Bolinas 7/22

Got to the beach at the crack of 10, ran into Craig just getting out, no salmon for him, he said it was windy out at dux (3 miles out) I had a good spill on the launch, 2nd try got me out, lots of marked bait at 10 feet so I trolled a big plug for the sttripers just past the breakers, a few hits lots of seaweed, had to re-cast every minute, got old quick. headed out a little deeper bounced a squid jig and got loads of kingfish. To much wind at the drop off, I love our malibu 2, our 1st yak, but its a tough paddle and in the wind, sucks. So we name her Marge, cause it sounds like barge. Great day on the beach, we had an umbrella, blanket, sminoff ice and lots to look at... Ended the day with a cold one at Smileys in Bolinas. Did you know its the oldest continually opened bar in the USA? Never got closed during prohibition. Cheers!

Never been to Smileys - bet that place was hoppin' yesterday.  The town was jammed when i left.  Someone waited 30 minutes for my pkg space while i carried yak, equipment, packed and got ready to leave.  I saw that was a good move as I drove away.  At 2.30pm HWY 1 was backed up with stop and go traffic all the way south of the Red Rocks parking lot.  Thanks to Ben and Anita for the Red Bull - dang I needed that on my drive home.

Actually I got out twice before Ben saw me getting out.  I also spilled at the launch - righted my sandy yak, found my handheld GPS washed up, and pushed out fine past the breakers on 2nd try. 

Headed out to the buoy, stopped over structure on the way out to jig for RF, but nothing doing.  Counted 60+ PB's on the horizon, within a couple miles either way of the buoy, lots of pressure, few nets swinging.  Ran into MalibuII and a friend of his on his II - they peeled off to RF at the reef - I decided to blow another couple hours trolling an RSK.

After that, I was maybe 4 miles out, so I paddled back SE with the wind but got really tired.  Decided to take a break east of the reef break to RF.  I must have been more tired than I thought because I nodded off.  Bad idea!  I must have fallen sideways or caught a larger swell 'cause I woke up as I was flipping the boat.  At least the water was warm!  I didn't want to linger as I remembered they closed the beach there on Friday due to a GWS sighting.  My paddle was lashed and twisted around my waist but i disconnected and reconnected it easily after i flipped the yak back over.  The rod was still in the holder - not sure how that happened as it wasn't tied down.  The cooler on back with my RF and salmon tackle also stayed both buckled down and closed - whew, tackle is not cheap.  I pulled myself on and tried to scoot up, but I flipped it again.  One more time, this time I pulled myself on, was trying to swing my legs up, but fell off the other side.  Kind of like in cartoons, huh.  Finally I got up and stayed - I will self-rescue from port side, not sure why it was easier for me.  Boy I am glad no-one from the board saw all that!  After taking inventory, I saw I lost one 1 lb ball out of a footwell.  And also most of the sand i picked up at launch.

So I decided to just quit then, paddled in (mostly with my left arm, because the boat was constantly pulling to the left - not sure why I need to use 9 left paddles to 1 right paddle, in order to go straight.  Oh well.

Amazingly the landing was almost picture perfect - and on a packed beach full of hot chicks.  They must have thought, whoa that dude has skillz! and of course I was like, so nonchalant about it, because, you know, it happens like that all the time.  ahem.

I really wanted to fish today for RF...  But I had to rush to meet a friend yesterday and did not have time to see where everyone else was going.   

Craig - Nice to bump into you out there. We didn't any salmon except for the one shaker, and nothing on the reef. I don't have much confidence in that reef - I've never had much luck out there, so i don't think you missed out on much. Anyway, see you another day...
 Andrew
PS-That was my brother, Michael...

Thanks Andrew...  Nice to meet both of you!  Hope we can welcome Michael to NCKA soon.  I share your feelings about dux, sorry you had a slow day too but at least it was nice in the morning.  Second time out paddling for me there, and there are kingfish there but I have not heard of much else.  I think it's better for RF south closer to Muir maybe and north of there towards Double Pt and before Drakes Bay.

I am busy with family in town and whatnot for the next couple weekends - will probably get back to Dux for salmon around Aug 19.  Unless the kings are there and I can sneak in a trip before Elk.  Hmm just checked and actually I can, the weekend before.   

Hope to see you out there again!

I don't have much confidence in that reef

I was out there in my neighbor's pb salmon fishing (for naught). A few people on the radio said they loaded up on nice rockfish on the inside. I think you just have to find the spots.