Qualifier 105: Big Hammer Skiff/Kayak Trip 5/30/08-6/7/08

[Zed]

Just a brief text conditions report because I know there's interest. I'll get some pix up soon enough.

Unfortunately it blew. The wind limited us by restricting places we could safely launch the skiffs. Generally kayaks can get dropped off in lumpier conditions, while the heavier skiffs need pretty flat water to launch.

We were relegated to Big Boat fishing at San Agustin on Isla Cedros for 15#-20# yellows in 25-30kt wind. To the E, the Morro Redondo area was fishable by yaks/skiffs, but it was cold, and relatively slow w/o current. Around the corner, and up to the N on the lee there was 2 stretches of coast that were fishable on the little boats. Separating these stretches was nasty wind lines that were coming from over the island and ripping out the canyons on the "lee" of the island. To top it off, the wind lines were almost opposed to each other. In the S, the wind bent to the N and in the N, the wind bent to the S. There was almost always some wind against a current that --I think-- really shut down currents.

So with this all in mind, we made the best of what we had. My bass numbers were certainly in the 100's for the trip, with a slow 4-hour period being ~20 bass, and a fast flurry being ~20 bass in a half hour. I spent a lot of time fishing sand patches and got 8 hali's for the trip and only 1 was over 22". It jumped out of my boat after being very cooperative with some pix. I took home 3 yellows, and had a couple releases. I got 1 sheep for the trip and a few scorpionfish.

Bigfish for the trip was a 38# 'but with a couple yellows right behind at 35#.

Compare/contrast:
Water temps were down 4-7F generally, and near 10F down from last year. We got various reports from other boats snooping around and it wasn't good. Excel tried Chester and found 4-5' windswell, dirty cold water and NFF. We took off Thursday eve to look at Benitos for a few hours. It was 55FFD! I stuck my hand in the baitwell and said no thank you. On the way home we stopped at San Martin and that was nice looking. There was clouds of krill out over the pinnacles and lots of birds in clean blueish water.

There was y/t popping around on the lee of Cedros and they were the bigger models, but the water was cold and they were not in full feed mode...yet.

It was another adventure and certainly worth my while. My only complaints are with the weather, but again, sometimes you pick a date, sometimes the date picks you. We just had a week of gale, and hid the best we could.

Z

[Corey]

Thanks for the report Troy. Glad you were able to make the best of the bad conditions. I really want to make one of those Q105 trips one of these days.

[tylerdurden]

I've always wanted to do that trip too. Sounds like a rough go this time, but a couple yt and an adventure sounds good to me.

[Zed]

Passed San Martin about 0400 and it was blown, cold and brown.
San Geronimo on the way down. Not stopping there, either.


Scott and Bob. Trip regs. They've switched to Hobies since last trip, but I still think they're cool people.


Part of a pretty fish I got after I had already released a yellow I got on the bass gear, which was filmed by the cameraman with the Hobie guys. I hope my OK is up to their film standards. My camerawork sure needs help. This guy douched my camera and I was much less inclined to shoot from this point on. Honestly I was not a dedicated cameraman on this trip. Sorry for that.


The marine layer was flowing over the top the entire trip, but we were in the sun almost the whole time.


Point to looker's left is San Agustin. Lots of life around there, but lots of wind. We put a bunch of yellows on the big boat here.


Jan and Capt Klein. Some say it blows when John's on the boat, but John disagrees. Frankly, having him and his wealth of experience and info on board was worth a little wind. The man has done some stuff in incredible places. This was my first Qualifier trip with John actually on the boat.


We're making a move looking for better water. Were almost directly downwind of a fresh breeze and these gulls were flying backwards as we motored.


Some arches in the Morro Redondo area. The fishing was cold and slow in this area, so I took the Sea World tourist route and explored the inside.


Kelp, Morro Redondo and the Qualifier 105. I had a couple yt followers in this area, but no connects. I was potholing mats of kelp and tossing lures in the channels between. In one area, while fishing a channel I got 3 humboldts in a row on BH swimbaits. Bob also got one in the area while potholing. EFFF THAT!


In tight looking around. Awesome looking arroyo, with halibut in the gravel.


Arch from the other side, and Scott fishing a boiler with Isla Natividad in the b/g.


Kelp crab.


A bunch of Guadalupe Fur seal pups. I glided in a bit too close and they scattered before I could shoot the pic. But the individual markings on their faces was kinda cute. For the record I like seals. I'm a little harsher with their cousin the CA sea lion.



That's my A-list pics, I guess. The out of focus, overzoomed, dirty lens pics are omitted.

I know Jared made some dedicated effort to get the bigger fish, and it paid off for him. He ran into a few fish up and boiling and was able to get a surface iron on them and was rewarded with a nice 30# yellar.

[steveooo]

Cool Pics Troy

[Zed]

Thanks. And thanks to BigHammer, Fisherman's Hardware, and EagleClaw for generous swag. And thanks to Bob and Scott, both of whom pour their own plastics too, and kept forcing them on me.

Just some more trivial stuff:
My first trip was 100% mono, and I was told I would suffer from lost gear. I did alright and didn't feel it was "necessary". The next year I had powerpro spectra on my lightest rig (AbuGarcia Record 60) and got the big yellow on that, and was generally impressed with the line. I straight tie the spectra, not messing with topshot. I didn't loose any more tackle even though the fishing was better for yt. This year I had spectra on 2 rigs. Once I detonated the Abu (RIP Abu, you served well) I went to the #2 rig and it was incredible fun to fish with. TN12 w/ 30# PP Spectra on a 700XL. That was the $hit. I was thinking I would hate not having the levelwind for the spectra, but it worked great. And I lost 3 jigheads for the entire trip. Two were cast-offs, on a borrowed calcutta 250 with some other spectra on it, and one was lost to the bottom while I was re-rigging the cast-offs. That's it for hooks, iron, jigheads. Three. I coulda brought a trout box, but no I brought everything.

I may have upped my numbers if I had some sort of mono on the end, but not by a lot. I had several times the bass would get me in the grass and not come out until I was straight over them and I could get a wrap (gloves!) and heave it straight out of the shallow grass/rocks and onto the deck. Very satisfying getting a chunk that way.

So I guess I'm fishing spectra now for inshore. We'll see how these wary SoCal bass react to the rope.


Just like every trip it wasn't long enough. 8 days is nothing. Just a blink of an eye. You could take years to get the right conditions in the right areas. I know that if you could just get the right calm, swell-less day, the N'ern weather side of Cedros would kick out a world record calico on a kayak. Nobody ever gets in tight there. But getting that day to fish that area perfectly would take an expedition.

I'm sure I'll be even more long-winded about the trip in person, so watch out Sunday.

[bajadog]

Great pix and report Zed, thanks!

[lamb]

Good times!

[Handymansd]

Nice pictures and report, makes me want to go now.

[h2ofishfo]

geeez with the look of the life & limited fishing pressure u would think its going off there all yr with yellers but nice camera work so sweet