New Years Eve Halibut Video
Estero Bay Kayak Fishing began as a way to share our love of fishing and the area where we live, work, and play. We are located along coastal San Luis Obispo County on California's Central Coast. This area is a kayak fisherman's dream with great fishing and epic scenery. Our goal is to share adventures, expand awareness for kayak fishing, and to help fishermen new and old get the most out of our local fishery. Let us know what's hitting in your waters. Cheers, "Tebbs"
Showing posts with label Cambria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cambria. Show all posts
Sunday, January 4, 2015
New Years halibut video
Here is a video I did of the New Years Eve halibut catch from Cambria, Ca
New Years Eve Halibut Video
New Years Eve Halibut Video
New Years Eve 2014...Wind, Halibut, and a Mayday!
First off, Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2015 and I post it with the hope that we can all learn something or at least to reaffirm what many of you already know. It is kind of long but I hope that you enjoy it. After reading, post up your thoughts and any experiences you have had where you found yourself in trouble on the water.
12/31/2014 @ 07:45 - A group of 7 of us arrived at Leffingwell Landing in Cambria, Ca to find choppy seas and a steady east (offshore) wind. After some discussion of alternate locations and pros and cons we decided to give it a shot. The wind seemed to be dropping and by the time we launched the wind was noticeably less and the sea was starting to lay down.
08:30 - We had an easy launch and it really wasn't bad at all out on the water. We all worked our way out, a few of us getting out to 100 feet of water. At that spot I was marking some good fish feeding on a cloud of bait so I dropped a double hook, rock fish fly rig and immediately hooked up. It felt like a couple of small blues but as I brought it up I was surprised to see 2 decent sized macks. I lost one of them while unhooking the other. I figured since I had some good live bait I would give it a shot and see what I could make happen on this last day of the California rock fish season. I dug out a dropper loop rig that I had in one of my boxes. I pinned the mack through the nose on the in line loop and attached a Big Hammer Swimbait on a 4 oz. jig head on the bottom of the rig. The mackerel immediately took off with some really good, lively action. I had drifted out into 120 feet of water while rigging up the mack so I started to slowly work my way back in toward the rest of the guys hitting some structure here and there as I went.
09:30 - The wind was starting to pick up again and some of the guys were starting to slowly work their way in closer to shore. We began to do the same but just as we did my rod slowly doubled over like I had gotten snagged on the drift. After taking the rod out of the holder I gave it a little tug to see if I could un-snag it and it gave a tug back. Oh Yeah! Fish on! I gave the reel a few cranks and then the fish headed for the floor, peeling off line as it went. It made a good hard run and went straight to the bottom and stayed there. I told my partner, "this is either a really big ling or its a nice Halibut or White Seabass!". It took a little while to coax it up off the bottom and then it was just a matter of hauling in dead weight on the end of the line. It made one more small run and I was finally able to get it to the surface. At first color I initially thought it was a hawg of a lingcod then it turned and I saw the wide, flat body of a halibut. Hell yeah! I missed my first gaff shot, hitting it square in its dome. The second one found its mark right under its head in the soft underside. Once on the gaff I knew he was mine. I let out a huge WHOOP! and got him on the clip. I hooked him in 100 fow and he came in at just under 36" and just shy of 25 lbs.
Approx. 10:00 - Once I got the fish secured on the clip, got my gear stowed, and laid him on my lap for the paddle in I realized how far south-west we had been blown by the wind. It also became clear that the wind was no longer just a nuisance, it was now a force to reckon with. It was myself and another member of our group who had stayed by my side during the battle with the fish in case I needed assistance. I was able to make slow progress against the wind in my Wilderness Systems Thresher 140, while continuing to check behind to make sure my partner was doing the same. The wind was continuing to build as were the seas. We started taking some pretty good chop over the bows and spray in our faces. The sea had turned angry my friends! As I struggled to make headway of my own I noticed that my partner was not, in fact it looked as though he was losing ground. I radioed another member of the group to report our situation but due to the wind noise and his own struggle to get back to shore we had trouble communicating. We continued to battle the wind and I made the decision to remain with my partner seeing that he was not going to be able to make it back in. I relayed to the others that we were going to need assistance but communications were still difficult. Finally, I made a difficult decision, I switched to channel 16 and called Mayday, Mayday, Mayday...
