Shelter Cove - 10/11/25

Got an email from a young man from the Bay Area around the middle of last week.  He and his buddy are both 16 and they were looking to fish Shelter Cove from their kayaks - this weekend!  I'm always stoked to get youth on the water, and I was really impressed with Alin's ("ah-Leen") communication and enthusiasm.  Once I assessed their experience level and outfitting needs, I quoted a price for two people with most of their own gear for a full day trip.  I would provide wetsuits, booties, paddle jackets, nets and, as with every trip, tackle and bait.  The boys would bring their Trident 15's and rod/reel setups.

This time of year, especially with a little unsettled weather over the weekend, can be hit or miss for good ocean conditions, and the forecasts looked a little rough with the rain hitting Friday.  I told Alin that I could take them out either Saturday or Sunday, and I'd dial in the best choice by late in the week, once I could see more reliable forecasts.  I was so focused on the forecast that I never did ask about parent permission.  I've taken a minor out before, but always either with their parent or through a transaction where the parent contacted me, arranged the details, committed to financing the transaction, and fully signed off on the plan.

Once I'd sent the quote, I heard back from Alin that he was very appreciative of my time in the correspondence, but he and Nate wouldn't be able to afford the trip.  He let me know that they'd purchased used kayaks and some other gear, and all they had left to put toward hiring a guide was half of my fee.  I can work with people on the details and the gearing, and I'm open to negotiating, but I can't do half-fee.  Guide's gotta eat too!

Here's where an awesome example of community support and networking comes in.  Almost a year ago now, I met some teens who were checking out their new kayak on Humboldt Bay.  They didn't have much gear, and I could see that they were super stoked to be just taking turns paddling the bay trying to catch a fish near the King Salmon jetties.  I introduced myself to them that day and offered some advice about dressing for immersion and other key safety considerations.  At the end of that day, I let them do a round of pulling my crab gear so they could check that out, and I encouraged them to get in touch if they wanted to try to swing a trip with me during the upcoming rockfish season.  To show these guys the ropes and, specifically, to make sure they're getting clear instructions on the layers of safety practices that are vital to enjoying the sport had me hoping they'd be in touch.  At the time, I posted on here about my desire to get those boys on the water, and I went further - asking my audience to consider a sponsorship.  I've executed such a plan in the past, fulfilling 3 training trips with a young woman who showed up online at Lost Coast Kayak Anglers and wowed everyone with her energy and passion.  I had at that time appealed to the community here in a similar way, and I had four people contact me privately to commit to pitching in for her trips.

Jump back to this past Winter.  A long time friend, "Bart" - we originally met through Nor Cal Kayak Anglers - contacted me with an offer to send half of my fee in support of a trip for the two young men.  I was excited to set something up, but it took me a few months to track down the guys, who were freshman at Eureka High School.  The idea would be that they would pitch in the other half of my fee, but that may have been a little steep for a kid, and between the money issue and general scheduling challenges, we haven't made it happen.

Jump all the way back to this past week.  Once I read of Alin and Nate's funding deficit, and because I was so impressed with the way Alin had reached out and been very polite and respectful in our messaging back and forth, I thought to offer some of the sponsor support that Bart had sent me in February.  Alin and Nate were back in the game!

As the week passed, the forecast had its usual mysteries and potential pitfalls, but in the end Saturday looked pretty good.  The rain was supposed to taper off through Friday evening, and a little south was in the forecast, but all in all it looked like it would at least be fishable. The guys were stoked, and they confirmed they'd be on the road Friday evening, headed for Shelter Cove.  At that point it still escaped me to enquire about parental approval on this plan, and I wondered if sixteen-year-olds were driving themselves north... 

Friday evening came, the rain was tapering off, and I had confirmed the trip with the boys.  I've been super busy with other responsibilities lately though, and this would be my first trip where I'd get ready at my new home.  Moving has had me a little out of my groove, but things came together pretty well, and I managed to get decent sleep before heading out at 530AM on Saturday.

Heading down 101 it was apparent that the rain was definitely not done in the interior hills.  I had the wipers on most of the way, and the recent warmer temperature trend was absolutely over, with a chilly 51 degrees F making it feel quite Fall-like in the pre-dawn hours.  As I made my way down from Paradise Ridge toward the Cove, the morning rain let up, and as I got down to sea level along Upper Pacific, there was no fog, the sky was partially clear, and the ocean looked good.

