I think the last time I had a real diving trip was July 20. We went off to my son's house for a vacation in early August, and while we were gone a pipe broke and flooded the house. Ever since then we been living in the Residence Inn, Marriot while we wait for the house to be restored. I went out one time since then, but with my dive gear living at my house, my boat at the harbor, and me at the hotel, it seemed like too much work. It seems like hardly a day goes by that I don't have to do something concerning the house, and on the other days I just pout and feel sorry for myself. Every time I go by the house to pick up mail, I leave exhausted.
So anyway, Joel called me Wednesday and suggested that we go out Friday with Dam. I told him my shoulder was screwed up enough so that I wasn't sure I could climb into his boat, and he said that he meant my boat. Oh.
But he got me off my ass and we headed out. At the first stop, the water looked clear and the temp was 66. I jumped in and there were lots of sardines and mackerel, with vis about 30 feet. I swam over to the kelp bed and found most of the kelp bent over to around 15 to 20 feet, even though there was hardly any current. After about 5 minutes, I decided it was time to make that first dive. I was breathing up when two nice yellowtail swam across in front of me about three feet below the surface. I decided that I could postpone that first dive and shot one of them.
Of course it dove for the kelp, and I didn't want it to get there. I grabbed the mono shooting line and kicked as hard as I could to stay on the surface. I could see that I had a good holding shot just below the dorsal with the tip toggled on the other side, but the fish wasn't hurt a bit. For a few minutes it was nip and tuck, with the fish pulling me under water and then me getting back to the surface. I was really getting my ass kicked, and wishing that I had stiffer fins or was about 20 years younger, or both. Then I noticed four or five black sea bass, with the biggest two probably between 300 and 400 pounds, chasing my fish around. As I managed to gain a bit of line, they were following it up, but they finally broke off the chase when I got it in my hands. I was really glad to get it back to the boat.
It was pretty choppy and the scale was bouncing a lot, but I decided to call it 35 pounds. Later at the launch ramp, the gutted weight was 31#- 5oz, so I think I'll go for around 36 whole weight.
We tried two more spots with no luck for the kids, and I decided I was getting tired and called it a day. No sooner had I showered and got dressed that Dam came back with a 38 pound wsb out of a school of three. He and Joel went back out to find another one, but I decided to act my age and sit it out. They didn't see any more, so my sloth was rewarded.
Anyway, with at least another week in the hotel I was afraid I was going to miss the last half of the season. Its still been hard reading about the guys who have had good luck lately. Now that I shot a decent fish and had a great day with the A Team, I may not sell the boat after all.
Joel didn't kill anything, but he shot some nice video of the black sea bass. Watch in HD.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFU3ITCeD3g&feature=plcp]Blackseabass vid - YouTube[/ame]
So anyway, Joel called me Wednesday and suggested that we go out Friday with Dam. I told him my shoulder was screwed up enough so that I wasn't sure I could climb into his boat, and he said that he meant my boat. Oh.
But he got me off my ass and we headed out. At the first stop, the water looked clear and the temp was 66. I jumped in and there were lots of sardines and mackerel, with vis about 30 feet. I swam over to the kelp bed and found most of the kelp bent over to around 15 to 20 feet, even though there was hardly any current. After about 5 minutes, I decided it was time to make that first dive. I was breathing up when two nice yellowtail swam across in front of me about three feet below the surface. I decided that I could postpone that first dive and shot one of them.
Of course it dove for the kelp, and I didn't want it to get there. I grabbed the mono shooting line and kicked as hard as I could to stay on the surface. I could see that I had a good holding shot just below the dorsal with the tip toggled on the other side, but the fish wasn't hurt a bit. For a few minutes it was nip and tuck, with the fish pulling me under water and then me getting back to the surface. I was really getting my ass kicked, and wishing that I had stiffer fins or was about 20 years younger, or both. Then I noticed four or five black sea bass, with the biggest two probably between 300 and 400 pounds, chasing my fish around. As I managed to gain a bit of line, they were following it up, but they finally broke off the chase when I got it in my hands. I was really glad to get it back to the boat.
It was pretty choppy and the scale was bouncing a lot, but I decided to call it 35 pounds. Later at the launch ramp, the gutted weight was 31#- 5oz, so I think I'll go for around 36 whole weight.
We tried two more spots with no luck for the kids, and I decided I was getting tired and called it a day. No sooner had I showered and got dressed that Dam came back with a 38 pound wsb out of a school of three. He and Joel went back out to find another one, but I decided to act my age and sit it out. They didn't see any more, so my sloth was rewarded.
Anyway, with at least another week in the hotel I was afraid I was going to miss the last half of the season. Its still been hard reading about the guys who have had good luck lately. Now that I shot a decent fish and had a great day with the A Team, I may not sell the boat after all.
Joel didn't kill anything, but he shot some nice video of the black sea bass. Watch in HD.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFU3ITCeD3g&feature=plcp]Blackseabass vid - YouTube[/ame]
