Congrats on the legals.
"Slashed nets?"
I guarantee the holes in your nets were caused by
moray eels - the shallow reefs in that area are filthy with them. My kids
play with them in the tidepools all the time. Many times they do not chew
throught he thicker 'Promar' netting (so I have to get them out at the
surface). Its the price you pay for being tight to the rocks and not out on
the sand flats. Small zip ties work well for net repair, I always have a
bunch on the yak and repair as I see them happen. It happens. My older
nets are filthy with zip tie repairs, from the last five-plus years.
Btw, 30' is fishing very deep for this early in the season, with little swell
so far. The bugs will be moving out there further after all the stormy
turmoil coming on Wed-Thursday this week though!
Turning on the two spotlights at Vietors was probably to see what all the
screaming was about. Somebody was sure sceaming happy at their legal
bug(s) for sure. Holy cow.
Let me assure you, there were no "fast free divers" messing with you, at
all. The visibility was 3 ft with soupy red tide, and there were only three
divers all night, further north off Palomar. Certainly not "divers from
those mansions". Most of the people that live along the cliffs are not
'watermen' to say the least.
Thanks for the map those look like some good spots. LOL. Warning to all:
hooping boilers in 10-15' of water, you better do it on a very
FLAT night,
with no waves. Everyone should remember that this is challenging terrain
due to "shallow reefs and sneaker sets". This area will all likely be closed
in the MLPA process soon.
P.S. this is sure a long paddle from wherever you launched ... Marine St?
PSS Rock Hopper, I agree with your sentiment, but seriously the
commercial traps hammer this area of virtually ALL legals each year
anyway. The bug population remains strong despite this due to the regs,
and, is also why we do not need an MPA closure. DFG watches kayaks
with night vision all the time, and you will get checked when you land.