Santa Cruz attempt, 5/1

arrived at the wharf around 6AM. saw 3 skiffs left the wharf. as i looked around, i found that the floating dock at the public landing was gone  but  I still managed to launch from the ladder while thinking the whole time how in the hell i was gonna bring it back up alone.

cold and windy but the water condition looked doable from the wharf so i headed out to the mile buoy. the water got choppier as  i got further from the wharf. as i pass the 1/2 mile mark, it got worst and worst. finally, after almost getting wipped out by the whirlpool, i decided to give it up. heading back in was much better though.

sorry i couldn't even get to see what fishing is like on the opening day at SC . at least bringing up the kayak from the ladder was easier than launching.

hope to see others did better than me today.

now go back to work or the delta..... hmmm that should be an easy one 

james

You made the right decision coming back if things looked bad. I'd probably would have done the same thing.
Good luck on the delta.

Well darn, all the anticipation just to get blown out by the weather. Slowmo and I are planing to go out of the harbor Friday morning so I hope conditions improve (thanks for leaving us some fish though, you know the ones Mooch doesn't believe are there ) Hope the delta proves better, good luck.
Steve

If I'd known you were going to launch from the end of a ladder, I'd have bought a ticket to watch!   I can see how it would be easier to get out of the yak than in, but what did you do to get the yak up - use a rope?    After doing that, have you changed your opinion about whether it was worth it to save the extra 1/3 mile of paddling from the harbor rather than from the wharf to the buoy?   Better luck with the fishing next time, at least you went out on opening day.  I just moped.
   

Hey James, don't fill bad, you'll get some fish next time. I went to
Still Water Cove and I got NADA too. I spent $40 of gas plus a day
of work  . It was windy, choppie, big swells, and was very hard to stay on one spot.I only last like one and a half hour for a few small blues ( no keepers ). As I was coming out I saw the rest of the guys getting closer and closer to the cove looking for protection. I gave up. "for today". Í'LL BE BACK .

Kudos to you guys that went out.
The wind was already up in the early AM, so I sat this one out (went to work instead), the first RCG opener I've missed in 5-6 years I think.
Once we get some decent low wind weather the fish will be there.

too bad the weather didnt hear that opening day should be flat, windless and very fishy.  Oh, well there will be days...

Im with Tom, watching you launch and land on a ladder should be instructive.  Mind you this is coming from a guy who still looks like a klutz launching off a normal dock!

I walked through the SC harbor at lunch time. None of the PB guys caught anything. Just too rough. After work, I went to Capitola to fish off the beach, but the waves were too big. Fished off the pier for a while, but nobody was catching anything there either.

Welcome back Tom (Fuzzy Tom), I haven't seen you post in quite some time.  When the weather is more accomodating, I'm looking forward to going out with you from Santa Cruz Harbor / Keith

If I'd known you were going to launch from the end of a ladder, I'd have bought a ticket to watch!   I can see how it would be easier to get out of the yak than in, but what did you do to get the yak up - use a rope?    After doing that, have you changed your opinion about whether it was worth it to save the extra 1/3 mile of paddling from the harbor rather than from the wharf to the buoy?   Better luck with the fishing next time, at least you went out on opening day.  I just moped.
   

I have a tarpon 120, it's a relatively short boat. Dropping it down was easy, head first, then slowly leveled it on the water as I went down the ladder. Then I tied it with a rop which was tied to the rail. The hard part was loading (milk crate AND tying it down, 2 rods, tackle box, water, ginger ale) and me, because of water movement, with one hand holding onto the rail while the other controlling the rope. That took a while.

Getting it up was easier. I unloaded everything and put them onto the landing first from the yak. Then tied it, got onto the ladder, and pulled it up from the stern as I went up the ladder. By the time I got up, the bow was still in the water which helped lift it. Then pulled it up onto the landing.

Maybe I lucked out this time. If the height from the landing to the water was, say 15ft, then I would have been screwed since that meant I would have to unload one item at a time, then carry the yak up the ladder.

But yeah, you're right, I would spend the extra 45min-1hr from the harbor next time 

James

    Justyakit: You get an A+ for effort, and what were you going to do after you'd gotten up early- get out to the stewpot a little earlier?    I would have dropped about half of my stuff in the drink if I'd tried to load that way- is your other hobby rock climbing? 
 When I head west (up the coast) from the harbor, up toward the lighthouse, I hate the time it takes to get past the wharf, but with my big kayak, I've never even tried launching off the wharf.  On a decent day you could launch from the stairs at Mitchell's Cove-with a smaller yak it wouldn't take a strong back.  If you don't know where it is: Drive west past the lighthouse about a mile just about to where you see a small house on the water side of the road.  There is a set of concrete stairs, about 3-4 flights that turn and twist toward the pocket beach. I think some people launch from the rocks under the house, but that looks riskier. 
   Kieth:  I've been lurking, but I'm ready to pounce.  After I get out and get some rockies, I'm thinking of concentrating on flatties, maybe we can hook up.

They will put the floating dock back in soon.  Always take it out  for Winter.

Allen