capitola, no butts for you!

I saw ernie out there, he caught some rockfish while hunting the halibuts. but I saw him @ 2 and he launched @ daybreak! way to put in the effort ernie!

I didn't launch till 11. figured I'd go for a higher tide. also, I'm feeling pretty lazy these days. did some bottom bouncing with a bucktail with a white plastic trailer and some shallow swimbaiting for nothing. didn't stay out that long. I don't have a heck of a lot of confidence right now, I hear about fish but I have not seen any caught myself yet. I bottom bounced a jointed rebel (altered to have one hook) home, but no hits on that either.

it was really empty out there from what I could see and pretty lifeless. maybe I'm just in the wrong spot at the wrong time right now?

It was pretty rough the past few days due to the wind. That might have sent them to deeper water.

It was pretty rough the past few days due to the wind. That might have sent them to deeper water.

Yeah, and the halibut HATE any swell of decent size, in my experience. Also, the middle of the workweek seems to be their preferred time to move in shallow & be hungry. I guess they are smart that way.
Still, way to start logging your time John, you're a day or so up on me now.

Hi John:

       I was a little tired and cramping up after the long haul or I would have posted sooner.
Sat Morning was a Mixed bag of fighting to stay in the Drift zone between the Kelp and, trying to keep from hooking the Kelp .
       It was windy and lots of hull slap back and forth up and down.
       The bite was late around Lunch when on the East Side I started to
have some fun. I did a catch and release and one spit back the Squid in my Face.
        I use a three way and #5 ball which should have been #8 and, Hole
Squid for Bait.
        The West Harbor to Cap. is a long haul but, it was worth it.
         Live bait "S" Dock is $20 1/2 Scoop and &30 for a Full and Bayside was open at 5:03 Am .
                                                                           Sea-YA
                                                                           Ernie
P.S. Slider Stinger Leaders suck.

I saw ernie out there, he caught some rockfish while hunting the halibuts. but I saw him @ 2 and he launched @ daybreak! way to put in the effort ernie!

I didn't launch till 11. figured I'd go for a higher tide. also, I'm feeling pretty lazy these days. did some bottom bouncing with a bucktail with a white plastic trailer and some shallow swimbaiting for nothing. didn't stay out that long. I don't have a heck of a lot of confidence right now, I hear about fish but I have not seen any caught myself yet. I bottom bounced a jointed rebel (altered to have one hook) home, but no hits on that either.

it was really empty out there from what I could see and pretty lifeless. maybe I'm just in the wrong spot at the wrong time right now?

Hey John,

Getting skunked is just part of the game. The good days are coming. Get ready for the next battle.
~ramon~

Decided to do my first geared up launch out of Santa Cruz on Memorial Day. Got the wife and older daughter and their yaks loaded up in the Explorer and we were in the water by 7:45am. Launched from the Aldo's side. It was really quiet, almost no trailers in the parking lot on the other side of the wharf. No sign of any yakers..

The family headed toward the boardwalk, and I headed south. My goal was to confirm that my setup was comfortable, balanced and accessible. The only thing I didn't have time to install was the FF.

I had intended to head to Capitola, but decided to just work the kelp beds about a mile south of the Crows Nest. With the added weight of the crate, tackle, rods, clip, gaff,etc.. I was really impressed with how stable my Prowler 13 was. I could spin almost all the way around, unhook the rods from the secured crate, access my tackle box and spin back around to setup my rod. I was using a 7' Lamiglas live bait rod mated with a 145 squidder. I could comfortably cast a 4 oz. megabit way the heck out, the boat never lost stability, which for me at 6"5" and 210lbs. is quite a compliment to the hull design of the P13.

In the 2 1/2 hours  I was playing in the kelp, I saw a total of 2 PB's heading out..

One of the great things about being in the yak is how little disturbance we create with the critters that hang in the kelp. There was a family of otters that were just laying around the top of the kelp, being watched over by the big, old grey bearded patriarch, I got less than 4 feet from them and they were cool with me.

At on point I kept hearing this loud slapping noise, about every couple minutes, but couldn't tell where or what it was. Finally, I glanced out towards the outer edge of the kelp bed just as a big, dark colored fluke slapped the water. Just a playful little whale...

So I didn't land any fish, but my goal was really to be sure I was rigged and balanced right. And its due to all the tips and suggestions I've learned from the month or so since I joined that made this a successful first launch. Thanks  everyone!! Especially to Great Bass2 for the epic at LK that indicated that bungies can and do break. So I did away with all bungies in favor on 1/4" poly rope that I spliced brass snaps onto and now everything is tied down..

No Butts...but Ben is Happy! and that's all that matters.
Thanks for the pic-less report John.....Abking is gonna hear about this!

No Butts...but Ben is Happy! and that's all that matters.
Thanks for the pic-less report John.....Abking is gonna hear about this!

ernie told me he would post pics,    or something... 

Hi John:

     I can only fish or shoot!
                                 I can't do both
                                                       
                                              Ernie