fort ross / sunday / 8/7/2006

amazing drive to fort ross on sunday morning. as i made my way onto highway 1 on the cliffs just north of jenner i could see baitballs working all over. there were patches of bait swarming everywhere and boats working all over as well. i knew this day was going to be interesting.

got to fort ross and met my friend ron. we launched into bait infested waters. birds diving everywhere and all types of life. hugh schools of sardines boiling the surface and the largest boil i saw was about 150' wide. they were everywhere boiling right under our kayaks. also lots of smelt as well.

the fishing sucked for the most part. small rockfish caught and released. couple of canaries released as well. no lings.

i think the fish are pretty full right about now. the bait is thick and in the cove bait was also boiling all over. pelicans everywhere eating and getting stuffed.

wind picked up around 11am, and we headed in.

it was nice to see so much life in the water even though i did not take a single fish home.

john

John,
Thanks for the report, I'll be going there this coming weekend so your observations are appreciated. It's were the commercial salmon fleet is centered so they must be catching quite a few.
Craig

hey Craig,

I am sure you will have fun. I enjoyed taking photos and watching the baitfish move in huge schools. you could see em coming about a quarter mile away. Amazing to see them work their way into view of my FF and watching how the bait ball was so thick almost to the bottom in 50 feet of water. perfect scene for a castnet.

i think that if you go north of the main cove its good fishing. lots of bites but nothing was sticking. i now file all the barbs off my hooks so i have an easier time getting those hooks out. it sure loses a lot more fish though. its fun either way.

i spoke to a man on a boat with some friends. he said the day before they got big vermillions in the general area and sunday was pretty quiet.

just for fun i anchored at the wreck atfort ross cove while my frined ron was diving for abalone and caught a few rockfish using a swimbait. just casting and retrieving.

have a great time and good luck!

i now file all the barbs off my hooks so i have an easier time getting those hooks out. it sure loses a lot more fish though. its fun either way.

Barbless is great

If you tie up dbl hook rigs with hooks close together you won't lose fish

They're good for lings, halibut etc and you won't usually lose fish except when they snap line

i now file all the barbs off my hooks so i have an easier time getting those hooks out. it sure loses a lot more fish though. its fun either way.

Barbless is great

If you tie up dbl hook rigs with hooks close together you won't lose fish

They're good for lings, halibut etc and you won't usually lose fish except when they snap line

blue, thanks for the tip. i shall give it a go and see if I can get em!

John