Love my weekends on the water

I had been planning a double this last weekend in Monterey area. Sunday out of Carmel and Saturday in Monterey. The nephew, Andrew, had the itch pretty bad and was looking forward to Sunday. Again, up at 3:30am and off to SWS I went. first one there as usual I was unloaded and the conditions looked awesome. Out around the corner I paddled and off to a couple spots I've got marked. Im still trying to get redemption on that hog of a ling that broke my rod last year. As I get close to the spot I start hookin lings left and right. There's nothing like hearing and feeling a big fish rippin line out of your reel. Is it just me or do some of you like to turn on the clicker just to here that puppy sing? A lot of underlings and RF were sent back for another day. I paddled in a bit and noticed a blacked out kayak and guy half naked on what I believe is a blue kayak. Im thinking to myself, that must be BigJim. As I got closer a few other guys were headed their way. Looked like a party about to start! Jim and his partner were done about that time and I was ready to hit another waypoint so I scooted over to introduce myself and put a face to name with a handshake. Nice to finally meet you bud and your brother in-law as well. I hope hes feeling better. Im still rockin and rollin myself as I type this this morning as I type this at my desk.  There were some healthy 6 footers out there for sure. Im not sure how I have managed to leave my hog trough at home every single trip this season but its driving me nuts. I got a real healthy cab and one decent ling to go with the another barely legal ling and 5  RF including a pretty verm. Havent seen many verms this year for some reason. Saw pod of porpoises and few otters on the way back in. Also met up with 1957Fishy  at the pier. Thanks Steve for your help with draggin the heavy sled up the stairs! Cracked a couple Kona Wailua's and then off I went back to SJ to rest up for Sunday.
Sunday morning was a late one in comparison to when I go alone. Andrew again had to rent from MBK. Otw about 9am and headed off to meet 1957Fishy and his partner out past the red can. This is the first time for me out that way besides a couple stealth missions north of Lovers. We hooked a few RF and a few underlings but nothing to brag about. What a great day though! Andrew got a little sick and man I cant wait to get that picture of him chummin  So the two of us paddled in and North of Lovers for a little kelp fishin. He started to catch a few and that got rid of the sickness pretty quick.  The sun started to shine and the wind was in our favor for the long paddle back to MBK. Might I add that we were pretty hungry by the time we got to the Aquarium and the smell of all that food blowing across the water made us paddle a bit faster.  Got back to the rig tossed the fish in the cooler and headed for the pier for a bread bowl of chowder, some Ahi Poke and oysters and ale baby.. oh yeah!! Another great weekend for sure. 

and cant forget the poke

Great Pics!  You know there are were fish around if BigJim is there!

~Bill

It was great seeing you out there!!  Nice fish too buddy!!

Yeah...my bro in law is in a lot worse shape than last time I took him out...I wanted to take him to some areas I know where he would have a good chance of a nice fish...he couldn't make it...half way there he was too tired to paddle anymore so I towed all 280 pounds of him in the t15. 

Then he was still overheating (and not listening to my advice to splash water on his head and drink the gatorade I had brought out for him) and then he fell off the kayak trying to put his fins on. 

Got him back in the yak and I could tell he was not doing well so got him out of all the neoprene as quickly as possible and splashed him with cold water and MADE him drink some gatorade and got him to take some deep slow breaths to calm down. He finally caught his breath and then started puking. 

I took advantage of the chum in the water and blasted a few rockies that came up to feed. 

Then he said he wanted to go back. So I towed him most of the way back in until the kelp clip I was using as a tow rope broke under the strain. 

Got him to the big island in front of the cove, gave him my main VHF in case he had any problems in the last 200 yards and beelined to the kiddy pool where I finished off my RCG limit with chunky blues and kelpies and a decent cab and took a few big perch for some buddies.

All in all it was not the best day out there...but I still got to shoot some fish and get wet, and that is always fun.

Sorry for the threadjack!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

man that looks like fun. nice catches guy.

No worries on the threadjack! I was hoping my buddy would start chummin for us so the fishing would pick up  I could have  sworn I saw a tow rope out there. Glad you guys got out and I hope hes still willing to progress in the sport. I love those cabs their really good eating. I thought about packing some coors light for the day I actually got to meet ya. 

No worries on the threadjack! I was hoping my buddy would start chummin for us so the fishing would pick up  I could have  sworn I saw a tow rope out there. Glad you guys got out and I hope hes still willing to progress in the sport. I love those cabs their really good eating. I thought about packing some coors light for the day I actually got to meet ya. 

LOL!!

Yeah the chumming brought in a ton of decent blues and blacks real quick. 

Yeah, he'll try again for sure...he just needs to get back into reasonable shape...and if I would have known he was gonna get that exhausted and sick I would have stayed inside the cove and let him dive in there...just know that chances for bigger fish are often higher out where we were...

I'll take you up on the coors light next time I see you. 

Congrats again on a great catch and thanks for sharing the sweet pics and report!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I wish i could have gone both days too, so you could have showed me your honey hole.  Oh well next time we're going there for sure.  I didn't do to well on Sunday either . a bunch of small lings and some rock fish. I caught the smallest ling I have ever caught... ended up just fishing for sand dabs.  oh well it cleared up and was a nice day on the water.

That little ling would look great in an aquarium

That little ling would look great in an aquarium

That would be awesome!

Keep it dwarfed somehow....  whole new breed of ling.

Keep it dwarfed somehow....  whole new breed of ling.

I've been seeing a ton of them about that size while diving for halibut over around there...weird that they are in the sandy areas? Still cool to see though.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Wonder if they hang in the sandy areas as small fry before moving to the rocky areas as adults ... only to be harpooned by Jim.

Thanks for the report and pictures Matthew.

How does that Cuda handle for you out on the salt?