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Topics - tedski

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For Sale / 80 qt pot and 200k BTU burner

« on: June 08, 2023, 10:33:42 PM »

I upgraded my crab/crawfish pot this year and I'm selling off the old one. It's served me well. The 200,000 BTU burner brings a half pot of water (40 qt) to boil in about 20-30 minutes. The pot comes with a basket and lid. Pickup in Boulder Creek or NCKA Express.

NCKA price: $90

Details on the burner here: https://a.co/d/c7HsrXE

CA Regulations / Commercial Fishing from Kayak

« on: June 06, 2023, 09:12:57 AM »

I've been seeing a lot of folks talking about commercial licenses lately -- from youtubers to a few folks on NCKA talking about hearsay. One of the youtubers goes as far as posting his catch to his IG stories to sell direct to consumers. I don't have any issues with this, of course, but it did leave me curious about what the true costs are, so I reached out to CA DFW to ask about the complete regulatory picture for a recreational kayaker to go commercial for halibut in the SF bay -- working around bag limits and rod limits. Here's what I found...

First, you need to get a Commercial Fishing License ($171.24) for yourself and anyone else that will be fishing on your kayak with you. Since most people are fishing solo, I'll count it once. Since you'll be fishing from a vessel, you'll need to get a Commercial Boat Registration ($443.50). The CA DFW does not have different regulations for different sized vessels for this basic registration -- all kayaks are vessels and need to be registered. However, you first need to show that your vessel is registered with the DMV (I'll use $42 even though I see wild swings in how much people pay). Now you're ready to legally launch with your new commercial license.

But wait, there's more! All fish caught under the authority of a commercial fishing license, even for personal use, must be landed and documented on an electronic fish ticket and submitted to E-Tix. Commercial fishermen must locate a licensed fish business willing to land their catch or they must possess a Fisherman’s Retail License to report their commercial fish landings through the E-Tix portal. If you don't plan to sell to anyone but the general public (the Ultimate Consumer) or keep for yourself, you only need a Commercial Fish Retailer's License ($123.86).

In the end, we're talking $780 in fees, a trip to the DMV and filings with the CA DFW. Then additional effort for each fish taken in order to land the fish in the E-Tix portal.

Whether that's attractive to you or not is subjective, of course, but that's the complete picture. It's a lot more than buying another license in the online license sales portal, for sure.

CA Regulations / CDFW Requests Feedback on White Sturgeon Fishery

« on: June 02, 2023, 02:20:36 PM »

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is currently evaluating White Sturgeon fishing regulations and would like your feedback. Responses from this questionnaire will be used to describe angler preferences for White Sturgeon and may be used to inform CDFW's management objectives for the fishery. The current harvest regulations for White Sturgeon caught in the sport fishery are: minimum length of 40 inches FL (fork length) and maximum length of 60 inches FL, one per day with no more than one in possession, and a limit of three per year.

Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire will be open until August 15, 2023.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YQXPKWW

For questions regarding the questionnaire, please contact: Sturgeon@wildlife.ca.gov

Recipes / Halibut Burgers

« on: April 30, 2023, 08:13:37 PM »

I find halibut burgers are a good use for the tail sections of the filet. You can use the thicker portions of filets for more even cooking and save the tail section for burgers since it's going to get chopped up anyway. It's also a good use for the scrapings and filet job oopsies.

Rough dice the halibut in 1/2" chunks. Set scrapings and other cutting scraps aside, but cut into pieces no larger than 3/4". Add cubes to the scraping pile to account for 1/3 the total weight. For each pound of halibut, sprinkle with a large pinch of sugar and a few pinches of salt. Let stand 10 minutes.

Add the 1/3 portion of scrapings and added cubes to a food processor and process until smooth. This is your binder. Add it back to the cubes. Again for each pound of halibut, add 2 tsp of dijon, 1 tsp of lemon zest, and 1 tbsp of freshly chopped dill. Mix to blend well and then shape into 1/4 pound patties. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.

Get your griddle or pan up to medium high heat. Spread a light coating of mayo on each face of the buns. Toast the buns face down to your desired brownness. Oil the surface and cook the halibut patties until 145° F internal temp, about 3 minutes per side.

My suggested fixings: iceberg down first on the bottom bun, followed by a tomato slice. Burger, then a few dashes of a vinegar forward hot sauce. Then some dill pickle slices and finally spread some tartar sauce on the top bun to top.

Places to Launch and Camp / Stevens Creek Reservoir

« on: April 17, 2023, 07:53:17 AM »

On my way home Saturday morning, I saw an angler on an Outback on Stevens Creek Reservoir. That sure made me do a double take. I pulled over to check myself and sure enough, there was a kayak on Stevens Creek Reservoir for the first time in a long while. I looked it up on the county's website and sure enough... it's re-opened to non-powered craft as of Saturday.

I have no idea what the condition of the launch is or the fishing conditions, though.

Craftsmen's Corner / Low profile paddle garage paddle storage

« on: April 08, 2023, 08:20:04 AM »

I got tired of looking at paddles leaning against a corner and a boring garage door. I picked up three YakAttack PadLoc Paddle Holders and mounted them to the garage door. They hold the paddles very securely even before you fasten the bungee. Easy, low-profile paddle storage.

