Pt Pinos 4/14/07 try

AKAKimo called last nite and we launched this morning about 7 from Coral St.  Chop down from yesterday's, swell about the same (5.9 at 14 sec).  A little SE wind as we got near the Pt, so we decided to head out NE to deeper water rather than risking getting out to the fleet at least a mile off the pt and having to paddle in against it if it increased.  We did a lot of time out near the red buoy and out to up to 200 ft.  Kimo tried out his boat pole "downrigger" setup with 2lb wt, setting the pole to 11-1130, and using a release clip to his fishing line.  He says he needs to shorten the pole, but otherwise seemed to like the setup.  I trolled a 1 1/2 ball on a sinker release, and both of us used green flasher/purple haze hootchies. Not that it mattered, because niether of us got a nibble, except for the way- underling I got and a couple of other rockfish that couldn't get off the barbless hooks.
  The wind settled down and it turned bright for about an hour, then I saw a party boat coming in at 9:45, and soon after, the wind came up from the NW, and we moved inside, rigged to drift for halis, gave that up in a few minutes when the wind increased.
We could see the front approaching, and by the time we were finishing loading up by 10:30,  the rain was coming down in buckets, sending small creeks down the streets of Pacific Grove.
   Radio had some hit and miss salmon catches, some of them large fish. 
   Had a good time, got the paddling muscles a workout. 
   

AKAKimo

You're going to shorten the downrigger pole?

This is rudderless too, right?

Kimo will probably explain the "whys". Yes, shorten the downrigger pole, and he has no rudder, but was talking about maybe retrofitting as we paddled in. He's a strong paddler and seemed to be pulling away from me most of the time, and I have a rudder.

Good on you for giving it a shot, FT.  I've been having Pt Pinos/salmon fantasies myself.  Sorry you didn't get anything legal to show for it.  Isn't it amazing how tenacious rockfish can be on barbless hooks?!?!?! 

Nice try guys.  I thought of going out but had a feeling about the rain and chose to try Sunday instead.  I am glad you made it in safely.  The wind it still strong at my house in Seaside. 

It was a short trip today, but glad we gave it a try. I was getting stir crazy reading about all the Salmon caught this week.
After trying out the downrigger setup I was tempted to shorten the rod about 18".
But I think that im going to leave it as is. It worked great up to the point we were trolling uphill. Then the line was getting projected back into my paddle stroke. Even with a 2lb ball (which is the most I ever want to drag) So I think it would be easier to try different angles with my rod holder when I troll uphill. Or maybe switch downrigger rod to a position on the stern, and terminal rod up front where I can see strike's better.???
Anyhow, glad we got out there today fuzzytom, even though it wasn't the best conditions. But the drive home was way more scarry than our time on the water.
Wipers and defrost full blast and still hard to see...  hope the guy that caught the 35lb'er today posts a pic of it.
It sounds like its going to be the year of the HOG !!!

Good trying...  Any pics of the downrigger set-up?

granitedive

You planning any salmon runs? I might give Monterey a try this week

Don't know if you saw it already but fish are also showing between Pedro and HMB, just not as big

I'm sort of torn between short drive to LM and big fish in Monterey