Bolinas 10/9

Gonna launch from Bolinas on Saturday, 10/9.  Company welcome.  Headed toward 1DR, will be fishing 1 mile radius from there.  I will get there whenever, plan is to be at 1DR by 9am and fish from 9am to 2-3pm.  I will have my SharkShield.  See you all there and good luck to everybody!
Very likely my last Bolinas trip on a kayak.

Good luck! I'll be working up the coast south of you from Muir to Rocky and then out deeper. I'll be on 69. Good luck with the launch and landing - conditions look like they will be good swell and wind wise, but right now the wind over the ocean is nuts.

Cheers,
Brad

Thanks Brad!  And same to you.  Try straight bait (no flasher).  I will be within 1 mile radius from 1DR1, probably a semi arch between Rocky Pt and 1DR.




For those who are interested in a Muir launch on the same day, 10/9, here is the link that Brad started https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=96849.0;topicseen

Good luck 👍

Good luck 👍

Thanks!  Take me wit u 

Good luck guys. I’ll be thinking g about you while at the pumpkin patch in HMB with my little boy 

Good luck bro hopefully you get a fatty. I will be at Doran hunting for them.

Thanks!  Hope Doran cough up a couple of big ones and may the pumpkin patch traffic is overcame by the fun

Good luck!

Are you launching your motorized AI from Bolinas?

Good luck out there. Please post up a report!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes

What? No live report?

Good luck out there. Please post up a report!

Where are your reports at? Lol

Reception on the water was so bad, so i decided against a live report.  But here it is.
Long day, 4am to 8pm overall, I was so dead.  Launched at about 7am and landed at 4pm.   Nice beautiful weather, practically flat.  Wind picked up at about 2:30pm, but all very manageable (probably because I have a motor).



----------------------------------------------     Launch and Landing ----------------------------------------------

Launch was easy peasy, but landing is another story.  Wind started to blow at 2.30pm and it was a NE wind, so heading could be a challenge, so we started to head in.  At about 3.30pm, we were nearby the beach and looked at it (this is about 2 hours after 1.38pm high tide of 5.1 ft, so about 4.1 ft), the whole ramp was covered, just a small estate to the right of the end of the wall toward the wharf.  After that small estate, the rest of the beach was covered all the way to the wharf end.  We decided to land on that small estate (easy peasy landing) and walk some equipment through knee deep, and sometimes waist deep because of the breaking wave, to the ramp.  Pondered a little bit about how to bring the kayak to the ramp because of the breaking wave could be bad and you cant really run with kayak because the whole wall was covered by breaking wave end-to-end.  After checking the condition at the ramp, we decided that landing at the ramp is easier than pulling the kayak across.  So we launch right back, which was easy peasy, and paddle toward the ramp.  First kayak made a perfect landing into the rough sand at the mouth of the ramp.  Second kayak, me, made a run following a nice size wave.  Right toward the mouth, a crossing wave broke and I was in deep shit with a wave from behind and another from my left.  So I braced hard and was able to land my kayak perpendicular to the mouth.  Easy peasy now, but it was oh-shit moment     There were two of us, so it was so much better.  We assessed the sitcon and helped each other with launch and landing, I highly recommend that.



----------------------------------------------      Fishing ----------------------------------------------

We launched at about 7am or so, was expecting there was no morning bite.  Went straight toward 1DR, but about 1/3 of the way, we went south because of kelps were sticking out everywhere and I didnt want my prop to be caught in them.  Started out with one shark shield, another benefit of launching with a partner (we saved the other one for later).  Started trolling roughly about 8:30am in 45 fow, 40 pull or about 50 feet down.  Tried cop car and straight bait on a crow bar.  Head toward 1DR, semi circle toward rocky point, tried from 85 feet all the way to 70 feet.  We heard fish caught about two miles off stinson around 60 fow.  So we head toward stinson.
At about 10.15 am or so, my rod started to tap-tap-tap, then bent all the way down to the water.  I wasn't paying attention, I was prepping another bait to try.  This thing made a huge run, zzzz ... zzzz ...zzz.... At this point, I was pretty calm, but excited nonetheless.  This was 40 pulls at about 55 fow, right just outside of the reef, about halfway between launch and 1DR; straight bait on a crow bar, no flasher).    Reel, zzz ... zzz ...zzz...  reel some more.  Kept going like this for about 3-4 minutes or so.  Radio-ed the location and depth and lure.  All 4 other kayakers were cheering for me (thanks fellas!) ..... zzz .... zzz ...zzz.... reel .... zzz ... reel ... zzz ... zzz ..... 


Finally, the salmon surfaced.  Nice size!  I am guessing somewhere between 26" to 32", probably 28" or so.  It was tossing and turning like crazy.  It was flashing while it does that, made me think of I need to make sure my bait rolled like that lol.    Kept the line tight and slowly I gained line.  It got closed to the kayak, then it ran again.  Did this about three more times and finally it started to tired out.  So I reeled it and man, this thing was beasty.  Made one last final run and i was able to horse it nearby.  At this point, the fish was right at the stern of my outback, so I was going to net it.  All of sudden the fish ran toward the middle of the boat so I lifted the rod to keep tension.  Then he went under the boat.  In this moment, I lowered my rod, mind you there was plenty of tension at this time.  He dove under and I was afraid that he was going to be wrapped up around my shark shield.  So I lower the rod a little, still with tension.   All of sudden he made a turn back out, a fraction moment of lost tension there.  He shook his head and the hook was off just like that. 



It was so damn close I was probably could've touched it with my hand.  fml, report over, i dont want to talk about it.

Wow! What a feisty fish!

Thanks for the detailed report, and glad to hear that the landing worked out.