Capitola 8/23

All,

Met Zeelander and 1CRZYIND at Capitola today.  I got real lazy and jut parked at the beach (2 hour meters)  and launched into ankle slappers.  No swell whatsoever.

I paddled out to Zeelander and gave him a Trix Jetty Worm to try and then paddled myself deep into the slop.

I started bottom tapping with my jetty worm in about 18 feet of water.  Deep deep in the kelp.  While it looks like a complete mat on the surface, there is quite a space underwater between the stringers.  After a little bit I got slammed on the jetty worm and caught my first NorCal rockfish, a nice grass rockfish of 2#1oz.

I'm telling you, if I could brave the swells you guys do I would rip it up with this bait.  I got another small grass rockfish on a Trix Spin Bomb saltwater spinner bait.

All of a sudden the birds just went ape baloney on the edge of the kelp and I headed over to see what was up and just started slaying the mackerel.  Not big, but pretty fun.  I didn't bring my crappie rod, which was a big mistake.  I caught mackerel on my dropshot spinning rod on  a castmaster, I caught them on a light crankbait rod on storm swimmin shad, and also on the spin bomb.  The mackerel were stupid wide open.  I brought 8 home for catfish bait and released like 20.  Man, if I had my crappie rod that would have been super epic!

Here is a shot of my big grass rockfish.



Looks like tacos for me tonight.

I didn't get sick at all (helps that it was lake capitola) and look forward to more kelp exploration with my friends baits.  I had a BIG fish on for a short while.  I guess it was a cabezon, but I never saw it.

Good fun!!

MolBasser

fine work mol!

j

Nice job.  Have you tried the Scopamine (sp?) patches?  They work for my seasickness.

Was a good time. Dropped the shrimp fly rig and had freaking chovies hittin it. The flies were bigger than them! Got a mack and then Mol came through with the Trix Jetty Worm.. 15 minutes later I hear On the radio Mol nailed a grass RC, 2 seconds later my lure gets hammered. Pulled up a 2# grass RC. Bounced it a little more and got a smaller, but nice, blue RC.  Went back to the macks but only hooked tiny ones so called it a day. My best day @ Capitola to date. THANKS TRIX JETTY WORM!!

Thanks again Mol for the hook up... maybe you could do this for me again @ bendo .
Nice meetin ya 1CRZYIND.


Sorry for the crappy pic but had to rush off to work.
"The Capitola Sampler Platter"

Nice job.  Have you tried the Scopamine (sp?) patches?  They work for my seasickness.

Yes, scop doesn't really work for me.  I use promethazine, which seems to do pretty well.  I didn't feel sick at all today, but it was pretty much a lake out there.  Good to build my confidence though as this is the first time in NorCal that I haven't puked on the ocean. 

Kayaks are just superior for fishing kelp beds as you just glide right over the top.  Man that kelp looked fishy.  I didn't work it very hard but got bit pretty well.  Next time I park up the hill and not have to feed the meters.

MolBasser

MolBasser,

I am assuming you have tried Meclizine and that it doesn't work for you.  I am actually quite prone to getting motion sickness but if I take 25mg the night before and 25 the morining of fishing I usually do fine.  I just didn't know if you "primed" yourself the night before as well as the morning of fishing.  I was out the whole time at the HMB derby and never got sick and I heard that quite a number of people did that day.

These meds are different classes of medications so one may work when another doesn't.  Scopolamine is an anticholinergic drug (often used to dry secretions and calm bowel disorders); Promethazine and Meclizine are antihistamines.

The only thing is that I have hay fever so I often am using an antihistamine daily during this time of the year.  That makes me pretty used to any sedating side effects from the medication.  But if you only use the antihistamines occasionally, e.g. for fishing, then they may be excessively sedating for an individual.

Doug

Yeah, I have to really load up on caffiene and watch my beer when I take promethazine.

After I got home today (25mg 1.5 hour before fishing) and cleaned up and ate lunch I just went down for the count.

