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Topic: Shelter Cove - 9/11/21  (Read 1844 times)

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LoletaEric

  • Gimme Shelter Annual Kayakfishing Tournament Director
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Late post - didn't want to encourage any more yahoos to descend on the Cove!   :smt005

Last Saturday was a grim anniversary for our country - 20 years since the 9-11 attack.  It was also an anniversary related to kayak salmon fishing.  On September eleventh two thousand and six I caught a big salmon at Shelter Cove - the biggest I've caught at 38 pounds.  I knew I'd hit a big milestone, but I really didn't know how that fish would change my life.

Here's a link to the report:  http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=5461.msg44838#msg44838

That big salmon was the largest I'd ever heard of from a kayak in the salt along the Nor Cal coast - until this summer.  2021 has had more 30 pounders than any year that I can remember.  Drew got a 39+, my guest Erik got a 39, Tom McD got a 37, and last Saturday my guest John got a 35.  Along with dozens or even scores of fat 20+'s landed by kayakers, all of these trophy salmon have made for an amazing season - one that we should be very thankful for.

Back in '06, I really had no idea how that 38 pounder would change the trajectory of my entire existence.  By March of 2007 myself and 5 other NCKA enthusiasts met up at the Cove to look for chrome over two days.  We didn't land any, but we had a blast trolling together, fishing from the rocks along shore, partying at the campground and getting to know each other.  It was PK/Sin Coast/Cen Coast, Sonny/Sailfish, Chris/MBYakker, Etienne/Sackyak, Hawk/Swellrider and me - Eric/Abking/Black Ab/Loleta Eric.  This was the birth of Gimme Shelter.

Over the next several years, what turned into the largest kayak fishing event on the west coast evolved into an AOTY-style rockfish and lingcod tournament with hopes of salmon and surprise Pacific halibut spiced in.  Getting so many skilled anglers on the water in such a special place led to tons of amazing catches - it's easy to see the influence of GS on AOTY when you see the graph showing how many largest of species have come from the month of May.  Gimme Shelter went way beyond the catches though.  The NCKA community has been a strong one since the beginning in December of 2004, and GS became one of the events (along with Elk/Albion, Crabfest, Yakhopper Series...etc.) that helped to propel many of us into a much deeper understanding of and appreciation for the brotherhood that we were building together.

What activity do you do where you have met some of the best people in your life?  What online community and outdoor pursuit have introduced you to the best friends you've ever made?  For me, it's been kayak fishing - hands down, no comparison to anything else in my 52 years on this planet.

I've known for a long time that kayak fisherpeople are great friends to make - it's someone who has their shit together enough to be on their own boat, so they end up being the type of person who'd give you the shirt off their back.  And here's another common trait I've seen among this demographic that we occupy - the positive vibe.  The stoke that comes from kayak fishing is hard to match.  It's about challenge, discovery, nature, wild animals...  and the fishing is better than any fishing - again, for me, it's hands down, no comparison.

I've printed, sorted, hauled and distributed tens of thousands of dollars worth of t-shirts, hoodies, rash guards, hats and Hawg Trough extensions!  I've watched children grow to adulthood, weddings occur and families develop, birthdays and other milestones celebrated, and all measure of other life events - lifted up and bathed in the light of the communitas that we have nurtured and held sacred here.  This place and the people - the family - mean the world to me.  I am so grateful for where this sport has taken me and how the love of NCKA has affected my life and that of my own family, and that big salmon may have been the one factor - the spark that started all of it.

*********************************************************************

So, jump to a month ago.  John posted up an interest in launching his PA14 at Bolinas.  This was met with immediate and nearly universal "bad idea" responses - and rightfully so.  I read his words and saw his obvious desire to get on a big king from his yak, and I thought, "Dude needs some Cove."

It wasn't long before he contacted me, and we set a date - 9/11/21.  I didn't mention it at the time, but I of course knew right away that this was the anniversary of my biggest salmon.  I thought to myself, "this is the type of year where we've got a good chance at another nine-eleven hog..."  At the time I gave him a head's up that the salmon bite was already tapering off - he was all about the trip - wanted to learn the way.  We were on.

Our day came, and that morning I was stoked to meet a new guest who was ready to hit it hard.  We made our way out onto the grounds, and the bait was so thick it seemed like we'd never get to the edge of it.  I told John how I wanted to work the scene, and he was all about it.  Soon he had a king on and to his kayak!  Before I could get in position to net his fish, it turned and spit the hooks.  This was important progress toward catching a fish!

After a few more passes through the zone and some missed bites, I'd just re-baited John's hooks and he'd sent his bait down, and he was on!  He got my attention and announced that he was on a big fish.  I didn't doubt it, but I've heard that assessment before...  I cleared my line quickly, and as I got up on him I could see that he already had a big salmon up by his yak.  This was way too early!  I was like, "it needs to run!" and he tried to let it do its thing, but it seemed to be somewhat subdued.  I brought the net out - half expecting the fish to go wild upon seeing it.  It didn't.  Instead it laid there - seemingly ready to be netted.  I scooped...  The fish made an evasive maneuver, and now it appeared that the weight may be tangled in the net.   Oh shit.

That's about the worst thing that can happen - the weight getting in the net.  It happened twice last summer (2020), and I lost one nice halibut and one nice salmon due to it.  This year I've been committed to avoiding that fate.  It's been great until last Saturday... 