I guess that after all of my focus on arranging the trip, following the forecast, wondering about the rain and cold temps, and hoping that south wind wouldn't upend the whole deal, I was finally relieved of those burdens - now the parent approval question was top of mind! 

As I turned down the ramp access road just before 7AM - having instructed the boys to meet me at 715 - I saw a vehicle at the bottom of the hill with two kayaks unloaded from roof racks.  And as I rounded the corner down there, I saw two fresh-faced teens and one Dad-type character!  I should've figured... 

I said good morning out my window on the way by, parked near the breakwater where I always launch, and made my way back over to their position.  I introduced myself to the boys first, and then I met Nate's dad, Matt, who had of course driven them there and would be hanging on shore while we went fishing.

The boys had assured me that they don't get seasick, and I had the immersion wear for them.  Now was the time for me to mention the GWS factor...  That's Great White Shark, if you're not tuned to such initials.  Matt being a past surfer - and father of a sixteen-year-old who he was about to turn over to a kayak guide for an open water, offshore fishing expedition - the shark talk had eyeballs widened a bit, all around.  The boys seemed pretty unphased though, and even though I tell of seeing two big sharks in my 26+ years kayaking the ocean and how I personally know about 12 men who have had a big shark bite the kayak, I went on to point out that only one of those men got a very minor cut on his shin, so the odds are good, even if you get hit!

With full approvals granted, and having asked Alin about his own parental permission situation and gotten a strong affirmation, I got the guys geared up with their wetsuits, and we went on to do a crash course on a list of things, standing by the kayaks right before we launched.  We went over VHF radios, navigation equipment, the importance of redundancy in those two areas, Cove layout, directions and distances to the buoys, where not to paddle...etc., and then, of course, some detail about fishing methods and how I'd be quickly clearing my line, getting positioned and ready at their bow, and netting their fish when they came up - that's Shelter Cove Confidence right there; it's the only place that I guarantee that we'll catch fish on my trips.

With all of the instructing done and Matt setup with their new VHF that he could call me on from shore, we launched onto a nice but slightly bumpy ocean, and this adventure was now live!

Alin's enthusiasm and his sureness about not getting seasick were based on past experiences he's had on the ocean - that's really the only way to know about seasickness.  It turned out that Nate has been on the bay and nearshore here and there on a kayak, but he wasn't positive about the motion sickness.  If you've read my posts in the past, you know that I am careful to make it clear to my clients that seasickness can basically end a trip.  When Matt asked what would happen if Nate did get the queaze, I told him that all three of us would have to come in, as I can't risk someone becoming incapacitated due to illness on the water, and I also cannot split the group up.

With a call of 5' at 9 seconds from the west as well as a bit of wind slop left over from the storm passing through, it wasn't the flattest day of the year.  It was the kind of water that can get someone sick, but it was comfortable water for those not prone to the malady.  As we rounded the point and headed out in front of the lighthouse, the 5 @ 9 was fully there, and then some, but it was smooth, there was no wind, and the water was clear enough for me to fill the boys with belief that the fish would see our offerings.  You know, in fishing, one thing is for sure:  you've gotta believe!

Once we'd left the harbor I showed the boys the basic trolling method that we'd be using, and after watching how I did it, I pinned gear to their snap swivels and we worked our way out over the reef.  Neither Alin nor Nate had sonar installed on their kayaks, and that's fine - I've trained scores (hundreds?) of people on how to find success without it, and I'm also adept at feeding depths and warning of pinnacles, as my guests troll along my flanks and slightly behind me.

These teenagers took to the fishing method wonderfully, and it wasn't long...  BOOM!  Nate had a bite!  I quickly got him on a new bait, and then - WHAMO! - Alin caught a black rockfish!  Soon I had a black as well, and before long all three of us had landed a fish.  The guys had specifically expressed that catching some lings was going to be the highlight, if we could pull it off...  It's the Cove - if it had to be renamed, it might be called "Lingcod City"...

I had the guys both on herring, as I told them how lings can't resist it, and I was on an anchovy, so, wouldn't you know it, I caught a ling.     It was a nice keeper, and watching me subdue it in the big net, gill it, bleed it and stow it, the guys were now super-primed to catch their own.  It wouldn't be long...

