October Islander Mothership Trip Just Announced! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

tackle dummy · 09-07-2008, 10:38 PM

Anyone ever fish the Cortez Bank? Whats it like?

Zed · 09-08-2008, 01:02 PM

Several times. Never on a yak. Mostly on anchor in 15-20kt wind w/swell.
Kind of a spooky (to me) couple fathom deep, reefy, former island in the middle of nowhere --that sometimes breaks, big, in the winter. It's got kelp and boiling reef, but its 100miles from shore and 50 from SCI. There's a late Summer window for fairer weather out there. I'm really hoping this hits it, because it's also right adjacent to deep blue water! There is no wind protection, so combine that with its ~50mile proximity to Clemente (Pyramid), it's a risk to go fish the Cortes in any boat. Getting it good enough to launch and then fish from yaks enjoyably is a real gamble --I'm willing to take to fish there. But extra time at SCI isn't a bad consolation.

I actually thought getting out there to yak m/s would be impossible, back in the day, but that was back before there was even much m/s competition. Now there's several operations taking yaks all over the place.

Think calm thoughts for the next 3 weeks or so, would ya?

tackle dummy · 09-08-2008, 04:00 PM

Zed thanks for the Info.

2 more spots gone!

Zed · November 2, 1985

I've almost reached the yakrider, babbling incoherently stage. There's been some great reports from the Tanner (justa 10-15mi jog from Cortez) of big hg yt and even bft on the anchor...

Little trivia:
Anyone reading aboard the USS Enterprise in '85? I'm sure they might have something to say about the Cortez.

November 2, 1985

Bishop's Rock, about 100 miles west of San Diego, Calif.

USS ENTERPRISE is grounded on Bishop's Rock. Reports say the ENTERPRISE sustains a 60-foot gash in the outer hull and damages one propeller. The carrier continues planned operations, taking part in ReadiEx 86-1 exercise before going into drydock on November 27.

From this link:
http://navysite.de/cvn/cvn65.html

Rumor is she knocked off a chunk, so Bishop's rock no longer breaks water at mean low tide --more like Bishop's reef now.

habanero · 09-17-2008, 12:22 PM

Any spots left?

Siebler · 09-17-2008, 01:32 PM

Yes! We had 2 cancellations today so if you want to go on what hopefully will be an AWESOME trip please call OEX asap and book your spot.

aguachico · 09-17-2008, 02:14 PM

Guys, right now the BFT are supposed to be thick at the tanner and the Cortez. Hope you have the weather to get on them. Could be epic.

habanero · 09-18-2008, 08:33 AM

I did it!

I'm in!

One spot left.

See you all then!

FISHIONADO · November 2, 1985

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zed

I've almost reached the yakrider, babbling incoherently stage. There's been some great reports from the Tanner (justa 10-15mi jog from Cortez) of big hg yt and even bft on the anchor...

Little trivia:
Anyone reading aboard the USS Enterprise in '85? I'm sure they might have something to say about the Cortez.

November 2, 1985

Bishop's Rock, about 100 miles west of San Diego, Calif.

USS ENTERPRISE is grounded on Bishop's Rock. Reports say the ENTERPRISE sustains a 60-foot gash in the outer hull and damages one propeller. The carrier continues planned operations, taking part in ReadiEx 86-1 exercise before going into drydock on November 27.

From this link:
http://navysite.de/cvn/cvn65.html

Rumor is she knocked off a chunk, so Bishop's rock no longer breaks water at mean low tide --more like Bishop's reef now.

I was a radar technician in Squadron VAW-117 on the Enterprise in 1985. I was in our repair shop on the forward hangar deck when we hit the rock. I never felt a thing. I noticed we were leaning to one side for over an hour but expected we were just going in a big circle, that wasn't unusual when hanging out waiting for aircraft to return. Finally the captain came on the P.A. and told us we had hit a rock, we never had a general quarters. I had heard that we were landing aircraft, they need the ship to be moving into the wind, and that the navigator had warned the captain about Bishops Point. They calculated we could land the last aircraft and then make the turn in deep water. From what I understood we had a 10' tall gash 60' long below the water line. We stayed at sea for several more days and conducted more flight ops, then the ship was sent to Hunters Point for repair. I was surprised when the captain, Leuschner, was promoted to fleet admiral a few years later.

Good luck to all on this trip, wish I could make it.

bajadog · 09-29-2008, 04:43 AM

Thanks for your service FISHIONADO.

