Had a very exciting dive day on friday. I went up the Norcal coast to Fort Ross and jumped into the water. I was greeted by three sea otters that were playing around 20' in front of me and a harbour seal whose white sides I saw streaking around underwater while donning my gear.
The swell was down but so was the visibility ~5'. Not being a stranger to low vis conditions I got on top of my float and took a leisurely 10 min. swim to a kelpy patch. I tied off my float in about 25'. I dove down and quickly scouted the bottom. Wasn't fishy, but I decided to give it a try anyway. I took some abalone scraps a shoved them in the rocks directly under my float. I then proceded to fruitlessly swim around and get cold. I saw a few blues and greenlings but nothing worth pulling the trigger on. After 15 minutes I dove on my float and approached the scraps from 10' away. Nothing. A few more chilly dives and 15 minutes later I tried again w/ the same approach...nothing. Now this wasn't really a surprise because I've tried chumming numerous times w/ urchins on the west coast and crushed mussels and menhaden on the east coast. The only thing that has ever happened was my second shark encounter in the last 1 1/2 years. The shark took my float and stringer w/ a half dozen fish when we were burlying w/ the menhaden, but his was pretty far from the chum slick and probably just from the fish on my stringer (even after I told myself not to leave fish in the water after inccident #1 which was a lot scarier).
I do the routine again and this time drop about 20' away from my float and pull myself along the bottom. The scarps come into view and still nothing. I keep swimming up and suddenly whoa... I stop dead in my tracks and slowly push myself backwards with my left hand which was gripping the rocks. In front of me a see a huge cabezon sprawles out ON TOP of the ab scraps. Incredible I didn't see it before very well camoflaged... huge head. It's fan-like pectoral fins are splayed out and it's go to be at least 15" wide which is the minimum length... Now I'm not from the west coast so were not talking 15lbs big were talking 9lbs, still the biggest thing I've seen underwater out here save a 30"+ ling after the season and stuff that breaths air ( :waterwork I miss my 30lb stripers).
Plop the spear through her head and now shes in the fridge. Ummmm gravid female eggs so tasty (actually poisonus so eating is a no-no). The best part was the first succes with baiting which will be further explored...
The swell was down but so was the visibility ~5'. Not being a stranger to low vis conditions I got on top of my float and took a leisurely 10 min. swim to a kelpy patch. I tied off my float in about 25'. I dove down and quickly scouted the bottom. Wasn't fishy, but I decided to give it a try anyway. I took some abalone scraps a shoved them in the rocks directly under my float. I then proceded to fruitlessly swim around and get cold. I saw a few blues and greenlings but nothing worth pulling the trigger on. After 15 minutes I dove on my float and approached the scraps from 10' away. Nothing. A few more chilly dives and 15 minutes later I tried again w/ the same approach...nothing. Now this wasn't really a surprise because I've tried chumming numerous times w/ urchins on the west coast and crushed mussels and menhaden on the east coast. The only thing that has ever happened was my second shark encounter in the last 1 1/2 years. The shark took my float and stringer w/ a half dozen fish when we were burlying w/ the menhaden, but his was pretty far from the chum slick and probably just from the fish on my stringer (even after I told myself not to leave fish in the water after inccident #1 which was a lot scarier).
I do the routine again and this time drop about 20' away from my float and pull myself along the bottom. The scarps come into view and still nothing. I keep swimming up and suddenly whoa... I stop dead in my tracks and slowly push myself backwards with my left hand which was gripping the rocks. In front of me a see a huge cabezon sprawles out ON TOP of the ab scraps. Incredible I didn't see it before very well camoflaged... huge head. It's fan-like pectoral fins are splayed out and it's go to be at least 15" wide which is the minimum length... Now I'm not from the west coast so were not talking 15lbs big were talking 9lbs, still the biggest thing I've seen underwater out here save a 30"+ ling after the season and stuff that breaths air ( :waterwork I miss my 30lb stripers).
Plop the spear through her head and now shes in the fridge. Ummmm gravid female eggs so tasty (actually poisonus so eating is a no-no). The best part was the first succes with baiting which will be further explored...