i.imgur.com/5nYkKh3.png) (https://imgur.com/5nYkKh3)

(http://i.imgur.com/cgqGHjQ.png) (https://imgur.com/cgqGHjQ)
 I swim out and do a few drops at 35'. On the third one a small looking ling turn and heads right for me. He looks not worth shooting so I don't fire. As he gets closer and closer, finally almost touching my the end of my gun, I see he's worth a shot and stone him.
(http://i.imgur.com/Z1iSfa7.jpg) (https://imgur.com/Z1iSfa7)

We decide to move on for her to try kayak fishing, and me to do some deeper drops for reds. As she's practicing reloading the spear into the gun to put it up, (I get easily bored) I drop my line off the side between the two kayaks. Almost immediately I hook into another 30"+ ling.


She goes off trying to hook more fish, and I hop in and do a few drops at 50'. I see a bunch of tiny blues, but no reds. As I come up I see my kayak capsized, with my fish finder upside down soaking and all my gear falling to the bottom. The anchor pulled loose, and it went off into deeper water before snagging on something straight down from it, and the swell flipped it. After some fetching everything accounted for.

I find this cool little hole in the reef with around 15 scallops and take the 5 bigger ones.

(http://i.imgur.com/vtrB8Hm.png) (https://imgur.com/vtrB8Hm)


She has no luck fishing, and for some reason my 6 month old Shimano reel line counter is not working.

Awesome day with incredible conditions!


(http://i.imgur.com/Jx6qoBE.jpg) (https://imgur.com/Jx6qoBE)
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: LoletaEric on November 20, 2017, 10:14:46 AM
Nice report.  Way to get your lady on it.  :smt001
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: mtitch12 on November 20, 2017, 10:46:28 AM
Great report! Glad you were able to recover all your gear! How did your girlfriend like the Mako suit (fit, warmth, etc)? My girlfriend is in the market.
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: Zzz on November 20, 2017, 10:50:01 AM
Great report. Nice lings.

Anchoring is a pain. I have lost two this year to a snapped anchor line. One of them is still out there in RG
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: Wilderness medic on November 20, 2017, 10:51:29 AM
Great report. Nice lings.

Anchoring is a pain. I have lost two this year to a snapped anchor line. One of them is still out there in RG

It fits her small frame well. For the price its good, but I would get a 7mm instead of a 5 like she did. She will probably end up cold after it compresses a bit.
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: TW on November 20, 2017, 12:17:47 PM
Bad Ass right there.
Thanks for the report /porn.
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: eiboh on November 20, 2017, 12:58:17 PM
Gotta Love that place especially on a nice day to get a newby introduced to diving. great report even though I wasn't able to open the pictures. I filled then in with some of my own memories some 40 plus years ago when I was a beginner. well not quite a beginner.
 thanks for the share :smt001
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: dank on November 20, 2017, 01:07:10 PM
That can be such a spectacular spot on nice days. Way to recover all your gear after capsizing. Fun freediving practice.
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: FishWorks on November 20, 2017, 02:03:43 PM
Solid
Title: Re: RG first ling, scallops, and incredible conditions
Post by: dirkbeachman on November 21, 2017, 11:46:31 AM
HELL YEAH! What an awesome day! And now your girlfriend will think 15lbers are the norm- she'll be one bad ass spearo!  And scallops too, man you won't want any turkey! thxx!