Aparently Santa Cruz *DOES* have fish!

{Jack Bauer: Voice over} The following takes place between 3:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. on Friday, May 29 2009.

Events occur in real time.

3:00PM: Al decides that he must leave work early, so as to get home and get preped for the trip to Capitola tomorrow.  As he heads out the door he ponders; "Hummm... Enough daytime left to hit the water?"

3:29PM: All arrives at home, packs the car and loads the yak in some sort of world record time.  Decides to tie up some new leaders and re-rig his rods before heading out.  Portioned out some bait, cleaned out the cooler.  Should be ready to go!

3:55PM: Cursing, swearing and stomping around the garage, cause I cant find my fishing license.    OH, damn, it was in the PFD pocket, along with the CAMERA I couldn't find before!    All good now, out the door!

5:15PM: Arrive at harbor, run inside and get a parking pass.  Re-park car and launch the kayak.

5:45PM: Out the harbor, and reached 45-50FOW started drifting frozen chovie.

6:09PM: First strike!  But... not hooked up, just scratched bait...  

6:22PM: Doing a third drift, see a kayaker in the distance coming in from the yellow can.  KC introduces himself, and shows off a ling and bag full of browns.  NICE BTW!  

7:35PM: Heading back in twards the harbor, dropping a whole squid on a circle hook with sliding egg sinker around kelp beds as I pass them.

7:37PM: TUG-TUG-Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg!  Reach back, think I have a rockfish and give a nice yank and feel that slowwwww moving fish feeling and start getting excited! Made a couple runs for the kelp, but pulled em' back twards me each time and swam him right into my net!

7:44PM: A quick measure shows its legal!  Time to break out EWB's knocker and give a few whacks! (Thanks again man!)

7:47PM: Few more whacks, cause it started moving on me again as I'm heading in.  Snap a few photos of the sun going down, pull out of the water and start packing the car.  

7:55PM: Met a few nice people who wanted to see the halibut.  Got them to take a picture for me, and give them some encouragement to get out and try a yak.  

Nice catch, WTG! I like the report, made me feel like I was out there. Good luck tomorrow

Congrats Al!!!! WTG bro nice hali. Thanks to you and stoggie there are no more hali's in santa cruz   Good report and nice pics. It's really good to see you with that got one grin. Have fun out there this weekend. Yall get one for me.

Ebyekewabjeget

Nice work Al

Are you sure just "a few whacks"?  The poor Hali got a busted head and blood all over it    Thanks for the detailed fishing minutes and pictures.

THE KNOCKER WORKS!!!!!WHOOO HOOO! Solid score. I am in campbell we gotta to an after work run. I love it!

3:55PM: Cursing, swearing and stomping around the garage, cause I cant find my fishing license.   :

  That used to happen to me all the time. Not any more. 
Nice job on the hali. Believe it or not I am STILL a yak hali vrigin. 

WTG, Al-Bro!  Love the format of the report too, Bauer-yakker.  Packing the gear in record time and hitting a little window of potential Madness is where it's at.  Milk the Mojo, Bro.   

Solid work Al.  Hope today's trip proves to be just as fruitful.

Michael

nope....no way...can't still believe it ....I'll have to catch one my self to believe it

Nice going Al!

Nice catch Al!  Hope you are doing as well today.

Love teh flat head on that flattie!

Allen

 

   
  Damn man your gettin to be all over the place fishin!  How were the swells?  Glad you hooked one up!  In my backyard none the less!



   

Also love the shredded anchovy... that will get your heart pounding, for sure!

nice afternoon bonus, hope you did well today, camerom

Indeed~ Nice going.  Mike