Striper Trolling San Pablo Bay out of Bullhead Flats

Hey All,

Launched with Fishunter (Adam) and Sudmucker (Ed) this Saturday morning out of Bullhead Flats.  The weather was friggin' phenomenal!  Light fog with zero wind in the morning (glass, glass, glass!)... the wind picked up just a bit a couple hours later as the sun came out... not bad at all... GREAT fishing weather.  Had to strip down to a t-shirt. Good times, good people.  Thanks Adam and Ed... and thanks to Erik for spot-on advice on the launch site.

This was my first time out on San Pablo in a kayak, and the first time I tried to fish from it.  All I can say is WOW!  It's even better than I'd hoped.  I've been out a few times in a 16' Klamath, and this just totally smoked it.  Maybe it's how close you sit to the water, or maybe it's just the sound of your paddle cutting a nice line... I don't know, but the experience just seemed so much more "in your face".  I imagine it's analogous to the differences between riding a motorcycle and riding in a car... having never ridden a motorcycle.

Anyway, the kayak has been de-virginized.  I boated my first two fish on the new yak this Saturday... two stripers taken on the troll.  I'm learning as I go (don't know jack about fishing), but Fishunter (Adam) said the first was about 18" and the second was about 21".  He snapped a couple non-digital pics of the first, and was trying to get a few of the second when I lost my grip on its lip... DOH!  Rookie mistake!  Anyway, mission accomplished.

Backslider

Welcome to NCKA. Nice start. I hope you keep the luck going.

Its great when SP is glassy. Took me by suprise.

Sounds like an awesome start to your kayak fishing career.

Good stuff.

Get yourself a lip gripper for more secure holds of the fish.

MolBasser

Way to go, fellaz! I'll be getting back out there SOON!

I finally launched into the "TRIANGLE" and it was better than imagined!Met Backslider and Sudmucker at Bullhd.Flts.,waited abit for the gate to get opened,put in the $5.oo! and off to troll we go.Ed pddled straight to the pumphse.and dropped anchor in search of a Dino.We paddled in no particular pattern.After about 1mi+ Backslider has "Fish On" a 18"+(his first keeper!)on a chrome RatLtrap.Paddled out to Ed(3mi. out) to see if he hooked any?(no)So we kinda backtrack-paddled and this time it was a RedHead/silver bodied-5in./shallow runner that got a nice 21"+ striper that made his yak do the "180 Aboutface" on him!

After Bacsklider left I paddled around Rat Rock and the current was flushing through hard.No luv and paddled the shore pluggin fer' nutin'.
Ed paddled up and reported the usual pest hook ups,ray,small shark and kingfish.

All in All, a good adventure in EPIC weather and I FOUND "BUCKS LANDING" on the drive home! now the anchor is next!

Congrats on the De-virginizing Backslider!

Backsliders' first of the troll.(bad spot on film?)
 

Thanks Adam... it sure was fun.  That reminded me... I drove out the north way on San Pedro specifically to look for Buck's Landing... lost in thought... drove right past it and didn't even see it!  Oh well, I really liked our launch spot... I'll have to ask the board why people would launch at Buck's when Bullhead is soooo nice.  Also, you were right about the tides... I looked again this morning and sure enough the high was at 10:30.  Don't know where I got 12:30, but that makes me feel a lot better about wondering why the water was heading out when it was suppossed to be slack.
I've got a "three day" next weekend...

Backslider

No prob Bro!the reason for Bucks is the amount/level of water durring a -low tide.There is Gallinas crk. that will be the deepest/paddle-able channel to get you back.Bullhead will be all mud and you'll be draggin yak for a good distance,so the story tells.......

MENDO seems to be on the mind!....did you see the 5 for 4?  I WANT!

Oh, duh.  Bullhead Flat is a mud fest at minus tides.  Silly nube.  I'll learn one day.

Backslider

So we wait for a couple of good rains and gitter done !