A little action at Shelter Cove

Had a chance to pop over to the Cove after work in Garberville this afternoon and was on the water a bit over two hours.  I went straight to the fish cleaning area right when I got there and saw one 15-20# king carcass and no other salmon among the few dozen rockfish carcasses there.  I asked a guy who was standing nearby how the salmon bite is today and he said they're getting a few off of Black Sands Beach - north of the Cove 2-4 miles.  I only had time to hit the bell buoy anyway, so I headed down and got ready.  I fished from 4:15 to 6:00.  Gave up on the salmon after catching a few rockfish trolling by the bell, and switched to a 2 oz. or so metal fish-looking jig with a shrimpfly above it since there wasn't much drift.  There were major whitecaps 1.5 to 2 miles west as I came down the hill just before 4:00, but the Cove area nearshore was nice, with the usual wind-eddy south to north drift.  I released several blacks, a greenling, an underling, and kept 2 blacks and the 26" cool ling hitch-hiker that would not let go of the 2-3# black even though it and the black were almost out of the water and in the net being photo'd!  The water was murky and the sets of 5' swells were sometimes steep, but in all very comfortable out there.

The net makes things look small because it's the biggest salmon net!   

very nice! I have never had a hitchhiking ling yet, all my lings on lures so far, plastic and metal. must be cool to see.

Lings are so weird.  BEEEUUUUUtiful greenling girly fish...........

Lings are so savage - gotta love 'em 

Interestingly this is the first time I've ever landed a hitch-hiker.  I've also never had the crappy experience of having a seal steal my fish - hope I didn't just curse myself!   

Now, to change the subject...  Brandi just emailed me with a report on her trip to Gualala over the weekend.  Prepare to druel and cry!   

10.5+", 12.5 # with shell!!! 

If you're loading the car for Gualala just hold on a minute!  This woman is such a good diver, it's not like she stumbled onto this thing.  Can you say 3 time national champion free diver?!  She took my avatar profile photo - she's a professional photographer too.  I like to fish off my kayak when we go out together so I don't get shown up too bad.   

Now thats my type of girl! Good going Brandi!

Orion

WOW    That Ab is unreal.  I didn't know they could weight so much.  Thanks for the report.

Hey Brandi, my phone number is (650) 954.8153 

Glad to see you made it safely Ab.  After our last trip to the Cove and the curious 20' GWS, the wife told me it's time to stick to freshwater for awhile.  Depending how deer season goes, I may be able to make another Trinidad trip in early October, until then tight lines,
beenfishin

crazy ling!

J

Nice work ABking.. Brandi kicks ass, that ab looks like a freakin alien!! And that freakin aggro Ling!! Can't wait to catch one someday..

thanks for the report man. Nice to see a photo-op with a hitchhikerl Never had one myself neither. Looking forward to it one day. Brandi is obviously a great diver--I showed my daughters (almost 8 and 9 1/2) those pics so they can see that women can do whatever they choose if they set their minds to it. Just cannot get the wife to pick up a fishing rod though Think of the bonus WAF points if she fished too! Heck I'd clean her fish no problem! 

Awesome report!
And excellent pics too. Nice!

That slug of an ab is amazing...very big red. WTG Brandi!


I love The Cove...as evidenced in my avatar pic.
(-;

Thanks for the great report and pics,
PK