Poke Pole PG 1/20/06

I had so much fun last time I poke poled, it though I would try it again on Saturday.  The minus low tide bottoms out just after sunset but there should be sufficient low water from about 3PM to dusk to try for some action.  To bad I am working this week as Thursday looked like the best day in terms of low tide before dark.  I plan to go to Coral St. or spots west toward Point Pinos starting about 3 PM.  My wife and daughter want to come along just to hang out, observe the tide pools, cheer me on etc.  Company welcome.  If the swell is too big we may just watch them crash for a little while and head home.

Well?
Did you go? If so, how'd ya do?

Waves were bigger than anticipated on Sunday when I went out. And it was much windier than forcasted too, making fishing conditions difficult.

Hopefully you got out and caught a few!
PK

Yea, I went but as you said, the waves were bigger than I would have liked.  I tried a few spots but could not access deep enough water because of the wave height.  It was still nice to be out there but the surge was strong and there was lots of junk in the water so I never really had good access.  I will keep an eye on the tides and try again.  I need to get some longer lines for my crab traps so I can try deploying them deeper around Monterey.  I hear the swell is supposed to settle on Tuesday.

Etienne,
Negative 0.18 @ 12:38pm on Saturday.
Negative 0.62 @ 1:36pm on Sunday.
Great conditions for pokin around. Plus the forecast isn't too bad, 3-7ft swells and not much wind.

I'm planning to drive down the coast toward Garrapata to shorefish for RF. Send me a PM if you want to meet up.

PK

I wanted to dino hunt on Saturday, but duties call.  Maybe I can get some pokepoling in...perhaps Piegeon Point with the kids Saturday afternoon.

Allen

That does sound fun.  My back has been killing me this week and the chiropractor on Wednesday did not help as much as I had hoped  .  While the advid does help alot, I was reluctantly coming to the conclusion that I should lay low this weekend and try to heal but that is so hard to do after driving a desk all week  .  Thanks for the tip regarding the tide.  Depending how I am feeling I will probably give it a shot.  PK, if I was feeling better I would join you but I am just not sure how long I will be able to stick with it this weekend.

I have not been out on my kayak since December 30, 2006.  Before that I was out almost every week maybe missing one or two going back to July 1, opening day.  Over that time, my recurring back problems were generally very minor or non existant.  That is the logest streach recently that I have had without back problems.  I like to attribut it to the fact that I was fairly active over that period and that paddling is good for your core muscles and excesizes ones back in a balanced manner.  I really like paddling after a day of cycling because it seems to balance the upper and lower body workout and eases (works out) the back pain I often feel after cycling.  Has anyone else have this experience?  What is the conventional wisdom regarding lower back pain and paddling?

Allen, Piegeon Pt. with the kids should be fun.  To far north for me with my back feeling the way it is but I am interested to hear how you do.  I often wonder about potential spots for pokepoling between Santa Cruz and Monterey to stop at during my commute but it is mostly beach in between.  I am still plannig to get Natlalie (10 years old) to join me pokepoling.  I think she would have a gass just climbing on the rocks and observing the tide pools.  The weather will need to be good and I will have to tear her away from her roller skates  .

Etienne:

My son Max is 8, and he was 'mind-blown' last month at Pleaure Point when he pulled a little cabbie out of a crack in the rock. 

I am hoping for monkey faced eels at pigeon and will use a longer pole, or maybe bring 2 short and long.

Pleasure point, I used just a strightened out coat hanger.  i was wading and poking sideways into the overhanging rocks with caves beneath.

I'll definitely post results and hopefully pix.

Allen

Etienne,

I am not a doctor and for most of  my life as a flower grower, did a lot of manual labor.  Late 90s my job essentially changed to desk driving.  Within 1 year my back was killing me and I was going to doctors, chiropractors, witch doctors, anything I thought would help.  My spine was bending so much that doctors though I had scoliosis, which I dont, it was just my body trying to rip me in half.  Any how, one day I found my business about to be flooded a pile of sand bags the only hope.  I gimped my body over and started moving bags for a couple of hours.  It really hurt but I had no options.

That day was the beginning of the end of the pain.  Since then I found that rest is useful for a day or two only if you are in the howling pain mode.  Otherwise motion is lotion.  Like you, paddling complements cycling, generally works my core longer than anything else I would do.   If I cant get out because of a combo of health, work and weather, I find the back tightening up quickly.

So tell your boss you NEED to have time to play!

Eugene

Thanks Eugene.  When are you going out again?  NCKA online is good but nothing replaces the real thing.  I am thinking a sand dab trip or crab or both.

I was waiting for the swell to get reasonable and in the meantime tore a calf muscle chasing my son on the beach.  Note to overweight old farts like me, when you give that extra burst of speed after forty, rather than close the distance between you and a teenager, you tear something!  off the crutches now so will be ready to roll in a few weeks.  Happy that it wasnt my achilles

Stoked to read that rockfish season opens in May!