Humboldt - 5/18, 19, 20

I'm off work Thursday at 3 and should be on the road by 4.  Leaving from Santa Rosa I guess I should be there around 8-8:30?  Does that sound about right?  Abking, maybe you could post some directions for those of us that haven't made the trek before?  Thanks.  Looking forward to it. 
Dave

Drexions:  101 north to "Fernbridge" exit.  This is just north of Fortuna and about 3.25 hours north of Santa Rosa.  The exit takes you under the highway to a frontage road for a mile before you'll go left over historic "Fernbridge".  Follow this 55 MPH rural route a few miles into Ferndale.  Appreciate the Victorian setting and extremely quaint Main street - at the end of the shopping district along Main go right - there will be signs directing you to Centerville or Petrolia.  Before very long at all, take a left up the hill onto Petrolia road.  The first several hundred yards of this road are very narrow and dangerous, but then it becomes much more hospitable with two good lanes most of the way - lots of bumps...  You'll travel up "Bunker Hill" for about 10 minutes and continue on past "Bear River Ridge road".  Skirting around Bunker Hill (grassy with cell tower), and back down the other side of the ridge you'll come down into "Capetown", which is just a series of ranches and open range - you get your first view of the swell here at the mouth of "Bear River" - as you pass over Bear River consider that it has one of the best populations of steelhead for a small stream its size on the entire west coast!  I like to drive the posted 25 MPH past the ranch houses there by Bear River...  Head up the steep hill and you're only 10 minutes from the Cape!  As you round a corner and see the ocean from atop "The Wall", as the "Tour of the Unknown Coast" bike riders know it, you'll encounter a short but extremely nasty washboard section of dirt and gravel - be careful right here!  Put it in low and feel the butterflies in your stomach as you cruise down the hill and marvel at the view of "Sugarloaf Island", which is AT the Cape, and the awesome coastline splayed out to the south.  The way I know this road and drive (except by Bear River!) I am to the ocean in about 30 minutes from Ferndale.  Normal, sane peoeple who don't know the road and have a kayak or even a trailer should take about 40-50 minutes from Ferndale...  The road hits the flat along the beach and comes very near the water for about a mile and a half of rocky dreamland.  Welcome to heaven when it's flat/hell when it's not!  So you've made it to the ocean in about 4 hours.  Continue on down the beach to the south and the road heads up a canyon to Petrolia (10 more minutes).  As you come into Petrolia you cross the North Fork of the Mattole - continue through town and right after you cross the Main Fork of the Mattole take a right on Lighthouse road.  Follow this about 10 minutes to the campground at the mouth of the river.  You're here!  Shouldn't be a problem getting sites, they're cheap, it's very near to being beach-camping...  From here we can Roleez 30 minutes down the sand to Shangri-la!  Or, Sean and I discussed possibly going back to Cape area and rockfishing there - it boils down to the difference between a scouting mission with big abs and nearshore fishing where I've never been outside, or, if the Cape isn't blown out, hit the proven motherlode of fishing at the Cape...  We can decide that evening and it is almost entirely dependent on wind.  Sounds like you may get to camp before dark, Dave.  My home phone is (707) 733-5340, and I hope to head over the hill around late afternoon.

Eric

SWEEET.  Thanks.  Looking forward to it.  I'll bring the homemade wine and lots of other grub.  See ya Thursday eve.
Dave

I'll bring gear to make fried ab and fish on Friday.   Panko ab and lingcod with a cold Sierra Nevada on the beach! 

Fair warning:

CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA OUT 20 NM- CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA 20 TO 60 NM- 843 AM PDT WED MAY 16 2007  ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...  .TODAY...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. MIXED SWELL...NW 5 TO 6 FT AT 7 SECONDS AND W 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.  .TONIGHT...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. NW SWELL 5 TO 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.  .THU...NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.  .THU NIGHT...NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 5 FT. PATCHY FOG.  .FRI...NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 3 TO 4 FT. PATCHY FOG.  .SAT...NW WIND 15 KT...RISING TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES AROUND 2  FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT...BUILDING TO 9 FT.

Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for the fish, this is the nature of the Cape...  I expect 20 knots Friday morning. 

Update later.

3PM forecast has come back our way a bit:

.FRI...NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT.  .FRI NIGHT...NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 TO 4 FT.

...but there is potential volatility there...

