Shelter Cove - 7/28/21

ADVISORY:  I seem to be in a wear-myself-out-and-use-writing-as-therapy stage...  It's a long read.

Wednesday at the Cove with Ashneet. 

It's like the good ol' days at Shelter Cove right now.  The catching has been very consistent - at times a wide open bite.  Big salmon, smooth water and sunshine are ingredients for pure pleasure for us fishermen, but here's the reality - every day's different.  At any time, fog could roll in with more wind, and the bait will eventually move on, along with the bigger fish that we're all chasing out there.  In the same way that the weather can change and the animals will move with the seasons, the daily fate of a fisherman is always something that is hanging in the balance - even when the catching is really good.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that living for a hot bite can be a dangerous thing for your spirit - whether you catch something or not.

Ashneet contacted me several weeks ago, having seen my reports on the Nor Cal Kayak Anglers site.  NCKA is an online club of sorts where a community of enthusiasts share and contribute or maybe even just 'lurk', and the overall results of connections made through the site have led to amazing hookups, epic events, lifelong friendships, and even passionate part-time vocations - it's all about kayak fishing, but it goes way deeper for many of us.

When someone finds me through NCKA and they have their own gear - kayak, immersion and fishing - I am confident that they're ready for a higher level of adventure than just about anyone who would need me to outfit them.  When Ashneet messaged me saying he'd be in the Eureka area with family and would like an outfitted trip, I wondered whether he had kayak experience and if he knew the ocean at all - he'd come through NCKA after all, but I didn't know the screen name.  One thing in his message stood out though - he did have some immersion gear, and he would bring his Shark Shield.  This was the clincher - who would have a Shark Shield other than someone who's prepared for an offshore trip?  No one - that's who.

So, since Ashneet and family were staying in Eureka, he asked about a Trinidad trip.  I've fished and taken trips there for many years - the rockfish and lingcod action is very good, and it's only about 30 minutes north of where they'd be staying.  It's also easy access - right off 101 up near Redwood National Park, with great beaches for the family to visit.  Doing a day at T-dad was a no-brainer for my guy and his people.  I arranged to call him about a week prior to our day so we could review the forecast and confirm the trip.  I also mentioned Shelter Cove, but our plan seemed pretty set.

If you've followed my Cove trips over the past several weeks, you probably know that the wind's been blowing offshore, the outside waters have been pretty rough, and the salmon bite's been picking up.  I was calling it 'endless spring', and the entire fishing community has been awaiting the arrival of real summer weather.  Well, the calm winds and flat ocean have finally materialized, and the bite has gotten good at the same time - it's the 'hot bite' I was talking about.  I saw it forming, and I knew that Ashneet and I should be going south to the Cove instead of the closer and more family accessible Trinidad day that we'd planned...

After talking with Ashneet last week about the nice water that was coming, we confirmed the trip, and I told him there are even some salmon being caught out of Trinidad.  I had to qualify it though - the fish were far from port, and, honestly, it would be a long shot for us to hook up.  "Trinidad's great though - we'll have a wonderful trip."  I believed what I was telling him, but my inner voice was shouting:  "COVE!"

We got to a day before our trip.  We'd planned when we'd meet, he'd asked when we'd get back to the beach so his wife, child and brother could be there then too, and they would carry on with an idealistic family day at the very quaint and scenic seaside village of Trinidad.  I'd brought up Shelter Cove again, and Ashneet even took some time to speak to his brother about how that might work in terms of the one car they were sharing on vacation.  Driving down there with the entire fam or dropping Ashneet off and picking him up were both too much - too many hours of driving and a road that's known for causing its share of motion sickness.  The only way for us to pull it off would be to have Ashneet go with me in my truck.  That's how I used to do my 1 on 1 trips with local guests, and I loved the chance to spend that much more time getting to know each other.  Covid ended that, and even though Ashneet and I are both fully vaccinated, I didn't know if I was ready to go there.

Simultaneous with firming up the following day's plans with Ashneet, I was texting with my local buddies - Rob and Matthew - who were enjoying the peak of the salmon bite down at the Cove.  Fish in close with 20 to 30 pounders and bigger was the report.  This doesn't happen often.  I mulled it over for awhile, and I had to call my guy back to see if we could go south.  I had to.

With errands to run in Eureka, I figured I'd try to find out where Ashneet was staying so I could go meet him in person to possibly pitch my new plan of going together in my truck to Shelter Cove.  I felt that if I met him face to face I could get a better understanding of how much Ashneet wanted this and if the prospect of getting on a hot salmon bite had as much gravity with him as it obviously does for me.  Establishing this was super important, because I was potentially nullifying an opportunity to execute what was already set up as a family afternoon at a great destination for it.

