Stillwater Abs

Today was the successful Maiden Voyage for my Yak.  I hooked up with a guy out of Monterey and we paddle a couple of coves south of Stillwater.  Swell was nonexistant, vis was 12-15 feet. Excellent day and no problem in and out of the Yak, but.......................

There is more abs in Stillwater cove about a 150 yard swim from shore than there was in the 4 spots the we dove south of Stillwater?  Just because a spot is inaccessible doesn't mean there is a lot of abs, big abs or any abs at all. 

I planned on taking AbKing's advice, but I could find a 9.5" to pass on so I settled for at few between 8 and 9.  Looking forward to discovering some good spots in the future.

I have seen the same thing on a couple occassions... I think that poachers sometimes choose out-of-the-way nooks that are hard to view from the cliffs above, and then they rape the whole cove....

For the past several years, most of the places I dive that are easy to get to (for both divers and for F&G) have been loaded with abs...

Way to give it a shot, AbMan.  Keep searching - your 10 is waiting for you...   

Abalone are usually more common in protected areas than highly exposed bits of rocky shoreline, or they may be deeper.  Generally rough spots have less kelp, IE less abalone food.