NCKA Armada @ OAP

By the way, Hail Mary! That's all I can say, but just wait, there is a story. Hope ya like Hollywood endings... 

OOOOO I know what happens haha! Who doesn't like happy endings?

Congrats Eric.  Isn't it great to be out there and land the best fish amongst so many other well known NCKA'ers?

That's what's so awesome about our sport.  Everyone eventually gets there moment in the limelight.  You just never know when it's gonna be your turn. 

Congrats on the sturgeon EricB. Nice fish.

Jedmo

What an awesome turnout from all the yakkers. It would have been great to paddle with all of you. Reading the boards while I was gone made me actually miss OAP. Everyone here knows how I love to be on the water wether I'm catching fish or not. Congrats to all the yakkers who caught fish. Highfive to the ones who released their fish.

Dove Socal viz was not great at all managed a couple decent size lobsters but did not see any signs of yellows or wbs'. Weather down there made conditions crappy.

Ariel Sea will be back on OAP Patrol starting Monday 0900hrs rain or shine.

Pumping Shrimp Sunday 1630hrs company welcome if you want to see how its done.

NCKA ARMADA
USS Tarpon 160i Destroyer
hahaha

By the way, Hail Mary! That's all I can say, but just wait, there is a story. Hope ya like Hollywood endings... 

OOOOO I know what happens haha! Who doesn't like happy endings?

Sometimes you have to wait past the end, through the credits and stick it out until the lights come on and everyone else has left the theater........

It had been a fun day already. As Ben mentioned I got a turbo sleigh ride from a colossal batray (of which there is some video later), but I gotta admit when the flotilla started to disperse at about 3.45pm I was crestfallen…….”really, you’re really going in, really?” I couldn't believe the day had gone already.

I stuck it out until they were specks in the distance and then hauled anchor for the 30 min paddle back. I got all the way back to ~400 ft from the launch when I decided to have one last crack; it wasn’t (quite) dark and I had one ghost shrimp left. It was a pretty puny little ghostie, one of the two I managed to pump at Emeryville yesterday. I dropped anchor and it hit bottom in a millisecond. Uh-oh. Quick check with the paddle confirmed I was in <5FOW. Ah what the hell. After 10 mins of nothing in the steadily increasing rain I called it and reeled in……but, well, the shrimp was still twitching. I cast out again and gave it 10 more min…..11……12. Alright, enough, that’s it, time to go……........hold on……..........

Tap

Tap

Swing

Now then, that’s not a batray……….

Straight away it broke the surface and I saw it was a sturgeon. A big sturgeon. Oh man. Now I was in a bit of a pickle. There was no way I could fight this thing for a long time; it would be dark and I would be halfway to Alcatraz. Plus I didn’t have a snare, having dropped Jeds overboard on Monday. I had a net, but this thing wasn’t going to fit. I hollered on the radio, but the guys were packing up and all the radios were off. I could hear them bs’ing on the beach as I sleigh-rode off into the gloom. There was nothing else to do; I buttoned down the drag and put my back into it, hoping my rig was in good shape. After what felt like ~15 years I finally got it to the boat for good and used all my feeble strength to haul it into my lap. A quick check revealed it was safely in the slot and I applied the wood shampoo, rinse and conditioner.

Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I tried to paddle in to the launch but had to stop short with ~200 feet to go because the water was too shallow to paddle. So I got out and waded my way through the shallows and onto the beach. Only pisciform was left. I tried to explain to him what had happened but could only manage a stream of breathless gibberish. Eventually he figured it out and snapped a few pics for me. Thanks man!

He finally taped out at 60 inches (my guesstimate is 53 in the video). I have no idea how heavy, "very" is my best guess.





Here is some video of the immediate aftermath. I am completely out of breath.



and last but not least, some video of the monster batray.

NORTHERNBOY CONGRATU-F'N-LATIONS MAN!!! Way to stick it out brother. I have never used my snare ever i usually stick 4 fingers in the gill plate and thumb in the mouth. When I get ahold of em they're not going nowhere.

Northernboy and Yakaroo are killing the sturg in the shallows.

Hey Dave remember when we'd paddle in the shallows and see the big shadows underneath our yaks and marks on our finders, sturgies feeding on the tubeworms and ghosties brother.

Man I'm totally missing out this early season's fishing.  Oh well!  Nice way to stick it out on the last shrimp.     

WOW> Thats just awesome.Who would have thunk it. 5ft. I think that the big one the kayaker caught in San Rafael last year was in 4 ft. Northern boy that is amazing and to do it all with no help is just, well it must have been exhilarating to say the least.Congrats. Craig

Nice!!!!!  way to hang in there.

BYW how in hell  do you clean a sturgeon in an apartment?

Congrats EricB!

WTG NorthernBoy - awesome story!!!

Nice job Northernboy.  Your willingness to hold out to the bitter end made the difference!  Huge congrats!!! 

That's what's so awesome about our sport.  Everyone eventually gets there moment in the limelight.  You just never know when it's gonna be your turn. 

Well.... I see it was NB's turn too in a big Hail Mary way.
Awesome!  Congrats!!!!

Nice job Phil, way to stick it out! When we came in we saw a big sturg jump in the shallows, figured it would be a good spot to soak a shrimp.

Just reading all this report!!! you guys are killing me here at work!!

Congrats!!!! 


Kiel