Sun is a big factor too.  You really have to protect yourself, as for some reason with promethazine you get really tired from UV exposure.

Meclazine did not work for me.  Trust me when I say this, I have tried EVERY remedy for seasickness.  Promethazine is the one that works the best.

The military actually proscribes methamphetamine with promethazine....

MolBasser

I figured you had tried everything.  Everyone has there own individual sensitivity to the benefits of a particular medication and its side effects.

Promethazine is actually chemically related to the group of medications that include Thorazine (an antipsychotic), but Promethazine is more of an antihistamine in its effect although it is often used to sedate or calm people in the emergency room.  Like other phenothiazines it can cause photosensitivity and this may be why you are more fatigued in the sun.  I'm not sure though, because when I've seen this problem, it's because someone becomes beet red with severe sunburn because of increased UV sensitivity after using this class of medication.

Doug

If you want to try something natural, two capsules of powdered ginger 30 minutes before going out will often help. My niece used to barf every day on the school bus from motion sickness. After she started using ginger capsules, it never happened again. You can pick up a bottle at most health food stores.

Also, those wrist bracelets that press on an acupressure point actually work for some people.

Yeah, they actually include a warning with this medication to avoid sun exposure.

Nice, seasickness med with a sun warning..  

I just slather on the spf40 and go for it.

This is the only med that allows me on the ocean at all.  I am so seasick that 2ft swell with no med=puke fest.

God really played a good joke on me with this one!!

Check out this big crab claw that I found in the stomach of the rockfish I caught today!  Crunchy lunch!



MolBasser

If you want to try something natural, two capsules of powdered ginger 30 minutes before going out will often help. My niece used to barf every day on the school bus from motion sickness. After she started using ginger capsules, it never happened again. You can pick up a bottle at most health food stores.

Also, those wrist bracelets that press on an acupressure point actually work for some people.

Tried both,  no go.  Like I said, I've tried pretty much everything.  Thanks for the tip though.

MolBasser

Way to go guys. this adds two fish now I never thought of fishing for from a kayak: Crappie and Pac Macs. I hope the Macs stick around until I get a chance at Lake Capitola (and the winds stay calm) with my ultralight spinning tackle and 5-wt fly rod. I've heard of those Jetty worms slaying the Sand and Calico Bass in San Diego's Eel grass beds but looks like they work up here as well. The learning never stops--food items are food items where ever they are. Ken Hanley, an ocean fly fishing guide, talks about chumming up the Pac Macs when bigger game are scarce and then fishing 5-wt fly rods with fast-sink shooting heads. Of course they are in boats, but I am sure its doable from a kayak.

mol, do you think you could fish those kelp beds with no meds? if you keep your eyes on the cliff a lot and it's flat,
maybe you don't have to mess with it. do you need it for freshwater? if not, the kelp beds aren't much worse and
you have the cliff to stare at to 'ground' yourself. just dont pick that day to catch and unhook tons of little 'chovies
while staring at your fishfinder. but tapping a TJW while looking at the cliff and using feel mainly to detect
the strike seems like it could be done?

J

Today I could have gone without meds maybe.  It was FLAT.  Wind picked up around noon, but I just used my fish gripper as a kelp anchor when I needed it.  The macs are thick so my guess is that they are here for a while.  There is so much bait out there it is sick.

Bottom tapping is a feeling technique so you don't really need to look at your rod tip.  That Grass RF SLAMMED the bait, it was a no doubter!

TJW are the bomb in the SoCal kelp, as I have been part of the VIP crew in development of the lure and have caught tons of fish on them.  I knew they would work up here.  They are the perfect deep kelp bait.

I want to go to the pleasure point kelp next.

WSB will eat the TJW so that would be pretty awesome too!

If your interested, www.trixjettyworm.com is the place to go to get the jigs.

MolBasser

Just for info, I was using a 3/4 oz Super Bling TJW and I gave Zeelander a 3/4 oz. Pink Dragon TJW.

I was instrumental in the development of the Super Bling color for what that is worth.

MolBasser