2016 Recap...

Rollercoaster ride of a year...

Ton of crappy conditions, not a lot of free time with wife working on finishing her Masters until May, only one trip outside of Monterey/Santa Cruz County all year (GSX), crappy conditions, and then got injured (partially torn quadriceps) which has kept me out of the water and in a ton of pain since the end of October.

First year since 2012 with no halibut, male sheepshead, or abalone, and my lowest DOTY score ever as well....

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list2015results

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list2014results

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list2013results

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list2012results

On the bright side though...after hunting them unsuccessfully since 2013 I finally managed to shoot some striped bass in the surf (actually managed to take 10) and some were very nice specimens up to 43 inches and 31 pounds.

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2310

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2316

I also got my second and third biggest Verms so far at 21 and 20.75 inches, and my personal best Black at 21.5 inches.

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2136

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2340

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2341

Here were my goals when I started the year:

1. Shoot a Striper in the Ocean
2. Dive as many different reefs as possible
3. Get both girls out fishing with me in the kayak
4. Get a new PB of either Ling, Cab, Verm, Sheep, Copper, Halibut, Olive, Grassy, Black, Blue, Ab or Scallop...don't really care which...would be stoked on any of those. 
5. Have as much fun diving and paddling as possible.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

So I got the Striper and a new PB Black, did explore some new reefs in Monterey/Santa Cruz and Humboldt County and had as much fun as I could given the circumstances...did get both girls out on the kayaks with me, but Jayme only fished from a power boat so will have to work harder on that next year I guess. 

Here is a video of some of my favorite footage from the year, and some of my favorite pics as well.



Fingers crossed I get some relief from this knee pain soon through physical therapy and that I can be back in the water in early 2017.

Thanks for looking!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

damn.. them some big-ass fish Jim

 Congratulations Jim on another year of doing what you love!

rough year for fish harvesting for a lot of us!
 You got some beauties though Jim!

BTW, AOTY/DOTY awards in the works, so no worries!

Thanks for the kind words guys...this being injured/no diving stuff is killing me...physically and mentally....gonna have to figure a way to get some ocean therapy sooner rather than later. 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

That's still an impressive year with the conditions we have had to deal with. 

I can pull your kayak around and we can let you use a weighted rope like in the Freedive class so your knee can rest. 

You found some great fish this year Jim!  Especially those stripers--freakin' toads!  Hope you bounce back from your knee injury sooner than later so you can get back out there.  I can't imagine what it feels like to not be on the water for months at a time.