That’s my neighborhood.  I poke pole & fish along the stretch from Fan Shell to Pt Joe regularly.  On flat days in season, I’ll launch my SUP off of Fan Shell beach & head offshore for rockfish. I’ve only been hassled one time in over 25 years, but I do know that many locals think PB is inside the Marine Life Protection Area.  PM me next time you’re in town & I’ll try to join you. 

The last few mega low tides have been mid-afternoon on weekends.  That poor reef has gotten hammered by thousands of people.  The mussel & urchin population has been decimated.  I’m glad everyone is okay, but it’s nice to see the reef & ocean give a little payback.

I live in Montara and just did a drive through the harbor and Miramar neighborhoods yesterday (May 4).  Boat ramps and all parking lots are still closed.  Most street parking near the water is also blocked.  Technically beaches are open, but they're sure making it hard for even locals to access the water. 

Ha ha - nice job, crazy!  I'll bet you scared the poo out of a few surfers on your way in.  That's okay.  Plenty of those kooky surfers have scared me when they bail their board at the slightest sign of whitewater.  I have practically given up on surfing LM.  Next time, paddle hard & get out in front.  Surf that wave in!

For future reference, keep an eye on the satellite photos and watch for the clearing of the marine layer around Pacifica.  That big donut of fog you see outside is a sign of a nearshore wind eddy.  The south winds can howl through Pacifica in those conditions.  I watch for those days for kitesurfing at Sharp Park.  20mph winds are pretty typical.  That south wind is also side-off at LM, so the waves get steeper & hollower.  Good for surfing, not so good for getting a kayak in or out. 

Damn!  Must have been a heck of a lot of thrashing around at that's ling's dinner.  I wonder how long that eel lived in the ling's belly?  They seem to live forever in my bucket!

I do a lot of poke poling between HMB and Monterey.  My advice is to just not over think it.  Someone mentioned getting outfished by someone with a coat hanger.  That about sums it up.  You don't need a long pole, you don't need any fancy store bought stuff.  My go-to pokepole is an old surf rod that had a broken tip.  As a pokepole, it's now about 7 feet long.  Just learn the place you're fishing and think like a fish.  Get down in the water (I wear a wetsuit) and don't be afraid to poke into anything that even slightly resembles a hole.  You'll be amazed at what can come out of a tiny hole - keeper lingcod & cabs, 5lb eels, big perch and rockfish.  It's like opening a Christmas present!

I do have to insert a word of caution, though.  WAVES - don't mess around.  Pay attention.  I've been surfing most of my life, and windsurfing & kitesurfing for the last 20 years.  I was a professional ocean lifeguard for 7 years at one point in my career.  I have way more nearshore ocean experience than most people could dream of.  I've still gotten smashed and rolled in the rocks while pokepoling. 

Tough conditions for you on Saturday, Lipripper.  I was kitesurfing at Carmel Beach in the south winds that afternoon from about 2PM - 4PM.  I was riding my smallest kite, and still had trouble managing some of the gusts.  My guess is that the winds were averaging 23 - 25 mph, withs gusts to over 30.  Oh, and a south swell running at 4 ft @ 18 secs, too.  Really fun afternoon for me, probably a lot of work in a kayak.  Glad you hung in there and got some good fish!