Making that call was one of the harder things I have had to do. I work for the fire department! I am the one people call for help, I knew my friends and co-workers were going to hear about it, and my own ego was screaming at me to quit jacking around and paddle for shore! But the reality of the situation was that we were in trouble and further delay was just going to make it worse.
..."vessel with the mayday, continue with your emergency" or something like that. To my surprise it was the USCG out of Long Beach calling me back. I figured it would be the local Morro Bay station but Long Beach (approx. 4 hours south of my location) had picked up my transmission on my little handheld vhf on channel 16. They relayed the information to Morro Bay and from that point I communicated with them. It took a little work to get them our position using landmarks on shore and our general position relative to shore. It took the vessel approx. 1 hour to make it up the coast to us (they temporarily got diverted to an overturned kayaker off of Cayucos, but he was rescued by the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol). At this point we were approximately 3 miles offshore and 5 miles south of the bridge at Leffingwell (our launching location), in 240 feet of water. Now, that distance wouldn't normally be an issue but with the strong offshore wind we may as well have been 100 miles out. While waiting for the Coast Guard we did our best to stay together and and to keep our bows faced into the wind and our kayaks upright. Eventually, the wind did start to subside and we were able to make some headway back towards land, getting to 190 feet of water at the time of pick up.
Approx. 11:00 - The Coast Guard arrived and we could hear the 47' Motor Life Boat before we could see it. Once they reached the area they were able to pinpoint our location by zeroing in on our radio transmission and came and picked us up. They were great guys who were more concerned with the fact that we had a fat halibut on board than they were about chastising us for our predicament. They hauled all of our gear on board and gave us a ride back in closer to shore. After taking some pics with the crew, did I mention how awesome they were, they dropped us off and we paddled the rest of the way back in. On our ride back in, the boat passed by a couple more guys from our group who had also been blown out and were working their way back in with the reduced winds. The USCG dropped us next to them and we all made it back in together safe and sound, but very tired.
Out of the 7 who launched together, 4 were blown offshore and the other 3 had battles of their own to make it back in. All members stayed on hand until they were sure that everyone was accounted for and safely back onshore. We all shared some happy, relieved, and sheepish laughs once reunited, glad to be able to share our story and looking forward to fishing together again.
Understandably, some people are saying that we put safety aside to fish, perhaps we did. But there was 7 of us there, the conditions that we saw and the forecast that we were working off of (showing the winds decreasing as the day wore on) looked to us favorable and they were indeed declining. It was basically a 2 hour window, from about 10:00 - 12:00, of strong wind that blew us out and led to the eventual rescue. When we were dropped off the winds had died away to a calm breeze and the water looked beautiful.
Lessons learned...
1. Never underestimate the effect the wind can have on you, especially an east wind on the west coast. Had we stayed in shallower and fished the kelp we would have been in better shape and most likely could have made it back on our own.
2. Never, ever, leave shore without a fully charged and functional vhf radio. This will be my mantra forever.
3. Always, always wear your PFD. Had we gone in the water and lost our grip on our yaks, it is very likely that we would have been separated from it very quickly in the wind and chop. We were in very choppy seas in 54 degree water. No PFD would likely have proven fatal.
4. Both of us normally have a gps unit with us but on this day neither of us had our with us, of course. Even though the USCG was able to find us, giving them our exact coordinates would have made it much easier. If your fish finder doesn't have gps, think about bringing a handheld unit with you.
5. Fish with a partner and stick within sight of each other. I think having 2 of us together kept the stress of the situation down as we were able to talk and somewhat joke about the situation. We were wondering how Fiji was this time of year.
