PB 31" Salmon from Moss!! My first salmon!

Hey all,
Today I went out in a PB with a friend and we trolled from 545 til 2pm. Got about 6 hookups resulting in one landing for me. A 31" 16lb whopper of a salmon! It was an experience of a lifetime. I almost headed out kayaking with the gang but after seeing what it looked like not far out (there was a huge amounts of bait about 1/2 to 1 mile out in deep water but not many kings hitting baits) I would not dare head out from Moss more than a mile. It was a calm day after a morning storm session that made some nasty chop for a while. After about 11 it was near glassy near Soldier's club. I got mine off Soldier's club by the way but there were hookups scattered all along the way from harbor to Mulligan's to Soldiers and back again. The fur bags really got on us and made a double hookup a quick mess that ended up in 2 dropped fish. They were stealing them from people and everyone had to leave Soldiers around 1230-1. The best spot was definitely Soldier's though. If we could paddle there it might be worth it but the furbags were heaviest there. Anyways...on to the pics!!

Wtg on your first salmon.  That's a fatty.

That's a nice looking salmon!  Thanks for keeping hope alive. 

Way to go Aaron!!!

Nice looking fish. I hope this weekend will be good for the rest of us!

Have fun at the lake.........


 

Congratulations, Aaron......nice fish.

 

Congrats, with many more to follow!!
Stuart

Gato, congrats!

I am holding out for my first salmon to come on a kayak,  .

I don't know where soldier's club or mulligans actually are.

Does anybody have a chart they can post?

Best,

J

once your out of the Moss Landing harbor...paddle 5 to 8 miles South

Southwest that would be as these guys are in 240+ feet of water.

John, I have the Fish-n-Map of Golden Gate Offshore, Monterey Bay, Farallon Isls and it is great for locating the reports that I read on Coastside.

John,
Mulligan Hill is easy to spot.  Look for the open beach to the south of Moss, then it looks like a clump of trees.  That's the Hill at the Salinas River.  Since the bay curves, you are paddling semi strait out of Moss, slightly towards Monterey and that will put you off Mulligan, depending how far out you paddle.  I wouldn't be so focused on the hill, as the fish are spread out.

Soldiers Club (Fort Ord) will be tough to see, as its no longer there.  Don't worry, its not doable from Moss.  Your only shot at it would be from MBK and paddle like hell NW.  I thought it was about 4.5 miles, but Chef said its more like 6.  Either way, its a long a$$ paddle.  I wouldn't think about it on a S wind.

Here's a general reference the most common places inside MB, from N to S: 

Soquel Hole:  pretty much straight south of SC Harbor (cant remember the distance, 7 miles?)  Not doable for me.
Slide:  Area off Sunset Beach.  Was referenced because it looked like the sand slid down at a diagonal angle.  Not sure if its visible anymore or grown over.  Not doable for me
Pajaro River=N side of Moss approx 3 miles, Easy to spot as its where the condos start.
Mulligan Hill (Salinas River)=S side of Moss approx 3 miles
Sand Plant (North of Marina)=maybe 2/3 the way to Soldiers.  Not doable by me.
Soldiers Club (Fort Ord)=(just south of Marina?) Maybe 5-6 Miles north of Monterey.  Should be doable on the right day, though I've never tried it.

Personally, my paddling range out of Moss is Pajaro to the north and Mulligan to the south.  The direction I head is normally based on the wind forecast, not necesarrily the fishing reports. 

On the opener, Chef showed me the Pt Pinos launch and I like it.  Fairly short paddle to the fishing grounds.  Definitely keep that spot as an option too.

Stuart

Yeah.  Launching from Lover's or Coral St gets you to the "soldiers club" numbers in 240+ feet in less than 3 miles.  That was where we went two weeks ago and at that time found no bait nor fish.............

This site shows a good topo map and sat image centered on the soldiers club.  http://www.parks.ca.gov/lat_long_map/default.asp?lvl_id=219&type=2

We tried to cheat out towards the club today and then the wind picked up.  I would say we got to the southern edge of old FT Ord before we turned back.

The wind picked up a lot more then expected and it was some work to get back to MBK.  I am tempted to try a surf launch in Marina or the the Hotel in Seaside to get there quicker.  At least then the launch can be timed and I would only have to paddle one way back with the wind.  Has any one tried a surf launch between Moss and Monterey?

Ed

thanks! I guess I was a bit north east of mulligans last week, out over the canyon,
maybe this week I will swing out more south to start.

I have never surf launched between monterey and moss, but I'm sure it's possible on a small day.

right now the surf is forecast to be micro on saturday so it's probably possible.

moss L. is 90 minute drive for me, about my limit, I balk at making it all the way into monterey, but after chef's
reports of halibut last year, i am interested in surf launching sand city. polepole said there is parking right at the
hotel there.

since the hailbut seem to love the flat spells, a flat spell might be a good time to surf launch and try to cover some of that
sandy ground out there (just a theory).

pat, maybe randy will get his halibut with the swells dropping down. best of luck there.

J

Randy and I fished with a fellow who said he had surf launched Marina.  Marina is a very steep beach.  I wouldn't even consider it.  But, that's just me.