Searching for giant abs - Part II, the Fishing Report

SRJ started a thread that generated quite a stir, and, I must admit, it caused me to re-evaluate my view on the issue.  His post led to some spirited and thoughtful discussion here, and to some refreshing and enjoyable correspondence between he and I.  With that prefaced, I hope you'll take the time to read my little tale of today's events which were in many ways the culmination of SRJ's original enquiry about Searching for Giant Abs.

Somewhere along the Pacific Coast...   

I've been taking my family camping and day-tripping along the Lost Coast for as many years as I've had kids.  The only year my 9 year old daughter Claire hasn't been to our favorite camping destination - I'll call it Treasure Cove - was the year my son Collin was born.  He's almost 6 now, so he was too young at 2 months to do the annual late summer ocean campout in '03 when he was born.  We have such a spectacular time at our favorite campout - beach fun, tidepools, s'mores, bonfires, hikes, wildlife encounters like the baby chicks in the outhouse and the elk walking through camp and going right into the ocean.  I can't think of a better place for me to see my family rejoice in the outdoors, and we love it!  Of course, there's a catch...  I'm the one who got us going there, and it's no coincidence that I've enjoyed many years of great abalone diving, kayak fishing, and getting to spend an extra day and night here and there drinking beer with the guys before the family arrives.   

Though I'm so partial now to the kayak fishing - it's my favorite activity, no doubt about it - it's the abalone diving that is the center of this story.

2005 was the first year I participated in NCKA.  On our trip to Treasure Cove that year I "hooked up" with an NCKA member, Blond Stallion.  We had a good meeting - we yak fished and I dove for a couple abs and sent he and his friends down the trail with a cleaned ab after we shared some beers and Good Times on the beach.  Another thing happened that year, and here's where we get back to today's story.  Well, almost...   

Over the years at Treasure Cove I've met dozens of guys (and a gal or two, I think   ) who were there to go abbing, and, more specifically, to look for giant abs!  I've used my best discretion regarding giving away too much, but I feel that once someone's there, ready to partake in the obsessive hobby that the giant ab search can be, it's on me to decide whether I'll clam up and stay quiet, or whether I'll share some knowledge that has come to me over many years and much effort, and is very special to me.  I've always opted, more and more so in fact, to share.   

In August 2005, maybe the day I met with Blond Stallion, or maybe one of two other days I spent there with the fam, I saw a guy ab diving the Cove with a partner watching from shore.  He was right in the middle of the Cove, which is where most people end up when they hear of this place, make their way here, and reach the water with no other intell on where to go besides right out into the prominent little bay.  I watched him dive as I tended to camp, watched after the kids, planned the next activities for my afternoon in paradise, and, I admit, smugly chuckled to myself that he was diving where I'd learned about 15 years earlier (when I'd discovered this place in college) that there weren't very many abs, if any!  As he exited the water, I likely popped a fresh Sierra Nevada and walked down to greet him on the beach wearing my smugness, but making up for it by offering my best advice.  I asked how his dive was, learned it was a challenge and he'd located one little pocket of abs, plucking a nice 8.5 - I was surprised  - and I promptly told him he would've done better about 40 yards south of there where there's a nice little quarter acre of abs in 8-12' of water.  Again, this is knowledge from many years of having combed through this place, always expecting to find populations of big abs, and usually being whacked by the reality that they're spotty, and for that reason mysterious and awesome!  My new friend thanked me for the info, and I quickly learned that he would test positive for the giant ab bug when he started asking me about my own affliction.  He asked about 10's - I threw down a number that he'd later tell me that most considered bullshit when he relayed the story on to them.     He asked about 11's - my answer, again, he'd later report, grabbed his interest, because his well-trained BS meter didn't even tremble.  Smug is easy when you decide to share, and I don't feel bad about my goal of trying to balance my ego and arrogance with my chosen path of expression and desire to do the right thing.  The diver I met that day and offered my knowledge to, this man who I now know on NCKA as SRJ, has proven to be a new and good influence on my life, and I'm in a little bit of wonder right now!

