Northern Lost Coast non yak ab/fish excursion 4/18-4/19(photos added 4/20)

Hey Boys,
A not so quick report from the north end of the lost coast over the last two days. Conditions were shaping up for a dive in a spot that is very fickle.  Worked til 1130 pm and drove straight up to the coast and tried to sleep in bed of truck at 0430. Woke up hating life due to no real sleep since day before at 9 am.  Adrenaline for the dive kept me going but I would pay later by crashing hard that evening. Went with Eric "Abking" Stockwell and our buddy Domenic and they rolled in at 730. We did the hike down the beach and saw 3-4 feet of visibility, good for this place. Minus tide and a not too rough ocean meant chances were good for an encounter with an old growth giant.  Has to be near perfect to dive here, otherwise, its mud and surf and HUGE wind up here.
Got in water at low tide 9 am. We didn't see very many abs, which is a good sign.  Was in water for about thirty minutes when I stuck my head in a hole and shined my light around. Immediately saw what appeared to be a big ab. went to get my anchor line to mark the spot and lost it. This part of the cove was about 3 feet of visibility. Was freaked cuz I knew the ab had potential to be a giant.  Finally found the hole and ab again. Looked into the hole again and noticed two other abs with him, not as big though. Couldn’t get the gauge on him, but he looked huge. Called Eric over to take a look and he was just measuring a 9.75” while paddling over to me. He jumped in and said he thought it was around 9.5.  I decided to pop him and take home a nice first ab of the season. Well, he was much bigger than that. I put him on the ten gauge and he went 10 1/8 “ My first ab of the year and he was a ten, only my third ten ever, but I got the fever, you guys know what I mean. I was jacked up! Started whooping and hollerin and Eric held up ten fingers and I nodded yes. Got some ripping footage of the day, fishing off the rocks after.  Dom nailed two keeper lings fishing off the rocks. Great day.
Now for part two. Big storm due in today but not til later. Conditions supposed to be even better today. Spent the night before in a hotel in Humboldt and decided I wouldn’t got If I didn’t sleep well(I’m a poor sleeper). Slept great and felt like superman when I woke up at 630 am. Looked out window to steel gray skies with no rain and no wind. Did the drive and 30 minute hike down beach and it looked better than yesterday. Got in at 9, one hour before the low.  Vis was solid 5 feet, six in some other spots. Was in the water for 1.5 hours and getting tired. Saw about 30 abs with nothing over about 9 ¼.  Stuck my head in a hole in six feet of water and saw a nice ab. He didn’t look giant.  I almost left him be, but tried to get a measurement with the ten gauge. He was deep in a hole at a funny angle. Couldn’t tell if gauge was hooking him in back but he was outside the gauge. Tried it again and he still was outside the gauge. Was thinking I was hooking a rock behind him cuz he didn’t look that big. After a third time, I thought, Damm, he might be a giant. I went after him and had a hard time, bad angle, deep in hole, fatigue. Finally popped him and did the swim to the ten gauge on my float. Shit on me if he wasn’t’ 10 3/8”.  Was in water for two hours and fifteen minutes and I tired. Dragged myself out of water and fished off rocks for an hour, landing two shorty lings, a fat greenling and a fat black. A totally ripping day and to have gotten another ten was so sweet. Hope to have a movie made by next week. Tons of footage from two days to go over.   You all take care.  
Shannon

2 giant Abs in 2 days...wow...congrat on a great accomplishment!  Thanks for the report Shannon and looking forward to see the video.

Awesome report, Shannon - I'm honored that it's a recap to me.   

I'm putting my footage and pics of day 1 on a disc and sending it to Shannon - his video is gonna be EPIC!  He's shown the focus and drive that it takes to be successful with the big abs, and he makes a kickass video!  I want to point out that he has been a strict study of what I would consider the "pure" ab pursuit.  It's never been about a powerboat.  It's never been about an easy spot.  It's never been about visibility or placid water.  It's never been about meat.  It's never been callous to the idea of wasted harvest.  It's never been about a limit.  I'm proud to be a part of his personal quest, as I know so well the big abalone obsession.  Well done, Shannon.  Keep your focus and continue to promote the "Zen".   

A warden once said to me and two dive partners:  "all 10-hunters are up-graders..."  I was so saddened by that, and I'm proud to know that you're out there doing it right, Shannon.  You know that to me it means nothing without honor.  Honor to the species and to your fellow divers who will aspire to do it like you do.  I'm kinda beside myself right now, and I want to thank you for that.

NCKA does it again!   

Some more photos of Day 1.   

WTG Shannon,
Those abs are HUGE
Can't wait for the video
Tad
 

NICE!!!!!!!

Congrats on the monster abs and two great days of doing what you love!!

Thank you for sharing!

Sincerely,

Jim

congradulations !!!   that is an awesome harvest.

Hey Shannon, I'm missing a couple of hub cabs on my car. Can I borrow those
two ab shells to replace them?  Big congrats on the 10 inchers my
friend. Thanks for the great read this morning.

Jedmo

wow, what a great adventure, that kind of tired is the best kind of tired, congrats on the ab's and thanks for the great report, cameron

In 1 word, if I can borrow a phrase "Ripping!"
Great report and riveting storytelling.

Many thanks for the kudos fellas. The big abs were icing on cake during a ripping two days to the wild country. Can't wait to be back there. It is a place lost in time. Will hopefully get that movie made and posted by mid weekend. You all take care,

Shannon

i dont dive, but i do know a 10 is a milestone. Congrads to you!! 
BlackAb has never been so proud good teamwork men 

Dam! This is the good stuff. Really motivating report. Motivating me to drive up there to hang with you guys. Awesome report.

Dam! This is the good stuff. Really motivating report. Motivating me to drive up there to hang with you guys. Awesome report.

If we get conditions like last year, GS4 will be the time to hookup on some epic diving.  Can you make it?  At the very least we'll sit and talk about some great spots.