GS9 - Super Long Report on Page 61 - NCKA Rules!

Check is going out today!

Can't wait for some more of this!

That's a lucky fuckin' kayaker.

Hey Eric.  Not sure if there's another thread on this, but is the camping situation same as previous years?  First come first serve?

I have yet to speak to Jack about it, but I imagine the camping scene will be the same as always - first come first served in group area, $22/night per person...etc.  I'll get some confirmation on that and post it by March or so!   

GS9 Paid Registrations:

1.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
2.   Calvert, John / Dogwood
3.   Davault, Matthew / Mdoka_Matt      Pro
4.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla         Pro
5.   Foreman, Amos / SuperVato         Pro
6.   Heitman, Jerry / SkiPro3 - Jerry
7.   Jercich, George / IzodOut   
8.   Jung, Won / SmokeontheWater      Pro
9.   Kaber, Doug / crash
10.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
11.   Marple, Ken / SCXFactor
12.   Patz, John / oldfart
13.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            Pro
14.   Reyes, Herb / Herb Superb         Pro      
15.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave         Pro
16.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide         Pro
17.   Silva, Jon / shoprat   
18.   Smith, Jeff / Barefoot1         
19.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking         Pro

Cash Pot = $90

I've been having dreams about salmon fishing, even been getting all my gear together.... Even though it's 4 months away, hopefully only 4 months anyway.

I've been having dreams about salmon fishing, even been getting all my gear together.... Even though it's 4 months away, hopefully only 4 months anyway.

X2.

I've got the fever bad.

Good news - salmon season's less than 3 months away!  Should open early April at the Cove.   

GS9 Paid Registrations:

1.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
2.   Calvert, John / Dogwood
3.   Chiu, Tony / Fishcomb         Pro
4.   Davault, Matthew / Mdoka_Matt      Pro
5.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla            Pro
6.   Foreman, Amos / SuperVato         Pro
7.   Heitman, Jerry / SkiPro3 - Jerry
8.   Jercich, George / IzodOut   
9.   Jung, Won / SmokeontheWater      Pro
10.   Kaber, Doug / crash
11.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
12.   Marple, Ken / SCXFactor
13.   Patz, John / oldfart
14.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            Pro
15.   Reyes, Herb / Herb Superb         Pro      
16.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave         Pro
17.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide         Pro
18.   Silva, Jon / shoprat   
19.   Smith, Jeff / Barefoot1         
20.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking         Pro

Cash Pot = $100

GS9 Paid Registrations:

1.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
2.   Calvert, John / Dogwood
3.   Chiu, Tony / Fishcomb         Pro
4.   Davault, Matthew / Mdoka_Matt      Pro
5.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla            Pro
6.   Foreman, Amos / SuperVato         Pro
7.   Heitman, Jerry / SkiPro3 - Jerry
8.   Jercich, George / IzodOut   
9.   Jung, Won / SmokeontheWater      Pro
10.   Kaber, Doug / crash
11.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
12.   Marple, Ken / SCXFactor
13.   Patz, John / oldfart
14.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            Pro
15.   Reyes, Herb / Herb Superb         Pro      
16.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave         Pro
17.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide         Pro
18.   Saufferer, Ron / Bald Eagle      
19.   Saufferer, Terry / Jacks         Pro
20.   Silva, Jon / shoprat   
21.   Smith, Jeff / Barefoot1         
22.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking         Pro

Cash Pot = $110

GS9 Paid Registrations:

1.   Aquino, Ferdinand / BoyLaquino      Pro
2.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
3.   Calvert, John / Dogwood
4.   Chiu, Tony / Fishcomb         Pro
5.   Davault, Matthew / Mdoka_Matt      Pro
6.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla         Pro
7.   Foreman, Amos / SuperVato         Pro
8.   Heitman, Jerry / SkiPro3 - Jerry
9.   Jercich, George / IzodOut   
10.   Jung, Won / SmokeontheWater      Pro
11.   Kaber, Doug / crash
12.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
13.   Marple, Ken / SCXFactor
14.   Patz, John / oldfart
15.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            Pro
16.   Reyes, Herb / Herb Superb         Pro      
17.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave         Pro
18.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide         Pro
19.   Saufferer, Ron / Bald Eagle         Pro
20.   Saufferer, Terry / Jacks
21.   Silva, Jon / shoprat   
22.   Smith, Jeff / Barefoot1         
23.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking         Pro

