Crabs?

Actually the twinkle in her eye was when she said we were crazy.  She thinks that we shouldn't be messing around with big fish like that when we in little "tiny" kayaks.  Something a Mom would say, LOL.

I think pics like Craig's monster ling and the BH cabbie's would do her ceiling just fine.  Mooch's LM salmon with the two babes (still don't know how he managed to do that?) would convince a few wall flowers to make the move.

Wow, the weather is telling us something...STAY OFF THE WATER, DON'T BE IDIOTS, ITS JUST FRIGGIN CRABS, YOU WANT THEM TO BE FEEDIN ON YOU?

That said, let's talk about it on Friday and let's see who's going to be higher up on the food chain this weekend.

Gary

I dont care about the landlord, just know I would be bummed without a camera. Id love to see him. Touch and count coup. Cafecraig, Im so jealous I could spit. Went right under you.
Mooch, Davenport would be fine with me, I guess we'll decide a little closer.
Who's in for the beach crew?
                                                    ><(((*>

Oh great, Ben! You really want to see the landlord.  Ok, I'll make sure I bring my camera to take pic of you this tiime.  I'm sure their just a little smaller than the whales that Mackie & I saw while kayaking at Fort Ross and Monterey/Cannery Row.  I have to read the disclaimer in my 'shark shield' manual, I believe it says it won't work on Mako sharks.  Someone told me that if the landlord is at full trottle, I will still get hit.  We just have to find out about that.

I will use 'artificial' lures this time; never believe on them before and I've always used frozen squid.  But from number of rockcods you caught at Ocean Cove, I am beginning to be a 'believer' of lures.

-Ron

Gary / Sandman......correction, my salmon pic with the two cute ladies was taken at Moss Landing  ....and it was all about the CHARM 

Charm may work for Mooch, but it ain't done me any good yet...  No salmon, no ladies    

If BH looks unappealing for Saturday, may I propose Pajaro?  They did well last year there and it will be protected from the north weather...  Not sure how fishy it would be, but it would be difficult anywhere due to the sloppy weather predicted.

Here's the map for it.  Depths for crusties are 40-100 ft.

While I like the Pajaro idea because it is close to Monterey and I could make it there to join you guys, my epxerience is that Pajaro has huge breakers and is a surf launch every time I have seen it even in small swell.  Do you have an launch spot that is protected in that area?  I was looking at the swell forcast and thought MBK or Capitola would be the only reasonable launches this Saturday.  I am favoring MBK becasue of easier access to deeper water but am really planning to base my launch on conditions.

How about La Selva Beach, and paddle southwest 3 miles?

Should be less of a surf break there, than at Pajaro....?  I would think it'd be better than at Bean Hollow, but we could always launch at Capitola and paddle 4 miles south....  Just kinda a long paddle from there....

Plus, paddling back in north against the winds would be kind of a bitch - I'd rather have a more eastbound paddle back in...

Though it is late in the year, this area has also been known to hold Halibut.

If you guys are going to drop traps a pajaro, why not launch out of moss and paddle out uphill and come back with the swell and wind at your backs?

-Brian G

It is not so protected craig. those swells wrap. you have to be way back in there in the lee of santa cruz.

careful with the ocean advice if you have not verified your hypotheses. next you'll be sending newbs out at BH,  .

I have surfed some butt-puckering waves 1/2 mile north of the mouth of moss landing harbour.
they shrink as you head north, but not as fast as you might think.

J

Well, not having had experience down there, I am happy to post in an open forum and hopefully get feedback from those in the know....  Thanks!  What about Rio Del Mar?  There's a nice big lot and in looking at the google earth thingy, it seems to be less breaky than south....

The problem with most of that area is that its a long ways from the beach to the safe side of the breakers.  With close period swell, wind and ripping currents it won't be nice. 

If you guys are going to drop traps a pajaro, why not launch out of moss and paddle out uphill and come back with the swell and wind at your backs?

-Brian G

I agree with Brian.....and on the plus side = you can fish for halibut right on the Pajaro pipe line. That's where ChuckE caught his winning Halibut a few years back. Just be carefull on the way back to Moss Harbor mouth....with crabs and crab gear on board, and if your coming in the harbor while the tide is flowing out, it will be one hell of a paddle. Good luck and be safe

Mooch and Brian, thanks!

Moss Landing high tides Saturday are 5am and 3pm.  Tide is outgoing at launch, incoming landing.  But the curve between is really small - little tide change.

It's a small swing outgoing between 6am-10am low tide, and incoming 10am-3pm.  But only a 1ft incoming tide swing Saturday morning-afternoon (3pm high).  (The outgoing tide shift from high-low 3pm to midnight Saturday night is the steep one.... )

Another good aspect of this is that the winds are forecasted to clock from the South in the morning (with paddle out) to from the North in the afternoon (with paddle in).

Is the small tide shift Saturday good for crabbing?

Based on that, any experienced input on this idea?

Have to agree w/ Jmairey on this one. Since I was a kid surfing it went: When the surf is small in town (Capitola/ Santa Cruz) the first thing we did was head north or south. North of Steamer lane and swell starts to show. South of Aptos (Rio Del Mar etc.) and it starts to show. If you really want a swell shadow the only place even possible is a little beach called New Brighton. At the very corner near the cliff there's a protected area that I've launched a few times. You can also possibly try the pier at Capitola.

BTW, Moss landing (and the area around it) has some of the most powerful & hollow waves that the Monterey area has to offer.

Be careful guys, there is swell in the water. If you're gonna launch, watch the conditions for at least 15 minutes before going out. Don't wanna sound like a know-it-all but have been humbled by the ocean many times surfing what I thought were easy conditions. Can't imagne that on my yak!

Z

Okay Z, cool - this bears out on my google earth image also.  No break at Capitola, but south of Rio Del Mar it kicks in.

I was thinking we'd launch from the harbor/channel, as opposed to a surf launch, at Moss Landing.  With the relatively slack tide and protection, this should be easier to navigate, yes?

The swell is building from the north on Saturday - so open water conditions will be better later south of the Gate.  Not to mention, the enhanced protection of the north end of Monterey Bay.

And crab and possibly halibut outside the breakers in 50-70ft.

Thoughts?

Make sure to read Mooch and Stuart's account of what it's like to go all wrong at the Moss harbor.
And strap 'em tight!!!!

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=3630.0

Z