PC 5-6-10

So I finally got my fiance to come out to PC with me and hop in a kayak.  We made it to the beach just before 9:30 to find an awesome strip of concrete beams had been placed where the usual soft and sandy ruts are for the path down to the beach.  That made getting off the beach a breeze in my 2wd pickup.  I didn't even need to air down my tires like I usually do.  Also, Madoc happened to be on the beach getting ready to launch just as we got on the beach.

We made it on the water by 10 and slipped through the surf without having to punch through a single wave.  Which is what I was really hoping for since the whole experience is better all around if she stays dry.  We paddled out to the rock and met up with Gary, the surfboard fisher.  Chatted with him a little as we paddled around the east side of the rock.





We hung around close in to the rock and I tied on a swim bait to make a couple of casts.  After a short while of hanging around in the lee of the rock, she started feeling a little woozy and wanted to go in.  We got back to the surf and she rode a wave in like a champ, landing without getting dumped.  

So she now plans to sit in the truck and study and I'm heading back out for some CPR since it's only about 11:15 at this point.  So back through the surf I go.  I'm not as lucky this time through and end up having to dig my way through three nice sized waves.  I get out to about 50 ft. and find a bump up to about 40 ft..  Drop down and instantly hook up a ling about legal size.  CPR and he's back on his way.



I head out a little further and drift around some small drop offs and rocky bottoms.  I get a couple of really nice hits, but nothing sticks.  Heading a little further out, I meet up with Madoc who has put together a nice game clip of fish and says he's going to start making his way in.  I decide I'll stay out a little longer, but by this time the wind has picked up to the point where I'm having trouble keeping 3 oz. on the bottom.  So I figure I'll let the wind push me closer to the rock to eventually make my way back in while I drift and try to stay close to the bottom.  I then get slammed by something with some decent weight to it.  For a couple of minutes it doesn't feel like I'm gaining any ground on it but it starts coming up eventually.  I'm thinking it's either a nice big ling or a decent sized cabby.  Turns out to be the decent sized cabby!  Since I'm drifting at over 1 mph, those giant pectoral fins really make it feel big!



I hustle over to Madoc to borrow his trough since my dinky little tape measure wasn't cutting it.  Snapped some measure pics and set him free.  Ended up at 20 and 3/4 in.  Saw another kayak fisher out today in a bright green boat.  Anyone else out there today?  Hung around a little more by the rock and picked up a couple more underlings, then headed in a little after 1.  Kind of weird since I didn't get a single rockfish the whole time I was fishing, nothing but small lings and that cabby.  Probably since I never broke out the shrimp flies.  Packed everything up and had lunch at Grateful Bread.

Awesome Day!

That is an awesome day! That's really cool she got out there in the Big Blue!   

Nothing better after a day of fishing on the salt than a chocolate chunk cookie at the greatfull bread

Good to see someone got to play in the salt today.   

I changed the oil on two of my rigs today.  That was fun...  NOT! 

Nice report.  Well done.

That would've been my bright green kayak, waved to you guys as I passed further north.  I got a late start from work that morning but still wanted to get salty.  There were schools of rockfish at seemingly random spots further out northwest from the rock, towards the buoy and then south.  Limited on rocks but no lings or cabs.  Caught one China rockfish.  Fishing is good.
Hit Circue Du Solei with the girlfriend last night, planning on getting up early to meet the sun on the water today.  Felt like someone slipped me some benadryl, just could NOT get up this morning.  Oh well, late starts don't seem to bother me too much.

It was great to see everyone out on the water the other day, and I am really happy to have had a nice day to start the season with.  Ended up close to limit - 2 lings that were just keepers - one 22" and one that was 23 1/2", four decent Black rockfish, all about 16", and one hefty Cabezon that came in at 21 1/2".  Had a few underlings attach themselves to my jig, and had what looked like a legal ling at the boat right away that came up with the jig in its mouth. I had a double with one of the rockfish and one of the lings.

I'm getting a little more confident up close to the rock - still freaks me out a little bit, but all in all, great way to start - punched through the surf on the way out, and got to practice a brace on the way in, in pretty gentle surf.

That first photo is an award winner. I am not kidding! Thanks for sharing your special day!

 great report and photos! thanks for sharing your adventure

Good to see more and more reports off the Big Blue. things are finally trurning for the better. 

Nice Cabbies!

Great pics,cant wait to get up that way