Capitola 8/17

Went to Capitola this morning about 9:30. Decided to try out the new bait tube (cage?) so sabiki'd for Anchovie. Got a bunch real fast. There were birds all over and Pelicans splashin. I caught about 6 anchovy when I got a serious hit. The fish ran forever and ended up battlin it for about a minute. Ended up being a nice sized Mackerel. I was gonna go for Halibut today but decided to keep some to see if I could make somethin tasty later. I got a few more 'chovies and a few more great Macks, they're fun on my light spinning rig. Fought my biggest Mack (around 9-10") for about 3 minutes. And decided to go try for some Halibut.

I set up the first 'chovy on a rig and after about 10 minutes got some light hits. Some harder to the point I thought I'd hooked something but checked and the 'chovy was shredded. Sent another 3 down and each was perfectly plucked from the rig. I've heard Halibut are good at picking them off.. or it might of just been asmart seal...

After another 3 hours decided to go back to the Mackerel and make a meal of it. Got 5 total and decided to call it a day. I'd had lots of Mackerel when I was living in Japan and loved them so looked up a recipe. Came up with "Saba Tatsuta." A soy sauce based fried dish (pictured on rice with miso soup). Had 'em tonight and they were really tasty. My wife even said authentic!!

So there may be a good reason to go after these suckers after all. I have a few recipes if anyones interested.

Nice report.  Did you drop live bait down near where the pelicans were diving?? 

How did the potholing go?  Did you go deep in the slop?

I'm fired up for next week, lemme know when you can go.  Friday is out.

MolBasser

thank you for the nice report. i too am a fan of mackerel from capitola. they have saved me days of heartache and getting skunked. my wife also likes to eat them as well.

we bake them in the oven with garlic, rosemary and olive oil.

had that once in croatia then had to make it here after a trip to capitola.

thanks!

I paddled all over looking for butts 8/17 in Capitola, never got a nibble.   Paddlefish was out there with another man in a double, they got some rockfish just off the big red outer bouy.   I heard Molbasser on the cliff on the radio talking to Zeelander about the macs, went in to see what was going on.  Lots more anchovies in that kelp to the SE of the wharf, and I dropped down my sabiki and got two macs at once, ripping and roaring, me trying to keep them out of the kelp.  They tangled the sabiki up good, but it was fun while it lasted.  I'm going to go back with my trout rig and something shiny like Mol suggested -shiny and cheap, cause I think I'll lose some rigs.  I've got a couple macs in the fridge, hope you guys will post the recipes!   
    Has anyone caught a legal ling or flattie off Cap  this year?  I thought I had a good chance with the water flat for a few days. I tried about 6 different rigs, dodgers and hootchies, drifting squid, drifting anchovies, rapala lure, trolling herring.

Yo Fuzzy,

You should have chimed in on the radio!  Hey, when your going for macs two tips, yes use something shiny like a crocodile or a castmaster but trade out the treble for a single hook.  You can use fairly heavy line with these guys too, as they are not so line shy.  I might even use 10# power pro.

I'm gonna go next week sometime and do some pot holing and spinnerbait fishing.  I have to get some El Norte pics with my buddies products so I can help promote them up here for him.

MolBasser

Nice report.  Did you drop live bait down near where the pelicans were diving?? 

Hey JT, thanks. Yeah I did. Casted some flashy lures too. unfortunately no luck. The chovies look like they were getin hit from below.. they were jumpin out of the water sporadically too... could have been seals? Do you know what kind of fish down here feeds on them like that?

Macs will herd bait to the surface and slice and dice them like that.

I'm still curious about your attempts at potholing, how did it go?

What days are you available next week.

MolBasser

How did the potholing go?  Did you go deep in the slop?
I'm fired up for next week, lemme know when you can go.  Friday is out.
MolBasser

Went good. Used a nice heavy white spinner bait and hooked qute a few. Even some that were way too small for such a big lure (aggressive mugs!!). Hooked one in the belly and I didn't even set the hook. They're just going whako down there bouncin off the lure! I didn't go deep into the kelp this time. My spot on the edge of it was pretty productive so figured not to mess with a good thing.

I'll pull my mirage drive next time we go so I can get into the kelp too. See if we can't get another nice dinner. I'm probably available on Thursday again. I'll have to see if the current project I started today will end by then but I'm pretty confident it will. I'll keep ya updated!

Sweet.

I'll bring a couple of Trix Jetty Worms for you to try in the kelp.

MolBasser

thank you for the nice report. i too am a fan of mackerel from capitola. they have saved me days of heartache and getting skunked. my wife also likes to eat them as well.

we bake them in the oven with garlic, rosemary and olive oil.

had that once in croatia then had to make it here after a trip to capitola.

thanks!

Sounds really good! Some people don't like Mackerel since it has a pretty strong taste and sometimes smell. It's one of those fish though, if you love em you LOOOOVE em!

Sweet.

I'll bring a couple of Trix Jetty Worms for you to try in the kelp.

MolBasser

Cool. Always appreciated. More secret lures from the Bassa! If it works as well as the Triple Threats did @ Lexington there's gonna be a good feast Thurs night

Hey Tom, glad you got some of the Mack, they bigger ones are a fun fight.. Paddling all that way for not much of a return is a bummer.  I'll post the recipe I used last night in the recipe section. If you can meet up with me and mb next week lets do it!

thank you for the nice report. i too am a fan of mackerel from capitola. they have saved me days of heartache and getting skunked. my wife also likes to eat them as well.

we bake them in the oven with garlic, rosemary and olive oil.

had that once in croatia then had to make it here after a trip to capitola.

thanks!

The key with eating mackerel is two things.

Bleed
Ice

If we go expecting to catch and eat mackerel I will have an ice chest on board the yak and the fish will be bled as soon as they are swung on board and directly buried on ice.  No game clip or stringer for mackerel (or bonita).

MolBasser

Sounds really good! Some people don't like Mackerel since it has a pretty strong taste and sometimes smell. It's one of those fish though, if you love em you LOOOOVE em!

Z, glad you had some fun, that's what it's about. those mackerel are tuf little guys, eh?

I think the anchovies are stolen by kingfish. try putting a small hunk of anchovy on a small hook on the bottom, you will
see. they work as bait too if you catch a 6" one.

the seals catch enough they don't have to steal bait (I think).

if you see single anchovies jumping, nothing is really chasing them. I have seen the seals go after them, then you see fountains of dozens of anchovies.

Tom, I caught a 29" ling opening weekend trolling a 4.5" broken back rebel on a bottom walker rig in 30 feet of water
just outside the kelp between Pleasure Point and capitola. It was thick and angry, fight was good, and tasted great  . actually my best fish so far this year.

Tom, I also use the smallest sabiki, 5lb main, 3lb branch. otherwise you get macs and jacksmelt on the sabiki and as you say, they tear it up. on the smallest sabiki, they just rip a hook off if they hit it at all.

I have also caught quite a few brown rockfish and one copper in my two trips there this year. It's not monterey but it's fun.

It's quite likely the skiffs have cleaned out much of the bread and butter type rockfish away from the kelp already tho.

I am thinking that mol's approach of using a smaller leader in capitola might be worth the effort.

J