Food was off the hook! Smaller crowd this year. Flowers were stunning. No politics no arguing. Many wine bottle (red, white, sparkling, rose we do not discriminate) casualties.

I ran solo yesterday out of Pittsburg marina chasing western rumors.  I found birds in Honker bay and fish pushing bait. I came back to that spot 4 times during the day and the birds were still working. They only wanted it subsurface for the most part.  Biggest maybe 5 lbs but plenty of action.

I offered her a choice, straight through on 101 south with more time to kick back at Morro Bay or take the high/slow road through Big Sur with a late lunch in Cambria.

She chose well.

We dawdled down the coast stopping often. I took pictures I had taken before. We arrived (quite relaxed) in Morro Bay right at sunset.

We enjoyed a long bike ride Saturday exploring this quiet coastal town. We loafed in the general area for a couple of days avoiding necessary Thanksgiving prep errands.

Back home recharged and ready to do battle with the beast.

Loaded for crabbin

We pushed off from South Beach on our 2016 crab season debut to very nice conditions inside.

Pt Bonita was poppin fresh so we stayed in the lane

Some gnarly stuff on the bar between us and crab heaven

It’s ok when you can see them but about 2 miles out we hit fog and the walls started climbing.

Eyes glued to the chart/radar  we turned uphill about 3 miles out. Too soon. We got air on a huge sneaker. Mike and I went weightless and then ragdoll on the bridge and Randy caught air on the stern. I won’t soon forget the sound of a 36 ft sportfisher loaded with gear slamming into the trough.

After that crabbing at Baker Beach sounded like a fine idea so we turned tail.

We dropped 4 pots in 120 feet and headed back to Bonita Cove for rockfish.

Swells had everything locked down but the scenery was spot on.

We pulled the string for a handful of crab and headed for home.

Fresh crab for dinner made for an end to a mighty fine day.

Some shots of the Sonoma Coast from a recent trip

Fish are running small this year….

Debra and I rolled over Donner Pass Friday afternoon and checked into a comped room at Grand Sierra (thanks Mike and Henny). We met the Schaefers for a pitcher of Margies and dinner (Bertha Mirandas)and some gamboling downtown.

Mike and I hit the road Saturday morning early for Pyramid. Rain had started to green things up a bit and we had cloudshow high and low

We turned south for Blockhouse to find an early crowd

We commenced to pitchin and found some success on beetles

Weather and scenery top notch

Some lucky guy landed an 18 lb Pilot Peak beauty

We worked our way north for lunch

We had an issue with a tufa boulder

Wind forced us back south and east to Dago Bay.

We spent a relaxing evening on the ladders. I hooked and lost a big fish on the fly. Sky was brilliant.

Woke up this morning to a rainbow over Reno.

It rained HARD from Truckee all the way back to Pleasanton.

Finest on the water fracas.

Debra and I were joined by friends from Chicago for our annual 3 day trip to Laguna Seca for the coolest car event on the west coast. An all out assault on the senses. Smells such as burning fuel, burning brakes, burning oil, marginal paddock food, campfire smoke in your clothes. Sights, the pictures will speak for themselves. Sounds! Ferrari V12 scream! Ground pounder 1200 HP Can Am era McLarens? We have the same campsite every year that overlooks both the Carmel and Salinas valley.

Great company, Phil’s Cioppino, good times.

The crew with Nicolaus Cage

View from Camp

Plan B team doing Client research

And some car porn of course