6. Finally, if you think you are in trouble and are going to need help. DO NOT WAIT to make the call. Get help coming and if you end up not needing them you can cancel them. Remember, there is lag time involved with getting that help in place and to you.
Well, there you have it, in full detail. Questions, comments let them fly. I hope that by sharing this somewhat humiliating experience others can learn from it. I'll post a video of the halibut catch once I get it together. Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Tebbs
12/31/2014 @ 07:45 - A group of 7 of us arrived at Leffingwell Landing in Cambria, Ca to find choppy seas and a steady east (offshore) wind. After some discussion of alternate locations and pros and cons we decided to give it a shot. The wind seemed to be dropping and by the time we launched the wind was noticeably less and the sea was starting to lay down.
Our launch location on a calmer day
08:30 - We had an easy launch and it really wasn't bad at all out on the water. We all worked our way out, a few of us getting out to 100 feet of water. At that spot I was marking some good fish feeding on a cloud of bait so I dropped a double hook, rock fish fly rig and immediately hooked up. It felt like a couple of small blues but as I brought it up I was surprised to see 2 decent sized macks. I lost one of them while unhooking the other. I figured since I had some good live bait I would give it a shot and see what I could make happen on this last day of the California rock fish season. I dug out a dropper loop rig that I had in one of my boxes. I pinned the mack through the nose on the in line loop and attached a Big Hammer Swimbait on a 4 oz. jig head on the bottom of the rig. The mackerel immediately took off with some really good, lively action. I had drifted out into 120 feet of water while rigging up the mack so I started to slowly work my way back in toward the rest of the guys hitting some structure here and there as I went.
09:30 - The wind was starting to pick up again and some of the guys were starting to slowly work their way in closer to shore. We began to do the same but just as we did my rod slowly doubled over like I had gotten snagged on the drift. After taking the rod out of the holder I gave it a little tug to see if I could un-snag it and it gave a tug back. Oh Yeah! Fish on! I gave the reel a few cranks and then the fish headed for the floor, peeling off line as it went. It made a good hard run and went straight to the bottom and stayed there. I told my partner, "this is either a really big ling or its a nice Halibut or White Seabass!". It took a little while to coax it up off the bottom and then it was just a matter of hauling in dead weight on the end of the line. It made one more small run and I was finally able to get it to the surface. At first color I initially thought it was a hawg of a lingcod then it turned and I saw the wide, flat body of a halibut. Hell yeah! I missed my first gaff shot, hitting it square in its dome. The second one found its mark right under its head in the soft underside. Once on the gaff I knew he was mine. I let out a huge WHOOP! and got him on the clip. I hooked him in 100 fow and he came in at just under 36" and just shy of 25 lbs.
Approx. 10:00 - Once I got the fish secured on the clip, got my gear stowed, and laid him on my lap for the paddle in I realized how far south-west we had been blown by the wind. It also became clear that the wind was no longer just a nuisance, it was now a force to reckon with. It was myself and another member of our group who had stayed by my side during the battle with the fish in case I needed assistance. I was able to make slow progress against the wind in my Wilderness Systems Thresher 140, while continuing to check behind to make sure my partner was doing the same. The wind was continuing to build as were the seas. We started taking some pretty good chop over the bows and spray in our faces. The sea had turned angry my friends! As I struggled to make headway of my own I noticed that my partner was not, in fact it looked as though he was losing ground. I radioed another member of the group to report our situation but due to the wind noise and his own struggle to get back to shore we had trouble communicating. We continued to battle the wind and I made the decision to remain with my partner seeing that he was not going to be able to make it back in. I relayed to the others that we were going to need assistance but communications were still difficult. Finally, I made a difficult decision, I switched to channel 16 and called Mayday, Mayday, Mayday...
Making that call was one of the harder things I have had to do. I work for the fire department! I am the one people call for help, I knew my friends and co-workers were going to hear about it, and my own ego was screaming at me to quit jacking around and paddle for shore! But the reality of the situation was that we were in trouble and further delay was just going to make it worse.
