Bill McIntyre
08-14-2007, 02:22 PM
In an unrelated thread on Spearboard about finding kelp paddies, I made the mistake of mentioning that I went to Clemente yesterday. I have now received three PMs asking me how we did, so I might as well tell the sad and embarrassing story just once and get it over with. Just be warned that there is no pot of gold at the end of this long bullshit rainbow.
The Navy web site said that Pyramid and the back side were closed, so we (Jeff Bonisa and Daniel Gonzalez) headed for Northwest Harbor, figuring that at least a few yellowtail are almost a sure thing on the front side, and maybe even a white sea bass if we were lucky.
The water was pretty clear, but surprisingly cool. It was 66 on the surface, and then around 60 below about 20 feet. There was one spot on the outside edge of the kelp bed where the current was holding kelp way down, but then right next to it kelp was straight up to the surface, and the mixing of the cold and warm water with different densities caused sort of a shimmering effect as the light was bent.
After giving up on finding a white, I went outside the bed to work my way back to the boat, hoping to find a yellowtail. A pair of 25 pounders came by and I shot one. I knew it was way too deep right under me, so I grabbed the swivel and kicked as hard as I could trying to keep the fish from getting down into the kelp, but I finally had to give some line to get up for a breath. After I got to the surface, I continued to kick hard and try to limit the line taken in hopes of making the fish tie up at a manageable depth.
When I finally had the fish stopped, I was just tired as hell. I think I really should have skipped that bike ride the day before, but I wasn't sure I was going diving until later in the day. Anyway, at 68 I am afraid I really need to make concessions to age and rest on the day before a dive tip.
I orally inflated my float, put it on the reel line, and dove to find the fish. It was at 47 feet, which is deep for me, but usually manageable. However, I was very tired and not diving well. I made some dives and cut kelp near the fish, and then thought maybe I could just pull the fish up through the rest of the kelp from the surface. I should have just waited for the guys to come help, so that I was more comfortable going under that kelp canopy, or even ask them to do the job for me. But I was stupid and pulled some line up, but then it stopped again. About that time the guys had seen my float and came to help. As Jeff swam up, he mentioned that another fish had just gone by me. Then he dove and gave me the bad news. There was nothing but a bare shaft and slip tip tangled up down there.
Shit, I'm a loser. I can think of several ways I could have prevented the loss of that fish. After the fish was settled down, I could have deflated the float, and taken it down and attached it to the slip tip cable and inflated it. Or I could have just been patient and waited for help.
Jeff saw another group of 6, but things seemed slow, so we left. In retrospect, I don't think we should have.
At the next spot, I saw that the guys had given up and were back in the boat, so I headed back myself. Another 25 pound yellowtail went by. This would have been a longer shot, but I think it was still in range. But there was a ton of kelp right under the fish, and I pondered whether I really wanted to go through that again for a damn yellowtail. I pondered too long, and it was gone.
We continued down the front side stopping on small kelp beds, with me running the boat and drifting to avoid the trouble of anchoring, but things were really dead, with not much bait. Jeff finally shot a blue perch to use for chum. After he got it off the shaft, he handed it to Daniel to hold while he reloaded, and a yellowtail came right by Daniel while he was distracted.
When we got to our last best hope, a spot where we have taken white sea bass and yellowtail in the past, there was a boat anchored with 4 divers in the water. I think it was Brian Koprinik's boat, and I know that this is one of his favorite spots. Maybe he will report all the fish he got, and then maybe Daniel, Jeff and I will slash our wrists.
The Navy web site said that Pyramid and the back side were closed, so we (Jeff Bonisa and Daniel Gonzalez) headed for Northwest Harbor, figuring that at least a few yellowtail are almost a sure thing on the front side, and maybe even a white sea bass if we were lucky.
The water was pretty clear, but surprisingly cool. It was 66 on the surface, and then around 60 below about 20 feet. There was one spot on the outside edge of the kelp bed where the current was holding kelp way down, but then right next to it kelp was straight up to the surface, and the mixing of the cold and warm water with different densities caused sort of a shimmering effect as the light was bent.
After giving up on finding a white, I went outside the bed to work my way back to the boat, hoping to find a yellowtail. A pair of 25 pounders came by and I shot one. I knew it was way too deep right under me, so I grabbed the swivel and kicked as hard as I could trying to keep the fish from getting down into the kelp, but I finally had to give some line to get up for a breath. After I got to the surface, I continued to kick hard and try to limit the line taken in hopes of making the fish tie up at a manageable depth.
When I finally had the fish stopped, I was just tired as hell. I think I really should have skipped that bike ride the day before, but I wasn't sure I was going diving until later in the day. Anyway, at 68 I am afraid I really need to make concessions to age and rest on the day before a dive tip.
I orally inflated my float, put it on the reel line, and dove to find the fish. It was at 47 feet, which is deep for me, but usually manageable. However, I was very tired and not diving well. I made some dives and cut kelp near the fish, and then thought maybe I could just pull the fish up through the rest of the kelp from the surface. I should have just waited for the guys to come help, so that I was more comfortable going under that kelp canopy, or even ask them to do the job for me. But I was stupid and pulled some line up, but then it stopped again. About that time the guys had seen my float and came to help. As Jeff swam up, he mentioned that another fish had just gone by me. Then he dove and gave me the bad news. There was nothing but a bare shaft and slip tip tangled up down there.
Shit, I'm a loser. I can think of several ways I could have prevented the loss of that fish. After the fish was settled down, I could have deflated the float, and taken it down and attached it to the slip tip cable and inflated it. Or I could have just been patient and waited for help.
Jeff saw another group of 6, but things seemed slow, so we left. In retrospect, I don't think we should have.
At the next spot, I saw that the guys had given up and were back in the boat, so I headed back myself. Another 25 pound yellowtail went by. This would have been a longer shot, but I think it was still in range. But there was a ton of kelp right under the fish, and I pondered whether I really wanted to go through that again for a damn yellowtail. I pondered too long, and it was gone.
We continued down the front side stopping on small kelp beds, with me running the boat and drifting to avoid the trouble of anchoring, but things were really dead, with not much bait. Jeff finally shot a blue perch to use for chum. After he got it off the shaft, he handed it to Daniel to hold while he reloaded, and a yellowtail came right by Daniel while he was distracted.
When we got to our last best hope, a spot where we have taken white sea bass and yellowtail in the past, there was a boat anchored with 4 divers in the water. I think it was Brian Koprinik's boat, and I know that this is one of his favorite spots. Maybe he will report all the fish he got, and then maybe Daniel, Jeff and I will slash our wrists.