Sonoma Coast Snails and Spines aka Abalone Playground

That looks like fun!!! Nothing beats good weather for camping 

Wish we coulda been there, our good friends engagement party kept us in town because of bridesmaid duties otherwise I think we would have been crashing your beach party 

Details of the trip:

Plan was to meet up with FM1 at Ocean Cove and explore around there. He calls me up Friday night and says scratch that OC is full up so let's meet at Timber and go from there.

Sounds good to me!

Was hoping to roll up with DpShim and Bloodbath, but Joe couldn't make it, so shoved the BigYak in Daniel's mini-van and off we go!

I was the first one ready to go so told the boyz I was gonna paddle out and anchor up and start scouting, and that they should just come meet me and clip off to my anchored yak. They apparently decided I had picked a cruddy spot and didn't even bother to paddle over and say hi!

  

Popped my three abs quick...too quick...premature abulation once again!

Oh well, was at least using my 8 inch gauge so didn't take any abs under 8 and the biggest was a clicker 9! Big one for me!!

Once the abs were popped, focused on exploring, taking uni and looking for big fish!

Found plenty of uni, but the biggest fish I found was a nice cabbie you can see me miss in the video...I suck! 

I thought maybe he was stunned enough for me to grab him instead of reloading and shooting him...yep, he laughed at me and swam away! 

Found a NICE grassy way back in a tight hole, but restrained myself and let him be since I lost a shaft last weekend on a similar fish in a similar situation.

Also in the vid you will see me chase a little ling out of the kelp at the surface! I saw him swim up from the bottom and go into this cluster of kelp so turned the camera on and went and chased him out! Cute little fella!

 

Scary part of the day for me...I put two abs on my yak and one on the dive board...when I swim back to the yak, there is only one ab on it!! He had crawled off!!! I dive down and find him resting on his back right under the yak..SCORE!
 

One last thing...the video is longer than I usually make mine, but wanted to show Daniel what that area I was in looked like and how shallow and abundant the abs and uni were so maybe next time he will trust me and follow me!

I was looking forward to popping his ab cherry and PussMaster1 hijacked him and beat me to it!

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Hey Jim, at least Andy showed up this time

you harvesting animals!!  does anything escape your clutches? 
......congrats on the lost cherry Daniel!! 

Question~ was there camping at Timber Cove?

Thanks for sharing the video Jim. Badass as usual. Wanted to come up this weekend but too much parenting duties. Looks like you had great vis too. Damn... it's a freaking fish market down there.

ernest

Question~ was there camping at Timber Cove?

You can camp right there at the parking lot down at the beach...Andy and Brenda had an awesome little set up in the far left corner as you are facing the ocean!

@Mooch, I know right! 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

 

 

oooh, if my wife saw that octopus, she'd send me back into the water and not let me back till I caught one.  Or she'd take one of my abs and offer to trade you for it. 

How much space is there on that beach to camp?  What does it cost per night? 

Nate

Nate, if your wife had one fat octopus tentacle gifted to you guys how would she prepare it??

Andy stoked me out and I want to make the most out of it!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Andy,

We should've gotten a pic of the puss next to your tattoo!!!!!!!

 

Congrats again buddy...STOKED for you!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

oooh, if my wife saw that octopus, she'd send me back into the water and not let me back till I caught one.  Or she'd take one of my abs and offer to trade you for it. 

How much space is there on that beach to camp?  What does it cost per night? 

Nate

Nate when you coming to Monterey? I will save you A tentacle I prept up last night and have six bags or so, Its hit or miss I guess on the beach but if your lucky, your lucky! We had the spot to ourselves!!! Would probably fit six cars or so... Camping wise.. I will probably never go back to Ocean Cove! The cost is 30 A night......And worth every cent!!!!!!!!

That was a really good video and song. I liked how the abalones are all next to each other in a crack or crevice! Good perspective with the gopro!

Andy, thanks for the offer but you should just enjoy that sucker while it's fresh.  I don't know when I'll be headed down that way. 

Jim, my wife would hand that tentacle over to me and say "make something good for me!"   

The two ways we like to make pulpo are Mexican and Greek-ish.  Mexican is in a cocktail as in pulpo y camaron.  pico de gallo, clamato, ketchup, diced avacado and the seafood.

Greek-ish recipe is after cooking to tenderize it, I marinate it with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs de provence.  Then grill on high heat to give it that seafood char as well as caramelize the vinegar to make it a little sweeter.  The marinate is strained and the vinegar reduced to make it sweeter and thicker.  Drizzle that over the grilled octo. 

How do you guys like to make it? 

Nate

Andy, thanks for the offer but you should just enjoy that sucker while it's fresh.  I don't know when I'll be headed down that way. 

Jim, my wife would hand that tentacle over to me and say "make something good for me!"   

The two ways we like to make pulpo are Mexican and Greek-ish.  Mexican is in a cocktail as in pulpo y camaron.  pico de gallo, clamato, ketchup, diced avacado and the seafood.

Greek-ish recipe is after cooking to tenderize it, I marinate it with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs de provence.  Then grill on high heat to give it that seafood char as well as caramelize the vinegar to make it a little sweeter.  The marinate is strained and the vinegar reduced to make it sweeter and thicker.  Drizzle that over the grilled octo. 

How do you guys like to make it? 

Nate

Great tasty sounding ideas Nate!!

We ate some raw right on the beach and I think I might just do that tonight with some soy and wasabi as an appetizer for the wife and her grandma!

I have fried and boiled little ones that I caught on hook and line in the past with cajun spices...both ways turned out very tasty!

 

Sincerely,

Jim