Ft Ross 8/9

I got out the door at 3:15 and got all the way to Rt 1 and realized my key to unlock the yak was at home. So much for the halibut derby, so I went back, got my key in San Anselmo and made Ft ross before 7, Allen and Patrick were in the water at first light and Northern boy/Phil and lady freind got there right after me. I hit the kelp for a while, a few dinks then the dynamic duo told me of a reef so Allen and I hit that I landed a 20 inch ling and kept 2 rockfish. Allen gave me one of those fish release gizzmos, worked great, thanx! The wind came in big time, so I packed and went to Ocean cove to find Mudshark and freinds, had a blast with the rowdies, drank ate some kickass tacos, drank, jammed,and made much merry.
  By the time I crawled out of the truck it the wind was alredy picking up so till next time little fishies!

Better pics...

You would have been there in plenty time for the Tomales derby I think you made the right call( see post on tomales derby). Glad you had a good time. I never have camped at Ocean Cove but have been by about a billion times and used to launch there when I had an achilles. Man that kelp is thick. Holy crap!

A diver died in the kelp 1/2 hr before I got there. Thick kelp and windy conditions. Bummer.

Those are some fine looking fish. Nice haul.

Question for the kelp gurus: is dropping a tasty offering down square in the middle of a dense kelp forest generally more productive than working the edges? Depending on the kelp species (i.e., giant, bull, other?) is it even possible and worth the potential hang-up hassle? Just been noticing some folks fishing in much denser algae than I do. Figured I need some edumacation.

Vertical jigging in the holes, lots of snags, but lots of preditors cruising around too. Cabazon haven.

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Question for the kelp gurus: is dropping a tasty offering down square in the middle of a dense kelp forest generally more productive than working the edges?

Depends on what you are trying to catch.......from our experience

Ben, Guess the wind stuck around. We were going to do back to back trips up the coast but the wind never let up all night in Cotati so I went with plan A.

I was in Tomales today (GAF points) and at two o'clock it was flat calm. While taking the dogs for a swim at Miller Park boat ramp talked to a few pb'ers and they caught 2-3 fish per boat on frozen chovies. Believe it or not I was given the "Green Light" to go out fishing........thought about it for a second and then took her to a late lunch.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like its not about dropping bait directly through the leafy areas, but rather adjacent to 'em... even if it is an oh-so-small hole. I'll have to try targeting some smaller windows in the canopy. Maybe upgrade to a stronger pound test line too. Muchas gracias.

Nice pics - that's some cool fishing grounds with all that kelp - snaggy though I'll bet. 

 

Nice pics Ben. I'm jealous

A diver died in the kelp 1/2 hr before I got there. Thick kelp and windy conditions. Bummer.

 
Any more info on this?  The Sunday's news paper had a very short article that said it was a drowning, but with all the sensationalism in media I wondered if it might of just been another heart attack associated with ab diving.  I don't want to down play the dangers of diving, but the media has come up with deadly Ab diving statistics in the past that include one guy having a heart attack while walking up the hill and another that fell from a dock in bodega bay and wasn't even diving.

Any more info or links to news article would be appreciated.  Thanks.


BTW...Nice fish with merry making following, good times.  Right on and thanks for sharing the pics.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like its not about dropping bait directly through the leafy areas, but rather adjacent to 'em... even if it is an oh-so-small hole. I'll have to try targeting some smaller windows in the canopy. Maybe upgrade to a stronger pound test line too. Muchas gracias.

In my limited experience it's best to find a slightly isolated patch of kelp and park directly on top. If there's not too much wind you shouldn't drift, or else you can grap a few heads and use them to anchor (I just drag them over the side and sit on them). Then you can drop at various spots on the edge of the kelp patch and minimize snags. Using a heavy jighead also helps minimize snags because it drifts less. I also have had better luck dropping over the edge that faces into the wind/current.

NIICCCEEE!!  Those pics look surreal!!  if i were to guess?..it looks like the wind never blew...but I know that's wrong. Way to get out there and hook some!

you guys had quite the turn out for a weekend after the "Elk"

OK, this is a little freaky but... A guy and his GF were in a tandem kayak, he was diving, she was not. It was very windy with thick kelp. On his last dive, he got tangled in the kelp underwater, she dove down to try to release him and couldnt, so she went for help. She paddled to the landing but all the zodiacs had no gas. By the time they got to him, it was way too late, only takes a few seconds. I feel worse for the girl, she's going to carry that with her forever. Live each day like its the last.
I didnt talk to the girl, this is the story I heard. So my 2 cents is, I dont care if I drove 20 hrs to the dive grounds, if its too windy/thick, I aint going in.

Terrible news.