Fort Ross 10/22

Wow!  We had quite a few people show up today.   I remember Erik, Josh and his friend Alex, Kiel and friend (sorry, forgot name),new guy John, bsteves and friend, srm, and Henry.  Also met another newbie kayak angler whose name I've already forgot (sorry!) who hopefully will check in here.  Nice guy.  Dude, we'll fish together sometime and I will remember your name.  I know I'm forgetting someone.

Josh, Alex and I launched a bit after sunrise.  The plan was to head north.  First drop for me and I score the first of many gophers.  Moved up the line and stuck an underling.  Kept moving north to catch up to the others.  Moved out a bit deeper to 80' as well.  Got 2 nice reds before continuing north.  About this time the tide slowed and so did the bite.  But it wasn't that slow.  Had a steady pick of the usual suspects, however I was getting a good showing of reds.  I kept all the reds I caught today as I have a "fish and chips" party next weekend.  I ended up with 7 from 2-6 pounds.  On one drop I thought I had a good size ling.  It turned out to be a double with the 6 pound red on a shrimp fly and a 26" ling on a dropper worm.  That was a nice sup rise.  Shortly after I got another 26" ling which somehow made its way into Alex's kayak.  Never did get any lings of size.  srm got one 12 pounder.  And Erik got a 7# red.   Both nice fish!

I started heading back and ran into Kiel and Henry.  They were fishing shallow but after seeing my stringer they followed me out to deeper water.  Henry got a nice copper.  Kiel's friend got a nice red ... but it was a canary.  I stuck a canary minutes later.

-Allen

Hey Guys...Sounds like a pretty good day. Due to a busy schedule, i fished locally instead. At Linda Mar, I got a 27" ling and 3 rockfish. Had another nice hookup that got off and took the tail of my swimbait...Stinger hook! Gotta use a stinger hook!

I'll add my experience to Allen's Report... I started out making drifts along the reef that extends from the north point.  Seemed that the bite was pretty hot early and died off after about 10:00 or so.

I was trying to target big lings and was using some HEEEEUUUGE twister tail grubs on 8 oz leadheads tipped with belly meat.  The motoroil / green with red/gold flakes was doing the job really well, landing me 6 lings.  Two were in the 30" range and the others were in the 22 to 26 inch range.  All were released.  On three occasions I had big hits that were peeling line only to come unbuttoned shortly after.  Since these grubs were so big, it seemed they were hitting short... darnit.  

I later switched to chartruse grubs and landed a nice cabby and another ~26" ling as I worked my way north.  

Once the bite died down I put on some more reasonable sized dark green fishtraps tipped with belly-meat and wound up catching a nice 7# Vermillion along with a couple of gophers.  The red went in the fish bag.
 
 

In  the early afternoon Josh went back to get is diving gear and I met him for a nice dive.  3 decent abs from nice clear water... a good 15-18 feet of visibility.  One ab was just shy of 9" and the others were approx 8" and 8.5" respectively... didn't spend a lot of time hunting... but had a good dive.



All in all it was a great day.  Perfect weather... what an awesome October.  

Nice meeting SRM and good company all around.

Nice!  That is a big red.

I caught a 26" ling right off the bat and put him on my stringer, then started drifting north with Alan and Alex.  On the outer edge of the kelp beds I caught half a dozen lingcod, including a 24 and 26" double.  I let all these guys go hoping for a lingasaur.  Things did noticeably slow at this point ~10am.  Scored a huge red in about 100' by the first offshore rock to the north.  Then another red at the next rock which had several stellar sea lions on it.  At 11 I mosied back to get my dive gear.

Inside the cove was glassy and calm, so we paddled there first, but Erik thought on such a nice day we should hit a spot that's more exposed, so we went to a spot outside of fort ross cove where a couple other guys were diving with kayaks.  This exposed spot had very little seaweed growing and the abalone were easy to find.  First I swam around with my speargun and peeked in a bunch of hidey holes and sand channels, but there were no lings to be found.  I popped a large perch and the sawed off magnum did a satisfactory job of skewering it - the JBL type line clip really evicerates a fish when it blows completely through though.  I could have shot a few more blues, but they were only in the 10-12" range and it seemed best to let them grow a bit more.  Perch on the other hand, nobody cares about.  Sure enough there was a nematode party going on in the thing upon dissection. Putting the gun away I got 3 abalone with ease, including a 9 1/4"er.  

