Now I have seen it all. Buggin 2-11-10

[Sherm]

I hadn't been on the water for 11 days and it was killing me. I hit the water around 4pm for the long paddle out of the harbor. The paddle out SUCKED!!!!!!!!! The tide was rippin in and it was like paddling up river. If I stopped paddling I was instantly going backwards. The wind was also in my face. The paddle that normally takes about 45 minutes took an hour and fifteen minutes this time. Oh well. The price you pay on the bug hunt.

I got out to my spot and set the hoops and waited for the darkness. I ate my carne asada burrito http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/images/smilies/drool.gifand lit up a good stoagie http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/images/smilies/smoking33.gif while I waited for the first pull. That's when I noticed something in the water by one of my floats. I didn't know what it was so I paddled over to check it out.

I got close and couldn't believe what I was looking at. A large floating ROCK!!! http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif This thing was about 3 feet around and bobbing like a cork. I can't imagine the damage it would do to a boat that hits it at high speed. There was nothing I could do to get it out of the water. Not that much room on the yak. So I left it and hoped no one would find it the hard way.

The bugs crawled early last night for me and then shut off. I managed five for the night with three coming on the first pull and then scraping out two more before I had to paddle back. I left around 8pm because of the slack tide. I didn't want to paddle against the tide both ways and the tide was scheduled to start heading out soon. No tide and the paddle back was thirty five minutes. What a difference.

Beautiful night with no wind at all. Just glass out there.
<FIELDSET class=fieldset><LEGEND>Attached Thumbnails</LEGEND>http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/179916d1265993450t-bugs-rocks-02-11-10-p2111200.jpg (http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/179916d1265993450-bugs-rocks-02-11-10-p2111200.jpg) http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/179917d1265993477t-bugs-rocks-02-11-10-p2111201.jpg (http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/179917d1265993477-bugs-rocks-02-11-10-p2111201.jpg) http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/179918d1265993527t-bugs-rocks-02-11-10-p2111203.jpg (http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/attachments/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california/179918d1265993527-bugs-rocks-02-11-10-p2111203.jpg)
</FIELDSET>
__________________

[peguinpower]

If its a fake rock with speakers.............I want it :)

[DESTROYER]

Nice Sherm! Floating Rock:eek:

[j mo]

If that was indeed ambergris you just paddled a way from a few thousand bucks....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris

As of 2006, raw ambergris fetched approximately US$10 per gram, with much higher prices possible for particularly high-quality samples.

[frady]

Nice Job on the 5 bugs. Wish I could have made it, but didn't get done with the inspection until 4:45. If your paddle was that bad can't imagine how bad it would have been around 5:30.

We will have to add rock hound to your hooping credentials.

[cjthomas]

I guess that's why they call it rock lobster.... I know, lame, but someone had to do it...

[wiseguy]

Looks like ambergris to me!! Doh!!!:doh:

[Sherm]

Ambergis comes from Sperm whales. I don't think they are in these waters.

[Sherm]

Nice Job on the 5 bugs. Wish I could have made it, but didn't get done with the inspection until 4:45. If your paddle was that bad can't imagine how bad it would have been around 5:30.

We will have to add rock hound to your hooping credentials.

Sorry you missed it Josh. Conditions were nice once I got past the brutal paddle out.

[lamb]

whatever that thing is... it's weird!

Nice going on bugs Sherm :cheers1:

[Fiskadoro]

Ambergis comes from Sperm whales. I don't think they are in these waters.

No they are off this coast.

If I was you Sherm... I'd go back and see if you can find it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4642722.stm <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="629"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="416"> <!-- S BO --> <!-- S IIMA --> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="203"> <tbody><tr><td> http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41250000/jpg/_41250042_ambergris_27.jpg Ambergris is often smoothed by the ocean (Image: ambergris.co.nz)

</td></tr> </tbody></table> <!-- E IIMA --> <!-- S SF --> An Australian couple who picked up an odd-looking fatty lump from a quiet beach are in line for a cash windfall. Leon Wright and his wife took home a 14.75kg lump of ambergris, found in the innards of sperm whales and used in perfumes after it has been vomited up.
Sought after because of its rarity, ambergris can float on the ocean for years before washing ashore.
Worth up to $20 a gram, Mr Wright's find on a South Australian beach could net his family US$295,000 (£165,300). <!-- E SF -->
At first, Mr Wright and his wife Loralee left the strange lump on the beach where it was found.
However, two weeks later the couple returned to Streaky Bay and found it still lying there.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Here's a pic of the piece they found:

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news2/ambergris.jpg

Looks the same to me.

