Kayaking 8-27-18

I got to the harbor about 7:15 am and started setting up my kayak.  It had been nearly a year since I fished from my kayak so I was a bit rusty.  My bait tank wasn't working but when Jack arrived he fiddled with the switch and got it working.  He also helped me launch my kayak for which I am grateful.

The weather was a warm 72 degrees without a hint of a breeze.  The water was 72.6 degrees and calm.  We tried fishing for mackerel just outside the harbor.  When that didn't work, we moved to the Red Buoy at the headlands.  They weren't there either.  Fortunately Jack brought some squid so we pinned on a squid and fished our way north all the way to Salt Creek Beach.

Unfortunately the fish finder was clear except for a few kelp stringers.  Jack caught a couple sardines and a 12 inch calico.  I had my squid tentacles nibbled off a couple times then I snagged a mackerel in the belly.  I stuck him on my hook and trolled him around all the way back to the harbor - a distance of 5 miles.  My bait would shudder and jerk the line when eel grass got wrapped around the hook.  Once as I brought the mackerel up to clean off the grass, a calico bass, the same size as the mackerel, was chewing on its tail. Calicos can be quite aggressive.

We returned to dock around 1:30 pm, 5 hours of peddling for a total distance of 10 miles.  Jack helped me get my kayak up the ramp.  My knees and hips were a bit weak from all the peddling.  It couldn't have anything to do with getting old, could it?

It was a very nice day on the water even without catching any fish.