Guys:  I've seen forecasts better than this turn into "charge of the albino buffalo..."  I'm now leaning toward Roleez down the beach and try our luck nearshore.  If you want to save your gas money I think we can get a lot better window later on this Spring/Summer...  BigEye - you're the only one that was going trophy ab hunting with me I think, and I feel it's still an awesome opportunity - a 9.5"er will be a minimum pull, and a 10+ is, dare I say, likely!  Chime in with what you'll all do, because the Cape fishing opportunity looks very windy.

Eric

PS:  BigEye - if you don't have a 10" guage, get one, because I won't be happy seeing you pull a 9.9 while I'm measuring them and moving on looking for a 10...  8>}

I heard it was VERY whitecapish in Fort Bragg today. I'm getting worried!

It was forecast to be nasty through today, Mahi, and it may be do-able Friday, but I just want to make sure you guys know it's not a sure thing by any means.  I got a message from Sean that you guys are ready to do it.  I'll call him now, and hopefully everything works out weather-wise.  I want to give you guys a fair assessment of how it could be screwed at the Cape but a beautiful day at Bragg, and Sean said the salmon bite there may be picking up...  Anyway, I'll call Sean and we'll also see what tomorrow morning's forecast says - if it's 10-20 for Friday again I'd say blown out for sure, if it's still throwing a 5 in there like 5-15 then it may be do-able.  If it is whitecap city and you guys are all right with the Punta Gorda Rolleez trip I think you'll really enjoy it and we'll have chances at some special catches.

More later...

OK, Sean and I will talk again tomorrow after we see the morning forecast, but it sounds like you're coming, so see ya there!   

I'm hip for some trophy ab hunting and some spearing.  If it will really be screwed up then I might stay home and fish/dive Bragg area.  I would love to see your area up north.  Let's just watch it and make a decision a little later today.
Dave

In my estimation of the current and forecasted weather; Cape Mendocino will live up to it's moniker as The pacifics bermuda triangle this weekend. That means all bets are off, the weather will change rapidly as night turns to day. Friday is the window for best conditions and should hold most of the day. Saturday we're looking at not just wind waves and swell but combined seas  exceeding 9ft. Take in to account that Cape Mendocino has the Highest occurence of freak waves in the world due to its proximity to the gorda escarpment. The low tide will offer nearshore protection from the outer coast with great diving and rockfishing. Windy Pt. like Abking says is probably the best spot to start at if you've never kayaked or fished this area. The wind will be coming in at around 120 degrees give or take from the northwest and deflect of the Cape. It will still be windy and unpredictable at best. I don't think I'll be throwing sparrowhawk out there for his first open coast adventure but I'm gonna try for Friday afternoon and camp overnight and see what Saturday brings. I'm bringing an X-factor, an Extreme, and my possibly my sea kayak in case it's blown out. If it is really blown out but there are some decent sets would anyone be up for some SOT surfing, it's a great alternative if you've already made the drive.

It's on!  I am about to freakin' burst here, folks!   

Hawk:  I'll see you tomorrow morning near sunrise at the mouth of the Mattole.

Dave:  I'll see you at sunset this evening at the mouth.

Sean and Ukiah crew:  I hope to see you guys late this evening at the mouth, and if you end up camping along the road by the Cape we'll see you at some point tomorrow - don't get capsized by a huge ling before I get there!   

Seriously, People, if you have any appreciation for extreme wilderness you should hit tomorrow morning's tide - it's one of the lowest in a decade and the ocean is so flat that nearshore reefs should end up being more exposed than they've been for a long long time.  Pigeon or Franklin Points north of Santa Cruz would be cool places to explore during this special tide event.  Have fun.   

I'm following this with great interest. Would like to join you on a future trip with more promising conditions. For persons coming up from the south, is it not advisable to arrive via Redwood State Park and Honeydew? It looks closer.

Bob it's a tough drive no matter which way you come but that honeydew road is downright dangerous. You'll pass within inches of logging trucks cutting corners and stoned citizens driving wildly out of control. I keep my Buddhist prayer beads clutched in my fist chanting mantra for the whole drive. It's so worth it though because this really is, without any real need to brag; the best fishing geography in the state. You just gotta pay some dues to get there. Abking and I, hell we live here so were crazy anyways and don't mind having it all to ourselves. Gas up in Redway if you're going the Honeydew route.