STLWTR Mtry Wed 9/6/06: See the trained seal act!

The short version: Cold, foggy, windy &bumpy outside, tons of fish inside, but pesky seals. Weatherstrip your jigs.
 The too-long version: Cold fog at launch at 8, hugged the coast out beyond Pescadero Pt, got a good sized blue on the way out in those kelp mats near the big rock. Did I mention I've been doing some weatherstripping?  Couldn't find any big black plastics, so I put some black foam w/stripping on a 3 oz jig head, put some of that garden bird-prevent Mylar flash on the stickum after I peeled off the thin plastic.   I was afraid they might not even sink, but they did.  Though I admit that testing it at Stillwater is like testing soft drinks in the Sahara. 
    I fished the holes in lighter kelp out near the Tower house 50-90FOW: many 12" blues, released, as well as some that had me studying the chart: Black& Yellow,Speckled.  (I'm sure the fish were thinking, "Jeez, a lot of good those charts are, I'm too small to keep, but now he's got to study me!") Got one really big Vermilion, kept it, and a couple of the bigger blues.  Most hit the shrimp fly above whatever junk and diamond bars I hooked on the bottom. Lots of 'chovies and bird action, blues jumping out of the water in the frenzy.
     As the season has gone on, the Harbor Seals have gotten more numerous and trained.  I'd see them pop their eyes out of the kelp, then sneak down and surface elsewhere.  A few times, I got small hits and then got hit very hard, line just ripping out, I'm thinking big ling, then remembering the yakker that lost the whole pole the other day.  I lost two rigs snagged in the kelp after this routine, and then twice the "big thing" let go and I pulled up small blues with the tails shredded, but no marks on the bodies.  I'm sure those seals have learned not to chomp the whole thing because of that nasty sharp thing near the head.  Once, in really clear water, I looked down and saw what I wanted to believe was a big ling chasing my lure, believed it til I saw its flippers!  It's pretty hard to get away from them, and it was too bumpy, windy and foggy to go out beyond the kelp where I've had luck before.  Could the anti-fishing extremists have trained them, or did we do it ourselves?
     Met Dave the Diver on the beach, he says the seals steal his speared fish if he doesn't pull them in fast.
     Parking near the Club good in the morning, but a mess at 1:00 when I landed. Thanks to George the Harbormaster for helping me up the stairs. He said last weekend had more events and chaos than even he had anticipated, I told him I warned off the NorCal folks, he was appreciative.   No breakers on the beach.  Fog only started to clear by then.

thanks for the report! i love that place and sure with access to it was free. when i dive and spear there it sure is a nice place to get fish. all types too. when i spear south of the cove the seals are pretty brave and will take the fish and spear together. just takes em a few seconds to get the fish off usually.

Cool!
Thanks for the report, Fuzzy Tom!

Those home-made jigs sound pretty cool.

PK

Yeah dunno, those seals are way too smart though. Seems like they've gotten used to us throwing back small blacks and blues which is easy lunch for them. If only we could catch just big fish...  that would learn 'em..

that's one of the reasons I am going to try to stick to artificials more and use bigger sizes. I'll certainly get fewer hookups (if any at all) but they will be more likley to be quality fish. That's my hope anyway.

Where are those great whites when we need them!  So, part of fishing can be competing with the native species.  How great it is to peer into the foodchain.

Pete