SC Allen Finally Scores!

Yup.....

The smooth chin says it all, but I'll tell  about it anyway.

Davenport landing, 6:30am Launch.  Fishing by 7am, joined by Howard Egan in his Raddoncraft. He offered me some of his live bait.  I was using dead squid.

70 FOW from the NW kelp beds, across till we lined up with the fish ladder.

At 7:30 i noticed a funny bend in my rod, and a lot of scope on the line.  it was free spool with the clicker on, but no sound.  I tested for weight and it was fish on!

Big fight.  I was real careful not wanting to lose the 1st flattie I've had on the kayak  for a year and a half.  I even loosened my drag a bit so the fish could run.

Finally it came to color and I was surprised at how small it was, for the strength.  At least four good runs on the way up, but when it got near the boat, it was doomed.  Gaff then stringer, just like textbook.  The front single hook then just dropped out of the fish's mouth....(gulp!)...... then into the bag it went. Whew, that sure took a while. 

Howard took the water shot, thanks Howard!  (this is Howard of RFA and leading angler proponent on the Stkeholders MPA group.  My man!)

The shot at home is to show off my now short-lived beard, as well as the cool no parking sign my family bought me for my birthday.

Met a cool Santa Cruz kayak angler named Jason who is friends with Garen, and hope to get out fishing with him  (and Garen) soon.

Time to do the dishes.  I fed 7 people with just the dark half of the fish and have plenty left over for tacos tomorrow.

Oh yeah, 34" I estimate 15 pounds.  Not a monster, but I'm satisfied.

Allen

Nice fish!  Looks like I should have been out there, looks pretty calm in the photo.  After I got home after seeing you the other day, I thought, "Gee, I don't recall him having a beard, he probably caught one that I didn't hear about."    I always thought I'd make a lousy eyewitness!

great news! congrats allen.

got to love live bait when you can get it. I think it was probably heavier tho, check this:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/howold.pdf

Way to go man! I bet your wife is happy the beard is gone 

Great Fish! Got to love that!  

Hi, Allen I am happy for you. I don't recall how you looked w/o beard - a young Allen? See you.

thanks guys.

Yeah, Bill, she is stoked.  We've been doing quite a bit of face rubbing since.

John- sorry I wasn't clear in my post. I caught the fish with dead squid.  never did take the live bait from Howard.

In fact, I gave him my extra box of squid since it seemed to be working. 

No one else at that spot caught a flatty while I was out there (till 10:30) 

I think they were doing better down a ways, by the cement plant there is a little beach that has been producing for Howard.

Allen

Sweet!

Gotta luv those halibut mcnuggets!!

Way to go Alan.

MolBasser

That sign is hilarious! Nice fish too! How deep?

Good job Allen,

I know you have been working hard at it (if you can call it work). I went out to Dux reef yesterday for the first time and got a little 18 incher. I may be going out with your buddy, Steve tomorrow.

Now that the butt beard is gone, you should start growing a ling beard.

Congrats!!! That fish looks more like 20 lbs!!!
Thats the coolest parking sign I've veer seen... I've gotta get one for our pad on the west side.
This years been a slow year on the flatties, and looks to be shaping up to be a late season...
Just goes to show that epic flatty bites don't happen every year.
I don't have the pictures as proof, but I was out with a few friends just playin around one morning, and I hooked into one on an anchovy fishtrap in the shallows to the south side of Scotts Creek about a week ago or so, only to have it ripped off my line by a seal. Talk about a heartbreaker! Whatching a 20+lb flatty getting torn apart by some pesky fur bag...!

AAAAAAaaaaaarrrghhhhh!!!!!  How frustrating to lose it that way.  I love that Scott's spot, Brendan.

September before last, I got a flatty, a starry, and a big, butter sole on that drift.  Also 9 stitches on my knuckle from mis-handling my stringer with the flatty that day.  I never weighed the fish, just guessed 15 while on the water and Howard agreed.  jmairey provides a cool chart of length/weight above that suggests maybe 20+ on the weight.  I'm good with that but mostly just grateful i finally floated over the right fish.

Yean, I love the sign, and it keeps people out of my spot, too (private road we have a problem with traffic and parkers.  maintenance fees come out of my pocket).  Wife ordered it online, I can get the url for anyone if they want it.

The "violaters will be gaffed" line was an inspired last-minute addition from my 12-yr old daughter.  She not only is a pretty good fisherperson, but pretty hilarious, too.

Allen

Hmmm.  Maybe I should grow a beard, can't seem to grow much hair on top anymore and I'd sure like to catch a halibut.


Pete

Nice hali scallen!!!
Looks like a fatty. Good enough for a couple really tasty meals.

WTG!

PK

this report just inspired me to go do an afternoon drift in alameda.  congrats on getting that done.  i did the beard thing when I was trying to get my first sturgeon, it felt better to shave it off than it did catching the fish.  jtf..