Capitola 5/22

Weather isn't going to be perfect. There is some light swell and the wind might blow. Time to stop reading reports and make one. 7 AM launch. I will fall back to the harbor if the surf break is bad. Will be in the zest with out the fish finder. Will be on VHF 69 as usual.

Launch: 7:00 AM

Heading out to the 80 - 100' line and will make a couple of drifts until I get too sea sick.
Will head in shore and make a couple passes over the reef if it isn't breaking.
If the swell isn't too bad will make a couple short passes at the chicken ranch.
On the way out with hit the shallow kelp bench.
Pull out and stretch legs and get something at El Toro Bravo to drink.

-Brian G

I gotta work Saturday, otherwise I would join you for sure...gonna go out Sunday for a few hours instead!!

Good luck out there and I look forward to reading the report!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Will be in the zest with out the fish finder.

Huh? Don't you have a whole stable of yaks? Oh wait, I think I know the answer...have fun on your divorce_yak 

Taking her dad out for the first time on the salt and I figured it was going to be easier on his back to have me in the back paddling.

-Brian G

Love to join you guys but we're in AZ this weekend for another gradyumicashun

I wish I could go. Looks like the stripers are roaming in the surf line too.

SAT
 NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT.
 NW SWELL 3 TO 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS AND S 1 TO 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS.

What to do, what to do.  As we talked Brian, south swell bad for the butt bite, right?  Mixed swell bad for the comfort level.  But I NEED to go fishing.  Thinking about it ...

-Allen

SAT
 NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT.
 NW SWELL 3 TO 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS AND S 1 TO 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS.

What to do, what to do.  As we talked Brian, south swell bad for the butt bite, right?  Mixed swell bad for the comfort level.  But I NEED to go fishing.  Thinking about it ...

-Allen

From the Capitola Boat/Bait website:

"Weather here in Capitola has remained defiantly pleasant. Just around the corner in Santa Cruz the northwesterly winds that have accompanied the latest low pressure trough have translated into some uncomfortable time on the water. Pleasure Point has been earning its name however in as much as it’s been sheltering us from the “wrap around” winds that Santa Cruz is seeing. So: fishing in the kelp beds and out to the mile buoy has been pretty nice."

Still thinking about it, wanted to go a bit farther than the kelp beds.  But like they say, stripers are showing up too!  Never caught an ocean striper before!

Its been beautiful in the mornings.... come on down!!

I'm planning on launching out of either Capitola or Santa Cruz Sunday morning.   Hopefully the wife doesn't put the Kabash down.  Hope to see you out there Big Jim! Congrats on the new ride.

I'll be out there on Sunday and on Ch 69!!

The BigYak will also be out there but my buddy Erik will be in it and not me!! 

Hope to see you OTW!!

Sincerely,

Jim

Cool Big Jim...  How do you recommend launching at Capitola? It'd be my first time out there.  Was thinking of launching off the wharf, then parking my car?

You can launch off the beach on either side of the wharf (usually pretty mellow and often easier from the smaller part on the west side...but sometimes there is a cross-wave that ricochets off the rocks and it is actually easier on the other side).

There is also a floating dock down at the end of the wharf where you can walk your kayak down and just launch off the dock..super easy and my preferred option if the surf is ugly. No need to make things harder than they have to be!! 

As far as parking...I live close enough that I leave the car at home and just roll the yak down on the cart and then cable lock the cart to the wharf. Pay parking close by can be a pain and expensive. Feel free to come park up by my house if you want...there is plenty of on street/no pay parking in the neighborhood. It will be about a 5 minute walk down the hill to the beach. Lot of folks also park by the train tracks at the top of Monterey Ave...not sure exactly whether or not they can ticket in that dirt area or not...I haven't checked the signage out personally.

Here is a map that shows where I walk down from...if you get up around the Bay/Rosedale intersection you will find a spot...If you find free parking closer you should jump on it, but in my walkings around I have not seen a ton of it!!

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Capitola&state=CA&address=Rosedale+Ave+%26+Carl+Ln&zipcode=95010&country=US&latitude=36.97768&longitude=-121.95099&geocode=INTERSECTION

Good luck and hope to see you out there!!

Sincerely,

Jim

Thanks Jim!!! I really appreciate the help,  I'll keep an eye out and an ear on channel 69.

if you get there early, park on the hil over looking the wharf, above the train tracks, its free and if your early theres lots of room.. if your early.