stillwater cove 10-6

Hey all, this is my first report. I don't have a kayak of my own yet, but I went fishing with Allen (scallen) at Stillwater last Saturday. What a beautiful spot, and easy launch and landing. The fishing was a little slow, we got 5 assorted rockfish between us, fishing mostly in the area outside of the kelp beds. Launched a little after 7, finished around 11:30 when the wind started to come up. A fine day overall. Allen's guide service is first rate.

Mike -

I thought rockfish season closed on 10/1?  Anyway welcome to the "madness" as Joel puts it. BTW Stillwater is a great place to fish but the big MLPA rectangle around the pinnacles is bigger than you think.

Scott

Scott,
the Emergency RF closure only applies to waters north of Pigeon Pt (which is north of Santa Cruz). We get to fish Monterey Bay and south until November 30 [pending ANOTHER emergency closure!]

Thanks for the report, fishinmike! You did the right thing by going with Allen; you'll be much more prepared once you DO get a kayak. Until then, you might be able to borrow other peoples' yaks. Thats how I got started, by fishing with and borrowing my friend Mahito's yak. Then the madness grew...And now I've got TWO yaks!
PK

Then the madness grew...And now I've got TWO yaks!
PK

yeah, no joke.  The trick with this sport is not to buy too many boats!!  How many of us can say we're not gear ho's?  not too many, i bet.

Thx for the report, and welcome aboard.  Glad you got to fish stillwater with allen.

Mike did great.  A very good fishing companion for all on this board, I predict he'll get his yak quickly.  He is HOOKED!  Ask him to share rockfish recipes.....  thanks for a great day Mike.

We fished the "edge" of the new pinnacle MPA....It IS rather big, you get into it about 1/8 mile past the point, there.

Man it was super slow, we had great conditions till about 10:45 but the fish were just not biting.

I have had that spot slow before, but also have had insanely productive days of catch and release up to 40 fish.

How can I determine where the MLPA areas and boundries are, especially without a GPS? Maps? Thanks Mike

How can I determine where the MLPA areas and boundries are, especially without a GPS? Maps? Thanks Mike

Go 35 kelp strands west of the pink house, and turn right.  When the DFG Zodiac arrives to issue you a citation you know you've gone too far...

Seriously though, good luck determining the boundary without a GPS.  That square gets really close, really fast.  You're better off staying in the cove itself if you aren't sure.

It would be much easier with a gps, and the next best is to go with someone with one - once you get an idea where the north and east boundaries are, I don't think you'd have much trouble staying out of it, so long as you don't troll around.  If you have a FF, stay within 70 ft at the Tower House - I still need to look to see if that Tower is the exact point they used for that eastern N-S line .  When I'm on the water, that seems to be the case, and that the east N-S boundary line heads between the tip of Pt Lobos and the Tower House near Pescadero Pt. Of course, the boundary line doesn't go all the way to Lobos or to the Tower.
    There's another big house to the east of the Tower House, and about there you should start moving into the kelp and into <70 ft. After you go out past the TH, you get a lot more slack, and can edge out beyond the kelp,because, as you can see by the F&G site map, the shore is not true east and west like the northern E-W boundary is.  
   Maybe you could consider the cost of a simple gps (@$100) a form of citation insurance.

Welcome to the soon to take over "madness" I found this site before i owned a yak and it only "feuled the fire" so i had to go get one ASAP.  and you've already been shown by the best!
Ask the right people/check the hook up section and you could be fishing from a yak till you get yours.

Welcome to the soon to take over "madness" I found this site before i owned a yak and it only "feuled the fire" so i had to go get one ASAP.  and you've already been shown by the best!

This is the exact same thing that happened to me. Exactly. Allen took me out for a day on the water. I drooled over this site for a couple months and then finally got my yak. Just keep your eyes peeled on craigslist. Good deals come up all the time. Although it has been pretty slow lately. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a yak for my buddy who I'm trying to get hooked.

FF

the local yak shops sell their RENTAL FLEETS and a good chance to get one there too!