Fish dinner tonight

I snuck out at Cowell's this morning .  On the water at 6:30am.  Worked the area between the kelp beds and the yellow buoy in about 35-40 FOW for a half-limit of rockfish.  One blue, two gophers, a big grass rockfish, and a big bolina (around 16-17").  Off the waier by 9:30.  i would have stuck around for a full limit, but the parking meter I parked at was due to start ticking at 10am.

sorry no pics.  the ocean was fairly nice, some bump and a little offshore easterly wind in the early morning, and an uphill current all morning.

I was drifiting for halibut with the usual trap rig, 4 oz sliding sinker, and anchovy or whole squid.

Kenny Stagnaro and Jim Rubin say the North Coast is pretty dismal for rockfish right now, the water needs to cleaar up.  the local reefs are producing though. south rock would be good if I had more time today, and Capitola Reef produced limits of grass and kelp rockfish for a couple locals last week.

It was just great to get out and catch some fish.  We had a wonderful dinner enough for my four and the neighbor from next door.

Saw Andy out there on his P-13, and said hi to young Dylan who paddled by on his Tarpon from the Moss derby last year.

Allen

Doing WAF points this weekend and was exactly where I wanted to be.NOT!!!
 Santa Cruz with no Kayak! It was killing me. Thought about calling but instead I had better behave and suck it up like a true domestic being.....
I did get a little salt water however, as the tears flowed down my cheek.:}
Thanks for the report Allen.

ah, looks like our plan B was really the plan A! thanks allen!

J

Was the water cloudy green up there, J?

Allen

thx for the report.  Does Shamrocks have live bait, yet?

scallen, yes there was a band of cloudy water. but I didn't notice it until I got out.

when paddling around, it seemed clear enough. but no fish bit.

I might have been thrown off by my sonar unit, first time using it up there, maybe it
mislead me to fishing too deep, I don't know.

J

Yeah, Kenny said that lighter green cloudy water was by Ano, and he got like one fish on his party boat.  He reminds us that we are not used to fishing for rockfish in the spring.  In the old days, when the season was open this early, we also could go out deep for the 300-400 foot fish, lioke chili p[eppers anmd bocaccio in Spring.

Kevin-- Shamrock isn't really Shamrock anymore.  If you call them they will claim live bait, but i do not trust the new proprietors, nor do i support them by buying anything at that new place.  I can PM you all the dirty details if you'd like.

"S" dock, Bocci Boy the skipper's name is Carl, and he has live bait.  he gets there early also.  I will see if I can get his phone # again, you can call him to make sure he has a load in.    Bayside Marine is just across the parking lot for other tackle and supplies.

Allen

Thanks Allen.  Too bad about Shamrock heading downhill; it sure was convenient to pick up bait on the way out.  Is S dock by the small boat launch?  If he turns into a good source for bait, maybe we can post his location/phone # on the board. 

If the wind and swell stay the way it was yesterday and today, I predict halibut in our future.
I'm going to try and get out weds. and thurs. of this week...Capitola perhaps.

Hey Allen

do you ever launch from Mitchells cove?

Eugene

Kevin- Accross the harbor and towards the mouth, where all the commercial boats are is S dock.

Aaron- cool good luck I am going to try to take Thursday off and go out late around 8:15 from the wahrf.  ps do you have my blue drift chute with that Big Game?

Eugene: Yes, I lauch at Mitchell's, great access to the Westside fishing.  the stairs are a b**ch with a 15' boat, though.  At least half the time, some nice person from the beach offers to help me carry the boat up the stairs.  Mitchell's is also a great spot for Spring Halibut out at 40-50 feet theere is some sand.

Allen

Thanks Allen.I'll be out at Capitola tomorrow and at MBK on Thurs.I have your paddle leash on the Big Game, but no drift chute.Thanks again for letting me borrow it.The more I fish it the more it's growing on me.I'll try and post a report.

I'd like to know more about the cloudy green water. what causes that?

big swell?

I got some squid bitten in half and a fair number of gopher hits.

I eventually fell back to cast and retrieve 2oz swimbait in 45 feet over structure and lots
of marks and got some hits but nothing stuck long enough to get it in the boat,
and I eventually ran out of time.

I fished 6 hours, paddled 10 miles, fished iron, bait, swimbaits, trolled, bounced and drifted from 100 feet to 40 feet. like I said, one gopher landed in 100 feet of water. greg got one in 70 feet. it was painful,  .

One cool thing was that I fished where I got the halibut in my avatar and had a sonar unit for the first time and found some great structure. I'll go back, but I'd like to go when the water is clear, I hope I don't have to wait until august for that...

allen post that info up before I go fishing next time, not after... 

J

allen:  ya, I was eyeballing the stairs the other day, trying to figure out an easy way up and down.  Nothing good is easy I suppose

Aaron: so the Big Game is growing on you huh?  Maybe your arms are just getting stronger!  Seriously though what is the max distance that you feel you would be comfortable paddling in it?  What length paddle?

Eugene

Eugene, the longest I paddled it was about five miles round trip and it was a workout.Last week I took it out for dabs in Monterey again in rough weather with wind and swell and it handled it well.I never felt tippy and I'm learning how to use the rudder more effectively to set up drifts.I'm using a 240cm carbon paddle and it is working ok, but it is still a workout.I think you're right though...my paddling muscles are getting stronger and I've picked up some more efficient paddling habits at my new job as well.