The USCG arriving at our location
..."vessel with the mayday, continue with your emergency" or something like that. To my surprise it was the USCG out of Long Beach calling me back. I figured it would be the local Morro Bay station but Long Beach (approx. 4 hours south of my location) had picked up my transmission on my little handheld vhf on channel 16. They relayed the information to Morro Bay and from that point I communicated with them. It took a little work to get them our position using landmarks on shore and our general position relative to shore. It took the vessel approx. 1 hour to make it up the coast to us (they temporarily got diverted to an overturned kayaker off of Cayucos, but he was rescued by the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol). At this point we were approximately 3 miles offshore and 5 miles south of the bridge at Leffingwell (our launching location), in 240 feet of water. Now, that distance wouldn't normally be an issue but with the strong offshore wind we may as well have been 100 miles out. While waiting for the Coast Guard we did our best to stay together and and to keep our bows faced into the wind and our kayaks upright. Eventually, the wind did start to subside and we were able to make some headway back towards land, getting to 190 feet of water at the time of pick up.
Approx. 11:00 - The Coast Guard arrived and we could hear the 47' Motor Life Boat before we could see it. Once they reached the area they were able to pinpoint our location by zeroing in on our radio transmission and came and picked us up. They were great guys who were more concerned with the fact that we had a fat halibut on board than they were about chastising us for our predicament. They hauled all of our gear on board and gave us a ride back in closer to shore. After taking some pics with the crew, did I mention how awesome they were, they dropped us off and we paddled the rest of the way back in. On our ride back in, the boat passed by a couple more guys from our group who had also been blown out and were working their way back in with the reduced winds. The USCG dropped us next to them and we all made it back in together safe and sound, but very tired.
A couple members of the Morro Bay USCG crew that came to our aid
Out of the 7 who launched together, 4 were blown offshore and the other 3 had battles of their own to make it back in. All members stayed on hand until they were sure that everyone was accounted for and safely back onshore. We all shared some happy, relieved, and sheepish laughs once reunited, glad to be able to share our story and looking forward to fishing together again.
Understandably, some people are saying that we put safety aside to fish, perhaps we did. But there was 7 of us there, the conditions that we saw and the forecast that we were working off of (showing the winds decreasing as the day wore on) looked to us favorable and they were indeed declining. It was basically a 2 hour window, from about 10:00 - 12:00, of strong wind that blew us out and led to the eventual rescue. When we were dropped off the winds had died away to a calm breeze and the water looked beautiful.
Back on shore with almost 25 lbs. of BUTT! You can see in the background how calm the sea had become again.
The following day I took 2 large bags of halibut filets over to the boys at the USCG station as a thank you. Thanks again guys!
Lessons learned...
1. Never underestimate the effect the wind can have on you, especially an east wind on the west coast. Had we stayed in shallower and fished the kelp we would have been in better shape and most likely could have made it back on our own.
2. Never, ever, leave shore without a fully charged and functional vhf radio. This will be my mantra forever.
3. Always, always wear your PFD. Had we gone in the water and lost our grip on our yaks, it is very likely that we would have been separated from it very quickly in the wind and chop. We were in very choppy seas in 54 degree water. No PFD would likely have proven fatal.
4. Both of us normally have a gps unit with us but on this day neither of us had our with us, of course. Even though the USCG was able to find us, giving them our exact coordinates would have made it much easier. If your fish finder doesn't have gps, think about bringing a handheld unit with you.
5. Fish with a partner and stick within sight of each other. I think having 2 of us together kept the stress of the situation down as we were able to talk and somewhat joke about the situation. We were wondering how Fiji was this time of year.
6. Finally, if you think you are in trouble and are going to need help. DO NOT WAIT to make the call. Get help coming and if you end up not needing them you can cancel them. Remember, there is lag time involved with getting that help in place and to you.