Wanted To Buy / Women's PFD size Medium

« on: November 14, 2022, 01:49:54 PM »

Looking for a women's PFD in size Medium. Doesn't need to be a fishing-specific PFD.

General Fishing Tips / Slow crab... or environmental factors?

« on: November 06, 2022, 01:35:54 PM »

There's been a lot of chatter on the radio yesterday and today and on social media about this season kicking off to a very slow start. While that's true, I started to question the negative (and downright ominous) outlook for the rest of the season. Just like with fishing, I like to think of the behavior in the environmental conditions when I start thinking about whether things should be slow or not. That said... some observations and anecdotes comparing last year's experience. Normal poor data quality, anecdotal evidence, non-scientific experiment disclaimers apply. The purpose is to get thinking rather than complaining.

A few assumptions that I'm working with:

Dungeness are moving into shallower waters from deeper waters in the early season
Dungeness hunker down in the sand when water movement is strong -- conserving energy.

(All observations are at Half Moon Bay as that's where I've done most of my kayak crabbing)

Yesterday's tidal swing was fairly strong -- 5.3' swing. On top of that, slack tide was just after day break. The next slack tide wasn't until after 3 pm. Therefore, the majority of the time the fleet spent crabbing was with a lot of water on the move.

Compare that to last year's opener... on the water at 7 am and the tide was just under +3' and the tide was slack. Off the water around 2pm and the outgoing was only down to +5' from a +6.7' high. Therefore, a slack tide covered the majority of the crabbing window.

Spot checking my other limit days last year in the same spots... they all correlate to similar low tidal swing windows.

Since the crab are moving in from deeper water, it makes more sense to me to drop in deeper water at the opening, finding choke points in the structure that offers a sandy thoroughfare to the shallows. If late last season, you were hunting in 30' of water, you can save that spot for late this season... get out in the deeper water early in the season. You don't need to necessarily get out in 100s of feet... I heard a large difference in success between 30 and 60' yesterday. Study those charts, find the sand, stay away from the gravel.

So, ask yourself... is it a bad season or did we have a poor crabbing tide for the opener? Chins up... put in the work... keep logs and draw correlations to drive your decision making.

CA Regulations / Crab Fishery Update - Nov 19, 2021

« on: November 21, 2021, 10:03:29 AM »

tl;dr - Commercial season opens Dec 1 in Zones 1 & 2 (CA/OR border to Sonoma/Mendocino County line). Recreational trap restriction remains in place in Zones 3 & 4 (Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Lopez Point).

November 19, 2021 - Humpback whales have migrated out of Fishing Zones 1 and 2 and crabs there have passed quality testing (PDF), which means that the commercial fishery north of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the Oregon state line will open on Dec. 1, giving commercial crabbers the opportunity to get crab on tables and menus before the year is out. The commercial fishery is currently open in Fishing Zones 5 and 6, from Lopez Point in Monterey County to the Mexico border. The commercial fishery will continue to be delayed in Fishing Zones 3 and 4, from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point, due to the presence of high numbers of humpback whales in the Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay.

Early reports of successful crabbing are coming in from recreational crabbers in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 and those using hoop nets in Fishing Zones 3 and 4. The recreational fishery for Dungeness crab is open statewide (all Fishing Zones) with a temporary crab trap restriction for Fishing Zones 3 and 4. The temporary trap restriction in Fishing Zones 3 and 4 will continue due to the presence of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement in trap gear. Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction.

“Based on aerial and vessel-based surveys, and after consulting with the Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will continue to delay the commercial fishery and temporarily restrict recreational crab traps in Fishing Zones 3 and 4,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Available data indicate high numbers of whales remain in the fishing grounds. When data indicate whales have migrated out of the fishing grounds, CDFW stands ready to open the commercial season and lift the temporary recreational trap restriction in Fishing Zones 3 and 4.”

In early December, the CDFW Director will reassess entanglement risk in Fishing Zones 3 and 4. CDFW staff, collaborators and partners have scheduled additional surveys in the next two weeks that, weather permitting, are anticipated to provide the data necessary to reassess whale presence. It is anticipated that the next risk assessment will occur on or before Dec. 15.

The CDFW Director is also continuing a Fleet Advisory for all Fishing Zones once they are open that reminds both the commercial and recreational fisheries to implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide (PDF).

New this season is the addition of entanglement risk delays to the fair start provision described under Fish and Game Code section 8279.1). This provision prohibits a person from taking, possessing onboard or landing crab for commercial purposes from a vessel in an area previously delayed due to marine life entanglement risk, human health risk (e.g. domoic acid), or poor crab quality for a period of 30 days from the date of the opening if that vessel previously participated in other commercial Dungeness crab fishing areas (including those in Oregon and Washington) during the same season.

