wasn't as smart as Tyler. I launched out at around 8:30, big nasty wave but made it out with dry hair (my chest was soaked though. Made my way out to the grounds and tried just about everything with no luck. I decided to make a run along the kelp so that my efforts wouldn’t be a waste. I threw some fishtraps out (light green, orange belly) and was almost immediately picked up by a nice size checkerboard (I don’t have a scale but guess him in the 3-1/2 # range). I played around some more an C&R’d about a dozen more (smaller) calicos. They had chewed up my last light green fishtrap so I switched to the orange bellied sardine and was slammed by a nice boney, and then another and I farmed a third--those guys hit hard. I was about to head in and got picked up by something much bigger and was peeling line off the Avet like it was cool. I am hoping YT, but when I got it to color it was about a 30 inch barrie. As I was getting ready to gaff him my knot failed (same not that pulled in about 18 fish for the day). I should have retied the knot after the first couple of bonies—lesson learned.
Well at around 12:30 I decided to head in and the swell was getting bigger. The waves could be seen breaking from well past the yellow can :shock: . I wasn’t looking forward to landing (why didn’t I go to the bay this morning instead?). I passed a ton of rental yaks heading out so it couldn’t be that bad—right? Well I get closer to shore and the set are big, close and hairy. I try to time it for between a few smaller ones and was making good headway until this wall of water rolled me like I’ve never been rolled before :roll: (actually, I never have been rolled before). It must have been a combination of several factors: the Hobie Outback paddles and tracks for shit, full bait tank on the back deck and three good sized fish to boot—all that extra weight above the CG. Lucky for me I have an over abundance of leashes for all of my rods, paddle etc. The only thing I lost was a pair of cheap sunglasses, a hat and a little dignity
ops:.
Guy on beach: Dude that was awesome we couldn’t stop laughing :lol:
Me: I can’t blame you, I’d be laughing at me too.
There were several regulars on the beach that didn’t go out but were enjoying watching the comedy that was trying to land today. In the time that I was loading my gear up at least a dozen rental yaks and few others bit it hard. (did anyone bring a video camera—America’s Funniest?).
I’ll post pix of the fish later (I know, no pix=BS).
Steve :roll: