Capitola 8/17

I'll bet there are plenty of fish deep in the slop.

Everyone seems to fish the edges, but you need to get deep in there.

We shall see next week.

MolBasser

they also usually fish the edge on the deep side. if you come in from the shallow side, that is fished less too.

they also usually fish the edge on the deep side. if you come in from the shallow side, that is fished less too.

no doubt. No one else can get to the inside edge of the kelp except for us! And they especially can't get into the middle like basser said. There's gotta be more to be had out there. Lookin forward to it.

BTW, I caught a smelt and used em as bait. Had em down there for a long time where I got hits on chovie but nothing hit the smelt. It was really alive and active so I'm a little stumped. Do they make bad bait??

how big was the smelt? big ones are too much for anything but a ling or big halibut.

a 3" anchovy might as well be an inch long hunk of squid, everybody can eat him even those darn kingfish.

the fact the anchovies got hit, but the smelt didn't says the fish down there are not big. they can hit the
anchovy but not the smelt.

Your "halibut" are probably kingfish unless it's a clear half-moon style bite with teeth marks
and just behind the head. and then it might just be a big mackerel. but I like to pretend they are halibut,  .
cause every once in a while, they are!

J

for mackerel or jacksmelt, the trick might be to take a bigger sabiki, like 10lb to 17lb and cut it in half, so you have just two hooks, but now two sabiki rigs. put a spoon or jig on the bottom as weight like the 1.5oz kind.

should be easier to manage with those crazy mackerel and stand up to a little casting.

I plan on catching mackerel on crappie jigs on my crappie rod!  Now that will be a blast!

MolBasser

how big was the smelt? big ones are too much for anything but a ling or big halibut.
Your "halibut" are probably kingfish unless it's a clear half-moon style bite with teeth marks
and just behind the head. and then it might just be a big mackerel. but I like to pretend they are halibut,  .
cause every once in a while, they are!
J

The thing is the smelt was about 4" so that's why I couldn't understand. I think I'll go with your thinking though.. coulda been a halibut

hmm, a 4" smelt seems like it should get popped by something! 

I like the crappie rod approach. that would be crazy. 2lb test might not last too long
on those mackerel tho! (?)

Should be fun though!  (actually, I will probably use my 4# crappie rod for the macs).

MolBasser

OK, so smelt is not bad bait, I just had some wierd luck... so as fishing is...

agree with jm there, 2# would be snapped pretty fast. The big Mack I got yesterday probably weighed in at 2.5#, with all the swimming it put in it would have snapped a pretty sturdy line. I had 7lb. and it pulled my rod all the way down into the water a few times when it made some runs. I'm gonna bring 2 lightweight rods next time though. I like mb's idea of fishing em on as light a tackle as possible.

Its a total gas, as if they are what we have to go after if the potholing doesn't work out it will be worth it!

Remember, they are essentially mini-tuna!  They do pull hard.

MolBasser

Zeelander: thanks for the recipes.  I used the Saba Tatsuta one because of Mol's comments about bleeding and icing, which I hadn't, tho one was bleeding pretty good from the hook, and I got them on ice within a half hour of catching them.  I didn't have any rice wine, but used "Aji-Mirin" "Sweet Cooking Rice wine" and left out the sugar in the recipe.  They tasted great.  i can see that the flavor could get worse fast if they were to spend several days getting to the plate.  Supposed to be good sources of omega-3 fatty oils - like the wild salmon we can't afford to eat and can't catch.   
    I'll bet my grandpa's generation would be amazed that I was discoving mackerel.  Like how the American Shad was in colonial times thought of as the national dish.   I have an old pressure-cooking book that has some recipes for mackerel- I'll try them before I post them.  I can see it would be a way to not have to filet them, because it would dissolve the bones, but it might turn the flesh to mush too.
   Mol, thanks for the tips.  I'll try for Thursday, and I might go out Sun or Mon to test some lures on the macs.   I have a (very small) freezer full of rockfish, so I was trying to avoid catching any more by trolling and drifting for halibut/lings, and it's good excercise.     

No sweat Fuzzy.

Also, it will taste better if you cut out the really dark meat on the lateral line, that is the strongest tasting part.

I want to load up on the little suckers for catfish bait too.

MolBasser

Zeelander: thanks for the recipes.  I used the Saba Tatsuta 

No worries tom, glad you liked it! This may have to take place of our Salmon this year if the catch doesn't pick up in Monterey Bay. Might as well enjoy it!!

Okay, you guys keep us posted when you are going. If I can I will come along. Beside conventional tackle including Sabikis, I'm gonna bring my 5- or 7wt fly rod and fast-sinking shooting head and fish streamers when the Macks are in 20ft or shallower in the water column. Should be fun.