Elk preview

I can't take part in the tourney this weekend, but myself and some friends had a dive trip planned to Elk this past weekend.  This isn't a fishing post, but I figured you might be interested if you are heading up there this weekend.

We launched kayaks late morning on Saturday intending to dive the early afternoon high tide.  Thick fog was blanketing the coast and the predicted stiff NW winds were absent.  Launching kayaks at Greenwood beach is a lot like launching at Monastary for those who fish Carmel, with a shore break and a quick drop off outside knee deep water.

We paddled north towards Cuffey's and finally settled on a protected stretch of rocky shoreline that had one of the thicker kelp growths (kelp is lacking this year) we saw all day.  After diving for 20 minutes I finally found some decent structure.  A pinnacle littered with bull and palm kelp, a healthy ab population and fish in numbers.  This pinnacle was around 10' deep on the top and only 30-35' on the bottom with boulders strewn all around it.  Curious black rockfish were coming off their locations on the wall every dive to check me out.  I ignored the blacks and eventually found this guy perched on a boulder adjacent to the pinnacle.

http://free.cramey.com/moro/JPMling080605.JPG

I did end up harvesting a few good size blacks while the others in the group popped some abs for dinner.  Watch out for the worms in the blacks.  One fillet had at least 15 in it.

Be ready for the hill climb out, its a good one.  Sean, I didn't see your rig in the parking lot...next time.

Enjoy the tourney guys, there are bigger and better fish out there waiting.

John

Sorry I missed ya, we were at the ECC and Moms house.  Funny you should mention the wormy blacks, had the same experience a time or two.  Nothing else has them...WTF?

I was up there on sunday and that climb out kicked my ass hard.