Wednesday C&R
 

I launched at 3pm on Wednesday to try for an evening bite on the forkers. Lake La Jolla launch. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. It was a pretty heavy overcast with a little wind chop, coudn't even find a beam of sunlight to give me some hope. Made some nice spaniards outside the reserve, one or two on every drop. I put out two lines hi-lo and trolled to the golden dome and back. But it was dead, no signs of anything. Not even a sea lion looking for free lunch. Until I saw a single black cormorant bobbing on the swells in front of me. As quick as you can say "la jolla sleighride", my deep line gets picked up and starts clicking gently. "Oh no", I thought, and felt the pull on the line to judge the weight. Felt like a chicken. Shit. I started reeling in and up pops the cormorant with my mac crosswise in his beak. I reeled it in, flopping and pulling through the chop, until it got close enough to see what the hook situations was. Whew! The hook was in the mac's nose and clear of the bird. I reel this tenacious SOB all the to my side, shook the rod, lifted it completely out of the water, and it still hung on. I had know idea that cormorants were the bulldogs of the avian world. I looked around for a pursuader, decided on the paddle, but cormdog let go as I leaned toward it. Then he lunges for the brokeback mac as I flip it into my lap. I thought "oh shit, he's going to jump into my lap", so I quickly unhooked and flipped him the mac just as he swam under my yak. I had one second to be happy with that ending, when zzzzzzz, my second line is getting pulled from 75 feet in the other direction. That SOB is fast! And hungry! Repeat the whole story...but sadly this time when I got him to the boat I see he has swallowed the mac. I didn't know what to do except cut the line at his beak and hope the circle hook stays unhooked and rusts out.

Now I've got one more thing to worry about stealing my bait, and it's faster and quieter than a sea lion, and too dumb to avoid the hook.

Next time you hook one of those birds, bring to boat and grab neck,twist accordingly and hook should fall right out. Works for me...:p

hahahaha good stuff. got to love scuba chickens. Here let me help you out with a pic

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P9070025.JPG

Scuba Chickens!

That's hilarious.

those things suck.
 

Last time I fished dana harbor I caught:

3 short hali
2 brown pelican
1 scuba chicken

I've made it a point to not dump left over bait at the launch (I'll walk left-overs to the trash).

%#^@ those birds, they need to eat what they catch in a hunt, not a hand-out.

Those birds have been relentless for the past few days .... diving deep, calling their friends. I think I had the whole
Osbourne clan around me for a while....

PS... we need a bird and seal icon in the smiley section along with one of those big Donkey kong hammers or a road runner Cannon....
food for thought...:sifone:

I had two of those follow me around yesterday for a half hour. Hitting them on the head with a fishing rod does not deter them.

"Scuba Chickens" LOL....That there is some funny chit!

I had 2 of these suckers messing with me for a while. finally I gave up and moved. smart little bastards. also lots of dogs out today.

good laugh
 

:hahaha::hahaha::hahaha:
Dave,
I don't know why but your story just made me laugh!! Thanks for the good humor!! I think I'll cook chicken tonight. :cheers1:

Agree.... Scuba Chicken = funny chit.
http://www.artescuaro.com/images/statues/scuba.JPG


I had one follow me about 2 hrs on Sunday... kept going back and forth under the boat. I told my GF I made a friend on the water that day.

Great pic above too! HA!

I have a total phobia of birds.....I can promise you I would have shit my pants, dumped my yak and swam for home if that fahquer would have landed on my lap!!!

NOW THAT'S SOME FUNNY CHIT!!!!! :D

Since the red tide has been around, I think they have found out that it is much easier to catch tethered Macks than free swimmers. Last Thurs I lost at least 4 flylined baits to them.

Wow Kev, your own pet cormorant. Don't see that everyday. Cool pic.

Wades Audubon Society has been rescuing & volunteering for Wildlife, Raptors and various birds for well over twenty years.
The most common problems I see associated, are fishing line & hooks..
Please whenever possible bring the foul hooked birds yakside, and completely remove your Leader & Hook, and possibly others.. Dont just cut your line at first notice. At least give it an attempt.
(When applicable & not too invasive)
You may need to man-handle him at first, like Dave says...
He will soon know you mean no harm, only help.
Putting their flapping wings carefully underneath your arm, can calm down even the most finicky "scuba-chicken" .......

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/68GfqxGHr2E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6186/ergk.jpg

HAHAHAHAHA

wade i liked it yesterday when you were feeding the birds and the cabin cruiser (not d50) raced in and started throwing the iron because he thought the birds were diving on a school.... I was losing it laughing. WFO Cormorants and pelicans......

Put a pinch collar on him and take him to the schutzhund field!!

Way to go all out in bad condition!!

GBF

HAHAHA Benny Hill music, loved that show

I too take the "autoburn" society view of deterrence (kind-of)... http://www.wholesalemidwest.com/electric_prods.htm
Just be very careful to be completely free from the water when "deterring"!

Another great method, sometimes employed by cattle boats is the paint ball guns, I have found that freezing the paint balls before venturing out works wonders for "deterrence" of Birds and sea lions alike.

The Pelicans are usually not a problem for me unless you are trolling too fast but the damn cormorants are pests and are extremely overpopulated, so I really don't feel too bad about a few floaters, so sorry in advance for my bad behavior but if you see them floating around with burn marks or gaff holes in them... it was an accident...:rolleyes: you can report me to the seal lady at Childrens pool!;)

I have heard that is how Josh got so good at throwing the Iron BTW:jig:... they make great targets if you aim while they are still aways away.:D

Thanks for a great thread guys. I needed a good laugh.

Buffwear.com

I have one with the UV protection, got mine from REI

Planet Buff

Great video Wade! thanks for the laugh

No way man! Pelicans are slow and dumb. You can time it easier and drop a hand on the top of their beak closing it shut a lot faster then a scuba chicken (love it). Have you felt the inside of those beaks? They're like straight razors. Thank god for gloves

Thanks all for the clever pesents & fun read. I think Wade's spelling should be "Fowl" hooked...? There is an epidemic of cormorants at Dana Pt also that has made fishing difficult ,if not impossible, the past few weeks. They have very sharp and quick beaks- so I bring a small hand towel or bandana to throw over their head before grabbing.
Wayne

Had an agro Pelican on the attack this week. A rescue bird (tag on its leg). Not afraid of humans and didn't really care that my hand was empty of fish food...