Albion after Elk

Jackson and I tried to get a spot to camp at Van Damme after the Elk tourney for a few days but they said it and every state park in the area was full.
We went to Albion and snagged a spot for 3 days.
So glad we were there as the launch definitely does not get ANY easier along the coast that I know of. When your tent is less then 100 feet from the launch it is a good thing. Plus Van Damme is pretty much choked with kelp.
Met a guy there who is an NCKA member but did not attend Elk. Backindayak/Don.
Great meeting and fishing with you.
The first day I caught 9 different species of rockfish but could not get a ling to save my life.
The next day the bite was WFO. I did manage 2 legal lings, one 29'' and the other 26''. kept the 29''. For a while it was a fish every drop within 15 seconds.
I spent more time sending fish down than catching them.
My descender was lost on a fish as my swivel popped open. I did a makeshift descender while I was OTW and it worked fine for the time being.
We got buzzed by a pod of killer whales. Every time I tried to take a pic they were behind a swell or out of range.
The weather was perfect.
We packed everything into the SUV Tuesday night as I wanted to avoid traffic. Beat and tired I was ready to go. Turn the key...nothing. Dead battery. 
Must have hit a light removing the gear and it was on for 3 days.
Don bailed me out with a jump. One stop for gas in Cloverdale and it still took 4 hours 15 minutes to get home and we were hauling @ss.
Figured I would clean up Wednesday but a cold got the best of me. Slowly getting stuff put away today.
Jackson and I fished all day Monday and Tuesday and got around 90 fish between us.
Only kept 3 total. One 29'' ling, a 20'' cabby and a nice verm.
There were some kayaks stored at Albion. Definitely built for speed. And one CRUSHER kayak cart.
Pics:
Van Damme kelp
Crusher kayak cart ( those are riding lawn mower tires )
Narrow and built for speed
Paddle this alone..Not!
Watch the rock and kayaker
Now just the rock
Points baby
Cuke
Cabby
Jackson handling the swell
Makeshift fish descender
Don/Backindayak
Ling
Camp site and EASY launch
The campers

We used to fish out of there all of the time, its a cool place.  Not much in the CG, but good cleaning table, ez launch, hot showers, and and a tasty restaurant...what else do you want? 

Oh yeah...its not a @#$%^&* STATE PARK!!!  Albion actually caters to fisherman!

Thanks for the report.

Cool report, Mike.  You and Jackson have been tight fishing buddies this year - way to go on that.  You were due for some hot rockfishing and lingcodding too.  Congrats on a great trip.   

Nice report Mike, sorry we didn't get to fish together. Ty got to use Jacksons old waders and was in heaven out in the tidepools at Elk Sunday.

Nice report Mike, sorry we didn't get to fish together. Ty got to use Jacksons old waders and was in heaven out in the tidepools at Elk Sunday.

I saw him sporting the waders and pointed to Ty and asked Jackson if anything looked familiar. He looked puzzled then I told him those were his old waders. He got a big kick out of that.

How was the campground? I go by there all the time, but got a bad report about earwiggs there from this guy.  I know, i know, earwigs.  but he made it sound like you camped on earwigs not dirt:)  Curious is all.  It would be a great camping location when i take my boat up there.  Great photos.  JR

How was the campground? I go by there all the time, but got a bad report about earwigs there from this guy.  I know, i know, earwigs.  but he made it sound like you camped on earwigs not dirt:)  Curious is all.  It would be a great camping location when i take my boat up there.  Great photos.  JR

Earwigs are all over the place. I have camped along the Deschutes River in Oregon and they were everywhere. They are in my backyard. They are all over the state. Lay a piece of corrugated cardboard in your yard overnight and the corrugation will have earwigs in it by the morning. Just the way it is.
They were no worse there than anywhere else I have ever been. I wouldn't sweat that.
The campground itself leaves a LOT to be desired. No shade, zero space between you and your neighbors. You get a square patch of dirt with a lot of motorhomes surrounding you. That's about it.
It is very fisherman friendly. Decent cleaning station, quarter operated hot showers, and a place to get a good cooked meal until 2pm if you so desire.
If you are launching a boat you definitely have to fish by the tides. Chances are you will not make it back to the launch at low tide in a boat. No prob for a kayak.

Albion is pretty nice alright, glad to see you guys got out some more and got into some good fishing.  Thanks for the assistance on the yak at elk.  It came in handy as I had to do a 180 on the trail and pull my yak from the rear...  JTF

Strong Work Tote!!!!

 Quite a Marathon after Elk......  Have to try up there sometime

Yeah, Tote, looks like fun. I'm already missing rockfishing there! Nice combo stringer and yakfishing w/ the kid looks too fun! Nice one dad.

Z

Nice report, I have to hit that place sometime, I heard the campgrounds just past are nicer, did you see them?

nice report!  WFO!

I wonder how that cart handles in the sand....

I heard the campgrounds just past are nicer, did you see them?

Are you talking about Hendy Woods??
There are several places to camp up there. If I am camping more then fishing I would pick somewhere other than Albion. But for strictly fishing you really can't beat Albion.

Very nice report and pics, Tote, way to follow through after Elk, I'm jealous!

I haveta try it there, too. I wonder if it is too far for the banana-belt weather in the fall - anybody know?

John

Good times, Tote! We were at Van Damme after Elk, had I known you were in the area Walker and I would have come on over to join you guys on the the water. Didn't get a chance to visit with you at Elk and felt a bit sorry about that. Every site at Van Damme had at least one kayak, mostly ab divers and they all seemed to be successful at getting their limits. We did not fish there, just to tired after fishing Sat. and Sun. at Elk, and then on Tuesday my daughter wanted to paddle up the Big River. Anyway, glad you and Jackson had a good time and thank you for posting the report. Always fun to see what and how others did.
Steve