Linda Mar 7-8

Launched around 6:30 AM, bit of swell but once out it was OK. Paddled 10 miles, all within a couple mile radius of the big point. One teeny salmon for me in 50 feet just north of Rockaway; a slightly bigger one for Mike out farther but neither were keepers. PB's said they were catching smalls too.
     Couple folks rockfishing, I'll let them tell their stories. Lots of sunshine (too much for good salmon fishing). Good to know the fish are coming anyway.

Bill (Rockaway) and myself launched right after granitedive.  We followed his lead and went in on the far left side of the beach.  No problems launching and landing today. 

The swells were still up...peaking at 7' to 8' but the interval between swell was longer by a second or two, compared to last week.  It was still rocking and rolling but since I put on a transdermal scopolamine patch, I had no problems.  There was no significant wind all day.  The sun came up at about 6:30.

Fishing wise it was a little slow, I caught one black.  Bill had one black at the time I started for shore.  He was in a good spot so he most likely will have more fish to report.  On my next trip out there I'll hook up my FF so I can get an idea of what the bottom looks like. 

There were diving birds in various "fishy"spots.  I paddled out to troll the fringes of one of the bait balls with a Crocodile and I hooked up a large jack smelt. 

Mooch you missed out, there was a surfing contest today so there were a lot of women walking around playing spectator and/or participating.

That's all for now,

Gary 

granitedive

At least it sounds like fish are coming around

If the offshore winds die down I might try offshore from LM next week

I need to figure out some strategy to convince my wife that Saturday's a great day for me to be out fishing

Blue-

Isn't bringing home salmon reason enough to fish??? If not... tell her you'll throw in some rockfish, a couple of lings and a halibut to boot.

Good luck with that...

Freddie

One other thing I forgot to mention (the veterans probably know this already) there were porpoises swimming around us.  Bill saw one first and started shouting but I couldn't figure out what he was talking about.  About 5 minutes later I see this dark gray thing come out of the water in front of me.  Oh crap, what the hell was that???  I pulled my feet out of the water and start grabbing for my knife.  After the panic attack I realized that the dorsal fin was rounded and it was about 5 to 6 feet long...porpoise, nothing to worry about.  If it were the caretaker I wouldn't "see" it before it decided to have breakfast.  So for the rest of time I was out there I could see them swimming around and I would occasionally hear them taking air through their blowholes.  Another newbie lesson...

So as far as fishing goes, I suspect that the porpoises leave the rockfish alone but would they scare away the salmon?  I figure all the fish/mammals higher up on the food chain feed off of the bait balls but could the porpoises keep the schools of salmon from coming in near the shore?  At least they can eat the undersized salmon, we have to throw them back.

Gary

Sandman fished with you Sat. morning.Stayed inside Shelter Cove about 30min. longer before i stared to leave I was about 40yds from the point Where the shore fisherman were fishing.When i capside the kayak.The only thing i didnt have tied was a fishing rod.After all the times i have practiced at Princeton I couldnt get back up on the Tarpon.The only  :smt006thig i could do was swim to shore it took what seem like a long time.Once i got i got tossed like laundry in washing machine Stared to take everything off as quick as i could.While the Tarpon was filled with water when the waves hit it felt like a log was hitting you.Cut the story short i was able to launch back out.Would like to thank the yaker that was padding back and forth past the breakers( granitedive.)Next morning at low tide 5:am about 40yds down where i hit rocks i started to find my gear boga,3 plano boxes,filet knife,and my icom radio(#0110828) hard to believe that all this gear floated to the same area.