DawnPatrol Quickie

Wife told me I could dive Saturday AM but that she was leaving at noon to go to our niece's birthday party in San Jose...so if I didn't want to have to drive myself over the hill and back I needed to be home in time.

Challenge accepted. 

Launched from an exposed Monterey County beach at first light and headed to the area I wanted to explore.

Jumped off the Kraken in to hazy, green, murky 5 foot viz...

Oh well, good enough to see into holes and to see the silhouettes of the big schools of blues suspended above each pinnacle.

Right away I heard the Jaws theme in the back of my head...been a lot of shark news recently and this area has had a few sightings I've heard of....decided I was just being paranoid, made myself block it out and got down to hunting. 

Even with low swell this area has a LOT of current and wind and surge so often felt like I was swimming in place while resting...when I took my buddy Hotplate here earlier this year he compared it to diving in a river. 

First spot is where I have seen a nice Male sheep before a few times but couldn't find him today...after ~20 dives I jumped back into yak and headed to next spot with good cracks where I have taken my PB cab and some nice Lings...found a medium cab that I let be to get bigger, took a decent 26 inch monkey and a nice olive and then headed to a new spot that I have been eyeing on my Navionics app.

No kelp where I wanted to go so dropped marker weight/floatline and paddled over to a nearby kelp bed and clipped up.

By now tide was coming back in and viz had cleaned up to about 15/20 so swimming back towards the marker I could see pinnacles coming up off the bottom.

Started dropping around the pinnacles and found big blues and nice olives, and then while I was laying on the bottom at 45 feet a nice female sheep came by off to my 3 oclock...she saw me and veered away but I was able to get a shot into her before she got out of range. Not super long at 22 inches, but very meaty and fat. 

Decided to take one of the nice Olives, and it was my biggest so far this year at almost 18 inches:

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2396

While I was coming up with the Olive I noticed a nice looking crack under a big boulder so strung up the Olive, dropped down to the crack and lo and behold there was a small but legal 24 inch Ling in there. Stoned him, came up, swam back to yak and paddled back in.

Had one cold beer at beach, loaded up yak and gear and hit the road.

Home by 1140am, fileted the sheep real quick at the wife's request, took a quick shower and headed to the party where I served up the sheep as a nice sashimi appetizer.

Nothing too big or sexy but not bad for a few quick morning hours. Could have easily loaded up with a limit of chunky blues but didn't really feel like messing with them, and the few fish I took will be plenty for my wife and kids and I to eat fresh this week.

GoPro was acting up so no vid. 

Added on a few pics from yesterday's family time at the County Fair. 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Great report and pic, even with no video!! Love the fishing porn, but your mija stole the show!!!

Nice work man. Sounds like you still had fun and got back in time! 

Thanks for the report and pictures Jim.  The Sashimi dish looks yummy 

Braddah!  You just geederdun! "Time Management Fishing" could be a bestseller.

Nice haul! and you beat your deadline, too! Great to hear you got into some good vis. I tried up north and wasn't quite so good, but always good to jump in! Thanks for the report and for the always mouthwatering pics !

The Sashimi dish looks yummy 

+1

Nicely done both on the fish and staying on time!  My wife has unfortunately learned to add 2 hours to when i say I will be home from HMB...  I blame it on the pumpkin festival traffic 

Nice dude! I was picturing you popping almost every fish. Sounds like a busy day.

And don't worry no one is anticipating big and sexy from you