Between the weather and the holidays I had not been on the water since mid-November, and I’d been jonzing. I called Piscean with almost zero notice and suggested a shuttle trip from Davenport to 4 mile. Even though the season ended it still sounded like a fun, and gave me the perfect opportunity to troll the GoPro Fins without the distraction of fishing.

After dropping off one truck, reloading the other, and continuing to the launch spot, we finally got on the water at about 8am. The large outgoing tide made progress slow, but the weather was great and the sea was beautiful. With 20+ visibility, it was the perfect time for camera trolling.

A couple miles south of Davenport, we came across a pretty large pod of Rissos Dolphins. They didn’t appear to be actively feeding, just slowly milling about the surface and enjoying life. We gently paddled into center of the group and enjoyed the show. They were hardly timid. Each time we thought they were going to make haste, they would circle back around and surround us again. Their ivory colored bodies illuminated the clear water as they passed right under us. The scars left from battles with squid were clearly visible.

The entire time we floated above them, I had the GoPro Fins set at about 20 ft below the boat; not knowing whether or not I would capture any good images of them. As it turned out, I didn’t get a lot of footage, but I got a few quick moments of GREAT footage; which starts at 3:15. What a wonderful day! 

Over the last week I have heard several rumors that the pelagic bonito is being caught in Santa Cruz.  Normally found south of Pt. Conception, the bonito is truly an exotic in Monterey Bay.  My dad is visiting from Ohio and wanted to get out on the water.  This seemed like a good opportunity to put these rumors to the test.  Normally I prefer to kayak and my dad is always eager to participate.  This time, however, I felt that trolling from a power boat would maximize our chances of encountering these So Cal visitors.
 
We arrived promptly at the S.C. wharf at 6:30 am and were soon making our way towards 100 ft. of water.  The whistle buoy came fast; I almost felt like I was cheating.  Trolling a variety of small shiny lures, we made our way towards bait balls which were visible by observing the diving birds, as there was no fish finder in our rented skiff.  The first hookup came promptly on an epoxy jig trolled behind a spinner harness.  It was what we came for: a bonito of 17 inches.  The day played itself out in similar fashion, boating four bonito total; the biggest was over 18 inches.  By 11:00 the helpful birds had all but vanished, and the bite was over.  My dad and I were both very excited to have accomplished our mission.

Ive had this nice Lami for about 3 seasons now. Ive used the hell out of this rod and really like it. Unfortunately the guides are pretty flimsy and are easily bent out of place.  The ceramic rings have broken out of three of them.  I would love to pay somebody to replace all of the guides. Any rod repairmen out there?

On Wednesday (7/23) I snagged my GoPro and video fins up in the kelp off Blacks Point in Santa Cruz in 20 feet of water.  I have a GPS way point so I know almost exactly where it is.  I will offer $100.00 cash to anybody who can successfully retrieve it.  I will meet up and take you to the location.  I have an extra kayak and complete gear if needed.  I will provide beer and lunch to anybody willing to help regardless if it is found. Saturday or Sunday is best for me.  WX looks good. 

Amy takers?...Please

I have a Humminbird 345C fishfinder.  It uses a 200 and 80 kHz beam.  On my T13, the signal is superb as it is installed in the modified scupper.  The transducer is IN the water.  On my Hobie Adventure however, I am forced to shoot through hull.  I have been disappointed and frustrated with the (lack of) quality of return signal.  I have tried it all; water bath, goop, and that duct “putty” stuff.  I have moved the location around to different locations in the hull.  It all sucks.

While perusing Humminbird’s website, I came across a transducer designed for thick fiberglass powerboat hulls. Has anybody tried this?  Im hoping maybe this unit will improve the return signal while shooting through hull. Any thoughts? 

http://www.humminbird.com/Products/XAP-9-20/

I have always been a monofilament guy.  I like the low visibility, the high castibility, good knot strength, low cost, and in many circumstance the stretch. Since moving to the coast and fishing deeper environments, I have come desire the low stretch and thin diameter of braid. So recently I took the plunge and spooled my Tekota 500 with 30 Pound Calcutta Ultra Braid (http://www.calcuttafishingstore.com/products/lines-and-leaders/ultra-braid-line-30-pound-150-yards-green-ub-30-g-150.htm).

I must say I have been highly disappointed with this shit.  On too many instances I have had my knots have fail under very light tension; either slipping or tearing, I’m not sure which. Also, a simple line tangle or wind knot which would be a quick fix with mono, is an utter disaster with Calcutta Ultra. The knots that have failed are the Albright knot between my braid and my leader.  As a work around to this problem, I opted for an improved clinch knot to a swivel to my leader.  This too failed.   

Is there a secret repertoire of knots required for use with braid? Or is Calcutta Ultra just crappy? I am willing to give the braid one last try if I can isolate the source of my problems.       

A brief tribute to my 2013 fishing season in and around Monterey Bay. Although the White Seabass did not make much of an appearance this year, the Salmon remained a viable option for anglers willing to put in the time or duke it out in the Santa Cruz harbor.  I did neither and therefore have no Salmon to show for.  For these reasons, there is no “big game” featured in this year’s montage. I did capture some descent footage of the incredible Anchovy sholas which inundated the bay this year.
As always, all footage was collected by myself using only my 2 GoPros and a point and shoot camera. At 4 minutes, this 2013 montage is a quick watch. Be sure to turn the resolution up for the best view. I hope you enjoy watching as much I enjoyed editing. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wx2Nsbq8b4&feature=youtu.be