NorCal Kayak Anglers

Kayak Fishing Zone => Hookups and Fishing Reports (Viewable by Public) => Topic started by: & on April 13, 2006, 01:09:28 PM

Title: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: & on April 13, 2006, 01:09:28 PM
Met Fuzzytom and Pat in the parking lot at moss this morning.  Tom was already there when I pulled up at 6:15.

Today was my first yakfishing trip of the year.  Am damn glad a day like this happened on weekday, cuz if it had been a sat or sun, I'd be pissed right now. 

First, didn't do a proper gear check last night.  Couldn't find my license this morning, so had to buy one at ML Liquor (about 1 mile south of the stacks on Hwy 1 from Moss Landing.)  Next, I broke off one of the guides to my ugly stick.  Third, my Penn Jigmaster took a dump on me.  Had to use my back up charter special which weights a ton.  Additionally, the humminbird portable fish finder my brother bought for me is a piece of $hit.  I barely pulled it out of the box yesterday, and it lasted all of 30 minutes before dying. :icon_aaargh:

On to the fishing details.  There was a stiff tailwind on the paddle out so we three made it out to the red can straight out front of the jaws in no time.  Pat and Tom were marking scattered bait near the bottom in about 220 ft or so.  I tried all day long to probe the lower depths but conditions were just too much.

Last nights weather read 5-10 kt wind with 3-8 ft swell by 13 seconds.  In reality, it was more like 10-20 kts with 5-9 ft swell every 10 seconds!  Not ideal for mooching from a yak, i'd say.  We dropped bait at the red can, and next thing you know, we were way the hell out there on very fast drift.  i should have tied on at least 6 oz of lead, but I was only fishing 4 oz banana weight.

Since it was my first trip out for the year, I was feeling wussy so I didn't do the long paddle out to the fleet, which were not out much further than us.  The paddle back in was a trip.  It felt like FOREVER!!  Even with the mirage hydrosails beating out a steady cadence, it felt like I was on a frickin stairmaster - putting out and still going nowhere.  :headbang: 

Bottom line, good tough workout, no fish.  Was racked and strapped by 11AM, near the top of the tide.

final note:  it took some looking to find blue water.  There's just a ton of sludge and gunk coming out of elkhorn slough from all the rain runoff.  Now that I think about it, we should have run north or south looking for blue water, instead of straight out front.  If y'all go tomorrow, it oughta be better.

Pat and Tom:  It was really nice to fish with you guys today.  I waited around for about 40 minutes at the landing to say goodbye, but had to take off to get some caffeine.  Hope you guys made it in safely and that we fish together again soon.  It was fun! :smt001
Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: Freddie on April 13, 2006, 02:56:28 PM
OUCH!!!

Freddie
Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: BigRed on April 13, 2006, 04:03:50 PM
I'm sorry to hear of no success...  but not too sad.  Today was allocated for fishing with my dad who is visiting from San Diego.  Weather the last few days caused us to cancel and instead we took my daughter down to the MBay Aquarium.

The drive past Moss was KILLING me.  It looked smooth and beautiful and sunny in the harbor and in the near water by the green can.  I was wondering if I missed the most beautiful (and productive) day in the last 3 months.  Your tale of woe allows me to sleep tonight without dreams of missed fishing.

Next Thursday, however, I will be out there slaying 'em (weather permitting).
Title: Heard Instinct
Post by: Fuzzy Tom on April 13, 2006, 05:44:41 PM
I heard there were fish caught by yakkers at Moss, so my instinct was to go out there today.   I tested the early/late theory by going out early with Pat and Martin, then realized I'd left my net in my truck (Martin wasn't the only one having the jinx this morning- first I couldn't find the key to my new lock!  Some days are like that.), so from beyond the red can, in and out again took me about an hour, meeting a guy on the way in - aPB who had limited "6 miles out" .  
    The east wind, I guess as usual, got stronger , or at least the chop was worse ,as we got out.  I kept getting a line on the ff about 180ft in over 300 ft, and saw what I think was bait just once, briefly.  8 oz lead wasn't enuf to keep it vertical, I tried 1 lb, but it was brutal hauling it up 350 ft.  Mooched and trolled about the same amount of time.
    The wind never got much stronger, and within  about 1/2 mile of the jaws it was pleasant, but we were still drifting more than we should.  Very pretty sunshine day, nice decorator clouds. Fairly warm even before dawn.
   Both trips back through the jaws were great -slack and flood.   Marked some smallish fish right on the bottom.  
   The ticket machine at the launch didn't function, nobody had cites.  DFG fish checker there at noon.
Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: Seabreeze on April 13, 2006, 05:45:45 PM
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......what Yakuza said........... :smt010

It is way lame how little area we worked because we were dealing with the fast drift from that off shore wind.  I concur with Yakuza's assessment of conditions.

Yeah Big Red, from shore it looked nice.  But from out in bay, working back in, paddling into white caps got really old.  If I worked steadily I could make 1 mph with my troll down.

Just before we landed, we got some calm and it was the ONLY time I could actually mooch an area I wanted to target.   A nice pb'r gently sidled up a bit before we headed in and reported this scattered area of bait......still no joy though.

It was a morning of challenges for us all.....the levelwind on my Okuma was stuttering, so each time I brought my up to 250 feet of line back in it was a "bit" of a bother tending it through the iffy levelwind.

The good news was that the brined anchovies were a breeze to fish with and the weight release fish flasher that Dave demo'd this weekend worked perfectly.......I didn't loose my 8 oz even once....darn it............ :smt002

If we could have found a silver fishy it would have been worth it..............

Oh, last thing.........  When we do the yak races at Mendo, Mooch and Bill can enter Dave, but I am entering Yakuza.......my goodness he flies in that peddlepowered double!
Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: & on April 13, 2006, 06:17:02 PM
Actually, I know why we didn't pick up anything today...

I was peddling my double today, but was riding it solo.  The reverberations from the stentorian hull slap from the windwaves scared away all the dog-gone fish!!  Sorry guys!   :smt003

No seriously, that thing is stupid loud when I'm fishing it solo into the wind, huh Pat?

Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: jmairey on April 13, 2006, 08:30:22 PM
did you guys deploy the drift socks? I had to do that in the morning last time. helped a lot.

I flew to san diego for the day for business. I ate a late lunch in del mar.
I had salmon and arugula salad,  :smt002  that's about the closest I really expect to
get for a bit,  :smt010.
Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: Seabreeze on April 13, 2006, 08:59:29 PM
No drift socks for us...........we just paddled like crazy people......... :metal

But my new seal skinz over the calf socks worked perfectly!!!  Even when I was in over my knee my feet stayed dry and comfy.

We should have a "fashion" show at Elk.......what the well dressed kayak angler is wearing this season......... :fish4

Pat
Title: Re: Moss 4.13 - no luck
Post by: Potato_River on April 13, 2006, 09:23:37 PM
Sorry to hear that it was a tough day.  Just so you know, it wasn't just you guys.

Here are some party boat scores from today:

The Chubasco had 1 fish for 14 anglers.
The Kahuna had 1 fish for 20 anglers.
The Wild Wave had 2 fish for 7 anglers.

Stuart