San Mateo Coast - Friday 9/11

Waking up in the morning I was encouraged - stars out the window, and not much wind in the 70 year old Monterey Cypress outside.

I first felt the trepidations about when I hit Pacifica and the pea soup fog.

By the time I pulled off the road just north of Pigeon Point, I was wondering if I'd wet a line or not. But BajaReefer was already there, and as we shot the breeze, FishHunter showed up. Not soon after EricB and TY_SuperFishMan were there. Then TallPaul. And to top it off, as we were talking about the scary fog, BajaReefer launched and dropped a line just outside the mouth.

"What do you guys think?", someone queried.

"I gotta pee again!!" shouted Adam (TMI?)

"Hey, lookit the porpoises in the lagoon!"

"That's definitely a good sign!" murmered Adam, shuffling back through the sand while zipping his fly.

OK, time to launch.

It didn't take long at all to lose sight of shore, but it didn't really matter as we were now focused on finding the 40ft humps inthe 60 ft depth. And any time we found some promising structure, we were focused on getting the line to the bottom, the nose in the swell, and a couple of paddles so that we stayed on top of the hump long enough for the swimbait to find the bottom. For me that seemed to take about 4oz. Too bad I only had 2...

We kept each other in view, and leapfrogged about, looking for structure, always pointed into the wind. After a while the fog finally cleared enough to be able to see the shore, and to our surprise (well, not really all THAT surprised) we were all the way south to the beach just north of the lighthouse.

So started the long paddle back, in the fog, against the wind, and into the swell, with an occasional drop of the swimbait every time some promising structure passed underneath.

Adam peeled off a bit before the rest of us with a scratchy radio hail of heading to sh!t rock. We? What you mean "we" kemosabe? Seems ChuckE might have snuck into the mix at some point...

By the time we hit the landing, most of us peeled off, but with a wave and a radio hail, TallPaul bent his lanky frame into the wind, not ready to quit yet.

Successful landings all around, nary a yardsale in sight.

A note on my windshield from MCag (we were planning to meet there), indicating he showed, but opted to launch further south due to a less experienced compatriot.

I look forward to their report, as well as Adam, Chuck, and Paul's, and a couple of meager pics and 1 decent verm is the extent of mine. But hell, it was Friday and no where I rather would have been except on the water with excellent company doing what we do. To me, this was heaven, and even now, with the vague ghost swell of my equilibrium, fencing with my beer buzz, I've got a huge grin pasted on my mug!

BajaReefer - great finally meeting you in person!
EricB, TY, TallPaul, Adam - awesome fishing with you guys again.
ChuckE - someday I'll meet ya!
MCag - sorry we missed ya bro - look forward to your pics from a couple miles south of us!

Pics:

Hey Obkook,
Good to meet you as well.
The excercise was great and fishing in the wind and the waves with all you guys made it seem safe.
Funny how everything changes when finding one of our bros in the fog. It makes you feel 10X safer, even if he's kinda lost as well.
 The feeling is so different compared to being out there all alone.
I had a big takedown that fought for a minute before getting off. I still feel the buzz from it and of course will never know more.
The family and I had grass rockfish panko'ed with coconut and crushed macadamias. It was as good a fish dinner as I can remember.
EricB, Ty and Obkook...it was fun!
 Adam...we didn't wait for you because it coulda been hours more before you came in.
Normal fishers thought the wind and the fast drift made for a difficult day...but you and ChucKE are not normal fishers.
 Cant wait to shear how you did.
 Steve

Meager my ass Obkook that is a very nice Verm! I think any of us would be proud of a 20" rojo! I myself love particularly love those brick red ones! It completely does awyay with the is this a canary fear when you see that color glowing up from below!

Thanks for the report.


-Eliot

yeah! wtg. fishin in the fog. congrats on gettin em

Hey, nice write up, Peter. You've elevated the literary standard here, and caught a gorgeous vermillion as well. Sometimes tough to decide to keep that first fish of the day, not knowing whether it will be one of many, or just an early prize.

As for me, conditions were tough with a fast drift and some swell to boot, catching was just ok, but I caught a couple china's, two cabbies and an underling. All released as future toads. Still, somehow, I had fun out there, surely because of the good company. Definitely puts a smile on my face to see some great people there by the roadside, gearing up for another imperfect day!

I love that pic of Tallpaul with empty stringer...damn how tall are u??? need u when I'm banking up i WA... and that's a Beautiful thing peter...SWEET!!!

Great pics great report, Way to have some fun OTW guys...nothing beats a salty day with friends...

Nice verm.  Good report. 

By the way, I'm pretty sure the picture of Eric and Paul on the water was taken facing shore. Steve, you are absolutely right about the relative feeling of safety when a bro is in sight.

It's a great feeling to know that a fellow NCKA'er would definitely have your back. Just another good reflection on this club.

Hey Obkook, Thank you for the wonderfull report.
Wow, it was hard working day but no fish for for me. Windy, Froggy, Wavy and the boat drifted fast. Steve and Obkook each got a good one. Congratulation. Pleasure to meet Eric, Adam, Obkook, Steve, TallPaul again and have a great time fishing with. We fished and drifted together as a NCAK team. Hope will meet again next time. Oh, may be the HMB derby next weekend.

I got to the launch location about 30 minutes later than I said I would.  The HMB traffic was bad - is it always like that? 

Anyway, it was rougher than it's been, and the wind was already blowing.  I had an uneventful launch with a friend of mine who has a few trips under his belt.  We got outside and it was nasty.  Made worse because I had to stay close to shore for fear of paddling out to sea, as the fog was thick and not blowing off with the wind.  We paddled about a mile south - in front of the monstrosity window house - and decided to turn around.  The combination of five foot sharp-peak rollers and the expectation that the wind was going to howl made the prospect of paddling uphill to get home very unapealling, especially with a newer kayaker at my side (who paddled soooooo slow - it was either him or the new marauder - a very noisy boat, btw).  I wish I had packed my compass - something I haven't used in a long time.

We turn around and start heading back, only the fog is getting thicker.  Seriously.  I'm about to pull out my iphone and hit the gps.  I can make out some of the landscape, but it's hairy having to track so close to shore.  And I keep getting bounced on the top of sharp rollers, one of which I inadvertently dropped in and surfed for about 10 yards.  At one point, I thought I overshot the landing, but kept plodding uphill.  Soon the welcome beach respite came to view, and we landed easily in the protection of the cove. 

I swear that the water looks calmer once you get off of it.  And this was clearly one of those days.  So we put the kayaks back on the truck, stayed in our wetsuits and drove a little to a spot I know that can work in big, sloppy swell.  When we got there it was 180 degrees from whence we came; sunny and relatively flat (4'ish swell, 2-3'ish faces).  The only thing in common was the wind was still blowing.

Fishing in gusty wind isn't much fun.  Unless you like trolling.  So we trolled.  Dropped five oz. leadheads on money minnows, bounced them off the bottom and hoped for the best.  We caught a ton...of kelp.  Big kelp, little kelp, fat kelp, skinny kelp.  And a few fish thrown in.  I came home with a ling and a big black for a dinner party, my buddy took home a fat grassy.  We let a few other fish go, including some legal cabs.  We were on the water for about 3 hours.

I am sorry I did not get to fish with you guys - we will have to try again.  And I applaud your perseverance to make it through outright sloppy conditions in the pursuit of fish.  Obkook - I have a launch for you and I to try that will get us paddling uphill to the EKG, downhill back home.

Fish pic is from my buddies phone so excuse the poor quality, angles, lighting and hair.

That adrenaline is what I live for...thx for the appended report... with dinner so to be pic...

Sounds like a fun hookup, Guys.  Nice one.   

thanks for the great write up obkook, was a great read, cameron

Sweet verm! Wish I could have joined you guys.With the huge NW it looks like it's a bust for Sunday.At least you got out there and had some fun.

There're great days and there're not so great days    But you still manage to make the best of it.  Thanks for the great report and pictures Peter.