Launched in the rain at 11:00 AM Saturday from Sugar Barge. I provided the mornings ramp entertainment by forgetting to put the plug in. Windy and rainy and close to high tide. I worked inside Mandeville after scraping bottom getting through the small entrance on the NW side. Stay to the right coming in. Hyacinth was rampant but will often hide bait.

Great looking water but slow fishing. At the Connection slough bridge I remembered to take the rods out of the rocket launchers. I continued on into Mildreds where I spent 2 hrs  probing every corner of her lusciousness. Dinks but no moes. Weather getting better as the day went by.

Heading east into the river I found some birds working.

But the birds were keying off a seal eating a fat salmon.  I flailed until sunset frustrated but very grateful for the time on the water.

Put the mighty Peridot on the hard at Grand Marina boat yard today for bottom paint. I went with the new environmentally friendly bottom paint 18 months ago. Bad choice as our diver refused to scrape her anymore until she was freshly painted. So screw the environment I am going with 2 coats of the nasty copper based old time environment destroying paint which purportedly will go 3 years before needing refreshing. Also having them mount and wire my new Ace Brutus 40 crab pot puller. Somewhat gut wrenching seeing the boat come out of the water on the sling.

Dangling Participles and I launched from Lauritzens at noon.

Overcast, light winds and slow outgoing tide.

We ran to Sherman and found birds, bait and active fish right off the bat.

The beat goes on.

We did the jackrabbit thing around the Lake for hours boating 50 or so fish. NO double digit fish but non stop action.

Should be back out this weekend.

Got a hall pass for Sunday (unbelievably) after crabbing all day Saturday. I  got out of the house at 7:00 AM headed for Sugar Barge. Day started like this

I was testing my new swimbait combo I saw on a BObby Barrack video. Blade Runner 3/8 OZ weedless jig heads coupled with Basstrix 5″ pearl white paddletails. If you get this rigged true/straight it has a killer look in the water with a real sinuous kick to the tail. I was able to throw it through all sorts of goop with little crud to clean off.  I hate digging multiple sets of trebles out of schoolies so really like how easy it is to release fish. There is a little wireform on the back of these heads you can bury in the plastic bait to keep your pants from being pulled down.

I ran from the SJ where Potato Slough comes in all the way to Browns Island and back during the day. I pounded all kinds of shoals in the SJ,  weeds in Sherman, Broad, cuts in Franks, flats inBig Break, running HPS and new water. Spectacular November day. Decent tidal movement going out in the morning. 75 degrees, cloudless and light winds. Hyacinth was certainly a problem on the east side. Lots of boat traffic out enjoying global warming.

Fish were scattered, numbers low and no double digit size for me yet again. I am SO due for a massive blowup. I worked a DWB custom and a bone super spook at times but really worked the swimbait mostly.

Ended up hitting every spot in North Franks as the sun was setting but would sum up the day as slow. Day finished like this.

Debra and I left Pleasanton Friday night for the floating home.

Saturday morning began with a safety meeting at the Java Hut. Thelma, Randy, my son Patrick and Dangerous Gargoyles met us at 8 AM and we steamed out the gate.

We dropped 5 pots just west of the Bar in 65 ft of water and headed up to DR1 for last ditch salmon attempt.

Stellman advised flouro leader, 40 pulls 2.5 lb ball and straight bait. So we put out all mono, 35 pulls, 2# balls and rotators.   Randy picked up a stray early.

We  WE checked the pots just after lunch but no an impressive result so we pulled them and moved them up off Rocky Point in 72 ft. We resumed salmon trolling for zip until 3 ish when we pulled the pots again. Much better results. 34 nice size crab for the group.

Happy times back at South Beach

Been cookin and cleaning crustys for the past couple hours

Solo out of Lauritzens today. Slow bite but enough action to keep me awake.

Worked old water and new. Deep and shallow.

Beautiful sunset tonight

Finished up in the Break for steady bite on little guys sucking on spooks.