Jim

[j mo]

yep that "shit" is like gold

[Sherm]

Sure looks like sedimentary lines on that floating whatever to me. Plus I pushed it witht he paddle and it sure sounded like rock.

[-scallywag-]

The humbolts are offshore right now so I'm sure moby dick is out there somewhere munch'in.....

[Iceman]

$300,000 holy crap

[dos ballenas]

Got the numbers?

For the lobster spot that is :D

[Quilted Germ]

Note to self.....pick up floating rocks!!!!!!!

[MalibuJohnny]

Could it be pumis? or Feather Rock?

It floats...

http://www.grandpacliff.com/ScienceEarth/FloatingRocks.htm

[h2ofishfo]

dude obviously u idiots have never seen "JOE DIRT" its a piece of shit that fell off a plane u notice the lateral lines thats complimentary peanuts that came right out after someone realized they dropped 60$ for carry on

[WahooUSMA]

dude obviously u idiots have never seen "JOE DIRT" its a piece of shit that fell off a plane u notice the lateral lines thats complimentary peanuts that came right out after someone realized they dropped 60$ for carry on
That's a valuable piece of shit!

[-scallywag-]

I would be looking at the tide and wind data to try to calculate where it could be now....probably on the shore at N-island....time to pay off the house baby!!!:cool:

[lpf-wildlandfire]

:you_rock:thats a pumis rock seen a few of them floting around not ever that big tho 1 i see where like this big:luxhello:

[peguinpower]

Holy floating stones Batman!

California-Oregon-Washington Stock Sperm whales are found year-round in California waters, but they reach peak abundance from April through mid-June and from the end of August through mid-November. They were seen in every season except winter (Dec-Feb) in Washington and Oregon.

8. FINDING LARGE PIECES OF AMBERGRIS IN THE SEA
Whole blocks of amber are often found in the open sea. Since the blocks have roughly the same density as sea water, they are sometimes almost completely immersed and can only be seen intermittently. Frequently, one can locate the blocks without actually seeing them due to their being surrounded by a calm area of sea similar to that which might be produced by a spillage of oil. This zone is also identifiable by the odour of amber and whale excrement.

If it smells like chit, that there is good shiat.

3 feet across, that thing is probably worth more than $ 600,000.

However,

" it is unlawful to possess, sell, deliver, carry, transport, or ship by any means whatsoever any parts or products of an endangered species taken within the United States. Ambergris, a secretion of the sperm whale intestine, is regarded as a marine mammal product by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Possession of it is prohibited by the Endangered Species Act of 1973"

/bing

[Hunter (The 80's Man)]

Hmmmmmmmmm.... lets see... floating rock worth $600,000.... take the 5 lobster, divide that... that's $120,000 per bug. Hope they tasted good! :banghead:

[T Bone]

Dude thats pumice.... Its allways nice to dream of treasure.

[Gino]

" it is unlawful to possess, sell, deliver, carry, transport, or ship by any means whatsoever any parts or products of an endangered species taken within the United States. Ambergris, a secretion of the sperm whale intestine, is regarded as a marine mammal product by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Possession of it is prohibited by the Endangered Species Act of 1973"

/bing

Ambergris was only put on that Act becuase it used to be aquired by hunting sperm whales, In 2001 that was overturned, becuase Ambergris is naturally expeled from the whale.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris

As of 2006, raw ambergris fetched approximately US$10 per gram, with much higher prices possible for particularly high-quality samples.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-nytimesambergris_3-0>[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris#cite_note-nytimesambergris-3)</SUP><SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-4>[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris#cite_note-4)</SUP> In the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States), importing, buying, or selling ambergris — including ambergris that had washed ashore — was considered a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Mammal_Protection_Act) of 1972.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-MMPA_5-0>[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris#cite_note-MMPA-5)</SUP> In 2001 this ruling was overturned, and ambergris was deemed not to be a byproduct of the whaling industry, since the whale expels this substance naturally.<SUP class=Template-Fact title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from February 2008" style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]</SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
<SUP>Go get em!</SUP>
<SUP></SUP>

[peguinpower]

thanks for the ban lifting info. good stuff. /bing

[ericko]

Bob i cant believe u have no in put on this matter, come on you must of had an idea for shem to go back and get his floating gold hmmmmm maybe a rope and pull it back like a tug boat...I cant catch fish so i dont no what is harder to bring back.