Zed · 09-29-2008, 06:52 AM

Fishionado, that is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I knew there was someone. Thanks for retelling, and thank you for serving!

"I noticed we were leaning to one side for over an hour but expected we were just going in a big circle, that wasn't unusual when hanging out waiting for aircraft to return."

That is a testament to how huge that ship was. I understand you were on duty, but just how often would you actually see the light of day?

dgax65 · 09-30-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISHIONADO

I was a radar technician in Squadron VAW-117 on the Enterprise in 1985.
I was surprised when the captain, Leuschner, was promoted to fleet admiral a few years later.

Enterprise was the Teflon ship. Rocky Spane's career also survived an Enterprise grounding (he retired as VADM)

My division's (RC-11) berthing compartment was directly over one of the voids that flooded because of the grounding. I heard stories of them sounding the void and never hitting bottom

She's a tough ship. If she could survive multiple MK-82 detonations on the flight deck

a little thing like hitting an undersea mountain wasn't going to stop her.

Zed · 09-30-2008, 11:34 AM

When was that, dgax?

I saw something else pre/during ('63 guess) Vietnam where one of the F4 turbine blower's --AKA Huffer-- (a mobile starter to get the plane's turbine moving) exhaust cooked one of the F4's rockets causing a chain reaction, including 500#bombs going off on deck.

The planes in your pic seem to be F14's and maybe an A8, definitely post F4.

09-17-2008, 01:32 PM	#6
Siebler Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Richland Oregon Posts: 1,547	Spots Still Open! Yes! We had 2 cancellations today so if you want to go on what hopefully will be an AWESOME trip please call OEX asap and book your spot. __________________ CJ Siebler

09-29-2008, 04:43 AM	#10
bajadog I eats what I kills Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 393	Thanks for your service FISHIONADO. __________________ Please release bill-fish.

09-07-2008, 10:38 PM	#1
tackle dummy Junior Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: SD Posts: 23	Anyone ever fish the Cortez Bank? Whats it like?

09-08-2008, 01:02 PM	#2
Zed BANNED Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: W of 5 Posts: 1,265	Several times. Never on a yak. Mostly on anchor in 15-20kt wind w/swell. Kind of a spooky (to me) couple fathom deep, reefy, former island in the middle of nowhere --that sometimes breaks, big, in the winter. It's got kelp and boiling reef, but its 100miles from shore and 50 from SCI. There's a late Summer window for fairer weather out there. I'm really hoping this hits it, because it's also right adjacent to deep blue water! There is no wind protection, so combine that with its ~50mile proximity to Clemente (Pyramid), it's a risk to go fish the Cortes in any boat. Getting it good enough to launch and then fish from yaks enjoyably is a real gamble --I'm willing to take to fish there. But extra time at SCI isn't a bad consolation. I actually thought getting out there to yak m/s would be impossible, back in the day, but that was back before there was even much m/s competition. Now there's several operations taking yaks all over the place. Think calm thoughts for the next 3 weeks or so, would ya?

09-08-2008, 04:00 PM	#3
tackle dummy Junior Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: SD Posts: 23	Zed thanks for the Info. 2 more spots gone!

09-17-2008, 12:22 PM	#5
habanero Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: SD Posts: 133	Any spots left?

09-17-2008, 02:14 PM	#7
aguachico Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 719	Guys, right now the BFT are supposed to be thick at the tanner and the Cortez. Hope you have the weather to get on them. Could be epic.

09-18-2008, 08:33 AM	#8
habanero Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: SD Posts: 133	I did it! I'm in! One spot left. See you all then!

09-29-2008, 06:52 AM	#11
Zed BANNED Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: W of 5 Posts: 1,265	Fishionado, that is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I knew there was someone. Thanks for retelling, and thank you for serving! "I noticed we were leaning to one side for over an hour but expected we were just going in a big circle, that wasn't unusual when hanging out waiting for aircraft to return." That is a testament to how huge that ship was. I understand you were on duty, but just how often would you actually see the light of day?

09-30-2008, 11:34 AM	#13
Zed BANNED Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: W of 5 Posts: 1,265	When was that, dgax? I saw something else pre/during ('63 guess) Vietnam where one of the F4 turbine blower's --AKA Huffer-- (a mobile starter to get the plane's turbine moving) exhaust cooked one of the F4's rockets causing a chain reaction, including 500#bombs going off on deck. The planes in your pic seem to be F14's and maybe an A8, definitely post F4.