Anchor Point Calcutta Round 2

Anyone else planning on trying the Anchor Point Calcutta this weekend. I know it interferes with the seminar in Homer. I had planned to go to that, but I think I'll give the Calcutta a try instead. The forecast isn't great, but Saturday is a long time from now.

Small tides this weekend. I think a 14 foot high. Current will be manageable. High tide on the beach at around noon. I've always preferred that period of time from a few hours before high tide to a couple hours after. I probably won't work too hard to get to the beach super early. If I get on the water between 8 and 9 I'll be happy. (I know my knees can't peddle for six hours, so why bother trying to get on the water at 7?)

I hope to see some other tupperware giving it a try. Then I hope the weather will allow us to give it go.

 

I'll be out fishing for halibut. Not doing the tourney. Hope to see you down there bud! Heading down tomorrow after work.

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Nice small tides. If the weather cooperates you should have lots of time to work with for the flat ones.

I'm trying to play the odds. When the boat launch called to see if I was going to try the tournament again he mentioned that at least 5 boats weren't going to make it this weekend. I'm thinking with fewer boats the odds of winning go up. (Forever the optimist.)

I have an on the water seminar on Saturday which is a major bummer.  But I am hearing some solid reports of fish being caught.  Should be as good of a time as any to go after a king!

The weather continues to deteriorate.  I am hoping we can get ont he water Sunday but its not looking so great but ya never know!

Easyyakker,
I am planning on heading down to WG early tomorrow morning for a limit of Butts but not participating in the tournament. I may troll for Kings a bit though after hearing of CS's success on Wednesday!

Rudy, I know I'll miss tonight's lecture and will probably stop short of Homer Spit tomorrow...I'll have to try out the Hobbie yaks another time. Still getting used to the Native Propel...

Jonathan

...I'll have to try out the Hobbie yaks another time. Still getting used to the Native Propel...

Jonathan

After being in the Native, you'll have no need for a Hobie. ;-) Just sayin'

Easyyakker,
I am planning on heading down to WG early tomorrow morning for a limit of Butts but not participating in the tournament. I may troll for Kings a bit though after hearing of CS's success on Wednesday!

Rudy, I know I'll miss tonight's lecture and will probably stop short of Homer Spit tomorrow...I'll have to try out the Hobbie yaks another time. Still getting used to the Native Propel...

Jonathan

The Native is a great kayak.  I think there are some aspects where the Hobie still works better in the conditions I fish.  I am not sure what fishing I will be doing this weekend given the weather.  WG is where we want to be, but the weather may keep us in Homer Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Rudy,
I understand that. I'm not going to charge through a large surf at WG either...may just keep going down to Homer or turn around, drive back to the Kenai and hope for a break at the mouth....

Jonathan

Marine forecast is inconclusive in my book. Calling for 20 NE.  Depending on how much east is in that northeast the trolling lanes might be protected. Also calling for 10 knots in the evening. It all just depends when the wind drops. I just want to get out and fish.

I'm out this weekend and most likely next.  Finishing some things off but I'm looking to be on the salt first weekend in June for some halibut


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Well, the Calcutta happened. Not a large number of boats fishing the competition. Even fewer fish caught. The weather was o.K. to start. (I launched at about 8:30.) That was as nice as the weather got. The wind steadily built and some good swells came from the north. The nice thing about north winds is that the waves are type and constant. I'm pretty sure I had one, and possibly two, Irish Lord bites. On the bright side, I got some good exercise. My two aching knees will remind me of that exercise for a few days.

I came closer to lawn darting my landing than I ever have before. I wish someone had videoed that so I could understand how I came out of that one upright. I have never, and I mean never, exited the starboard side of my boat. Somehow, today, I managed to get out of of the starboard side, over my depth sounder (without touching it) and got the boat dragged up the beach. It was unnerving watching my front lift handle skimming the sand as I felt the wave lifting my stern. You know what the say, all is well that ends well.

Only good part of the day was I got to meet fellow kayaker Larry. We fished together a bit down by Stariski and were able to talk a while on the beach. Larry was the only other kayak I saw today. I think we would both admit we would have rather been somewhere else.

easyyaker thanks for the recap. I heard it was fairly nice seas early but didn't know how it developed as the day progressed. Looks like Homer had some ideal waters off the Spit on Saturday according to Kardinal_84's report.

I will say from watching waves on Cook Inlet beaches as much as anyone (48 years) that as you probably know the waves develop and break differently all along the beach. So this "tip" is more for the newcomers who aren't familiar with Cook Inlet beaches. 

Where one stretch is lawn dart and turtle country 50 yards down the beach the break may be half the height and an easier landing or at least a controlled dismount.  A six inch hump of gravel on the beach bottom can make that wave difference. Or a change of 5-10° beach angle. And there are a lot of those hump ripples all along the shoreline of Cook Inlet due to the fast tides.  The problem is from sea side its really impossible to see those subtle but very important break differences. Sometimes you can analyze the foam pattern. Long wide foam patches mean a long breaking wave and shallow water where a short narrow foam patch is usually a giveaway for a sharp wave break, i.e. lawn dart country.

**It would be nice if there are some kayakers already ashore and others are coming in for them to maybe give the boats a heads up on the best break spot if its tough waters. I would reciprocate that favor anytime I'm down there and on shore. Best not to create those "you should have seen me" memories. LOL Although they may be entertaining people can get hurt too.

I always have a video camera at hand so next time you may get captured to analyze your techniques.  I definitely would have liked to see you get those legs over a FF without touching it during your dismount in the surf. You may have invented a new landing style!! 

You are so right about the landing being different at different points of the beach. After my landing, I probably would have chosen the same spot again.

As for the new dismount technique:  I think it was a combination of me wanting to get out of the boat as quickly as possible and the boat getting hit by a wave at the same time. I didn't go airborne, but the trajectory was definitely gave me an assist getting out of the chair. My biggest fear getting out that side, with the north wind/swell, was being on the downwind side of the boat. I moved pretty quickly (for me) to get to the front of the boat so subsequent waves didn't push the boat into me.