Well, there you have it, in full detail. Questions, comments let them fly. I hope that by sharing this somewhat humiliating experience others can learn from it. I'll post a video of the halibut catch once I get it together. Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Tebbs
Monday, September 15, 2014
Central Coast Kayak Fishing - Cambria Slam Down III Fishing Tournament
Last years tournament had over 100 competitors, up from around 40 at the inaugural event. This years tournament, only days away at this point, is already near 130 entrants. With a Jackson Cuda as the grand prize and 2 raffles benefiting Heroes on the Water (one for a Hobie Outback and the other for a Malibu Mini-X), plus a host of other great prizes making this tournament one of California's great fishing events. There is still time left to register. Come on out and support a great organization!
Sign up here!
Sign up here!
New or used, that is the question?
Diamonds in the Rough
Why a used kayak? Sure the color may be a little faded and the hull might be a bit scuffed up from being dragged over rocks and across beaches. It will not be the latest model with all the bells and whistles and you'll probably have to get creative with rigging it up for fishing. But one thing it has going for it over a new kayak is that it's cheap! And when you're starting out, cheap is good. You may even find one that someone else has already rigged up, some complete with fish finders.
You may recall from the first article that I said, "use what you have available to you and/or that you can get into with minimal cost." I believe that getting on the water and fishing is more important than finding the "perfect", pre-rigged fishing kayak, at least in the beginning. I think you are better off learning how to paddle efficiently and how to fish from a kayak first. Then upgrade your equipment as needed. This may not apply to people with previous kayak experience but if you are new to kayaking, buying your first kayak is usually based more on other peoples recommendations than your own experience. Even if you are able to hit some dealers near you and demo different styles and brands (which I highly recommend you do) you are still looking at a limited amount of time getting to know that particular kayak. But, maybe you have a friend, a family member, or a neighbor that has a kayak they aren't using, that you can borrow (please ask first). Look for local deals, there are some great deals to be had on Craigslist and other similar sites. Where I live, there are many kayak rental companies that sell off their inventory every few years, at huge discounts. Check with dealers and tour companies in your area. A solid, used kayak on the cheap is hard to beat for the beginning yak angler.
A used kayak saves you money and gets you where you need to be, on the water fishing. You need to experience what its like to cast from a kayak, fight a fish from a kayak, and grab gear in front and behind you. Try standing up, sitting side saddle, twisting, turning, and leaning out, and paddle, paddle, paddle. As you learn to paddle more efficiently and fine tune your kayak fishing style, a clearer picture of your perfect kayak will emerge. You will figure out whether you need a wide, stable platform for standing and sighting fish or a sleeker, faster model for covering distances. Finally, a used kayak lets you experiment with rigging options more freely. With a new kayak, that you just dropped your paycheck on, you may be reluctant to start drilling holes in it to mount that new camera pole you just picked up. Then, only to find out that you mounted it in a spot that hits your elbow on every paddle stroke (ask me how I know this, arrrghh!). But with a used kayak, one that you snagged for a few hundred dollars, go for it. Get creative and find out what works for you and what doesn't. Can't find or can't afford what you're looking for? No problem, become an inventor and tap into your creative side. One of the best things about this sport is the DIY aspect of rigging your yak.
Cream of the Crop
I can hear you now. You're saying, if a used kayak is so great why buy a new one, right? Well, like with any product, new kayaks offer new innovations and new features. While it's true that a used kayak will save you money, let you experiment with different setups, and will let you figure out what features will enhance your fishing. The kayak designers take all of the feedback from customers and pro staff team members into consideration and create new models based on that information. The early "fishing" kayaks were really just standard, recreational models, maybe with some flush mount rod holders installed. The new crop of fishing kayaks are designed "for" fishing, not as an after thought. Often these kayaks are also designed with a certain style of fishing and water type in mind.
.png)
Why a used kayak? Sure the color may be a little faded and the hull might be a bit scuffed up from being dragged over rocks and across beaches. It will not be the latest model with all the bells and whistles and you'll probably have to get creative with rigging it up for fishing. But one thing it has going for it over a new kayak is that it's cheap! And when you're starting out, cheap is good. You may even find one that someone else has already rigged up, some complete with fish finders.
