Van Damme 9/6 - big ling and copper

i dont want to admit i want a standing up selfie (in the ocean) but i kinda do.

so cool..thanks for the storytelling.

Go Norm to da max!  Hopefully I'll get to use that fish station on the weekend of 10/3.
Seems like Van Damme is as productive or better(?) than Russian gulch or it's all the same and you just find the fatties...

Where is this fish station or is it easy to find?  I'll be at the Noyo Lodge.

Both Van Damme and Russian Gulch are great spots.  I tend to like Van Damme a bit better just because there are more individual spots to try and find biting fish when it's tough, but there is plenty at Russian Gulch as well.  They are essentially the two areas south and north of the town of Mendocino and Mendocino Bay at the mouth of Big River, so the structure is similar.  Both have relatively easy launches, both have a bit of a walk from parking to the water across the sand, but Russian Gulch is always calm, and Van Damme is almost always calm but is a bit more of a steeper beach/water entry angle, so there is sometimes a small shore break depending on conditions.  I'll let James chime in on the cleaning station location exactly, but he said south Noyo, so likely by the main launch ramp.  The road just south of the McDonalds on the south side of the bridge takes you to the road down to the harbor.  There is a steep old ramp that is not regularly used right when you get down to harbor level, but my guess is the cleaning station is positioned further back in the harbor where the main public ramp that most private boaters use is located.  Good luck Eddie, if the weather looks good, I may be up there to join the party...  My best advice, big baits catch big fish of all types up there...not necessarily heavy baits, just big baits that are heavy enough to get down to where the fish are, based on the conditions of the day.

Norm

Brah! That's gold on the benefits of both spots...did you eat that octopus bonus though stored in a unique process?

Norm
[/quote]Brah! That's gold on the benefits of both spots...did you eat that octopus bonus though stored in a unique process?
[/quote]

I was tempted man, but it had been in the digestion chamber a little too long!  That was only a part of it. it was a massive arm, most of it bigger than my forearm!  I'll send you some more details about spots off-line...   

Go Norm to da max!  Hopefully I'll get to use that fish station on the weekend of 10/3.
Where is this fish station or is it easy to find?  I'll be at the Noyo Lodge.

Yes -- I created a new thread for the new fish cleaning station in Fort Bragg, off of South Harbor Drive:

https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=104363.msg1163102;topicseen#new

Wow! Bodacious. Very cool!

Wow those conditions look awesome, sucks the octopus was too digested for consumption. Would be interesting to figure out how to target them but probably the snag factor would be really high.

Reminds me of when my buddy went out and caught a huge Cabezon with a giant gut....went to filet it and found an abalone inside.... looked real fresh so he ate it, said it was great.


Thanks for the detailed report and pictures Norm!

Wow those conditions look awesome, sucks the octopus was too digested for consumption. Would be interesting to figure out how to target them but probably the snag factor would be really high.

Reminds me of when my buddy went out and caught a huge Cabezon with a giant gut....went to filet it and found an abalone inside.... looked real fresh so he ate it, said it was great.


Thanks for the detailed report and pictures Norm!

I've seen that too, Tsuri!  I kept a cab one time that had three very small abs in it's stomach.  All between like 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 inches.  Provided some really cool little ab shells! 

Norm