10/4, 10/11, 10/18 report Monterey

It's been awhile, thought I would take a quick break and post.

10/4 was what felt like a record hot weekend in Monterey at 89 degrees.  Packed the whole family and had taken them to out to enjoy the weekend and get out of the Gilroy heat.  With the wife and children at the beach I decided to dust off the raptor and fishing pole and make use of it.  Thank god no one bought the fishing pole when I posted it a year ago.... lol.  Recalling what previous posters have mentioned of where fish were, I headed out to that location crossing my fingers with no fish finder as usually I would be freediving than pole fishing.  Fiddling with lures trying to remember how to piece everything together, I start to act like I'm fishing... After a hour and no bite, I then move closer to some area where I see boats.  Not getting any luck, I then decide to move shallow and that's where the magic begins.  Got a 27" ling and a couple of rockfish.  Headed back in and then spent the rest of the day at lovers swimming in the ocean with my son.

10/11  My son after seeing the fish the previous week, stated that he wanted to go this time round, so we left the wife/daughter at home and headed out very early.  Much cooler with fog, which burned out later.  Paddled out to 160ft where there was a party boat staying the distance and dropped the line and had action immediately.  Fish after fish and even hooked a ling that was 1" short, which we released.  It was all in all very exciting, since I usually don't have as much good luck with a pole from spear.  None the less my son is addicted and is now my free pass to go fishing often.  So if you see a kid on the back of a raptor sitting on a milk crate, swing by and say hi. (Because we don't know what we are doing, lol) 

P.S.  DFG was out and about and had paid us a visit and checked my catch.  They were 2 nice gentleman and was very professional checking the fish and mentioned that my son's life vest looked a little too big.  I had told them he out grew the small one and that it was the only other one I had for a last minute trip, but told them I made sure he was prepared for total immersion in his 7mil dive gear.

~chaeki

Right on Chaeki.  you moved from Santa Clara to gilroy?  when (and why LOL)???

I can't wait to take my son out, but tis going to be a while . . .

Right on Chaeki.  you moved from Santa Clara to gilroy?  when (and why LOL)???

I can't wait to take my son out, but tis going to be a while . . .

Mr. Dash, lol

Let see ... Santa Clara 40yr old house for 900k or half of that for a brand new one in Gilroy.  I had to take the second option as kids have sensitive skin. *cough*  Funny thing was that we saw the house sign on the way to Monterey...

Love the dive suit on the kid. He's ready to rock. Great fish too. I can't wait to take my nephew fishing.

Love the dive suit on the kid. He's ready to rock. Great fish too. I can't wait to take my nephew fishing.

It's exciting to see the reaction of kids when a fish comes up.  My son was manning the net and was practicing ID'ing the fish.

Anyone else that has kids and would like to make a kids day out of a trip, send me a message.  (this weekend is starting to look good, lol)

great report...nothing like finding a rockfish school in monterey they hit fast and hard..great pics

great report...nothing like finding a rockfish school in monterey they hit fast and hard..great pics

Was your DFG encounter in a zodiac?

  Check out the new "Tandem"  Raptor...    Might have to make this a new accessory.

Family - Fish - Raptor. Not sure how it could get any better.

hey man....nice to meet you and the boy this sat...rough morning and rough start for my gear and RBarks shins...how did you guys make out...we got some ling and a cabby and my buddy stopped on the way in and rocked out...yes my DFG meets are alays in a zodiac gray/center console sterring stand and a roll bar with big elec dish /gear....usually two guys but sometimes one...there were out today off pt pinos...

great report...nothing like finding a rockfish school in monterey they hit fast and hard..great pics

Was your DFG encounter in a zodiac?

that seat was awesome.....you guys were very well balanced and did not look goofy at all...he jamming out back there....makes me wish it was tad nicer out sat, and I would have taken some pics of you two..

(Modified title to add 10/18)

Figured I would just add to this thread... went out with my son to try out Jims rear seat mod that I requested since my son kept complaining about the milk crate seat.  Arrived to point pinos at 6 am and it was banging,  detoured and went to otters... but didn't want to do the stairs.  So spun around to BofA to withdraw 10 bucks for the entrance fee and headed over to carmel.

We pull up and notice a fleet of NCKA members, cool.  Then  I head over to the launch sight... Holy crapoly, high tide with waves breaking at the stairs.  I see a line of kayaks on the stairs waiting, so I throw my kayak in back.  As I was looking out over at the dead seal on the beach, I see fishing gear all over the wave breaking ground.  Then notice a kayak on the rocks, it was *someones* lol.  I yell over to the NCKA group chilling at the lot and scream GEAR IN THE WATER.  Then they bum rushed and recovered all of what I saw, thank goodness.

The launch was narly,  but I was confident, my son and I always dress for full immersion.  Outside of the breaks was not bad.  With karma on our side, a few NCKA guys offered to help us out.  Thank you!  We time the waves and away we go, easy peazy.  We go out following the other members and the drift starts pulling us out.  Ethan lands his first fish as I was prepping my rod.  Great start!  Then lands his first ling (baby 12") he was super stoked.  As we were trying to take video of this all, my gopro kept locking up when  the record button was pressed.  Fast forward a few hours, the up and down of the big rollers causes all my lures to get snagged.  Lost 6 of them, shucks.  Ethan looks over and tells me he is getting seasick.  Even after the meds, I could relate.  Like father like son.  We took the one fish we had and paddled over the waves back.  During that long paddle back I turn around and Ethan  is completely passed out.  Thanks Jim, that seat mod is kickass.  We were bobbing up and down and riding some waves in and the raptor was stable enough were Ethan  was looking like he was sleeping in a lazy boy recliner.

Last stretch and I wake Ethan  up and tell him the plan.  We were headed straight for the stairs to do a dismount.  We rode the wave in and as the nose touched the last stairs, we both jump out and make it in safely.

One fish in the bucket .... still was worth the experience!!

What photos I could take

great pictures.THANKS for shouting out that the gear had fallen off the wall...it was my crate and had my FF and Camera and other stuff....you and the guys saved me like 4-600 bucks...tackle...everything in the crate was saved...big swell for sure..sickening....me and some of the guys made iut north to the next point and were seeing rolling swell sometimes ..big enough to block out the shore 

Triangleguna,  glad you guys were there.  Felt safer that a group was out there in those conditions within radio distance. 
And what great luck for that new guy landing that red!