HMB flatfish, second try

I just passed the green buoy about 15 minutes ago and am heading south west.

Oooooo, good stuff! 

After coming home with a single small sanddab last time (http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=82167.msg934697#msg934697), I wanted to try further out, at least 3 miles or so. Here is my report.



The forecast included a small craft advisory, south winds building to 16 knots, and rain, but the harbor was glassy when I launched.



On my way out through the jaws I ran into two kayakers who looked like they might be new to the ocean. They had set plastic bottle crab buoys in the middle of the channel, with floating rope. I explained why boaters get angry when we leave gear in the channel. They were receptive and said they would move their traps, but I felt bad; I could have told them in a  friendlier way. If you guys are on here, I hope the crabbing was good and you keep getting out there.

I saw a few breaking waves on the run between the jaws and the green can, but didn't get caught by any. The lack of wind made for nice balmy weather, but it meant I would have to pedal all the way.

So pedal I did. Around 10:30 I crossed the 3-mile line, in about 170 FOW. I'd found sanddabs in that general area before (http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/5438), but in spite of trying several different spots, the only thing I caught was a jacksmelt.



The big radar dome on Pillar Point is just visible to the right of my mast in this picture.

The jellies kept fouling my gear, and I learned that you should wash the nematocysts off your hands very carefully before going to the bathroom.

Thankfully the wind started filling in as the day wore on, so I had a more relaxing trip back toward the harbor.

Closer to the red can I saw an old guy fishing from a tiny powerboat.  By tiny I mean about the size of a jet ski. It turns out he has a commercial license, and his tiny boat is a highly customized fishing rig. He was kind enough to chat and share advice for a while.

Just before landing, I decided to try for perch underneath the old pier. Sure enough, I had a double hookup of beautiful little walleye surfperch. I kept one to see how it works for sashimi.



So far 2018 is the year of long trips and 7-inch fish.

Great report.  Way to execute your plan.  I enjoyed how you took us along. 

Still good stuff learning that new boat of yours.  Thanks for the report

Thanks for the report [emoji106]

Nice try out there KPD. I hear you on the Jellyfish that’s not a mistake you are likely to make twice. 😄

They sting the eyes too FYI.

-Eliot

Are you serious about the sashimi?  I am lead to believe that particular spot is pretty dirty.

Dang, three miles out and still no dabs?

You might already be doing this but it helps to run your rig with two weights (a larger one below the sabiki and a smaller one above), this allows the whole contraption to drag along the sand.

Think I've seen the mini boat guy out there several times but didn't realize he was commercial, guess it helps keep the overhead down.

Thanks for the report!

Great report.  Way to execute your plan.  I enjoyed how you took us along. 

"Nice try out there KPD. I hear you on the Jellyfish that’s not a mistake you are likely to make twice. 😄

They sting the eyes too FYI.

-Eliot"

  Ditto to both comments, thanks for the report Krishna!

Are you serious about the sashimi?  I am lead to believe that particular spot is pretty dirty.

Now I'm not sure.    I'm freezing it for a week to kill parasites, then maybe rinse it in lime juice before filleting? I eat halibut sashimi (after freezing) from SF Bay, which when you think about it is probably worse.

You might already be doing this but it helps to run your rig with two weights (a larger one below the sabiki and a smaller one above), this allows the whole contraption to drag along the sand.

Yeah, that's what I was using: a large sabiki with 6 oz at the bottom and 2 oz at the top. I put scent and curly-tail grubs on some of the hooks. It's a big ocean, and I definitely don't have any honey holes figured out yet. Oh well, without lean times like this, the bounty of summer wouldn't be half as sweet.

What was the commercial guy fishing for?  Sounds like a nice day in the water.   

Thanks for the report and pictures KPD.

What was the commercial guy fishing for?  Sounds like a nice day in the water.

Rockfish. I guess they are still open if you have a commercial license.

 That local is Dave, also known as The Eel Man. If he's not out, his rig is usually right under the ramp next to the harbor masters wave machines. It's partially made with street signs. He once told me he has one of a few licences to fish from some loophole. Something about feeding his cats. His pad is in the lot between the buildings between the yacht club and the green pier. If you see him you know you might be in a good spot, he complained to me once about the accuracy of his GPS. He wanted it to be like one foot by one foot.