GS6 - 5/12/12 - Report with stats and a few pics on page 15

Sounds like you guys are getting all your plans worked out, but I'll have to see a picture of Dawn before you bring her.   

I have a poll up on the NCKA thread right now asking who's staying where.  I spoke to the campground owner and he's ready to make adjustments to give us more space if needed.  He also gives us extra, dedicated porta-potties, a dedicated gear cleaning area with hoses and tables, and hopefully some firewood.  You guys will love the group area and no one should give you shit for taking up space with that Ninkasi banner flying.   

I'm sure I'll be tossing and turning all Wed night just Jones'n to hit the road on Thurs morning.   

Will need copious amounts of coffee at first, but will be fine once we're rolling!   

I'm sure I'll be tossing and turning all Wed night just Jones'n to hit the road on Thurs morning.   

Will need copious amounts of coffee at first, but will be fine once we're rolling!   

I'll be tossing and turning the next 3 weeks.

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I'm sure I'll be tossing and turning all Wed night just Jones'n to hit the road on Thurs morning.   

Will need copious amounts of coffee at first, but will be fine once we're rolling!   

I've got the coffee covered I don't function without coffee.

I'm not going to be getting much sleep either.

I'm glad you guys are so jacked - I feel like I'll get the least sleep!   

It's all about pacing ourselves.  Make a plan, rehearse it, implement it, revise it, complete it.  Over and over until Saturday evening, May 12th around 11PM when I'm all done and I can take in the feeling of having completed that journey!     The best part being that everything I have on my list between here and there is a joy to undertake, and I have the time and resources to do it.  See you soon.   

I'm glad you guys are so jacked - I feel like I'll get the least sleep!   

It's all about pacing ourselves.  Make a plan, rehearse it, implement it, revise it, complete it.  Over and over until Saturday evening, May 12th around 11PM when I'm all done and I can take in the feeling of having completed that journey!     The best part being that everything I have on my list between here and there is a joy to undertake, and I have the time and resources to do it.  See you soon.   

Eric
Do you think it would be better to get our license online? Would it show up in time? Thinking of getting 1 of each 1 day and 2 day to cover fishing Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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I'm glad you guys are so jacked - I feel like I'll get the least sleep!   

It's all about pacing ourselves.  Make a plan, rehearse it, implement it, revise it, complete it.  Over and over until Saturday evening, May 12th around 11PM when I'm all done and I can take in the feeling of having completed that journey!     The best part being that everything I have on my list between here and there is a joy to undertake, and I have the time and resources to do it.  See you soon.   

Eric
Do you think it would be better to get our license online? Would it show up in time? Thinking of getting 1 of each 1 day and 2 day to cover fishing Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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We're not going to risk the mail failure possibility.  We plan to start hitting up store in Grants Pass, and keep doing so until we end up at Shelter Cove.  People live along that coast line that fish, and I'm sure there are those without internet access, so I'm betting there will be plenty of places to score our licenses along the way.

Yes, I agree - get it along the way if you'll be in Eureka during 'business hours'.  As you go through Eureka the 101 corridor south is 4th street.  Pop over to 2nd street around J and you'll come to a California Dept. of Fish and Game office.  That's my recommendation for making sure you get it right.  Google it up and make that part of your destination.   

Yes, I agree - get it along the way if you'll be in Eureka during 'business hours'.  As you go through Eureka the 101 corridor south is 4th street.  Pop over to 2nd street around J and you'll come to a California Dept. of Fish and Game office.  That's my recommendation for making sure you get it right.  Google it up and make that part of your destination.   

Thanks Eric

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Just spent over Three Grand on shirts and hoodies!   

It's getting exciting.   

Intel from Abking:

Here's what I have to offer to everyone:  this map shows an L at launch, and the general area that most of us will fish is within the red outline.  There's an X and a 1 on the way out to the (green) Bell Buoy, which I've underlined and is a little less than a mile nearly south from launch.  That X represents where I've caught quite a few salmon over the years including my largest 38 pounder trolling an anchovy.  It's also a great rockfish and lingcod area, and there's halibut potential - crabbing area is just inshore from there in about 50 to 60 FOW.  X with 2 by it is a nice set of pinnacles on the way out to the Whistle Buoy, which is red, about a mile west of the Bell, and I've underlined (the "Red Can").  This area is so good for all species, and when the wind and swell allow it's nice to venture out further here.  Lots of salmon get caught trolling within 2 miles of the Whistle, and much of that is right around it.  The rough part of that area is it can be snaggy - I lost $30 in gear there the other day when I spaced it and trolled my DeepSix/Dodger/chovie over the reef there where some kelp shows.

--Side Note about trolling with the expensive and cumbersome DeepSix:  taking the chance of losing about $30 in gear trolling for salmon with the DS and a dodger/flasher is different - you need to get to know depths and the layout of the reef before you will have confidence sending that gear down.  Generally, you can tell from the powerboat fleet where everyone is trolling and how deep - most of them have DR, so I even troll my expensive salmon rig over the reef and try to just watch out.  You can catch every species with that setup, but it's a bummer to snag it up and lose it.

So X with 3 by it is a common trolling area where you can also catch the other species - I've caught a few 20 pound class salmon in this area including my early season score.

The 4 is with the arrows outside the red outline - when the wind and swell allow many will get further outside the Whistle to try for halibut, troll for salmon, jig for dabs, pickup some sporadic monster rockies, lings and cabs around the 120' cutoff...etc.

The 5 is a reminder of the prevailing current and usual winds.  Unless we have a specific call for south winds, the winds and current that come up will be from the north to northwest most of the time.  It can often be the case that the entire fleet is fishing in around the Whistle and there are sheep herds further outside - that mess can make its way inside all the way to the ramp some afternoons or even late morning some times.  Other days it never makes it in, and the place is paradise.  Continue to pray for calm seas.   :smt001

As for what to use, you know I like my expensive salmon trolling rig with DeepSix, Herring Dodger and slip rig with anchovy - and it will catch ALL species, but I also often run a banana weight with a mooching rig with fixed barbless circle hooks and a herring near the bottom - especially if I'm sitting there doing something else - just pop that second rod down while you work.  Leadheads, knife jigs, shrimp flies, squid...etc. all works, but I prefer just chovies and herring any more.  I've fished all that hardware lots in the past, and that will be the mainstay of most and will catch lots of fish. 

After looking at it, I've given info based on my salmon obsession and other focus on halibut - these are definitely harder species to catch.

As for rockfish, lingcod, cabezon...  The green area is where to be, and the X is where so many of us were just hammering it at GS3.

Here are the standards I hope to see met by our group if conditions allow:

- several 20 pound lingcod;
- several 8 to 10 pound cabezon;
- several 22 to 24 inch rockfish;
- greenling to 17.5";
- more salmon than we've ever caught at a GS event;
- multiple Pacific Halibut caught in one day.

Thanks for posting that up, Paul.  I take it for granted that people spend time on the thread at NCKA, and I appreciate your help in keeping current info here.

I'll go over this info at the launch at Friday evening's safety seminar and check-in, and we'll have current local intel at that time too. 

Another useful bit of info:

Can I drive over to the Tides just to drop off my big disk, burner and LP tank? 

Can I drive over to the Tides just to drop off my big disk, burner and LP tank? 

Absolutely.