Just closed the best month in our company’s 18 year history so we gave ourselves Friday off. Off to the ballpark to watch the parade in the rain.

We were lucky  to see the parade near the park because when we walked across town to view from Market St it was so packed you could not see doodly. We skipped the Civic Center ceremony in favor of late lunch and margaritas at Rosa Mexicana. We moved the boat that afternoon to our new downwind slip which should make docking easier. Great view of the bay bridge from the stern.

Dim sum breakfast on Clement  started Saturday off. We drove to the Palace of the Legion of Honor, parked the truck and unloaded the bikes. The view from the VA hospital is top notch,

We rode on to the site of Sutro Mansion which is a little known but amazing view spot on the cliff above the Cliffhouse.

We rode the bikes all the way down to Sloat and then back through GG park to the Balboa Safeway where I took a bus back to the truck while Debra shopped for the Sunday boat trip. Dinner Saturday night in North Beach. Shaved fennel/peccarino,mandarin orange salad to die for. Saltimbocca, Bucatini and Nebbiolo for dinner. Desert with Port. <burp>

Back to the boat for a movie.

Sunday crew Thelma, Randy and Mike showed up at 8 AM and we headed out the gate to decent conditions.

We dropped 3 pots in 60 feet at Bonita then departed  for Rocky Point. Some interesting swells at Bonita felled one crew early. Mike got 5 rods out for salmon and we quickly got a driveby he felt was a slug but this fish got off. Saw the Pacific Ryder (sweet ass Parker) getting ready to trolll. We trolled for maybe 2 hrs before I had enough. Back at the pots we boxed 4 and threw back  a bunch of shorts.

We threw the pots back out further east and messed around for an hr. When we pulled again the yield was better. I think we got around 12 dungies for our trouble. We had hot lunch on anchor at Chrissy Field featuring sloppy joes and 3 bean salad. Close to $800 worth of diesel at City Yacht and back at the dock by 2:00 PM. Life is good.

OA Kenji joined me for an afternoon session out of Sugar Barge

I have been itching to fish the east side after 3 trips in a row out of Antioch. We wuz drinkin IPA and pitchin DWB

Birds and diaper stripers galore at light 51

We covered a ton of water trying to milk a weak ass tide.

Killer overcast conditions coupled with pre-frontal goodness but the fish were playing dead.

Brief report

Solo Sunday out of Lauritzens at 5:30 AM LOL. Couldn’t sleep. Had to motor out to Sherman in pitch black dark at 5MPH. I got intercepted by the coast guard fully armed in the dark. They were escorting what looked like a oil tanker. No issue as I told them I was turning into Sherman Lake and had not voted for Obama.

Had Sherman Lake to myself with birds working right away at sunrise. Long story short I was into schoolies ALL DAY on big hammers 3/8 oz heads.

Spent the whole day chasing birds and roving packs of fish with trolling motor on jackrabbit mode. Sherman broad an the sac side working the weedlines. Weeds, current 4-6 ft of water. Plenty of little guys out there bodes well for next year.

Couple of dozen fish caught, no fattys. Fished side by side with some guys and a gal in a decked out center console white ranger bay/coastal that looked like they knew what they were doing. Nice rig Tomo!

Randy and I launched at Big Break at around 2:00 PM Thursday. Weather amazing mid 70’s slight breeze tide chock full and almost slack. We stopped in Sherman Lake and in Broad for zip. We then ran west to the Steel and started hooking up on Big Hammers.

Randy noticed some birds working about a half mile west of the Steel and we picked up and ran. 6 ft of water and interspersed weedlines. It was on.

No big girls but PLENTY of actions with numerous doubles. Our delta Sensei Turhan called us in back to Sherman. We found him surrounded by birds in the middle of the lake hooked up and happy.

Fast and Furious for an hr and a half. At LEAST 40 fish boated and a bunch lost. No topwater action  at all and we tried DWB’s and Super Spooks. Classic sunset.

Editing the Gopro footage this evening.