A quick Craigslist search turned up this OK Drifter that is rigged up and ready to go.
Another local Craigslist search turned up this OK Scupper Pro. An older model but in nice shape and with some rigging would make a nice first kayak.
A used kayak saves you money and gets you where you need to be, on the water fishing. You need to experience what its like to cast from a kayak, fight a fish from a kayak, and grab gear in front and behind you. Try standing up, sitting side saddle, twisting, turning, and leaning out, and paddle, paddle, paddle. As you learn to paddle more efficiently and fine tune your kayak fishing style, a clearer picture of your perfect kayak will emerge. You will figure out whether you need a wide, stable platform for standing and sighting fish or a sleeker, faster model for covering distances. Finally, a used kayak lets you experiment with rigging options more freely. With a new kayak, that you just dropped your paycheck on, you may be reluctant to start drilling holes in it to mount that new camera pole you just picked up. Then, only to find out that you mounted it in a spot that hits your elbow on every paddle stroke (ask me how I know this, arrrghh!). But with a used kayak, one that you snagged for a few hundred dollars, go for it. Get creative and find out what works for you and what doesn't. Can't find or can't afford what you're looking for? No problem, become an inventor and tap into your creative side. One of the best things about this sport is the DIY aspect of rigging your yak.
Cream of the Crop
I can hear you now. You're saying, if a used kayak is so great why buy a new one, right? Well, like with any product, new kayaks offer new innovations and new features. While it's true that a used kayak will save you money, let you experiment with different setups, and will let you figure out what features will enhance your fishing. The kayak designers take all of the feedback from customers and pro staff team members into consideration and create new models based on that information. The early "fishing" kayaks were really just standard, recreational models, maybe with some flush mount rod holders installed. The new crop of fishing kayaks are designed "for" fishing, not as an after thought. Often these kayaks are also designed with a certain style of fishing and water type in mind.
The Thresher by Wilderness Systems Kayaks is designed as a "big water" offshore kayak.
The kayaks being manufactured today have refined hulls built with the fisherman's needs in mind. Stability and tracking with some models offering good speed as well, all in one package. These new kayaks are also feature packed. Better storage options, larger deck platforms for standing, built-in track systems, removable electronics pods, advancements in seating choices, and a multitude of mounting points offer today's yak anglers many extremely useful and versatile models and brands to choose from.
The AP Max seat from Wilderness Systems Kayaks is an example of the improvements made in kayak seats. Other kayak brands also offer their own versions of this new style of seat.
Reading between the lines
In the end I'll say this...Buy new if you are an experienced paddler and have spent a good amount of time in and on kayaks and know what you want. Either you are coming from a used kayak that you have outgrown or that you have determined does not fit your fishing needs and you are looking to upgrade. Or, you have the money to spend and just want to go new from the beginning, certainly nothing wrong with that. Just be sure that you do some research and demo some kayaks before plopping down a couple grand on someone elses recommendations.
Otherwise, start out with a proven and trusted used kayak. Learn how to paddle, learn how to fish from this platform, learn how to be smooth on the water, and refine your own personal kayak fishing "system". Here is my list of top beginner kayak models. These brands and models are stable, solid, and time tested.
Wilderness Systems - Tarpon
Ocean Kayak - Scrambler
Ocean Kayak - Scupper Pro
Malibu - Stealth
Cobra - Fish and Dive
There are many other brands and models that will also work. These are just some of the more stable and common, used models, at least in my neck of the woods. In other parts of the country this list may include other brands that have regional popularity.
Whether you decide to buy yourself a diamond in the rough or the newest cream of the crop make sure you have the proper safety gear and know how to get back on your kayak should you end up in the water. Practice self rescue techniques in calm water and always wear a PFD.
Until next time, get out there and fish!