Much thanks to Alan for letting us crash at his cabin.  We had fun BSing and comparing Fort Ross strategy and tactical info.

Here's a picture of my catch taken after I got back to the cabin.  I always forget to bring my camera.  It's easier to just remember to bring Joel, but he bailed on us this time.

-Allen

Report:

bsteves and I started out shortly after sunrise.  Headed North to the point and warmed up on gophers and blues.  We moved further north and find a nice lingcod whole.  bsteves had the first one, 26in.  Then I caught one 28in, on a fishtrap decorated with a hoochie.  I proceeded to hook another ling of substantial size, but as I had just landed the first ling and had not retied my not, I lost the fish and the fishtrap, which I had just paid $9 for at Will's Bait and Tackle in Bodega Bay.  Brian caught 5 lings in total and kept one, I had four lings 3 withing 26-28in range, kept two to stock the freezer.  Seemed to me that there were alot of lings there that were about the same size.  We left about noon, cause bsteves had to call the wife.  Boys it is very important to keep those WAF points up. Bsteves tells me that there is a whole new point system when the wife is expecting.  Points detections are doubled and you just can't score any new points.  In summary it was a great day to be a NorcalKayAngler.


Cheers

Jim InSeine Hobbs

Damn Allen!  You guys really got into the reds.  Nice work.

Nice!

Great reports and pictures.  

I had a great day!  I'm more of a neophyte to this kayak fishing than most of you.  But I followed the crowd out.  I caught lot's o' gophers and blues.  I got my first kayak double.  a blue and a short ling.

I ended up catching 3 legal lings (kept one...more on thet later).  a few tacos and a nice cab.  I forgot a stringer so I used a piece of rope.  I had my ling (about 28"...my biggest ling ever) on the rope when I pull up a tiny 10-12 in blue.  I leave him on the line and drop him back down...something big hits it several times and lets go as I reeling him up.  Finally I hook on the blue and bring up the 33" ling.  I get him in the net after a big fight.  I put my lipgripper on him and untie the rope.  I try to work the rope up through his gills...he goes wild and give me a lapdance and heads over the side with my lipgripper still attached.  I catch the leash on ithe gripper and get him back but in the commotion I let go of my rope and ling #1 is gone.  If any one catches a ling with a yellow rope in his mouth it's mine...feel free to fillet him and drop them by my house.  

As I came back in I meet John from San bruno and lurker here.  a great guy!.  I've never ab dived before so John agreed to show me the ropes.  I had some trouble (it ain't as easy as it looks)...but ended up going home with two abs...Thanks for all your help John...I'd fish with you any time.

Speaking of WAF points (I'm not sure what it means but I have an basic idea).  My wife got up with me a three in the morning and drove up to FR while I slept.  The drove home while I slept again.  what a woman!  Oh, the also met me at the bottom of the hill so I didn't have to hike the hill.

It was a great day on the coast!  I can't wait to do it again!

I caught a couple fish and that's about it!!! finally i have a chance to meet  some of the NCKA folks. I meet Eric and Travis in the gas station while waiting for my friend also meet Allen and Henry in the water..

Nice meeting all guys....Allen, next time I'll go with you and show me how to catch those BIG REDS..Congratulation!!!!  Bro

Kiel

Malibu Pro2 Tandem
   " Wasabi "

Nice reports.  Great weather and company.  Thanks Allen, for letting me mooch a jighead/grub off of you. It caught me that copper, my biggest fish of the day.  One of these days, I need to upgrade my fishing gear for the big fish, especially after seeing all those big yummy fish that y'all got.  I hope to go out at least one more time before season closes.

Henry

I'm glad at least some of you were having fun while I rotted away at work.  

Nice fish, fellas.

I caught a couple fish and that's about it!!! finally i have a chance to meet  some of the NCKA folks. I meet Eric and Travis in the gas station while waiting for my friend also meet Allen and Henry in the water..

Nice meeting all guys....Allen, next time I'll go with you and show me how to catch those BIG REDS..Congratulation!!!!  Bro

Kiel

Malibu Pro2 Tandem
   " Wasabi "

Good to meet you bro!

After seeing other guys doing sashimi rockfish, and seeing it in a restraunt, I did it myself.  However, rather than flirt with fate I froze the fillets solid before preparing them to eat.  Cutting sushi pieces out of half-frozen fish is much easier than raw too.