Debra and I left the house Saturday AM for West Marine. I picked up a Todd Ladderback helm seat to replace the piece of shit OEM Garelick seat.

Hit Millers West Coast deli on Polk for lunch. Highly recommended. With a few choice words I had the seat installed late afternoon and attended to a few more repairs. Having a boat at Pier 39 is like going to the circus regularly. Between the foreign tourists and local crazies there is always some sort of action. Saturdays circus was the Curtis Sliwa shakedown.

La Guardian Angles

Mustache that talks

We left P39 by foot at 6 PM and headed up to Union square and back down into Chinatown.

Had an interesting dinner at the Far East Cafe on Grant (not recommended) including an interesting take on Long Island Iced Tea. I had to have two to fully appreciate the interpretation. These long neighborhood exploring walks Debra and I do when we are staying on the boat are what keeps us from selling  it. Never get tired of cruising North Beach and trying new places to eat or get a drink. Crashed hard after a bottle of Rioja and a gently rocking Peridot.

Dangerous Trebles showed up right on time as usual and we were lines off at 7:15.

Passed up Dyno for tray bait for once. Fog was light and wind non existent. Everone rounded the corner at Bonita and hung a right so we followed to find 4 cattle boats and quite a few skiffs.

Dangerous rigged two rods with cable baiters and frozen anchovies. 5 minutes later one goes off and we boat a cooperative fish.

Quiet for a while with an occasional net out. Swell neglible.

Saw some of the usual suspects

Picked up a 22 incher and noted that the PB’s had slipped away. We picked up and ran towards the channel bouys but stopped halfway from Muir as a couple of the boats had stopped. Picked up #3 fish which appeared to be in the high teens. Swam right into the net with no theatrics glad to join the upcoming dinner party.

Fog lifted and the whole fleet appeared to be at the last set of shipping channel buoys so we shoehorned right in.

Wacky Jacky led us to another fish and we had #4 on board.

We could see from Half Moon bay, to the Farallones and all the way up to Pt Reyes.

Dogged Shim for a bit.

Pilot boat had 2 rods out LOL

Called it early and back at the dock by 4:00 PM. Thanks to Mike for:

Running the deck

Catching all the fish

Cleaning all the fish

Thanks to me for falling asleep at the helm and professional net services.

Randy and Thelma towed up my tin can and Debra and I towed up the pedal yaks for our annual Spicer trip. Lake level was down a bit. Water temp 70. We camped in the first dead tree cove on the south side. Shared the cove with a family of osprey. They make very good alarm clocks. Killer hike Sat morning up the canyon south of Spicer where we found a small lake. Plenty of people fishing Spicer and a few campers. Fished a little and caught a half a dozen with little effort Saturday afternoon. Food, drink, scenery and company was top notch.

Debra and I spent the night on the boat Saturday night. My son Patrick and his bud Randy D rolled out on the pier on time at 7 and we were off. We ran out and up in nice conditions with at times a few miles viz. Stopped on tons of birds and huge clouds of bait at Dux. 4 or 5 skiffs and a party boat. They were all rockfishing and the boys wanted salmon so we headed out to N bouy. Hardly a soul around at N. Did not want to run to Pt Reyes at 11:00 AM so we headed south. Found killer sign, diving birds and hali whaler commies at North bar. Crew elected to run for lunch at Bonita despite decent conditions. Found my drift in Bonita and put a ling and a half dozen blacks in the box. Tried Angel and Red Rock for halis and back at the dock by 3:30.

Mel G picked me up in Ptown at 4:45. We were locked and loaded by 5:30 at P39 when Stellman and Neo rolled out onto the pier.

Ice and pinner bait loaded we flew out the gate in thick fog for Nancy Bouy. Swell was a bit higher and closer than forecasted but I was riding 2 tabs of Dramanine and determined to man up. Nothing at the bouy but radar showed us the fleet was 2-3 miles due west. Steady pick all day on WMA. Had a few singles.

Had a few doubles.

Lost a couple of big girls and decided to start keeping the 22 inchers. Steve bangs a 20 despite Mel’s best attempts to knock it off the net.

I definitely need a longer handle net. Jerry had some action on hoochie flasher combo. We were between 30 to 50 pulls on droppers today. Couple of whales and lots of murres, no jelly that we saw. Boxed our go home fish around 2:30. Played around a bit on the way back on the rocks for a couple of dinks and at the dock at 4.

Jerry is smoking the bulk of our catch. Thanks to a crew that knows how to run the deck! First limits on the Peridot!

Got the pass to fish Sunday. Having had recent work done to the boat I left for Pier 39 Saturday afternoon to prepare.Checked all systems and decided to stay for the night. They opened a sports bar at the end of the pier which is mighty convenient so I had a couple of drinks and ordered fish and chips to go. Killer view of Alcatraz and the gate from the bar. Back aboard with a bottle of Syrah, dramamine and a viewing of the movie “The Prestige” (WTF David Bowie as Nikolai Tesla?).Out by 10 PM

. Mr. Cake, Dangerous Trebles and world class napper Chilly B rolled in exactly on time at 7 and we were off by 7:30. A quick stop at J&P for a big scoop of 4 inch anchovies, a chance encounter with Mel and $50 lighter we were off.

Pier Review

Salmon reports were 18 miles out and I was desperately hoping for an early showing of something in the bay but my bluff was called and we headed under the red steel.

Greasy

I have run up the Marin coast to the towers and Dux but this was my first time out 18 miles from the gate so was happy to be there with experts with local bouy knowledge.

