Carmel 8/20 & 21

On the water from 7:00 - 11:00 am Saturday morning. First few hours were very slow, but it seemed like someone flipped a switch around 10:00 and I ended up catching a total of 15 on a feather jig with squid. Mostly mid-sized blues, but I did get two vermilion. One of which was really good size. Biggest fish I've gotten off the yak so far! Put up an excellent fight on my lighter 6'6 UglyStick Elite Medium. Also, had a good-sized ling come up attached to a smaller blue. Hung on all the way to the boat, and didn't seem at all scared or intimidated as it got closer. If I wasn't so surprised, I probably could have netted him....kinda cheating though, huh??

Decided to opt for an evening session on Sunday. Weather conditions were excellent and was nice to not have the launch zone so crowded. I decided to try fishing deeper and using bigger tackle in hopes of getting a ling or two. No such luck! Moved around to all sorts of different zones but hardly a nibble. I got impatient and moved in closer to the kelp beds with the ole trusty feathers and ended up getting 5 blues , but not nearly as much action as the past 3 or 4 times being out. Lot of the small jellies in the water...was thinking maybe the fish were full off those? Maybe the fish were as annoyed as I was and moved way offshore due to having to listen to the announcer from the PB Concourse Event congratulate everyone on being rich and obnoxious! 

Met a really nice guy on Sat as I was getting loaded up who had his limit with lings. He gave me a bunch of helpful tips for getting my yak set up, recommended a nice looking FF, helped me lug my yak up the hill and even gave me a freshly tied swimbait rig. Didn't get a chance to catch his name or see if he was part of NCKA, but cheers to that guy! Enjoying getting to know and being a part of this community!

Thanks for the report SS. 

great report seascum

I may have seen you out there. I made two quick runs off Carmel beach in my shark bit little green kayak. Had my 2 year old on his first kayak fishing jaunt on the ocean. Pushed out around 3. Saw 2 guys out on the edge of the kelp. (One was you most likely?)

I stayed in a ways. Wanted calm water so my son wouldn't get bounced too much. He had about an hours worth of talking about birds and kelp and fish before getting impatient. Had two small bumps but no hookups while minding a toddler. After he got bored and hungry we went back to the beach. He played in the sand with my wife and I snuck back out on the water for another 1 1/2 hours. Nothing for the first thirty minutes and then WHAM! Pulled up a 21 inch vermillion. Fought so hard I thought it was a ling til I saw red. Bite was going off for the next hour. I had 9 hookups and easily as many other hard hits afterwards over the next hour. two keeper black and yellows and two smaller ones. An undersize cabezon, two blues that got off at the side of the kayak. Had to tear myself away to take my wife and son for dinner.

Bite really comes and goes some days. Rare day to have calm swells and little wind. Fishin was easy.

Thanks for the report.

I may have seen you out there. I made two quick runs off Carmel beach in my shark bit little green kayak. Had my 2 year old on his first kayak fishing jaunt on the ocean. Pushed out around 3. Saw 2 guys out on the edge of the kelp. (One was you most likely?)

I stayed in a ways. Wanted calm water so my son wouldn't get bounced too much. He had about an hours worth of talking about birds and kelp and fish before getting impatient. Had two small bumps but no hookups while minding a toddler. After he got bored and hungry we went back to the beach. He played in the sand with my wife and I snuck back out on the water for another 1 1/2 hours. Nothing for the first thirty minutes and then WHAM! Pulled up a 21 inch vermillion. Fought so hard I thought it was a ling til I saw red. Bite was going off for the next hour. I had 9 hookups and easily as many other hard hits afterwards over the next hour. two keeper black and yellows and two smaller ones. An undersize cabezon, two blues that got off at the side of the kayak. Had to tear myself away to take my wife and son for dinner.

Bite really comes and goes some days. Rare day to have calm swells and little wind. Fishin was easy.

Thanks for the report.

Nice, Buck! Yeah, I think I saw you in there. I was in the red Ocean Kayak maybe a 100 yards off the kelp beds. Sounds like you were in the zone! Good to know that the inner area can produce some bigger stuff. Let me know if you ever want to meet up.

"kinda cheating though, huh?? "

- I wouldn't think so - we often catch them this way and am surprised it would be an issue (unless you were just joking  )  Do others feel this way?  Just curious.