Saturday, Thursday and Saturday Past at Ocean Cove.

A neighbor on Coleman Valley Road purchased a kayak from me a year ago and got fired up to fish last week. 9 years in the British army and a professional sky/base diver looking for another sporting lifestyle, Nick is super capable.  To make a long story short, we fish well together and he's learning fast.  Not taking sonar out (I fried a plug) has benefited him a lot and he's figuring out how to read the water.  It's made me take a look at me relatively new backyard fishery.  OC is about 45 minutes from the house, 30 miles.  I thought to fish closer above Bodega Bay but a commercial fisherman friend said it's not fishy enough without sonar and a scouting trip.  Good info.

Blessed with autumn-like conditions, we released nearly double limits of rockfish each day plus retained a 10 fish limit each.  I managed to nail a legal ling each day but lost the mother of cabezons Thursday.  I used to like Northern Baja so much due to the confluence of warm and cold water fisheries when calico bass were the only option in So Cal.  The preciously short northern coast SWR season is a bitchen transition.  I can't wait to fish further north.
I met Alameda on Thursday, what a nice way to meet another kayak fisherman-OTW, and Nick noted where he was picking off reds, elusive to us.  On Saturday, Nick took a few chili peppers off the spot.  That day, we watched a skiff fisherman work 5 fish off a spot about 175' out from us.  He swung by with great excitement and asked if his fish were legal.  All but the canaries he filleted.

Looks and sounds like it was fun .We fished there a week ago and did ok .Thanks for the report .

Hey Spike,

It was great meeting you and your bud on the water. Actually it was a relief really, just to see some other kayakers, as I was alone most of the day, and you guys were way the hell out there. I hope to get out there again soon and try to pic off some more Reds in the future. What an excellent place, the fishing was great, and never a dull moment with the medley of fish to be had. Great looking pic of the Ling by the way. Hope to see you guys out there again sometime,


cheers,

Geoff

Nice report Spike!

Seems to me like the reds are either in or not, and when they are "in" they tend to key in on one type of lure. I caught three in a row a few weeks ago on a red scampi, the same color as the fish. It was the first time I'd caught anything on that particular twin tail color.

Congrat on the nice Ling!  Thanks for the report and picture Spike.

Thanks All.
Geoff, we're somewhere on the coast a few times a week as conditions permit so feel free to let me know when you're coming...everyone...and we'll try to hook up.  The last weeks trips to OC were all spontaneous so I didn't get a chance to email anyone.

The red scampi.  I shoulda mentioned all my lings came on the white twin tail and a megabait iron.  All the rockfish are chewing hard on plastic and it is noteworthy that I never tipped the lures w/squid. 

We were more "up there" than "out there" and stayed under 20 fathoms unlike the guy in the skiff w/the giant rockfish. 

I talked to a few kayak guys fishing close to the landing.  One said he lost a big ling to the kelp.  I don't think the chances of getting one in the tight kelp is going to happen w/o 50# line and a lot of luck.  Tying to the kelp or anchoring can be sketchy but will increase the landing ratio.  The lings will come off the structure edges when taunted.

Kayak (Chickenwing) Jack has been huge in making the weather call.  He said most guys head short south from Ocean Cove to the reef structure.  I'm so conditioned to catching the west wind back (usually) that I automatically head up the line.  It seems that most folks stick to the landings or motor a few miles away.  That whole stretch north about 3 miles is very fishy and not too congested.

That was me and my buddy you guys talked to on the way in.  I was bummed to lose that ling.  oh well we had a good time and got plenty of fish and ab's for dinner.  What a awsome day on the water!

THanks for the report Spike - good to see you enjoying the Nor Cal kayak fishing scene! Hope to fish with you one day!!!

Great read great report...I love that north OC area...and It "is" real fishing...IT's my favorite so far...thx for pix and report...

Way to get em spike....you pulling that oversized bug zapper around with you in OC?

Thanks you guys. Not only "real" fishing but some of the best seasonal action in the State.  I've lost a lot of big fish in kelp over the years and it was usually sissy kelp.  This bull kelp is the kelp from hell.  Anchoring to kelp or to the bottom with heavy line, gear and drag settings is about the only way to appreciate a high landing ratio.  There was a jig called "Jax Jigs" that were designed with a lot of fish sense and soul for the Cal shallow water rockfish fishery.  I learned how to fish SWRF from the second owner.  Lots of fish cannibalism (lure colors) and "fishing against the drift" theory in that lure". I went out with him 3 times and we consistantly landed 3-4 fish to everyone elses one. That woke me up to shallow water rockfish.  Once, I went out on a party boat in Morrow Bay.  The skipper's teenage son and his 2 buddies took the bow with 3 trout rods and 10-12# test.  They WHACKED more fish and bigger fish than 35 paid passengers.  That turned me on to light line.  Now I fish swrf with 15 and 20# test.  In the kelp though, 40# plus it's one of the few kayak applications IMO for spectra with a short mono leader.

Yeah, I have my shark zapper onboard as standard gear.  It makes sense.  One of the readers mentioned there was forum talk of Shark Shield attracting sharks and drawing negative conclusions on its effectiveness.  I guess it goes with the territory because those are common global reactions to this newer technology but in reality, those assertions are as reasonable as claiming the Earth is flat and tomatoes are poisonous.  Shark Shield technology is used in many military, safety and industrial applications by many countries including the U.S. and has an excellent track record.  After speaking to Shark Shield testers plus a handful of watermen who have been shredded by white sharks and only returned to the water because of this technology...I wouldn't hesitate to approach someone being hassled by a white shark.  As long as its nose is in the water........

Speaking of Shark Shields, a bunch of NCKAers took advantage of pro-staff and promotional deals I was able to pass on awhile back.  Unfortunately, those days are long gone and with currency fluctuation/stabilization, the retail price has gone up $30 to $695.00.  If anyone's been thinking about getting a Shark Shield, this would be a good time to get ahold of me (before the best deals represent a 5% discount from your local dealer). With the margins on electronics and the specialty placement of this product, the manufacturer and dealers are not planning to offer it as a sale item anytime soon.

Quick Report-Nick and I took the womenfolk out at OC on Wednesday.  Gale force winds kept us in the Cove where we released 10 rockfish and Michelle kept 2, 15" kelp greenling.  Delicious.  Saw Joe and his kin and had a great picnic after just a few hours OTW.

Great to see your posts here, Spike. Thanks for sharing the reports.

Heya Spike!
Glad to see ya up on our board!.. Living in Occidental now, ehh?? What a cool area... I've got a friend with 15 acres out near there and pass through every once in awhile.. Just got back from a week down in baja.. fished San Quintin and the Sea of Cortez. Caught a 55 lb c-bass!.. Biggest fish ever on the kayak!

Spike I live in Petaluma and I have to tell you that you were the first guy I ever found on-line who was kayak fishing. How many years ago was that? I have forgotten. I started fishing off of my Mallotte Scout2 in 1978 at Stillwater Cove. On Sept 12th we are planning a trip from Stump Beach up into the Horseshoe/Richardson area. Andrew is going to try for Stewarts Point if the conditions are right. Check it out on hook-ups. Red soft plastic was the tying to have on opening day at Reef. Steve outfished me 2-1 with a small red grub on 2 oz's of weight. In tight, less that 60ft.