Cheers, Tebbs!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Leffingwell, Cambria CA 9/7/14
Got out today to do a little pre-fishing for the Cambria Slam Down Tournament that's coming up on Sept. 27th. Met up with Chad at 6 am for the drive north and arrived at the launch at 7 to meet up with Jason. This was Jason's for time kayak fishing. There was a bit of swell running but luckily no wind.
After watching another guy get rolled in the surf on his launch attempt we all made it out without any issues and headed for the grounds. There were a bunch of people out there today and it seemed like it was slow for everyone. Even with the slow bite we all were able to bring up a few nice ones and Jason went home with a couple nice fish taco size rockfish.
First timer, Jason, sizing up the swell for his maiden voyage.
Chad with the first one of the day, a vermillion rockfish (a red)
Me with a 27" lingcod. This guy took line and doubled my rod over. It's a good one!
Big mouth!
Jason with a nice ling! This one was about the size of mine, but came unbuttoned from his stringer and swam away...Oh well, still one out there for the tournament!
We had a good time even with the slower than usual bite and it was fun getting Jason out there. I think we may have a new fishing partner! Did anyone else get out this weekend? Post some pics in the comments!
Until next time, get out there and fish!
Cheers, Tebbs!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Constantine's Buoy 8/15/14
Hitting a local spot, called "Windmills", with a buddy tomorrow. It's located north of Cayucos and just south of Estero Point off of Hwy. 1. This is a beautiful area and is a hot spot for some guys but for me it has always been a tough fishing spot.
The morning was foggy and wet in Los Osos but at Windmills, about 20 minutes north, it had lifted to a high fog and warmer temps. We got there around 7 and wheeled down to the beach where we found glassy conditions and just a hint of breeze. We had an easy launch and dropped or lines once we hit 40 fow. There were big schools of huge smelt everywhere but unfortunately I had left my sabiki behind so we stuck with frozen squid on jigs and lures. Bill hooked up first and pulled in a nice lingcod, his first fish from a kayak! 27 incher, I think he's hooked. Even if its only on mellow days
We fished untill noon with the wind coming up around 11:00. The swell had picked up quite a bit while we were out so we had to time our landing but we both got in without incident. The total catch was a ling, a kelpy, and a huge cabezon for bill. His cab was 25" and thick! Beginners luck is what I'm telling myself 
I ended up bring home a kelpy and the greenling, tossing back a couple small rockies and losing a nice size ling at the boat. Fun day out there and I'm glad my buddy had a better experience this time.
But, there is an area out there that I want to check out tomorrow. It's an offshore buoy called Constantine's and it sits on top of a large reef. I've heard recently of some halibut being taken near there and it is also supposed to be good for ling's and rockfish, we'll see. So were planning to hit the water around 7:00 and I'll fill ya'll in when we get back. Cheers!...
8/16/14
We had a great time out at Windmill's yesterday! This was my friends second time kayak fishing. The first time was at Montana de Oro in some nasty washing machine conditions. That time he lasted about 10 minutes before he was pukin' over the side of his yak and swore he would never go again Well, he just returned from fishing in Alaska and has a renewed spark. I figured I would take him to Windmills for some mellower water and we hit it perfect.
Well, he just returned from fishing in Alaska and has a renewed spark. I figured I would take him to Windmills for some mellower water and we hit it perfect.
Looking back toward the launch from a large kelp patty. Glassy smooth water.
The morning was foggy and wet in Los Osos but at Windmills, about 20 minutes north, it had lifted to a high fog and warmer temps. We got there around 7 and wheeled down to the beach where we found glassy conditions and just a hint of breeze. We had an easy launch and dropped or lines once we hit 40 fow. There were big schools of huge smelt everywhere but unfortunately I had left my sabiki behind so we stuck with frozen squid on jigs and lures. Bill hooked up first and pulled in a nice lingcod, his first fish from a kayak! 27 incher, I think he's hooked. Even if its only on mellow days
Bill's first fish from a kayak! A nice 27" lingcod. He followed it up with a hefty 25" cabezon too.
