Stillwater July 1 and 3rd

Opening day was a blast. So far Ive caught a ling cod every time Ive gone out in my new Marauder. THe more I paddle that boat the more I like it. I feel so much safer in that thing, what a major difference. Monday the ocean was kind of dicey but it didnt bother me near as much as it would have in my closed deck, since hanging upside down in the freezing water is no longer a fear.  I caught 2 nice ling cods, a nice vermillion and a bunch of blues on Saturday, and on Monday I caught a few nice blues and a nice ling cod. THere was some biologist woman on the beach Monday giving us a hard time and threatening to have us all arrested for catching rock fish. She wanted us to go to Safeway to get our fish. Wheres the fun in that? I just ignored her. She really got on Dave, and I was surprised on how well he held back. Not sure we would have the same results the next time. I didnt have my stinking camera on Saturday when I caught my two lings, but I did have it on Monday. As soon as I find out how to post a picture I'll put one on. Anyone interested in Stillwater this Saturday?????

On what grounds did you she want you arrested?   Did she think the season was still closed?  Did she think you were fishing in a MPA?  Or was this some sort of moral highground?

I think it was a combination of all of the above. I dont think she realized it was rockfish season, or that we werent fishing in an off limits area.  I think she resented us fishing period.

Stillwater had a flood of people on opening day apparently.  So on sunday, the Pebble Beach Boat and Beach Club posted some dude to admonish people not to park in in the members only area.  And we got there EARLY too.  What's that about?!  Been fishing there going on four years now and that's the first time anyone's ever said anything.  I didn't mind so much, because he told us to relocate to public access parking near the 17th green.  It seemed like a reasonable request so me and greg both moved our vehicles.

But if some tree hugger gal came up and told us not to fish, let alone threatened arrest, FUGGEDABOUTIT.  I'd have had brian throw a blue in her purse.

THere was some biologist woman on the beach Monday giving us a hard time and threatening to have us all arrested for catching rock fish. She wanted us to go to Safeway to get our fish. Wheres the fun in that? I just ignored her. She really got on Dave, and I was surprised on how well he held back.

aaah you got to love those who are "protectors of the sea" these are most likely the same folks who buy commercial and ignore the fact that commercial guys are the number one when it comes to bycatch and incidental take of fish. seems each time i am confronted in carmel by one of those folks i am pretty much guaranteed a nice big ling cod. now i welcome it. once a woman asked to see my fishing license and i asked to see her fish and game badge. i wanted to put a rockfish headfirst where the sun dont shine on her.

john

funny how you mentioned about the lady who threatened to have you arrested for doing something completely legal....

When Stuart and I were packing up after a successful trip in the same area, a lady who was doing a morning walk saw me putting my fish in my cooler....she had a total attitude and questioned me like she "owned" the ocean. "Is that legal"  "Do you have a license for this"  She just simply looked at me like I was dirt. I responded with a pissed-off tone and said "I HAVE A LICENSE.... WANNA SEE IT?" she tucked her tail and walked away...while she got her cell phone out of her pocket   I felt like throwing a ling Cod at her....but I simply have too much respect for the ling cod

Stuart calmed me down as I was planning to peel out of the parking lot and play some really loud rap music  

I've gotten plenty of tree hugging abuse over my fishing career.

I find it more humorous than anything else.  Basically I just tell them to go pound sand.

You can't take these people too seriously.

MolBasser

Yes, there are restrictions on the use of the launch at Stillwater.  Public Access to private property is always interesting.

Only the beach south of the pier is public access.  Parking at the lodge is not a part of the deal.  Parking in one of the 16 (6 are reservable) coastal access spaces back next to the 17th green or up at the tennis club that you pass on the way in is.  See this diver link for information.

http://www.scubamonterey.com/infoistillwater.html

I wish I could find the link that I once saw that stated what they have to do to meet the coastal access requirements imposed upon them.  There are a fair number of days a year that they can restrict access to Stillwater cove for example.

I hope we never lose this acess.

Pat

Safe to say that PB probably can't wholly deny access, see Cal. Public Resources Code Sec. 30210 et seq.  But PB might make it less convenient which would suck.

The groundsman that came around on Sunday advised that we would get towed if we didn't re-park our cars.  We moved, even though his representation was totally spurious.  I mean, $hit, can you see PB calling up tow trucks to pull cars out of that area?  I dont think so!

i agree with the parking thing they have going there. i don't like it but i agree to park behind the hedge and not close to the bathrooms. there has been a lot of debate about it and PB company does not like divers or outsiders who come to use the place all that much. even less so when the beach access parking spaces are not used by beach users.

the one thing we can do to keep complaints to a minimum is to park in the designated areas.

its a pain but this is really all that they ask. that and the 8.50 to get in! 8.50 is not all that bad considering there are showers, easy in and out and parking where you know your car wont get busted into. i have gone in places on the sur coast where cars have had windows busted out while they were diving or fishing.

on a calm day you can launch at monastery or carmel river / carmel beach and paddle towards stillwater. i only pay to get in if i really feel the need to do it and everything else is blown out.

john

Yeah, the parking over by the hedge is a small price to pay for such a killer fishing spot, I dont mind it so much tho it is a bit inconvienient. Id hate for us to get banned, tho I dont know if they could do that. For the most part we all usually try not to piss anyone off there. Tree huggers excepted.
And yes they should be giving the commercial fisherman more flack than us, that just goes to show you how stupid and uninformed some of these tree hugging people are. Good greif.

Dont you know that we are all just a bunch of EVIL FISH KILLERS?!?!?

THere was some biologist woman on the beach Monday giving us a hard time and threatening to have us all arrested for catching rock fish. She wanted us to go to Safeway to get our fish.

What an idiot! Doesn't she see the organic and wastefree method kayak-fishermen have of getting seafood!? Commercial fishermen are the worst in terms of numbers and bycatch. I would have loved to give here a piece of my mind...

Lets all go to Stillwater on sat.
I'd love to go, but am going to sac for the weekend. I might try for stripers off the bike trail.

Today there were three vehicles parked at the lodge which seemed likely to be with folks in boats.  We saw no other kayak fishermen.  There was a dinghy, a diver and a paddler though.  So, it isn't just us.  But maybe we can be extra nice.........

Hey so how was the fishing? Dave and I are going tomorrow. We'll be xtra nice.