Stillwater Cove Carmel 11/5

My buddy hadn't gathered up enough GAF points to join me today, so Garrapata was out since I was flying solo.  Headed to Stillwater instead to meet up with scallen and a couple of his clients whose names I didn't get (sorry).  I hit the water around 8am and peddled out to where they were already fishing.  Wind was kind of funky, changing directions randomly, but it wasn't bad and the weather was great.  Bite was a little slow compared to the last 2-3 times I was out there, but it turned out ok.

My first drop was good for a 23" underling.  I swear, I've only caught three ling cods in my life, all at Stillwater, and all 23 inches long.  I think it's the same darn fish.    About 10 minutes after sending him back to grow an inch I pulled up a pretty little red (key word there is little).  Fished a bit more and looked up to see that Allen and his clients had picked up and moved down to the kelp beds west (?) of the cove.  I headed that way, then decided to try the patch of kelp that sits about 1/4 mile out.  Had something big there 2 weeks ago that got away, and was hoping for a re-do.  No such luck...got a nice copper, but that was it.  three guys in a Zodiac pulled up shortly after and started having a decent bite, looked like blues. 

After about 30 minutes I decided to move back to the area Allen had been fishing.  Got several hits there but nothing stuck until a nice kelp greenling decided to join my gopher for dinner.  Tried several spots as I moved back toward the cove, but nothing more than a small greenling that went back.  I thought to myself, "Oh well, at least the wife and I have dinner".  Headed back into the cove around 11:00 and remembered a post by Seabreeze where she said something about fishing inside the cove on the way back in, and lots of cabezon.  I decided to give it a try...stopped at 2-3 spots with no luck, then on my last stop (last drop even!) my pole goes bendo.  I'm reeling in thinking "Man, if this is a 23" ling..."    Turned out to be a 19"+ cabezon!  My forst ever.  Thanks Seabreeze! 

Took home the cabby and 2 rockies, which my lovely wife made into AWESOME fish tacos.  And, I didn't even hit traffic on the way back on 156!

Good deal PJ, glad to see Stillwater produced for ya! I still have to make it back there and pull up a decent ling before season closes.
Maybe we can hit it up again when the swell and wind cooperate.

Z

??wha!!??  You have a wife that fillets your fish for you?

man,. that's almost as good as one that fishes~!

Great to see you yesterday, Peter.  We dinked around without a lot of luck yesterday.......... that wind was a bummer.  it was blowing gusts 8-10 at 530am from the East.  through the morning the wind went full circle dying occasionally, to S, SW, W, NW, and finally around 11 steady 8-10 NE.  wierd and made it hard to fish.  also made me reluctant to paddle outside to the pinnacles no knowing what we would have to fight on a return trip.  sounds like the other side of the penninsula fared better, windwise, according to Fuzzy Tom's post.

Paul and Monique had a blast though, and I think we'll be seeing them fshing on their own kayaks soon.  they are both naturals! Paul got a couple nice rockfish  and hooked up early with a 4.5 ft smoothhound shark on his light gear.  BENDO!!!!



Funny thing, as we were paddling out, I related to paul how my daughter caught a 4/5 ft shark...."right over there."  We paddled to that spot and he immediately hooked up with the same.  I got one Brown rockfish and one medium, but beeeyoootiful red.

Allen

wow, nice report there and looks like you all had fun.

that shark must have been a fun fight. while diving around stillwater and carmel river beach areas i have seen swarms of dogfish rolling around doing "it". maybe its that time of year.

are those sharks edible? i have never had em.

thank you for the report and pics!

john

Nice Cab. I got my first recently also though it was a barely legal one at HMB. I have yet to try Stillwater. Must go and give it a try. Sounds like the wind was frustrating though.

Nice report.  I had the exact reaction that Allen did - you have a wife that fillets fish!  I am way jealous!  Hold on to her, man!   

Ditto!

Smooth hounds are edible.  They are much like leopards.  That is a big smooth hound.