As we fished through the morning, the weather and water improved around us, and it turned into a wonderful, sunny day with no wind and easy water.  I checked in with both of my guests about how they were feeling - especially Nate, since there was some question about whether he may be susceptible to the motion issues.  They were both fine - great news!  They were also both really enjoying not just the catching, but the entire focus of learning the current, respecting the dangers of the breakers at the point, staying hydrated...etc.  I do my best to impart knowledge on many levels, based on my guests' experience level as well as their own desired areas of learning and focus.  I also keep a continuous dialogue going about all things angling - from how to deploy the gear, how to avoid and get out of snags, how to fight the fish while allowing it to engage the drag, how to net, how to bleed, pinning bait to hooks...etc.  When you've come to know much of this all the way back in childhood, and you've practiced and refined, and then, becoming a guide, you turn all the dials up and do your best to master the skills, imparting the knowledge comes easy.  What never fails to impress me though, is the phenomenon where I am giving so much information that I have come to possess within my professional repertoire, that I end up realizing that the new practitioner - my guest - basically cannot absorb it all.  It's a beautiful thing, really:  I offer as much as I can, and the guests learn enough to find success, and, in the end, they take away as much as they can absorb in a 4 to 6 hour session.  They will go away well-armed with new skills and knowledge, and I go away knowing that I have provided solid value, while, at the same time, knowing that they might just need to go out on additional trips with me in order to become fully proficient.

Alin and Nate were clearly having a ball - as was the guide!  Around 1PM I was prepared to stay out for another hour or more, having consumed my apple, turkey sandwich and nearly all of my half gallon of water, but the boys announced that they were very content with the catch and that they were ready to call it, if I agreed.  It's a great gift to the guide to have happy customers say that they're good with heading in after five hours of some of the best kayak fishing on the coast.

We made our way toward the harbor, landed on a high tide beach with the locals enjoying their usual variety of recreational activities all around us, and Matt met us for celebrations of the catch.  The Traditional Stringer Display Photo was especially gratifying, as I felt quite proud of having gotten the two young men on pretty constant action and some nice fish to take home.

Soon I was doing my land-based tasks - stow the gear, fillet the fish, tell a few more stories/impart a few more lessons, wrap the deal.  It was very clear that Alin and Nate had enjoyed themselves, and I, too, had a blast out there - that's always how it should be, and it almost always works out that way.

On my way home, as is often the case, I reminisced about how I learned being on the ocean, salmon fishing, abalone diving, and, for 11 and a half years now, guiding professionally.  So much of what I know and what motivates me in the outdoors came from my Dad, and my Gampa and my brother Kevin were instrumental as well.  I try to dedicate time on each trip, along the 3 hour round-trip of driving especially, to acknowledging the guidance that I received as a youth, and how important that mentoring and encouragement were, not just in making me a proficient fisherman and diver, but very much in how I walk in this world.  Most outdoorsman, I'd say, understand that the pursuits that make us feel most alive are directly and inextricably connected to our values, our morals and our very souls.

I am content with the feeling that I did my best to show these two young people way more than how to get offshore on their kayaks for some lings and rockfish, and that realization and focus is definitely my main motivation to guide.

I want to thank Bart, along with other past sponsors, for their generosity, vision, friendship and the confidence that they put in me as I do my best to show others a way to walk in the world.

I think I mentioned it earlier in this narrative, but I'll say it again:  it's a beautiful thing. 

Thank you so much~

...

Great job showing these two young fishermen how to do it properly.  I am sure it will be their lifetime treasure.

Paul

Great job showing these two young fishermen how to do it properly.  I am sure it will be their lifetime treasure.

Paul

+1. You're a great guide!

Definetely an awesome experience for the 2 teens and a big thumbs up to their fishing guide. Right on, Eric!!

Very cool of folks helping fund the trip for these 2.  Eric, you've been an excellent guide, even before you officially became one.  I've probably mentioned this to you before, but I found kayak fishing and NCKA from your old Youtube videos from over 15 years ago and learned a lot from your videos.  Then finally got to meet you at GS7! 

Thank you, fellas!   

Another great write up.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the youngsters.