Del Monte Beach 11/10/06

I got to Coral St about 7:30 and it was fairly windy - from the NE.  I saw a single yak moving down toward Lovers' Pt fairly fast, so I decided to go to Del Monte Beach where it was FAC at 8:30.  I trolled out and toward Sand City and picked up a good-size blue, then I headed up, sort of in the direction of the aquarium but out deeper at the same time.  Then I saw about 5 yak anglers out near a biege (faded yellow?) bouy and headed out there.  By the time I got there, about 9:30-10, the wind had reached down to that area, and it was fairly bumpy.  I didn't get names, but one guy said they weren't doing great, some rockies and sand dabs.  I did see one guy with a double hookup, smallish fish.  I moved back inside toward the racing mark closer to Del Monte  where I found some fish on the finder and trolled back and forth between the bouy and what I thought was a moored Zodiak that I later saw 3 divers board (no flag!) after I'd dragged my lure over them several times.  I caught what seemed like the same 12" brown about 5 times and then headed in.  The 5 yakkers stayed out near the biege bouy until about 11:15, so I guess they were into them, because it would have taken some work to stay there in those conditions.
   I gave the blue to a older  guy (but maybe not older than me)  on the beach who has a Caribean accent.  I met him there once before, he was picking up cans, and both times he's told me he "caught some mackeral off the wharf last night".
  Clear sky gave way to high clouds as the morning went on.  I could see the bare patches on the mountains above Santa Cruz, pretty unusual not to have fog obscuring.   

Tom,

Thanks for the report.  I was hoping you would post.  I thought I saw you driving on the frontage road in SC about 2: with your kayak on top.  You must have just been getting back to town.  I am thinking of launching at Del Monte tomorrow morning if it is not raining.  It seems like that place is one of the few where you can usually launch when the others are not as good.  I might try to drop a few crab traps.   

Thanks for the report Tom.  I bet that was me you saw.  It was exactly 7:30 when I started back for Lover's Point.  The wind was whippin' out there towards Pt Pinos.

If it's the bouy I'm thinking of . .there is a reef right under it.  I always hook up with rockfish right near it . .although I haven't been out there since July.

Nice job catching some fish.  I went home empty handed!