What is the rockfish in the first pic?  Is that the copper? 

MolBasser

Thanks for the report PJ and nice cab.  You're lucky that your wife cooks and clean your fish.  I fish because my wife loves eating fish so when she first saw kayak anglers, scuba spearfishers and freedivers/spearfishers all the 'same day' at Van Damne SP beach (Mendocino) with tons of fishes  and abalones 4 year ago, she told me 'go fish' (I was doing a lot of "shore fishing" at the time and always came home empty handed) from the kayak, scuba or freedive---a long as I bring home fish.  I must have hit a BIG 'payday'; scuba lessons, freediving clinic, kayak/freediving gear were at my disposal without any hint of complaints from my wife.  So on the 3rd week of bringing home 10-limit of rockfishes, she refused cleaning the fishes!!!  Worse, she was cooking the fish using 6 different recipes which I dubbed as 'recycle' recipes and I got tired of the 'same' cooking.  To make the story short, I now clean my fishes and became the 'accidental' cook in the house!!!   Moral of the story, women are far better fisherman then men; she can make us catch fish and cook for them too!   

Anyone going for 'dungeness' crab this weekend?   I'm dying to get some dungeness to make California roll sushi, and I refuse to buy crabs in the market. 

-Ron

Nice report.  I had the exact reaction that Allen did - you have a wife that fillets fish!  I am way jealous!  Hold on to her, man!   

Yes, she's my best catch by far, and an awesome cook at that.    Being born and raised in Japan, she has had plenty of experience doing all sorts of cool things with fish.     Actually, I did clean the fish myself, and did most of the side work (chopping & dicing) for the fish tacos.  But she doesn't trust me to filet fish...admittedly I need a lot more practice before I can do it without tearing up the meat.      She's also somewhat of a fish snob due to being raised on super fresh seafood...she doesn't like me to bring home more than we can eat fresh, insisting that freezing the fish in a residential freezer isn't very good.  What I need is a nice flash-freeze unit.  And a garage to store it in.

MB - the fish in the first pic is the cab.  The copper was much smaller.

That is not a cabezone pictured.  At least I don't think so.  Looks like a monster grass rockfish to me, but I am not the expert.

The pectoral fins are way to small to be a cabezone, in my opinion, and the head is too small.

At any rate, nice fish and nicer cook!!!  I have to do all the butchering at my pad as my wife is down with eating fish, but not so hot on butchering fish.  I like the audience your wife has as she is working on the fish.  Add 3 more cats and 2 more dogs and you have my kitchen during butchering..... 

MolBasser

Grass rockfish



Cabezone



MolBasser

(not trying to be a jerk, just trying to ID the fish)

Hello Mol,

I notice the 'fogged up' screen of your fishfinder from the water splashed in the pic.  That keeps happenning in my ff;    it that common in ff?

I recently returned my ff to the factory due to fogging up like that and I used it for the first time yesterday and the screen still fogging up even though the manufacturer already replaced the case.

-Ron

Actually, I think that is Mooch's boat, I just pirated the picture from the fish ID page.

However, yes, my FF will fog with condensation also.  It is a consequence of not being completely water tight and a great example of the abuse that kayak anglers put their FFs though.

If I get fog, I just hope that it evaporates during the fishing day or I just put my unit in the sun at home.  I know that isn't the best thing to do, but hey, that is why we all choose the cheapest best unit we can as we beat the hell out of them.

MolBasser

Thanks for replying Mol!  For the money I spent of my ff I am pissed,  I had the condensation problem the 'first' time I took it in the water.  The manufacturer replaced the case 4 times now in less than a year but never replace the 'inside' unit.  I used the FF for the first time yesterday after getting the case replaced but it's still fogging up.   I'm going to return my ff during off-season (rainy winter days) so I don't miss any fishing days and this time, I am writing to the 'head' of the company to complain about it.  I really do not want to put silicone grease on the case 'seal' because it might 'void' the 12 month warranty. 

-Ron