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Kurt, that was the biggest landed. There was lots of stories of straightened hooks and busted welded rings and iron tips, not to mention all the yellows wearing jewelry, now, from failed line.
Honestly Andy, as much as I like fishing for calicos, the reports bore me, so yeah I was a little jaded after last years 8 day calico trip. How many pix of the inside of a calicos maw can there be? Added to the fact I caught that bug last year, it wasn't so special.
Just a little discussion on comparisons/contrasts:
Last year, Winter was still pushing thru fronts into May/June. This year we barely knew the word front. So that area down there had a long time to stabilize.
There is so much freakin' bait down there, now. Everywhere we went, there was 'dines and macks popping around the surface in carpets. And naturally the yellows were most places, too; something that was absent last year. Mark told me he wanted yellows and asked where would we best have a chance. As far as my limited experience, I said they're everywhere, but last year they were nowhere. He almost proved me right, soaking bait everywhere was very productive for him.
Kelp:
Benitos is still seemingly healthy. S Cedros is pretty barren, and what is there on the 4 and 5ftm spots is afflicted by the blight. The whole S bay was a mat, last year. Sickly and sparse, this year. Eugenia/Chester Rocks has no kelp left. I didn't recognize the place.
San Geronimo to San Martin (Including that super-double secret spot) is cold and green or red. Just miles and miles of poor conditions, right now. Last year San Martin was turned over but the overall water condition in the region was good.
Just goes to show how much a year can change things.
wavster, it's on their schedule.
Some other little things I remember:
Mark had a shark encounter at Benitos paddling over a large one he couldn't identify, but it was 2/3 of his ProExplorer. On the last day, about 300yards outside of us on the edge of the northern wind line, Mark say, "Check out that dolphin...whale...what the F is that?"
I saw it too and said I don't know, but then it freakin went ballistic for 4 more leaps. It was a huge mako just going apeshit on that outer edge. Kind of sobered us for a bit. We know they're around, and I don't think about it, but when they make such a big deal, drama queen, look-at-me show, it's difficult not to think about it. Heh.
T-man should have been there. He would have thrown an iron at it.
Thanks for the stoke.
Z
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