Bash Brothers

We messed around in the lane for a bit but water did not look right. We ran for DD’s numbers which was where Dean was Saturday. AT various times during the day we ran across, blue whales, Sea Draggins, Mooch Betters. Salmon Suckers, Night Hawks, Flash and a few salmon.

close to 15#

1st sammy on my boat for several years

PETA lover not

Have no clue where the fleet was as the fog stayed tight to the water. Wind and swell was most enjoyable. I stayed on the bridge for the most part as this crew knows how to run a ball draggin deck. We ran RSK’s, FBR’s WMA’s, Crocs, flashers, divers, up and around 43 and 49 for two fish and a couple of drive bys. Pounded the pattern until around 16:00 while Chilly and the Cake Eater traded nappy times. Whale show was awesome

Blue?

Tiny dorsal?

Glory Hole

Weather great all day. A bit of washing machine at the point coming in.

Was grateful as we rolled back in that I had no Mal de Mare symptoms all day.

Welcome sight

Things I tried that worked:

Dramamine night before

another that morning

decent nights sleep only mildly inebriated

no coffee

stay on the bridge

Next time I’m having coffee.

We looked around a little bit at Bonita and inside but were back at the dock by 5:30.

Let them eat Cake

G2

Cleaning fish at the dock.

3 hands

O face

Pre-plank

Thanks to the crew for the cleanup, cash and camaraderie.

Roasted red potatoes, corn on the cob, plank roasted salmon with buerre blanc sauce and a Fume Blanc were today’s reward.

Chief

Debra and I left Friday noon for Portola Ca. our base for the weekend. My son borrowed my 4 wheel drive so we took Debra’s.

We stayed at Chalet View in Portola which is servicible but nondescript. Have stayed at Gray Eagle Lodge and Elwell Lodge previously which are both seriously rustic.

Elwell

Weather was quite cold and VERY windy. We got blown off of ten different bodies of water including Gold Lake, Salmon Lake, Packer Lake, Sardine, Goose, Davis Lake, Middle fork Feather, Salmon Creek etc.

Gold Lake Sheep

Gold Launch

Salmon Lake

Feather

S&P

Sierra Buttes above Sardine

Davis Wind Tunnel

So we just cruised around taking in the sights

God’s country

Long View

Sunday we decided to head back on 49 through Downieville etc. The road was in great shape, little traffic and I was in a nice rhythm when all of a sudden a deer dropped out of the sky and attacked my right front fender! Took out the headlight and side marker and it looks like bumper, fender, bonnet and drivers door will have to be replaced.

Ouch

Minor tire rubbing

Some pic edits for fun

Randy and Thelma boarded the mighty Peridot at 7:30 and we were off to see the bait man.

The City

Just in time

Nice size chovies

3 minutes later $30 dollars lighter

Tried a few drifts at Angel with a handful of skiffs as company but saw no nets. Weather demanded we head out the gate.

Bonita

Crab boat had the cove roped off

Cove hog

We picked up a half dozen rockies and one keeper ling in tight just west of the nude beach.

Cunning Linguist

Spent the rest of the day at Angel, Southampton, B flats, Alcatraz and the rockwall for ZIP inside the bay. Never saw the fleet and radio was quiet. Panko rockfish for dinner tonight!

So we infected my brother in law Ric with the Lemons bug. We’re talking 24 hrs of Lemons.A car racing series for the middle class clown.

My son has driven in several of these races with the Faster Farms team.

Faster Farms 66 Belvedere

Gallery from 09 Thunderhill race

http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/ppicker/Lemons09/?albumview=slideshow

Photobucket gallery from the 2011 Sears Pointless race

http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/ppicker/24%20Hrs%20of%20Lemons%20Hilites%20Sears%20Point%202011/?albumview=slideshow

Here is a shot of Pat performing routine maintenance on the car before it’s transformation into the  aerodynamique race chariot of today.

Chip off the old block

In between crashes Pat gets hungry

3 of the drivers are Peridot Team members. The ringleader Adrian is a true lunatic who I have had the pleasure to work with for 20 yrs.

http://fasterfarms.blogspot.com/

http://jalopnik.com/5089174/the-faster-farms-chickens-suit-up-for-arse-freeze+a+palooza-lemons-glory

I have really enjoyed my time at Lemons event as a supporter and spectator, not yet a driver. Shit happens in racing and I am still really uptight when my kid is behind the wheel but I am living vicariously through him.

https://vimeo.com/10222911

Check the one handed driving in this one.

https://vimeo.com/10223459

There has been contact,

That will buff right out

Off Piste

and a rollover.

Post rollover Thunderhill

In true Lemons style the Belvedere was driven home 4 hrs back to the bay area after the rollover dirt sticking to the roof.

For whatever reasons the FF team is currently dormant so Pat is flying out to Chicago in the morning to drive for the Gulp Racing Poorsche Carerror Team.

http://gulpracing.tumblr.com/

Today  I designed and laser engraved plaques for the car and each of the drivers. They came out great.

Team Captain Plaque

Drivers plaques

The race is at a country club track in Joliet this weekend. Just finished packing 3 gopros, multiple mounts cables, memory cards etc.  Tear it up Gulp Racing!

UPDATE: Car ran and handled great for 5.5 hrs and then threw a chunk. Valiant effort dissed by the Judge. Check it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t57yjmcZ1cw

Go now. Fishing was red hot. The dam is loaded with fish but all areas produced. We got equal amounts toplining as we did at the magic rigger depth of 20 ft. We caught on rapalas, spoons, spinners etc. Saturday  we got on the lake at 8 am and must have caught 70 fish by sunset.

Brookie

urs truly

Uploading video now including underwater stuff.

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