Cash Pot = $120

GS9 Paid Registrations:

1.   Aquino, Ferdinand / BoyLaquino      Pro
2.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
3.   Calvert, John / Dogwood
4.   Chiu, Tony / Fishcomb         Pro
5.   Davault, Matthew / Mdoka_Matt      Pro
6.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla         Pro
7.   Dilbeck, Michael / dilbeck         Pro
8.   Duffy, Tim / fisheducator   
9.   Foreman, Amos / SuperVato         Pro
10.   Harrison, Scott / SF Harry   
11.   Heitman, Jerry / SkiPro3 - Jerry
12.   Jercich, George / IzodOut   
13.   Jung, Won / SmokeontheWater      Pro
14.   Kaber, Doug / crash
15.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
16.   Marple, Ken / SCXFactor
17.   Patz, John / oldfart
18.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            Pro
19.   Reyes, Herb / Herb Superb         Pro      
20.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave         Pro
21.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide         Pro
22.   Saufferer, Ron / Bald Eagle         Pro
23.   Saufferer, Terry / Jacks
24.   Silva, Jon / shoprat   
25.   Smith, Jeff / Barefoot1         
26.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking         Pro

Cash Pot = $130 - 50% of entrees so far are Pro Division.

GS9 Paid Registrations:

1.   Aquino, Ferdinand / BoyLaquino      Pro
2.   Bennett, Martin / Fish ‘n Brew   
3.   Calvert, John / Dogwood
4.   Chiu, Tony / Fishcomb         Pro
5.   Davault, Matthew / Mdoka_Matt      Pro
6.   Davies, Jeff / Codzilla         Pro
7.   Dilbeck, Michael / dilbeck         Pro
8.   Duffy, Tim / fisheducator   
9.   Foreman, Amos / SuperVato         Pro
10.   Freitas, Bret / nosoupforyou         Pro
11.   Harrison, Scott / SF Harry   
12.   Heitman, Jerry / SkiPro3 - Jerry
13.   Jercich, George / IzodOut   
14.   Jung, Won / SmokeontheWater      Pro
15.   Kaber, Doug / crash
16.   Lawson, Alan / Alfredo
17.   Marple, Ken / SCXFactor
18.   Patz, John / oldfart
19.   Quinton, Josh / JJQ            Pro
20.   Reyes, Herb / Herb Superb         Pro      
21.   Royston, Dave / Hobie-Dave         Pro
22.   Sanchez, Allan / Hightide         Pro
23.   Saufferer, Ron / Bald Eagle         
24.   Saufferer, Terry / Jacks                      Pro
25.   Silva, Jon / shoprat   
26.   Smith, Jeff / Barefoot1         
27.   Stockwell, Eric / Abking         Pro

Cash Pot = $140

I started reading the GS-5 topic so I won't be a complete and totally clueless noob. 73 pages! I made it half way through. Is there an audio version?  I liked the stories. I was a little surprised. It seems that quite a few of the guys are not active on the boards anymore. I will be sending in my registration this week. 

I started reading the GS-5 topic so I won't be a complete and totally clueless noob. 73 pages! I made it half way through. Is there an audio version?  I liked the stories. I was a little surprised. It seems that quite a few of the guys are not active on the boards anymore. I will be sending in my registration this week. 

Good observations.   

Why don't I throw down a new story that no one's ever heard from me?...  Hmmm...

I have many that come to mind, and many of those I've already told somewhere here over the years.   

Earlier today it occurred to me that Shelter Cove has meant many things to me over the years.  Way back in the 70's it was a mysterious destination where my Dad really wanted to fish, but all of us kids got carsick.  Then by the early 80's I was offshore with him going for rockfish - I got so sick that they had to bring me and my buddy to shore and leave us at the beach while they went back out for their limits.  But it wasn't happening - I'll never forget my old man giving me grief about that:  "We NEVER did get back on that hot bottomfish bite after having to take Eric back in!"  No worries - it's not a bad memory! 