[frugalfisher]

Never seen any but I've heard of it. Damn.

[Sherm]

I'm pretty sure that was pumice (spelling?) It didn't have an odor and sure felt like rock when I pushed it with the paddle. Nice to dream though.

[Willy]

It's pumice. Sorry guys.

If it were formed within an animal, the striations would be in a concentric form, not stacked in sedimentry layers as the rock in the picture.

Think about an object formed in the space of an organ, the layers would build around a nucleus, like a hailstone or comet, or gobstopper.

Then look at the lines in this rock. If it is from a whale, it is a small piece of a super sized nugget.

Cool find Sherm! Too bad you couldn't pick it up anyway, you'd have scrubbing stones for life.

Nice bugs too!

Willy

[Sherm]

It's pumice. Sorry guys.

If it were formed within an animal, the striations would be in a concentric form, not stacked in sedimentry layers as the rock in the picture.

Think about an object formed in the space of an organ, the layers would build around a nucleus, like a hailstone or comet, or gobstopper.

Then look at the lines in this rock. If it is from a whale, it is a small piece of a super sized nugget.

Cool find Sherm! Too bad you couldn't pick it up anyway, you'd have scrubbing stones for life.

Nice bugs too!

Willy


The sediment lines are what make me think pumice as well. It was fun to think about it though. Knowing where i was and tide movement i bet I could find the shoreline it's washed up on.

[Fiskadoro]

Then look at the lines in this rock. If it is from a whale, it is a small piece of a super sized nugget.

The sediment lines are what make me think pumice as well. It was fun to think about it though. Knowing where i was and tide movement i bet I could find the shoreline it's washed up on.

Sperm whales are huge, and I bet they have a big stomach. However unlikely it could well be just a small chunk of a much larger piece.

My take is that if you go get it you'll end up with one of two things: Either you'll have a cool lightweight rock, that will make a great conversation piece, that you can put in front of your house as landscaping, or you'll have enough cash to get a cool new house to landscape.

I'd say it's worth a second look either way.

Jim

[Useful Idiot]

I say half digested sea turtle shell. :D

[FISHIONADO]

Pumice comes from lava flow, no sediment lines. There were so many kayaks searching the mouth of the bay yesterday the Coast Guard had to come and disperse us so the USS Nimitz could get back to its dock.

[Matt]

hmmmmmm........wasn't something like this in a movie once???

[Willy]

Pumice comes from lava flow, no sediment lines.

True,
However it can have the look of a sedimentary rock, as lava flows layer on top of each other.
There are pumice layers in the Japanese islands and Taiwan that have thin layers of pumice strata.
I guess you could call it an igneous, sedimentary rock.
There is a chance this rock floated from the far west side of the Pacific. Especially during this El Nino.

Funny that there were so many boats out looking for it!
Sherm your post went viral!

Willy

[FISHIONADO]

The number of boats searching for it today was ridiculous. It basically shut down the entrance to the bay. I heard one cargo ship threatening to plow through but he never did. A woman on a Harbor Cruise went into labor and they couldn't get back to port so her baby girl was delivered near Ballast Point. Even the Navy and Coast Guard and Harbor Patrol guys were searching for it. Oh well, I hope someone finds it soon.

[sterling]

This will make for a great April fools! Having a ton of people out there searching for fools gold.

[j mo]

sorry for "jacking" your thread Sherm.....

[Dan]

Bring it by the lab when you find it Owyn. I know you're on your skiff right now looking for it, you foraging fool. :D

And cut me off a piece like you did with that beached bluefin!!!

[Sherm]

sorry for "jacking" your thread Sherm.....


No problem. I've been laughing at the entire thing.

I tried to get on the water for some bassin this morning. However........someone spotted me and I soon had a small flotilla following me everywhere I went. I guess they thaught I was going treasure hunting. This sucks........it was a rock!!!!!!!!! Leave me alone;)

[grant]

that sure looks like pumice volcanic rock to me. The stuff is all over the gulf of California aka Sea of Cortez winds, currents, etc... move stuff around dont sweat it.

[wiredantz]

HOW CARES ABOUT FISHING!! I am going ROCK HUNTING!:D

[jorluivil]

Frank, you must be extremely bored

[Darkstar]

Frank, you must be extremely bored

to reopen a 1+ year old thread :D

:cheers1:

[T Bone]

Pumice - Good job on the bugs.

[Striperman1018]

Note to self.....pick up floating rocks!!!!!!!

Took the words right out my mouth