Stillwater 09/14 plus other late reports

I have been fishing a lot lately but not posting reports as much as I should  as all the WAF is gone on the water and there is none left for reporting  .  I got up early this morning not to fish but to make this extended report.  Caution it may get as long as one of Skygreen's but at least it is about fishing, is my own work and has photos  . 

I went out yesterday afternoon after leaving work early to launch into pond like conditions at Stillwater Carmel just after 4.  While there was light wind inside the cove, the ocean was glass calm.  After an easy paddle out to the open water I fished the edge of the kelp and immediately hooked up some small blues and olives then a nice fight with an underling, 22-inch, very redish like some cabbies I have seen, released.  I fished several holes and each seemed to produce a fish or two then turn off.  I soon noticed I was being shadowed by a harbor seal.  The water was clear and I could see him hovering 10-feet below me waiting.  Each time I hooked up it was a race.  He never got one of mine but may have hit a released one.  Every time I moved he quietly appeared 10-15 feet away either right in he kelp nose out or just below be stealth style.  It really seemed like a game but the quick hook set and reel race did loose a few fish.

I ended up paddling all the way out to the far point fishing holes each one until the my seal became known to the local fish and they left or hid.  This repeated over and over.  By the time I hit the far point I had kept 5 two nice blues and two olives and one yellowtail.  I found a nice hole that is usually in was on most days and pulled up a nice vermillion.  I caught a two more gophers that I kept for my neighbor who covets them and started back as the sun dropped to the horizon.  I stopped a few times to snag the bottom and one or two more olives on the way in but I was done.  The paddle was beautiful as the sun set and it reflected off the water.  It was southern California warm short sleeves the whole time.  I landed just after sunset with eight rockfish.  First photos are from this trip.

I also have been fishing three other times since the Asilomar debacle Sat. 9/01.  I wend out of San Carlos Beach, Monterey on Labor day and fished with Usagi and friends.  It was a slow day but the bay was full of bait and the water was warm.  I saw 70+ degrees on my fishfinder.  Later in the afternoon, I went to the beach with my daughter and waded it was really warm water.  I believe the warm water turned off the bite.  I started out at the red can to get some dabs but only got a few as my sabiki loaded up with macks, sardines and smelt before it got to the bottom.  After loading up on bait I and meeting up with Pete, we hit the kelp beds, where earlier I had caught a Treefish, my first and a decent size.  The photo is attached for Brian  .  I noticed a meter maid on shore and remembered I had forgotten to feed the meter so after a race back to the beach and returning I caught one more decent size kelp or grass rockfish and that was it for fish for the day.  I dragged bait all over the place and back and did not get any more bites.  The wind picked up about 11 and made for a tough paddle back to the beach.  It would have been easier to land at MBK but I like the shorter paddle from San Carlos to the red can.  Next time I launch there I will remember not to go east.  I had two fish for tacos at least.  Pete and his friends where skunked but we did see PBs with fish and two other yakers one with a nice ling.

The next Saturday 09/08 I needed to get out even though I was planning on fishing the KC Derby on Sunday as my wife and daughter were going out of town.  I went to Coral St. thinking easy launch only to find that the road was closed for the PG Tiathalon.  I met Kimo at the end or Coral St. and we huffed our gear across the St and down to the beach before the race even started.  Once on the water we spoke a few times but generally fished separately.  The water temperature had dropped to the low 60's and the bite was back on.  While the swim baits were not productive bait and irons were the trick this day.  I had a stringer of about 5 rockfish when my swim bait got nailed hard and then released after about 5 cranks.  The drift was slow so I dropped down a whole squid on a sliding sinker rig and waited a few minutes.  When I cranked this time it felt like a snag........ with a head shake, ling on.  This was my best ling of the year just under 28-inch great fight and the first real chance to use my NCKA gaff  .

It was foggy but nice on the water some light wind but not much drift for once.  I saw some dolphins caught a few in the top right corner of a photo.  It is hard for me to judge the timing on the Pentax.  The trip back to the car was hard.  I had a heavy stringer and the bike portion of the Triathalon was occuring in both directions.  It took four trips to get my gear across the race and back to the car.  I got lots of good comments from the racers about my stringer  .

The next day was the SC CK Derby.  The fishing was slow.  I caught one starfish and one Kingfish, photos included.  It was interesting as we watched the swimming portion of the SC triathalon while paddling to the halibut spot where I caught the starfish.  I did get a nice photo of a jelly and saw some more dolphins that day.  The hot dog was probably the most exciting part though it was a great day on the water.  I enjoyed meeting and fishing with Scott and his son and seeing the NCKA crew again.  I was glad I nailed that ling the day before.

           

Beautiful sunset pics. What a great time to be on the water! Times like that remind me how lucky I am to be able to enjoy such things.
Way to play catch up with the fishing reports too. I know what ya mean about those pesky fur bags. They have made for difficult fishing on more that one occassion.

the last pic says it all, time on the water is good for the soul!

Beautiful fish, scenery, and other critters. thanks for taking the time to report even after it's all backlogged. We all need a fix of yakfishing when we're stuck behind our computers from 9-5.

Z

  Caution it may get as long as one of Skygreen's but at least it is about fishing, is my own work and has photos  . 
       

HA!
That was a great read, sackyak! Thanks for taking the time to report on the last few trips. It is appreciated.
Great pics too. I like the treefish pic; still haven't caught one.

PK

Now that was an AWESOME report  . Thanks - Ben

You were all over the places. Good for you! Thanks for catch-up reports.

You sure do make it look FUN and SO EASY!  SWEET pics& excellent port'.

You got postcard material there!   

Caution it may get as long as one of Skygreen's but at least it is about fishing, is my own work and has photos  . 
           

Etienne -

Thanks for fishing with me this year, learned alot from you especially surf landings. BTW don't compare your posts to SG's, it's like a bad flashback from an acid trip.  See on the Islander, maybe Mendo? BTW my son Mike thought you were cool before I told him about the hackysack thing, then he was REALLY impressed.

Scott

DUDE! You should see Etienne with a footbag! Off the hook! We need to start hackey-ing after fishing...I bet it would be a good way to stretch out the legs after sitting in the yak all day!

PK

Nice report, Etienne.  Glad you're having a fun Summer.