We worked our way out to the buoy and I picked up a couple of kelpies, keeping 1 nice one. There was a decent drift so from there we just drifted from patty to patty. While on the drift and dragging a swimbait along the bottom I caught my first Greenling! It was great to catch a new species.
A nice Kelp rockfish
My first Greenling! Not a great picture but the colors on these fish are beautiful.
I ended up bring home a kelpy and the greenling, tossing back a couple small rockies and losing a nice size ling at the boat. Fun day out there and I'm glad my buddy had a better experience this time.
Bill's cabezon getting ready to go in the wood fired oven. Tasty!
A Snowy Egret hunting on a kelp patty out by Constantine's Buoy.
Another fun day on the water fishing the Estero Bay. I hope we can get back out again soon. Until then keep your lines tight! Cheers, Tebbs!
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Kicking things off! 1st post - 8/1/14 Leffingwell report
On August 1st I met up with my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and a buddy, Jeff and we hit Leffingwell Landing in Cambria, Ca. The weather and swell report was looking great and since none of us had fished there since last years Cambria Slam Down Tournament we were excited to get back and see what we could hook into.
We left town at 5:30 am and drove the 45 mins. north to Cambria. The skies were overcast but the air was warm and comfortable. We arrived at the launch site, did our rigging, and were on the water by 7:00. The water temperature has been hovering around 65 degrees recently, warm for our local waters and there has been a ton of bait swimming around. On this day I had elected to leave my sabiki rig behind and was relying on lures and jigs tipped with squid. We paddled out to 70 fow (feet of water) and almost immediately started hooking up on blues, blacks, and small gophers.
The fishing stayed consistent for most of the morning with all of us catching near limits of assorted rockfish. Jeff was the only one of us to get a ling cod this day but it was just shy of being legal or close enough not to be worth the possible fine. I went deeper out to the sand flats in search of Halibut with no luck. I did manage to add a nice copper rockfish and a Johnny bass (olive rockfish) to the stringer, while also landing a canary rockfish that had to go back since they are a protected species.
While I was searching for halibut I heard the loud rush of air from a pod of gray whales as they surfaced nearby. I was not able to get any photos of them this time but it is always a special day when you get to be close to these beautiful giants. In the end I caught around 20 fish of multiple species and brought home 5 for fish tacos. Meanwhile, the rest were released back to get bigger. We called it a day around noon and hit the beach. It was a great day on the water and nice to get back up to Leffingwell. We didn't catch any big lings or fat cabezon's but the fishing was consistent and fun. Anytime I can fish with family and friends, I call that a great day. There's just nothing better! #wildyfishing
We left town at 5:30 am and drove the 45 mins. north to Cambria. The skies were overcast but the air was warm and comfortable. We arrived at the launch site, did our rigging, and were on the water by 7:00. The water temperature has been hovering around 65 degrees recently, warm for our local waters and there has been a ton of bait swimming around. On this day I had elected to leave my sabiki rig behind and was relying on lures and jigs tipped with squid. We paddled out to 70 fow (feet of water) and almost immediately started hooking up on blues, blacks, and small gophers.
The fishing stayed consistent for most of the morning with all of us catching near limits of assorted rockfish. Jeff was the only one of us to get a ling cod this day but it was just shy of being legal or close enough not to be worth the possible fine. I went deeper out to the sand flats in search of Halibut with no luck. I did manage to add a nice copper rockfish and a Johnny bass (olive rockfish) to the stringer, while also landing a canary rockfish that had to go back since they are a protected species.
While I was searching for halibut I heard the loud rush of air from a pod of gray whales as they surfaced nearby. I was not able to get any photos of them this time but it is always a special day when you get to be close to these beautiful giants. In the end I caught around 20 fish of multiple species and brought home 5 for fish tacos. Meanwhile, the rest were released back to get bigger. We called it a day around noon and hit the beach. It was a great day on the water and nice to get back up to Leffingwell. We didn't catch any big lings or fat cabezon's but the fishing was consistent and fun. Anytime I can fish with family and friends, I call that a great day. There's just nothing better! #wildyfishing
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)