SRJ emailed me about searching for giant abs a few weeks back, and I was pleased to have someone, this relative stranger I thought, make the choice to contact me by email to ask for some info and offer some friendly introduction.  I engaged him with a long and thoughtful email where I made it very clear how I look at the environment with respect and that I value a relatively conservationist philosophy, for being a big fish hunter and trophy ab seeker!     His responses were positive, energetic and friendly, and he made it clear to me that he shares my priorities for the resources.  It was a week or more into our correspondence when SRJ wrote to me that he'd viewed one of my videos the night before - it was the annual Treasure Cove campout video, and he'd realized that I was the guy he'd met down there in 2005 and who'd given him good advice and freely offered my trophy stats.  This is ironic, I'm thinking, and days if not weeks later, I thought to myself and wrote to SRJ, "I may be a big part of the reason that you're now getting in to the Search in earnest!"  and he agreed!

So we planned to meet.  I was willing to take SRJ to any of a number of my special dive haunts, and we agreed to base it on the forecast.  It turned out that the decision came largely down to where he was staying while up here in true NorCal  ( ) We agreed earlier this week on a plan, and last night, after he drove up here from his home in the North Bay region and then, solo, went out to scout the road into Treasure Cove, we confirmed it as our destination.  Without really planning it that way, we ended up at the same spot where we met almost 4 years ago. 

I told Domenic of the pending big ab trip with SRJ days ago when he returned from his trip to Placerville.  I basically made it clear that I was asking a favor of him - please join me to hang with SRJ on a big ab search.  Dom's wife obliged - Thanks, Heather!!     Well, Domenic, SRJ and I, we had one hell of a day.  I'm on the record here - one of the funnest, most beautiful, most enjoyably positive, energetic, satisfying days I've ever had.  I'm going to leave it at that and let SRJ bring his first "Fishing Report" to the board - it should be a good one.  (no pressure, Bro!   ).

I'll offer a few photos and this teaser:  we, the team that was NCKA on and in the water at Treasure Cove today, found some awesome old growth , including two 10's.  I decided I didn't want to tag any abs today, but I got some video.   

Because of the awesome people I've met here over the years and the Good Times we've shared, I love this place - and now I'm not talking about Treasure Cove.   

Thanks for sharing your thought Eric.  I'm looking forward to see the video. 

Well said. 

A moment shared with a "friend" is worth more than a lifetime amongst "strangers."

And the key concept here is shared or ability for sharing, which few possesses and many do not understand.

         

Wow, I love stories like that, Thanks for putting it out there,

Dude, that sounds like BH to me. Thanks Eric. I hope that Shannon was one of the recipients.

Eric,

what a ripping write up and a humbling tribute to a great, great day on the water with you and Domenic. Will write up and submit my fishing report this evening to share with all. Don't have time here at work to say all that needs to be said about the trip. More tonight.

Shannon

Thanks Abking, for inviting me along on another epic diving/kayaking adventure.

It was great to meet SRJ and hangout. I hope he can make it to GSIII.

Beautiful scenery, and the country above the surface was nice too.

This is a heck of a prelude to a fishing report. As always, your stories/videos are stimulating and heart warming. It's a small wonderful world, isn't it? It'd be an honor to be able to hang with people like you guys who share the same appreciation and respect for nature. Too bad I'm not able to leave the family behind for 3 days to join GSIII (wife is a city girl who hates the outdoor). Thanks for your great story.

ernest

Man, what a great story, and follow-up to the original giant-ab post.
But I wanna see the TWO 10’s!!!

Thanks, Guys.  I talked to SRJ today to confirm he got home alright (before I saw his post here!).  I've been trying to get back in shape lately (40 next month   ) - playing some soccer, went running a few times...  my body is revolting today!  I'm one giant pain, and, many could predict this of me, I hate taking pain killers, so I just suffer through it!     This latest mission was a great training session for GS3, and I hope to be ready for 3 days in a row like yesterday.   

I wanna see the TWO 10’s!!!

The video should be good.   

We left the other Ten under the rock under the ocean.