Thursday 7/16/09: Sure beat working!!

Took the day off work and went out with Erik and his dad Bill who had just drove up from down south to drop off a sit inside kayak for his son....

Left from Santa Cruz Harbor and the ocean was TEEMING with life: thousands of baitfish, sealions jumping after clouds of fleeing baitfish, diving birds, frolicking otters..felt like a frikkin' National Geographic/Jacques Coustaeu special!!

Jigged up a bunch of bait right off the bat and drifted for Halibut for awhile with no luck...then worked some kelp in front of Twin Lakes, nada...I pulled the trigger and paddled over to Pleasure Point while Bill and Erik stayed behind...my first drop at the kelp with a RockCod jig and cut chovy, BAM!! 17 Inch RockFish!!!!! My biggest ever!!! Scream for the guys to come over...drop my line again, BAM!!! 16 inch RockFish!!! Now the boys realize what's going on and are coming over...pick up a few more Rockies that I throw back, then BAM!!! 18 1/2 inch Cabezon!!! My first keeper Cabezon ever!!!

We worked the kelp for another hour or so and got a HEAVY stringer full of FAT Rockfish before paddling home...

Bill and I cleaned the fish, and then Erik cooked up delicious Cabezon and Rockfish filets and served us tasty wine..

Sure beats working!!!!!!!

Nice score there.

Watch out for putting your fingers in the mouth of a cabbie. I had one decide it wanted to try and crush my thumb. Didn't break the skin but was bruised up pretty good.

-Brian G

Nice work and congrats on your best rockfishing day.   

Nice score there.

Watch out for putting your fingers in the mouth of a cabbie. I had one decide it wanted to try and crush my thumb. Didn't break the skin but was bruised up pretty good.

-Brian G

You are so right Brian those babies are the pit bull of the fishy world. Nice stringer.

Nice limit of rockfish!  Thank you for the report and pictures Jim.

Nice cab and good stinger of rf.That's a great day for that area.

VERY NICE DAY OFF FROM WORK

nice cab, love the pic, congrats, cameron

Nice score there.

Watch out for putting your fingers in the mouth of a cabbie. I had one decide it wanted to try and crush my thumb. Didn't break the skin but was bruised up pretty good.

-Brian G

 I second that they eat crabs, there jaws are very strong!

There is nothing better than a case of Rockfish Thumb!

Nice haul.

Nice looking cab. there.  wtg on the limit

Thanks guys..

Yeah, I should've known better than to give him a chance to chomp on my thumb...but, I was having so much fun I probably wouldn't even have minded a bruised digit or two...
 

Here's a pic of a few of the baitfish that are all over the place right now...every drop of the sabiki would bring up at least two or three...could've filled the kayak with these guys in an hour!!
 

Anyway, thanks again and hope to meet some of you all soon.

Sincerely,
Jim

Can argue on this one, sure does beat working big time, man I cant wait to get out, I am so envious on your catch..