Gimme Shelter III - Shelter Cove - The Lost Coast (Swim Vid on Pg. 4)

Hey! My goal is 10th place. Don't anybody even think about taking that one.

Jedmo

Jed's got mojo - there's no two ways about it.  Jed - keep up the kindness, humility, and ass-kickin' fishing skills.  You'll do just fine.   

Sunday...  I'm realizing I didn't get many still shots, and, what's more, I didn't get as much video as usual either.  I went into this event wanting to NOT get in peoples' faces with the cameras.  I expect to create an enjoyable video, but it won't be everything I would've wanted it to be.  Anyway, Sunday a bunch of us planned to fish close to the hotels where Merv and others had done so well the afternoon before.  We got on the water and were enjoying a great consistent bite - big blacks, lots of 23-25" lings, cabs, a few reds...  then Mojo-Jed catches an Octo and Ariel's like, "I'm making that into Pokey!"  Jed hands it off to him somehow (I hadn't gotten over there to witness that) and I paddle up to get some footage of the beast.  I find Ariel basically grappling with this thing cage-fighter style!  There's no quit in Ariel - he has this thing up under his yak, sucking on to his hull right under his scuppers and he's got a hold of it on each side, one side with a gaff and one side with a boga/gripper.  He persisted and finally got it above the surface and into his hull.  I felt sorry for that critter cuz it didn't have a chance!  JK, Ariel - your skills still have me in awe.     Not too long after that Al's adventure occured, and we were off the water until later in the afternoon.  After I enjoyed a BBQ and some Boogie Boarding with the family down in the Cove and then got them on the road for home Shannon, Kim, Domenic and I hit the PM session back out in front of the hotels.  There were some sets coming through and the drift was pushing us right up into the breakers north of the little hotel bay.  At one point I was looking at Dom and a really steep breaker just kicked up behind him sending him just about vertical and I could see light through the swell like a sweet surfing pic.  We decided to get the hell out of there and that's when Kim and I both got snagged up.  Dom worked on hers and I scrambled to get mine out as the rest of the gnarly set just about destroyed us.  A barrel developed right by Dom and it got kinda scary.  We made it outside and fished a bit more before calling it and enjoying a relaxed paddle back into port.  Most folks had left, but the few of us who hung out Sunday night enjoyed some good food and another night of drinking around the fires.  Monday came and I was so burnt.  I took my time checking out of The Tides and Shannon was psyched for an ab dive.  He, Domenic and I got in up at Ab Point and got our asses kicked by 25-30' of water right off the rocks.  I hadn't dove there for a few years, and I don't remember it being so difficult!  The burn of the weekend didn't help, but I definitely need some conditioning if I want to hold onto my youthful abilities for a few more years...  We bailed out of there after seeing some nice abs and fish but not having enough bottom time to enjoy it.  I did measure a 10 in one of my old honey-holes, and that was fun - I'll save it for a future dive.  Dom and Shannon got back in down at the hotel bay and pulled some abs.  I got my gear all stowed in the truck and hit the road right as they got out and we said our farewells.  I was feeling so nostalgic and emotional as I got up to the top of the hill - then the 85 degree heat hit me and I was in another world - it's called "warm air, great weekend, perma-grin fantasy land" and I milked it for all it was worth.  To feel that level of contentedness is a unique thing in life, and I am determined to never take it for granted.  Without the people it would just be another statistic.  It was way more than that, and I look forward to more Good Times with all of you in the future.   

I was wondering if anyone at any point considered using a pump to get some of the water out of als boat. also did anyone see the picture of me on the front page of todays press-democrat wearing my gimme-shelter t-shirt?

I'm thinkin' pumping wasn't much of an option for Sunday's event because of his proximity to the rocks...(?)

Didn't see your pic in the paper but was wondering how you ended up getting into your truck Sunday...? 

Here are A few pics. Alot more to come....Andy

Great "3 Amigos" pose, Andy. Did Andrew make the trip?

Some more pics.

4 pic correction.. Harputmanuki, Kris, and Ross... and Hojo my big boy didnt make it!!

Great time.  I think just about everything has been said but I will repeat the most important.

Thanks Abking!

My highlight was releasing 17 underlings, among an additional 30 or so fish over 2 days.  I kept a couple of reds, five blacks a greenling and a legal lingcod.  Here are a few photos I took including the otw landing photos of Dominick's bitt.

here are a few more shots

Take this for what it's worth...

 We just couldn't bear to leave on Sunday so we went to north end of town and had lunch at the deli there,

the " Fish Bowl ",  nice place, got to talking with the locals and one of the surfing dudes there said he went to go surfin at the North End and spotted a GWS cruising the shore...

 He did not go surfing that Day...

 They also got entertained by a Pod of Killer whales 2 days before our event, training the " Pups "

 by singeling out a large seal and thrashing it around letting the juveniles take a wack at it...

 They said it was Unbelievable, right off the shore Break....

I got my money on Ariel (sorry jed). That dude is a fishing machine!

I got my money on Jed,  I bought my first golf set from him about 8yrs. ago for cheap...I owe him my loyalty.

Here's a random assortment of pics for your viewing pleasure.

Cab



Black



Red



Lots of 23-24 inch lings. It's just a wee baybeh.



My first buffalo sculpin. I actually sang a melody to him in celebration of Humboldt Co
~~Buffalo sculpin~~
~~Lost in the lost coast~~
~~Taken from the bottom~~
 



And, of course, the obligatory gopher rockfish photo. This one is an extra special tribute to Northern Boy.



Ariel making the mountains look small.



Tankwell



Shot of Domenic's PacBut


Toofy critter


Happy dudes



Thanks again AbKING!
Pat

And, of course, the obligatory gopher rockfish photo. This one is an extra special tribute to Northern Boy.

Ha ha, I am honored that you got both me and the gopher in the same photo. I didn't catch one all weekend!

Take this for what it's worth...

 We just couldn't bear to leave on Sunday so we went to north end of town and had lunch at the deli there,

the " Fish Bowl ",  nice place, got to talking with the locals and one of the surfing dudes there said he went to go surfin at the North End and spotted a GWS cruising the shore...

 He did not go surfing that Day...

 They also got entertained by a Pod of Killer whales 2 days before our event, training the " Pups "

 by singeling out a large seal and thrashing it around letting the juveniles take a wack at it...

 They said it was Unbelievable, right off the shore Break....

Oh boy.

My first buffalo sculpin. I actually sang a melody to him in celebration of Humboldt Co
~~Buffalo sculpin~~
~~Lost in the lost coast~~
~~Taken from the bottom~~
 

I also caught my first sculpin . . .

Also included is a gratuitous Shelter Cove Ling Shot. 

Abking Rules!