By the late 80's I was going to school at Davis, and it was my friends from other parts of California mostly that turned me on to how cool Humboldt (my hometown!) is.  They encouraged me to take them up north and show them the coast and the rivers and mountains.  To show up at Shelter Cove in '88 or '89 where my brother would show us how to dive for abalone was a fateful indoctrination for me.  I admit it - I had no idea at the time what an incredible place Shelter Cove really is.

We had a great series of family reunions at the Cove in the 90's - my Dad's side, with the grandparents, my uncles, my cousins, friends...  We'd have at least one powerboat present, we did some charters, we'd dive, boogieboard, surf, BBQ, drink...  Otherwise my trips to Shelter Cove at that time were usually about abalone diving.  I did several trips, overnight and otherwise, up the Lost Coast searching for ten inchers - many were had.     We also dove Abalone Point a fair amount, but it would be years before I'd find tens there.

At the same time - the mid to late 90's - I was getting really in to shorefishing as well as some spearfishing.  I was searching areas along the Humboldt coast farther to the north and closer to home.  By '99 when I got my first SOT kayak I was already spending much more time at the Cape and Trinidad than I was at the Cove.  As I got involved with and addicted to kayakfishing early this century, I only rarely visited the Cove.  Here's the crux of this story for me:  Shelter Cove didn't feel like the place that it is at one point.  So what happened?

When I was shore-based I focused on finding success in that mode.  I found it, and it wasn't right at Shelter Cove.  Shelter Cove was wide open, deep right off the rocks, and it was a port - it had the pressures of people constantly fishing it. 

When I went to the kayak I found success to the north, and Shelter Cove seemed like "the port to the south", rather than the unique destination that it truly is.

What ended up happening was that I got in to chasing salmon from my kayaks, and Shelter Cove was the place where that could happen without having to paddle as far offshore.  In '04 and '05 I discovered the joys of salmon season opening on the second Saturday in February down there (!   ), and catching rockfish and lingcod was almost just a nuisance.  I started reporting here on Shelter Cove Salmon trips in early '05, and that led to some hookups.  Then in '06 I started having some nice success - a limit including a 21.5 pounder in July was a thrill, and having paddled out to the fleet "way" north and outside of the Whistle felt like I was in the middle of the ocean when it was really nothing compared to what many of us are regularly doing now.

Later that year, September 11, 2006, I showed up at the Cove with salmon fever.  With only a couple hours before I had to be on the road for home I pulled off a super high tide launch where there was literally NO ramp or parking area, left my truck at the base of the road, trolled out toward the Bell, hooked up rockfish right away on the chove at like 20 pulls in 40 to 50 FOW, then hooked, fought, and landed my 38 pound king - the fish that cemented my obsession.

It was soon afterward that several of us on NCKA got together for what Pat Kuhl called "Gimme Shelter" - a salmon hookup at the Cove not too long after the '07 opener. 

It was that fish and the subsequent beginning of the GS series that changed my perception of Shelter Cove.  It had ascended from just an option to THE PREMIER OPTION, and what has occurred at the GS event weekends over the years has absolutely confirmed what I believe:  Shelter Cove is the best.  If you don't think so that's fine - leave it for me.   

Cove Kayak Catches - off the top of my head - if I leave some out then by all means add them in the conversation!

Wolf Eels
Octopus
Several Pacific halibut to ~60 pounds
California halibut (good luck!)
Several Thresher sharks to 9'+
Lingcod to 40" - will we see a 30 pounder at some point?
Rockfish to 24" - sharpen your photo and video skills and release those old dogs!
Cabezon to 25"+ - Ten pounders every year
Greenling with shoulders!   
Ten inch abs without leaving town!
Scallops, uni, Dungeness!

and...  SALMON!  My favorite.   

You forgot to mention the Perches 

Great write-up Eric!  I read it and it didn't disappoint!