3:57 PM  "Hi Ashneet - Sorry to interrupt your family day again.  I'm in Eureka and wondering if you are free to meet briefly."

By late afternoon I hadn't heard back, and I'd headed home resigned to the fact that we'd agreed on our details for Trinidad.  You can't always hit the hot bite, and I knew I could make his trip really rewarding up there.  It would be easier for me - half the drive and half the gas, and I could have all of the room in my truck to myself, just like I'm used to.  I wouldn't have to wonder about sharing a ride with another vaccinated person and what the odds may be that one or both of us has some level of the virus in us that could spread and potentially jeopardize our loved ones - I knew those odds were low though.  It was an exercise in progress against the mysterious new realities of covid just to have considered and eventually accepted the idea of driving together with another vaccinated adult.

4:47 PM:  "Hi Ashneet - I'm home now.  Was just hoping to meet to speak in person.  I really feel that the Cove opportunity is good enough that we should make it happen.  I will have you drive with me in my truck.  It comes down to hours - are you ok being at my house in Loleta at 530AM and maybe not being back in Loleta until 6 or 7PM?  Loleta is 15 minutes south of Eureka."

Then Ashneet texted back - he would be at my house at 530AM. 

I was excited.  If our day was to be at Trinidad, it would've been great, and there's a part of me that is determined to overcome the hot bite mentality and just go with the flow with regard to all of this.  I NEED to be less obsessed with maximizing fishing success...  But I'm not.  I was very excited.

Got a decent night's sleep, loaded my ice, food and bait like I do every morning in the dark, and when I opened my gate to get my truck and all the gear out onto the street, Ashneet and his brother were there waiting in front of my house - he was early.  That always scores points with me.  We got introduced - including meeting Ashneet's brother Avneet, loaded Ashneet's gear in my truck, and we were on the road - masked up for an hour and 25 minutes of salmon anticipation!

We arrived down in the Cove right before 7AM, and it was unfamiliar territory for me - got the last parking spot at the launch.  The crowds are descending on the place - the forecasted nice water along with word of the salmon bite has things ramping up toward the "throngs" or "hordes" level by this weekend...  I saw a few old NCKA friends and a few local buddies as well, and the size of the fleet already on the water to the southeast was pretty mind-blowing considering that I was just trolling with a few powerboaters, a charter and a handful of kayaks at the most a few weeks ago.

Ashneet and I got launched, and I was so stoked to be there instead of Trinidad!  We avoided the main fleet and started doing the things that have produced success for me and my people over the past several trips, and it wasn't long before my guest had his first salmon on.  Surface runs, a jump and rapid darting under both of our boats had me thinking coho, and sure enough, his first salmon would be the one we can't keep.  Once I could clearly see the blue-green coho back with scales that stand out more than the spots, I leadered it up along my gunnel and applied the pliers-only release.  We needed to get two baits back down and continue on our quest.  I was monitoring the radio the whole time of course - trying to get a read on how the bite was developing for the morning.  You never know when you'll arrive on a hot bite a day late!

It wasn't long and Ashneet was on another salmon.  This one stayed down, and once I saw it I knew we were working on getting his first legal ocean king in the net.  I had Ashneet running with a very loose drag - because figuring out ocean salmon fishing with a drag that's at all too tight can and will lead to heart break.  This 26" Chinook was doing what it wanted, and it was fine that Ashneet was getting a feel for how they can turn and run quickly and dodge the net like no other local fish.  After 5 minutes or more, Ashneet inched this fish back to the boat where he led it into my net.  The trip was officially a success!  We got the fish processed and stowed, got our baits back down, and now it was my turn.  Got to fight another smallish king in front of my buddy Jake and his guests on the Sea Hawk.  Now we both had one - the success was growing.

We spent the next hour or so doing laps around the bait, waiting for the next bite.  In full sun, the wet burlap does well to preserve the cool temperature of the fish, but much longer without a bite and I was going to want to get in to cut up the catch and get it on ice.  We paddled over one of the numerous bait balls, and I missed a good bite.  Re-baited, told Ashneet we should do circles right there, and then I missed another bite.  As I re-baited, I told him, "Stay right on it, Ashneet" - he did, and he got the bite that stuck.

After his first king, I'd told Ashneet that I probably let him fight the fish with a looser drag than was necessary, but I wanted him to have a full appreciation for the strength and quickness of these fish.  He'd adjusted his drag based on our talk, and now he was hooked onto a much nicer Chinook.  "Hog" status.

