Sun and Fun (Vid Added)

Was a BEAUTIFUL weekend down here in Monterey area!! 

I was lucky enough to be able to get on and in the water both Saturday and Sunday! 

Saturday went diving with good buddy Matt aka damaniJ, two guys from Australia who are on a spearo roadtrip, and stinkbait from NCUH and his girlfriend Erin.

Stinkbait has never shot a sheep before so took him to the spot where I shot both a male and a female this year...but no sheep sightings...

Then to the area where both sharkbait and IceColdChuck shot their first sheeps, but again no sightings.

Found a decent 26/27 inch Ling in a spot where we often see Lings/cabs. It was prolly about 25-30 feet deep. Pointed the fish out to stinkbait and told him he should try and get Erin to shoot it since she had never shot a Ling yet...Erin was getting down there pretty good but the silly Ling swam away before she could get a shaft into it.  Boo!

A little while later I found a similar sized Ling (maybe the same one?  ) a few boulders away and a bit deeper and decided this one needed to die so I shot him between the eyes. 

Went to another spot I know and blasted some nice olives up to 18 inches, then one more spot of Matt's where there was a THICK school of blues and blasted as many as I wanted and saw quite a few more 26/27 inch Lings but passed on them cuz was looking for a big mama...that I never found. 

Back at the shore a local pack of Carmel Cougars came out to inspect the fresh meat (young Australian boys in speedos), and look at our fish as well... 

Sunday went back down to the beach with the whole family.

Met SAbailey out there...nice to meet you!! 

Took Valentina out fishing for an hour or so and she caught a couple gophers and a beautiful Copper RF. Her first Copper!!

Then back to shore to meet up with Ana and Jayme and some good friends.

The rest of the day was spent with all of us paddling around, exploring side beaches, gathering shells, SUPing, getting Valentina to practice getting back in kayak, what it felt like if she was in kayak and I jumped back in, and flipping kayak back over as well.

Valentina did GREAT and the only thing she had a hard time with was flipping the big tandem yak back over...she is just not quite heavy enough right now? She did manage to do it once all by herself though and we all cheered for her!! 

This was also the first time in over 9 years of marriage that I have been able to get my wife out on a kayak in the ocean, and the first time Jayme has come out on the kayak at all!!

Stoked!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Two more pics...even I got into the SUPing fun.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Way to get after it.
How was the viz?
Pretty murky yesterday on the north coast.

Way to get after it.
How was the viz?
Pretty murky yesterday on the north coast.

Thanks buddy!

Viz was real spotty..In some spots it was pretty green and murky..in some it opened up to a nice 15-20...think a lot of it had to do with the big tidal change, the moderate long period south swell and some of the darkness in a few spots courtesy of the thick kelp canopy left over from summer.

But overall it was real nice and plenty good. 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Doesn't get any better than that!

thanks for sharing the priceless Jim......Congrats to Val'! that is a shiney Copper!!

Dreams do come true!!

Damn that looks like a fun day!!!  Thanks for sharing jim! 

Thanks fellas!

Here's a little vid of the first few Blues I shot...guess I forgot to charge to charge the GoPro battery cuz it died before I got into the Olives and Lings. 



 

Sincerely,

Jim

Sweet video, that 3rd shot was nice and long!

Sounds like a great weekend.  Glad your family is warming up to the water. 

WTG Jim,

Gonna need to buy a pink kayak and spear gun soon buddy 

Thanks for sharing your Sun & Fun weekend with us Jim.

Man Big Jim,, you sure make it look fun. Thanks for sharing.

Great post Jim sounds like it was a perfect weekend with family and friends.