Otter Cove 7/22/11 (video added)

I dove Otter Cove this morning with Chaeki and Isaac in kayaks. We started off trying to find a pinnacle off shore a ways, but couldn't find it.

I made a few drops down to a little over 50 feet looking for the pinnacle, with vis around 8 feet and very hazy and dark. I shot a small gopher rockfish for some ceviche and didn't see too much else. There were a few nice cracks, but no lings were home.

It was notable that the gopher was the first fish I've ever shot at 50+. I was very comfortable at the depth, but still didn't push myself for safety reasons. I think Chaeki hit his pb dive at 48-50 feet.

Isaac is more comfortable at 25-30 feet, so we moved back into the kelp and looked for the reef I was at last week. I'm pretty sure we got close (lined up with the mark on shore) but for the life of me I couldn't find the same reef. I searched in huge circles just looking for it, but couldn't find the same reef. Vis was pretty bad here though, so that was probably why. Vis was 3-6 feet and very surgy.

I saw a short ling in a hole. Judging from the head, it was probably around 16". I also saw a few rockfish (blues, kelpies, black and yellows) and some perch (striped, rubber-lip, pile, black), none of which I shot.

Chaeki shot maybe 4 perch, a nice 3 pound opaleye (it was holed up in a cave), a little olive, and a black and yellow. Isaac shot one perch. I think that opaleye is Chaeki's biggest fish he's shot.

After the dive, the wind picked up a bit. Chaeki wanted us to take a picture of our fish together, to show that he had shot more than me (for once      ) so I declined.

In my opinion, it's not worth it to dive Pacific Grove right now. You're probably better off heading to Carmel.

Chaeki let me borrow one of his GoPros, but I didn't get that much good footage. I think I got the little ling on camera, as well as the gopher I shot, but it was pretty hazy so I don't know how it turned out.

We ran into Daniel (dpshim) and Ryan (Ling King, maybe? sorry I don't know your handle, bro) on the way out. They launched at Lovers looking for white sea bass and salmon. Daniel didn't get any, but he did manage to score a limit of nice lings, the larger of the two weighing ~11.5 pounds.

Also, driving back up to the south bay, we stopped in Capitola to check things out. Visibility looked surprising good from the cliff (blue water further out, green close in) so we're going to check it out tomorrow.

Chaeki's vid (my footage, he let me borrow his GoPro. Thanks Chaeki!) :

Nice writeup as always Rick! Too bad about the viz. Looking forward to the vid once Chaeki gets around to it.

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Nice report Rick!

Rick it was a great pleasure to meet ya finally! Glad that you and Chaeki got some water time. Like ya said, fishing was slow.

Early in the morning as Ryan and I paddled out, we saw birds working the surface for baitfish. A few boats landed salmon, but the salmon quickly left the area and we arrived there lil too late.

We trolled out to Pt Pinos, but trolling was ineffective as there was so many jellyfish present making it very annoying. I tried drifting squid & chovies on barbless circle hook at various depths, only to find out that lingcods were the only ones that wanted to play with me As Rick said, the biggest of the 2 measured at 32". At first I thought it was a big halibut, as it felt like heavy dead weight. Once in a while, it would take off to the bottom.

Anyways, I can't wait to see the opeleye. Very cool Chaeki!! 

Here is Slick Rick with the GoPro...

I am currently out sick now with a cold, time to zzzzz

That was pretty cool watching that vid on my iPhone.  Rick's gills are developing rapidly.  WTG on the OE, Chaek.   

Thanks for the vis report.  I guess I'll be heading down to SWC tomorrow.

That was pretty cool watching that vid on my iPhone.  Rick's gills are developing rapidly.  WTG on the OE, Chaek.   

When are we ever going to cross paths?!  Are you going abalone diving next month?