Ashneet played this fish really nicely on a brand new charter setup that I'd picked up the day before.  With these big bruisers around I didn't want a guest to lose a fish due to any question about the tuning of the gear.  With the drag set just right for the fish to run and tire while also allowing for the lift and reel-to routine on the retrieve, Ashneet got his salmon right up to the yaks even sooner than with the earlier, smaller fish.  My guy made the right moves and did all of what I asked of him, and we had his limit fish in the bag.  It was done.

We'd achieved success with each getting a smaller keeper earlier in the morning, and now the entire trip had been fulfilled and then some - 22.5 pounder for my client.  It was his personal best.  We made our way in to the launch where I'd cut, bag and ice the fillets and all of the collars and other smoker pieces, and then we re-launched to ease our way through a halibut try along the beach and maybe some bottom fish out on the reef.  All pressure was off, and we were all smiles.

The hali's were not interested in what we passed over them, and that was no problem.  We made our way over to the rocks where we found a couple of lingcod and a couple of black rockfish, and right at the end when we were heading for the barn, I hooked up and landed my limit fish too - a nice 15 pounder to cap the day. 

"Barbless all summer" has been paying off, and there were two big kings that I had to release last year - including a 30 pounder - that remind me of that priority all the time.  It's one of many stories that I tell during a typical trip, and it's one of my 'secrets' to success.

Ashneet and I got the last of the fish filleted and packed in the coolers, and by 5PM we were on the road for home.  Once we got into some cell service Ashneet had Avneet heading to the store for another cooler, and we all met up in Loleta at just after 630PM - more than 13 hours after meeting that morning.  We got all the fish loaded up, the guys surmised that they may have to cut their vacation a day short in order to get home to process it all, and our day was over.  Ashneet loaded me up with a nice tip, and we agreed to try to do another trip in the future. 

We waved as they drove off, and my feeling of excitement that had lasted more than 24 hours was now one of contentment and relief.  I'd navigated this crazy guide life by reacting to a hot bite, severing the link between my guy and his family for the potential to achieve a special experience, and I got the payoff.  I can't help but think though - what if I didn't?

Life is about balance, and I aim to make decisions based on full and deep considerations of the upsides and downsides of any venture.  When I take people out, I employ strategies and I use diligence and resourcefulness to maximize our potential.  That ability - using what I've learned and applying a laser focus - is one of the things that led me to guiding.  I'm not about ruining a family day, but I will try to take you on a kayak fishing adventure that's so fulfilling and challenging that it will make you better equipped to make it up to them.

I'm pretty sure that's what Ashneet's doing today, and I know that whatever he's doing, the corners of his lips are upturned, if only slightly, at all times.  The ability that I really cherish is the one that enables me to provide that smile and the stoke that accompanies it.  That's why I guide.

...

Oh hell ya AND he got to break in a new charter special combo too!? I guess that shit works LOL what a trip.

Thanks for the great writeup and pictures Eric.

What a hero shot! Awesome story...

Congratulations on another successful adventure

Eric went above and beyond to make this one of the best fishing days for me. It's all there in his great write up.
When he suggested we switch to Shelter Cove instead of Trinidad, I knew it had to be big deal. I wanted to go, but how could I make it work with family logistics. Of course he offers to take me on his truck. Rest is history.

Many firsts and personal bests ...

• PB salmon 22.5lb
• Salmon limit
• first ocean salmon
• got to fish Shelter Cove. Always wanted to, wasn't planned for this trip, but it happened.
• a photo with the Mayes brothers. Clearly I don't know how to hold a fish for a photoshoot 
• got to fish with Eric. I've fished from my couch reading his reports, now I'm in his report   

What an awesome day. Thanks again Eric for making it happen.

Ashneet

Great report Eric! Good to see you on the water and on the beach. It'd been a minute  .

And nice to meet you Ashneet! You absolutely made the right choice in heading to the Cove over Trinidad. Congrats on your first ocean salmon on kayak, and it's a slug at that! Well done. Maybe we'll run into you on the beach next summer for another photo shoot  .

Nice report Eric! Way to deliver!

That's the best damn fishing report I think I have ever read.  Eric, your tales of your adventures with or without client are truly something I cherish and feel honored to read and envision the chase, the dedication, the effort and the payoff.  Your giving people something that is worth way more than money.  Memories that last a lifetime, and have an impact on their soul.  I love every word of them, and can only hope you will continue to do this for a long time...