Mendo Coast 9/5

So, I met up with Norm, (Nawm), Craig (Raven'sblack-dude), Jim (Redyack-dude), and my friend Allen on a sheet oil flat day here in mendo.  Being the boring and thoughtless NCKA member that I generally am, I forgot to bring a camera.  Luckily Craig and Norm are responsible citizens and I'm sure they will post up some images.

We had a good day with a great grade of rockfish, reds and, interestingly, quilbacks and the the biggest coppers (Norm calls them chuckleheads) anyone there had ever seen.  I got one that must have gone about 6 pounds.

It was a beautiful day, actually kind of warm with mixed sun and fog - and for me.......super-flat, no yaking on the yak.  The only downside was the ling grade was kind of slim.  I must have caught 5, but they were all slightly short.  Craig was the man with a complete limit of rockies and 2 lings.  And Allen caught one of the biggest cabs I've seen in years.

Allen is an old-school dyed in the wool whitewater boater and will not even think about using a Sit-on-Top, not no way, not ever......ever.  So the highlight of the day day was watching Craig and Jim check out Allen's setup - an old Dancer whitewater SIK.  They were kinda of scratching their heads a little until they watched him pick up his thirty pound boat in one hand and his pole in the other and head down the trail, no stinkin' cart, no ff, no gps, no bunch of rods, and no radio.  At one point Jim asked me if Al had a radio, and I had to laugh.  Al, is a serious Class IV-V whitewater boater, though.  He's run most of the serious sh*t around Northern CA.

And finally, I have to mention my ongoing fascination with Norm's weird and somehow mystic ability to catch many huge friggin reds.  I'm using the exact same swimbait (the one he gave me) and following him around, yet he catches 3 for my 1.....every time I fish with him.  I suspect some type of satanic cult thing.  It ain't right.

All in all, we had a lot of fun out there today.  We live in a truly great place, up here in Northern CA.

You guys better post those pics, or I'm in trouble.

Thanks Dave for prodding me for almost a year to go to Mendocino coastline. The water was glass today and so slick at times it just made me dizzy. We had thick fog that wiped out the coastline right at the end of the days fishing. We were in 100ft + and found some humps that came up to 65ft and the fish were thick in there. Norm is amazing. His take of reda was just super and Daves copper was off the hook. Allan caught at least a 24in cabbie . Big in the head with pec fins that would knock you out. Allan is in his SIS and he was just all over the place. Truly a free and independent spirit. Norm it was good to see you and we gotta get there again before Oct 31st. Great to fish with you. Thanks for the hookup Dave and your little dog was just the cutest. Redyak this makes 2 weeks in a row we have been seen together. Dont get any funny ideas man or I'll pop you one. Heres some pics. Check out Allens ride. Hes the man on the water. A real kayak fisherman. Norms reds were called the mendo coastline christmas tree.

Nice work fellas!  Gotta love it when the ocean gets all submissive like that.  Big day for sure!

EK

Sounds like a great hookup for sure.  Nice going.  Thanks for the report and pics - love the Mendo Xmas Tree.   

Dave - you made a good call as it was pretty sketchy up north...

Nice haul fellas. Thanks for the report and pictures.

Jedmo

Thanks for the hookup Dave and it was a pleasure to meet you, Norm, and Allen. I really enjoyed seeing Allen's extreme minimalist approach. Made my yak look like some blinged out Escalade with 22" rims. Today was one of my best days fishing ever. Perfect conditions, steady catch, and excellent grade of fish. I love big verms and coppers. Thanks for the Corona Norm. Damn that tasted good! We should have dove where we fished as the spot we kicked out to had worse vis and what looked like multiple savaged and stinky floating dead seal carcasses. Pee-yoo-bah. We said ***k it and I went hiking around TSR until sundown instead. First pic is OTW at da kine. Second pic is on the Grade at about 8:15pm. Left my house at 5:30am. See you next time NCKA bros. jim

I love these Multi posts!!! WTG guys...excellent day out there...and thx for the reports and pics...freaking hate u man...

Daves copper. More glass

Right on guys - beautiful pics and nice fish!

It was truly an epic day with a great group of guys.  As always, it was great to hook up with my friends Dave and Craig and also great to make a few new ones in Al and Jim.  I haven't been able to get out much lately, but sure am glad that Dave rattled my cage and got me out.  The weather was perfect and fishing was excellent.  I was out of fish, so that Mendo Christmas tree will keep me and the fam in fish tacos for weeks to come!!

Hope we get to do this again soon fellas, great company, great fishing, beautiful Mendo water......

Here are a few more pics, sorry Jim and Al, the photos i had of you must have been taken with water on my lense, very blurry....

Norm

Thanks Norm for the pics. Norms last pic was 3 out of five stringers though. Daves were in his boat and Jimmy hadnt come in yet. Norm the next time the swell is down we are there. One more limit like that and we'll be set for the long haul through winter with no rockfishing. Craig

Dang - FAC!

Niiiiiiiiiiice!

Wow.  Nice colors on those fish.   

SICK!