As I looked at this monstrous salmon on my guest's line, as it floated on the surface next to my net, I was resigned to the fact that it may be about to be gone.  I'd allowed the weight to get in the net, and this almost never ends well.

The fish ran a bit as I lifted my net, and somehow it was still on John's line.  I pulled the net back and soon had another chance at it.   That's all I needed.  We had it.

The weight had broken off instead of my leader breaking - this is great validation, and, frankly, it felt like a fucking miracle!

After a brief celebration, we secured the fish on a stringer and under multiple burlaps.  We looked around for more biters. and within an hour or so we headed  back to launch to take care of the catch.
 
With the big fish documented and stowed, we headed out for the second half of our day.  Got a big black in the bag before the bite basically went cold, but there were birds working and brown water nearby.   We ran our bait over it, and it wasn't long before I had a hot salmon on!  I fought it for probably only less than a minute before it spit my hooks and was gone.

I was bummed to miss what felt like a stout Chinook, but all in all I was totally stoked to have had my guy hook multiple kings on a slow bite and land a 35 pounder.  Our day turned out amazing when otherwise, if we'd not landed that hog, it would've been a pretty slow session.

This salmon obsession is potentially a total mind F*&%, but this season the rewards continue to outshine the input for many - just gotta put your time in, really.  And, remember, it's like Lotto out there - no one gets them every trip, and often the guys who get the most are the guys who go the most.  It's a wonderful pastime, but catching a salmon from a kayak isn't the end game.

*****************************************************

It's been almost 17 years here for me.  NCKA is just an online forum where a bunch of mostly middle aged fishing enthusiasts have discovered or are discovering how fun and rewarding it can be to do their thing on kayaks.  That last sentence is inaccurate - it's a lie.  NCKA is not "just" a place to develop your kayak angling focus.  It doesn't have to mean the same thing to everyone or even to most of us.  I know this though - many of us have come to know that this place is a true community where family values and real love have shaped more lives for more good than any other type of congregation, club or group that I know of.

Looking forward to the next 17 years, more life changing catches and meeting more friends.   :smt001
I am a licensed guide.  DFW Guide ID:  1000124.   Let's do a trip together.

Loleta Eric's Guide Service

loletaeric@yahoo.com - call me up at (707) 845-0400

http://www.loletaeric.com

Being an honorable sportsman is way more important than what you catch.


Pacific

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Another great trip! They are all great even the ones with no fish landed!


Bald Eagle

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You're NCKA's poet laureate.


Eddie

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Thank you for the historic stoke Mr. Stokewell... :smt006
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Poopsmith

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Just beautiful eric...  I'm keeping one of my straightened out hooks on my lucky hat in memory of this summer at the cove. The fever is real.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2021, 11:16:02 AM by Poopsmith »
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AOTY 2023 1st Place* (no salmon, cali limit reduced, stunted rockfish season, etc.)
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johngilles

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Thank you, Eric, for both the wise counsel on beach launches and for the awesome day of fishing. You put me in the zone, and netted a hot fish that came to the boat way too soon. As they say, fish of a lifetime! My first kayak salmon is likely to be my PB for a very long time.


Poopsmith

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Thank you, Eric, for both the wise counsel on beach launches and for the awesome day of fishing. You put me in the zone, and netted a hot fish that came to the boat way too soon. As they say, fish of a lifetime! My first kayak salmon is likely to be my PB for a very long time.

omg that was your first.  As they say, you are ruined...
"I'm not a human I'm Amphibian" - Larry the Fisherman

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AOTY 2023 1st Place* (no salmon, cali limit reduced, stunted rockfish season, etc.)
AOTY 2022 2nd Place
AOTY 2021 5th Place
2019 Outback, 2023 Replacement Hull


AlsHobieOutback

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Waited a few days to savor this report, read it word for word, and relish the awesome details of an incredible journey that Eric posts every time.  They are all special, like this one in fact, actually makes me feel emotional at times reading his words and hearing his stories and dreaming of my next run to the cove.  Thanks for yet another awesome tale told, another forever memory made for some lucky guy, and all the stoke to go with it for his guide.  With so many many tales of feast and fortune, Eric really makes it look easy.  But it's not as easy as it looks to be the solid professional that Eric is, putting clients on fish that make memories of a lifetime.  Keep it up Eric, for another 17 years if you are willing, and me and the gang will relish your reports.   :smt006
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BigJim

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Eric,

I saw the report of John's hog salmon on FB and was hoping you would do a more detailed write up on here...and then I read this report and it is so much more than "just" a report...

 :smt008

Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration to me and many...both on "here", and in real life.

The line that stands out the most in the story about John is this one: "This salmon obsession is potentially a total mind F*&%, but this season the rewards continue to outshine the input for many - just gotta put your time in, really.  And, remember, it's like Lotto out there - no one gets them every trip, and often the guys who get the most are the guys who go the most."

I've been obsessed with certain species in the past (and present  :smt005), and this rings true on so many levels...my wife and kids used to think I was nuts spending so much time chasing certain fish, when I could've gotten other species in a fraction of the time...but I think over the years even they are coming to realize that it's not about just getting meat for dinner...but really more about immersing yourself in the environment and the hunt, and doing whatever you can as often as you can to maximize the chances of acquiring the target fish....

Thanks again for this report. I needed it today.

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim

ps...I think this report should be required reading for all NCKA members.  :smt004

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