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Posted by quietman on 21:47:40 02/16/03
We launched around 0830 from the beach access into a small swell and light wind. Since we had never been Yakfishing LJ before we hooked up with a couple of other fishermen who were working the traps in 85-90 feet of water past the canyon. We got some good tips and pointers from them, very helpful! I caught a nice Sandy, but it was slow otherwise so we headed south to the kelp forests off the point.
We picked off a few more bass, Sandys and some small Calicos, mostly using rainbow trout swimbaits in 4 and 5 inch.
The other yakkers out there left, the wind kept picking up and the water got *very* sloppy. To the tune of 3' wind chop breaking into nice white caps, with a confused swell.
I might have packed it in like the others, but FinnFisher is a very determined fisherman. I'm decked out in the "pro-yakker" head-to-to warm and dry stuff. Wool socks and jeans under chest high breathable waders with a windbreaker over my shirt and half-gloves on, collar turned up. Neoprene boots on over my wader boots. Sitting high and dry in a FnD on an aircushion, not that FnD's need one to stay dry.
I'm *tolerably* warm, not real warm, just getting by.
Meanwhile the mad Finn is soaking in a T-shirt and shorts while waves break over the Navigator, and of course the seat doesn't drain in a Nav. He's got bare feet stuck in cheesy neoprene booties, dangling them in the water for whitey. He keeps mentioning that the wind often dies. Yah right. However it had been so nice and warm when we launched, that I thought it was possible that the wind would leave and the sun come back.
I'm also thinking he must be miserable, and make "lets go home noises." No way. He's scoped out the lay of the reefs from the traps and making drift after drift for the calicos and sandies. As long as they are biting even a little, he aint leaving!
I clip my 5 gallon bait bucket onto one of my rod leashes, and toss it out attached near the front of the yak as a drift-chute, and to keep the bow to weather. Suprise...the bite suddenly picked up. I switched to 6" power-pulse worms in watermelon/red sparkle. That rig is a killer combo in the Dana headlands kelp forest which is very similar to LJ.
Turns out to be the ticket, picked up several nice sandies and checkers in short order. FinnFisher is doing fine himself, so no luck on leaving, till finally the bite cools, the wind chop is becoming mini barrels and we head in.
Exit was uneventful, I landed between waves high and dry, FF got a little one over the stern, no biggie.
However, now it's 1400, the tide is out and the launch was a looong way from the water's edge...Did I mention being able to drive on the beach is way cool?
quietman
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