3 days of Swell,4-gophers&a? along the NorCalCoast

The Real_Swell was comming, so i went to ride some of it on my BodyBoard at Rockaway Beach in Pacifica(~pic1)
Then packed up the Yak,Board&Wife for an overniter up at OceanCove with Ben/GuitarZan and Anita.
Sat. morning I fished with the DynamicDuo at SaltPt. before the forcasted swell was to hit the local waters.....I caught 4 gophers on the 7"FT. for the 3.5mi I jigged.
At one point I snag'd, but it felt sluggish, so I pulled at all different angles without much luck of freeing it, then it just released all of a sudden. I don't know what it was, but it sure was SLIMMEY and YUMMY too!(~pic2&3)

The Duo had hook'd into some quality, but it was slow and slowing even more so. I promissed my wife I would stop fishing at noon, so we could get up to OceanCove to meet Ben&Anita and kick it for the remainder of the sunny windless day. As I paddled in, Patrick called on the radio, warning of some BIG SETS coming through...and they were BIG!  Just like clockwork, they arrived at noon and never let up. The "protected" cove looked like a washing machine, the cove had filled up when the sets hit and now was draining. Current taking you out, but you want to paddle in....I made it in w/o mishaps, but was scared the whole time.

pics1,2&3 are sets that hit the NorthRocks.

Safe&dry on shore with my wife, we walked to the point and looked for the D-Duo.
pic1~the crashing surf at the N.point

pic2~ Allen&Patrick sticking it out.(look closley in the center of pic, two dots=that's them!

pic3~ the seals seemed to not care about the large swell as the lay and pass gas.

With an appetite like that is it any wonder there are so many Gophers? They will take over the oceans.

...got to play King of the Mountain with myself (pic1) walked the trails for a bit, then had to throw some trash away....opened the dumpster lid and found a couple of GarbageTweekers looking to steal someones identity i guess?(pic2)
Reported the lil'bandits to the rangers and they replied"they always get in there and they'll get out"......maybe when the thing fills up with trash, they'll get out.
We hit the hwy1 north bound for 20min. and pulled into OceanCoveCampgrounds, where we found Ben&Anita and home for the night.
pic3~ Camping on the bluff with the sounds of the ocean in our front yard.
 

With an appetite like that is it any wonder there are so many Gophers? They will take over the oceans.

They seem to be small too.....GOODfutureLINGfood!

pic1~ the scenery to the south

pic2~ the scenery to the north

pic3~ the drop straight down the cliffs edge.....along time ago, a BIG LING lived it that stucture.....AlongTIMEago!

We explored the area as best we could. Took a stroll to the StillwaterCove launch, it looked calm&doable to us!, so we began to plan the next mornings hunt&slay.
pics1, 2 &3~ goofin around...err, I mean, spending quality time with the girls!

...seeing this wierd, rounded rock with a onion top, I took a shot of it.....looks like a Alien head or ?....imagine the lave pouring into a hole, then the surounding rocks begin to fall and breakdown in time....leaving this behind.

pics1&2~ the LavaHead

I was really needing to catch me something big, ANYTHING would have fit the bill!
So I baited this cable snare, lookin for some action, but Ben has fallen for this "once" at BurningMan, and knew to pick it straight up.
pic3~I know I would've gotten me one, if I'd a' had a can of Budwiser or a Coors in the trap.....damned micro-brews attract the smart ones.

As we made it back to camp, a lady was telling us about the kayak'r that got tossed by the sets that arrived earlier in the day(see first set of pics when this set first arrived from Alaska). She also said a couple of boats were still out and not able to return into the cove from which they launched from...YIKES!
We saw the two trucks leaving earlier with EMPTY trailers, but didn't put 2&2 together.


pics~1, 2 & 3 is of the rocky shoreline as this set hits it

the sun did set like it always does, but this time I got a pic. of it as it disappeared into the ocean. (i wonder if the water gets hotter when it goes in like that?)


pic1~ another shore crusher....see the thickness of the mayhem?

pics2&3~ the cooling sun as it dips into the pacific

You set a high standard, Adam, with your ability to get out there at EVERY opportunity, and for the quality of your reports!

Great detail of a fun-filled wknd!

Great detail of a fun-filled wknd!

You set a high standard, Adam, with your ability to get out there at EVERY opportunity, and for the quality of your reports!

Aww shucks fellas, just doing what i've been taught from the family NCKA!
Thanks for the kind words!

Ben&Anita were livin large in their tent room enough for 10!(pic1)

We awoke with plans to launch, but were soon told that the CoastGuard was at the launch, telling all to NOT GO OUT! the two boats that got stuck made it back in with assistance from the CC at 11:00pm that nite. He also said that Samoans didn't even go out, and you know what that means?! I ain't going either!..not if the Samoans aint!  
We pulled the plug(then figured out why we didn't see any divers out) on the Fishing plans and just turned it back into a camping trip for the girls

pic2~ Sadness in the Madness! picking up and going back home.

The homebrew shell is lookin good, Ben!

At least you tried!
I wondered how you'd do up there. We took the dog to the beach Saturday morning & it was UP in santa cruz. Davenport was swamped with surf kayakers and I'm sure the Coldwater Classic contest folks were stoked over at the Lane.
Oh well, the campin' looks like fun.
I imagine Bean was pretty much closed out this weekend .