Crescent City 6/19/13

Second time out of Crescent City today. Last Thursday was the first. Launch next to the "B" Street pier located next to the west jetty inside the harbor. Easy harbor beach launch. Only carried the kayak about 150 feet. It's all sand so you can drag your ride too. Paddled out to the reef/wash rocks just south of the outer jetty elbow both days. It's about a 10-15 minute paddle. Most of it is inside the harbor.

Day one 6/13/13- got to reef about 9am. Used a 3oz 6" tube bait for about 30 minutes for zero bites. Switched to 1/2oz 6" swim bait and got 8 bites over the next 1-1 1/2hrs. Landed 4 of the bites. All lings. Two were short (18-20") and two little keepers (23"&24"). All but one bite was close to bigger wash rock in 15'-20'.

Day two 6/19/13-got on water 7:30ish and I paddled to the same reef. Conditions were really sloppy. Had a small grey whale (20'-25')pester me for the first 30-60 minutes. I'm a big wimp and really feel intimidated having that big of animal trying to get close to me. Every time i paddled out deeper it would come over towards me. One time getting about 10-15 feet away. I think it was lost as it seemed confused where it was going and it was by itself. It continued to swim around the area back and forth for a while. I paddled closer to shore until it left. I fished a 6" swim bait on a 1oz lead head. I had 6 bites for 2 short lings 1 black rockfish (14") and two keeper lings 24" and 34". I was off the water by 11am as the wind was really starting to pick up. I saw lots of salmon trollers about a mile south/west of me. The conditions weren't good enough for that paddle today.

I'll continue to post reports of the area as I learn it. I'm off to stop on the Smith, wash my gear in the river, and fish for some cutthroat. See ya on the water.

Patrick

Keeper lings from 6/13/13

Nice report. No pics? Two of the three scarier moments I've had involved whales.  The worst was hearing a sonic boom twice only to turn around and see two giant blue whales breaching 800 yards away. Had they not been going in the opposites direction I'm sure I would be dead.

Today's catch

34" ling

Nice fish. I lived in crescent city for as short while but never fished it. Would love to take a trip back up that way and fish it someday

Sorry about the pictures. I don't know what I'm doing. Lucky I even got them posted

Nice man!  I was in Crescent City last weekend, have never fished it but seems like the area has great yak fishing potential.

Nice, I was trying to convince the wife to take  a prison nurse job up there. 

Congrats!! that is a very good first 2 trips....thanks for the details and pictures.

Great report and pics - congrats on a quality lingcod!  Keep the CC reports coming.   

backdeckpro, do you live up here now. I see you're from Petaluma. I too live in CC. We should get out there sometime. I work with a few people that kayak fish as well.
Level 4

Level 4,

I live in Petaluma but my parents live in Cave Junction, Oregon. I try and make it up here with my kids as much as possible during the summer. I posted on the hookup forum last week for CC. I really want to work the area closer to the lighthouse point/cove but the two times it was a little to bumpy on the outside for me. That and as many lingcod as it appears to be on the spot I am fishing it is hard to leave to go explore.  I am always down to learning an area better though with some local help. I want to hit the beach south of town for halibut. I have heard they pick up a few there during the summer.

I fish the lighthouse a lot. South beach and across from the boat launch produce a lot of halibut. From about now until mid August. I'll be out again next Wednesday if you happen to be in the area.
Josh

Awesome report Bro....  sounds like a Flatty report is up and coming... Keep um coming