CDFW, partnering researchers and federal agencies have conducted numerous aerial and vessel-based surveys from the Oregon state line to the Channel Islands in Southern California to observe marine life concentrations. Those surveys, and other data inputs including important oceanographic data, inform the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program. This large collaborative effort works to use the best available science to manage an important California fishery. Its primary goal is to strike a balance between minimizing entanglement risk and providing fishing opportunity and ultimately fresh Dungeness crab for California residents. For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page or more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/crab including FAQs for the new recreational crab trap regulations.

For Sale / Collapsible Crab Pot - $35

« on: October 16, 2021, 06:05:19 PM »

Switching to hoop nets since I don't leave my pots out overnight. This one's rigged with a bait clip and a bait jar. Has a harness. Doors are not weighted. 6 pieces in total of #4 rebar, insulated in old bike tubes to prevent galvanic corrosion, zip tied to the bottom for extra weight. Asking ~~$40~~ $35, but negotiable.

For Sale / Crab trap marker buoys

« on: October 05, 2021, 04:55:12 PM »

Retrofit your current traps to be legal with the new 2021 marker buoy requirements! This initial pilot is intended to gauge community interest. If interest is high, I will order supplies to make more and continue to make these. For now, there are 15 total for sale.

These 3"x5" red marker buoys are spliced onto yellow, floating, 3-strand polypropylene line with a longline clip at the end for attaching to your main line. The buoy is retained on the running end by a wall & crown knot and back splice for a friction fit with a stopper. The longline clip is spliced on via an eye splice. The longline clips are stainless steel and the float & polypropylene line are UV resistant.

$10 each with $2 of each sale being donated to Heroes on the Water NorCal Chapter.

Pick-up in San Francisco or arrange NCKA Express or USPS Flat Rate.

Attached to main line:

PM me or reply in this thread. If the initial 15 run out, I'll update with plans to make more.

AOTY / AOTY/DOTY down?

« on: September 21, 2021, 09:06:09 AM »

I've noticed both AOTY and DOTY are returning 503s lately. I imagine this is a known issue, but figured I'd raise the issue here just in case it isn't.

Recipes / White Sea Bass with Orange & Fennel Relish

« on: July 14, 2021, 07:28:01 PM »

This one is adapted from a recipe we had on hand from an old issue of Cooking Light. SeaForager had White Sea Bass from Randy Janush on the F/V Knot Happy off of the Ventura Keys, CA this week, so it's a cheater recipe, but will be useful if any of you score a ghost.

Pictures first...

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 medium fennel bulb
1 cup fresh orange sections
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 ounces halved Castelvetrano olives (about 1/2 cup)
2 (6-ounce) white sea bass fillets
1 ½ teaspoons butter
Kosher salt
black pepper

Whisk together first 4 ingredients, 2 heavy pinches of salt, and a few grinds black pepper in a medium bowl. Remove fronds from fennel bulb; chop fronds to measure about 2 tablespoons. Remove and discard stalks. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; discard core. Thinly slice fennel bulb (on a mandoline if you have one). Add sliced fennel, orange sections, onion, and olives to orange juice mixture; toss gently to coat. Stir in fennel fronds.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve atop relish.

Craftsmen's Corner / Dropper loop tying jig

« on: April 25, 2021, 09:52:41 PM »

I decided to throw together a dropper loop tying jig today when I sat down to tie 25 rigs. My normal rockfishing rig is a Tactical Anglers Clip up 18" to a 3" dropper loop on a 36" leader with a barrel swivel at the top. My normal surfacasting striper rig is similar, except with the dropper loop 24" above the clip. I also like hi-lo rigs if bait fishing, which I tie with a surgeon's loop at the bottom and 2 dropper loops on a 48" leader. With these rigs in mind, I came up with the following jig:

I start with tying either a surgeon's loop or a clip at the end of my leader material. If it's a surgeon's loop, then i loop it around the lower dowel portion of the upper right pin to protect against abrasion/creasing. If it's a clip, then I put it around the nail portion. I then route the leader around as seen by the red and blue lines. If I want the 18" dropper loop, I then loop around the triangle and back all the way to the binder clip and secure it there. Then I can add my 8 twists to the dropper loop, pull the end of the loop off the peg and feed it through the hole and replace it on the peg for tightening. Once it's tight, I can loop the leader around the appropriate total length peg and back to the clip/loop end. Add a few inches and cut there to tie on the swivel.

Recipes / Ellen's Stuffed Sardines

« on: April 21, 2021, 07:37:22 PM »

This is one my wife has been working on and finalized recently. She's been working on it a bit to get away from the more common heavily herbed recipes you often see.

Yield: 4 sardines (scale with your catch)

4-6 cloves garlic, pressed
2-3 TBSP finely minced curly parsley
1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, lightly drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Zest the lemon half, then cut in two pieces. Juice one quarter of the lemon, slice the other quarter into half moons.

Clean and gut sardines and dry thoroughly. Arrange on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Combine garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, sun-dried tomatoes, and half of the kalamata olives in a small bowl. Fill the sardine cavities with the mixture, spreading excess on the exterior. Scatter remaining olives and tomatoes around the sardines. Place one lemon half-moon on each sardine.

Bake for 12 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes. Serve.