Cape Mendocino - 9/11

Been waiting on a word of a renewed salmon bite at Shelter Cove, but last I heard was "salmon are extinct here..."  It's been a month of absolutely no salmon bite there! 

Chris (MBYakker) and I hooked up and headed to the Cape today around 2:30.  It was flat, glassy and sunny when we arrived.  We got set up and headed out in awesome conditions.  We hit the reef and were both geared up to just fish lings - only big terminal tackle on.  I was running a 10 oz. leadhead with a fancy white double-tail kinda plastic deal that cost me four and a half bucks.  I had hooked it on a rockcod rig I already had on there and just left the one bare hook on there above the lead.  Well 2 blacks and a blue later I decided to I had to take the bare hook off of there to cut that action out!  The fishing was slow, but that's to be expected when you get rid of the small attractors and just go big for lings.  Over the next hour I landed a few more blacks including a very small one that impaled itself on my giant leadhead due to its curiosity and my jigging action.  I re-positioned it in an "eat-me" kinda way and sent it back down on the 10 oz. leadhead.  It wasn't long and I had a 30" ling on deck.  Chris got a photo, and it was back in the water.  I ended up impaling another small fish and getting another 30" ling on that!  Then Chris hooked up with a ling and I trolled over to get photos and hooked up another small ling.  So it was good action.  We split up with Chris staying out to keep trying for the big ling and I headed in shore to try for a cabbie and contemplate an ab dive.  As I drifted to the south end of the reef I hooked up a nice ling that ended up going 32", and it splashed my camera when I wasn't careful enough about handling it.     It seems OK now, but I'm watching it for a typical ocean-exposure reaction...   I did end up diving, and that cut into my near shore cabbie hunting, so I settled for an ab and a couple of little guy blues that sacrificed themselves on my 6.5 oz. blue Megabait when I jigged around the kelp on the way in shore.  Chris came in as I wrapped up my ab dive and he'd hooked up with some nice lings out there.

It was another great day at the Cape.   

nice harvest!!!

Yep - nice sunny day and little wind . . .if it weren't for the lack of big dollar homes on the coast I woulda thought I was floating around on Carmel Bay or off Pebble Beach!  Well that and the super rippin current that makes you need a 10oz leadhead on a windless day!!

As Eric mentioned, the day was all about getting the BIG LING .. which I didn't get.  I got three in total with one qualifying as a pretty big ling.  I was using one of those huge, 10inch Kalin BigN Grubs on an 8oz head.  I started out using a pumpkin color but switched to white which seemed to get hit a bit more.  Since I was just fishing the huge plastics I only caught one non-ling . . .a fat china.  Another awesome day - thanks Eric!  All fish CPR'd

 

Sounds like a great day on the water. WTG guys 

I'm jealous you lucky SOBs!

Thanks for the great report and pics guys!
PK

Of all the times I've seen chris carry his yak on his head...that may be the first picture of it! Ha!

Chris - Wow ... far away from home for you. you must be in vacation - sort of. It is cool way of hookup. Where is your hobie, since no gws is at north? 

Chris - Wow ... far away from home for you. you must be in vacation - sort of. It is cool way of hookup. Where is your hobie, since no gws is at north? 

Ha ha . .I am starting to consider the CA coast my home.  Currently I live up here in Humboldt but I'll be moving to San Diego very shortly.  I am not sure what that will mean for my kayak fishing but I'm optimistic.   I'm not travel adverse however . .and I expect I'll still do a few weekends in Big Sur/Monterey Bay.   

I still have never taken my Hobie in the ocean.  I've used it in Humboldt Bay and I plan on using it in the San Diego bays . . but there are 2 reasons I'm not taking it in the ocean right now . .

1.  The peddle mechanism.  I don't trust it enough and if it fails in bad conditions then the hobie is a beast to paddle . .even the revolucion.

2.  I don't like using the Hobie over weeds/kelp . . not that it can't be done but if I know I am headed for the kelp I am going to take the prowler.

And I'm totally worried about the shark thing.  I feel like I'm riding a big Rapala out there . . .and I don't trust GWS to stay down south.

I like having both kinds of boats.  I find myself going for the Hobie whenever I hit freshwater or am going to be trolling or drifting in relatively obstruction free water.  I find myself going for the Prowler whenever there is kelp, weeds, rocks or surf involved.  The Prowler is an easier carry as well.  If I could only have one boat . .it would have to be the Prowler . .but I do like the Hobie a lot, too. 

  I feel like I'm riding a big Rapala out there . . .and I don't trust GWS to stay down south.

Nah, its more like a buzzbait! LOL!

you two are killin me!.....thanks for the pics&port! I think I need one of them BIG Kalins TOO!   that looks like prime grounds up there!  is that the place that never lays down like that?    if so? you planned it RIGHT!   gotta love it!