I thought I would never get to this. I'm spread too thin these days like butter on a hot English muffin.
So, family time was spent prior to bed and I was already thinking about my plans on where I was going to fish in the morning. I wanted to try a new area, but it was hard not to hit the spot that I found all of those fish yesterday.
Morning came and I was out the door 30 minutes earlier and was greeted by this before I went straight down to the spot.
(https://i.imgur.com/TslTdne.jpg)
I caught a palm sized perch fairly early when I see a Dungeness Crab walking by my feet in the surf. Then I'm on while I'm watching this crab, only to realize I have a crab at the end of my line! Immediately, the other crab came over to fight the crab I was reeling in! I grabbed him and the hook popped free from his joint.
(https://i.imgur.com/aZUtZke.jpg)
Then I reach in the water and grab the other one at my feet! I was trying to figure out how to get a picture of both until I felt the pincher of the other one and now only had one to get a picture of. LOL
(https://i.imgur.com/gUIWN91.jpg)
I watched the one that I dropped literally wiggle and totally disappear out of view at my feet. I threw the smaller one in and reached into the sand and about 5 inches down, there he was! I didn't know these type of crabs did that!
Well, onto looking for the bigger perch... I found a general bigger overall size of them, but no monsters. Then the little guys showed up. LOL
(https://i.imgur.com/MU2KbFb.jpg)
I was literally catching a perch every cast and it was unbelievable. It was switching from small redtail to Silvers...
(https://i.imgur.com/zsWyXNx.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MOBLbYf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VqmjTpB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cgsDLSH.jpg)
Then I get another Speckled Sand Dab! (I ended up with 2 this morning)
(https://i.imgur.com/f9exrmI.jpg)
I moved down closer to Haystack Rock to get in on a little reef action, but the birders didn't like it so I kept my space in the name of peace and quiet.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZZ5jFUz.jpg)
Well, I found the bigger ones. Most were in the 11" range which was pretty cool to have constant action on!
(https://i.imgur.com/DjUruLI.jpg)
The sun started poking through and I realized I had 3 new species of perch to add to my life list.
(https://i.imgur.com/vb9e3Pt.jpg)
Some lady was watching me catch perch after perch and asked if I wanted a picture with my phone instead of long arming it. I obliged and she said her boyfriend was out fishing yesterday and caught one little, tiny perch. I realized it was the fly guy from yesterday and he was stoked with that one perch for sure! I laughed when she said she's not going to tell her man how many were being caught as not to put him in a bad mood. I concurred and got a couple of sweet pictures out of it.
(https://i.imgur.com/CRNoHep.jpg)
I kept trying to leave to try on the otherside of Haystack and said if I go two casts without a fish, I'm packing it in... well, it wasn't happening.
(https://i.imgur.com/GeQuTkV.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ujFYlKw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/48PEybD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/slm0r6h.jpg)
I saw a few more Puffins fly off of the Haystack and it made my morning.
(https://i.imgur.com/ff91MW9.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dNYcJ0U.jpg)
I decided to head to the other side of the rock and it was packed on the other side. I didn't see a reason to fish what looked like the same beach on a more packed side, so I took a picture and went back.
(https://i.imgur.com/7OwgfbH.jpg)
I then catch one that had a longer snout. As I took the picture I didn't notice anything other than a longer than usual mouth, but when I saw the picture, I was like... SNOOK????
(https://i.imgur.com/Ema0WgA.jpg)
I'm guessing there was either a water droplet on my waterproof case or it gulped as I was taking the picture making it look weirder than it was. In any case, it was a deformity.
Well, I caught probably 70 if not more this morning and I burnt through a ton of Gulp sandworms. Time to head back for breakfast/lunch and then celebrate Hannah's birthday since it was actually her birthday today.
On the way back I tagged my spot
(https://i.imgur.com/ceItMPT.jpg)
as well as stop by and take a picture with the Wayfarer
(https://i.imgur.com/W65T3Vi.jpg)
We skipped the breakfast and went straight to lunch. Stopped at the Pelican Brewing Company for burgers and beer. I went with the Tsunami burger with a big old fat piece of pineapple on it.
(https://i.imgur.com/WgxyQ3E.jpg)
Hannah wanted to see the forest so we headed out to Ecola. What a sweet ass place! Unlike the dust of Arizona as Koga can second.
(https://i.imgur.com/QDR8eUr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xEr1gzP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tpyM71r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pmqNgem.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xiANQqf.jpg)
Found a creepy witch looking area that I had to convince the girls to take a picture by. They acted like there was a ghost there.
(https://i.imgur.com/lNsJdDd.jpg)
We walked down to the creek and got some pictures. You should have seen all the salmon fry in the water! That and some nice sized trout swimming around, but I didn't have my rod with me.
(https://i.imgur.com/BWyoDOk.jpg)
Instead we made our way back to continue Hannah's big day.
(https://i.imgur.com/cuMS5Rq.jpg)
We got back and explored the beach community a bit. I saw what looked like a cement block in front of bushes with a handrail. I went over to investigate.
(https://i.imgur.com/KbvcxLZ.jpg)
What in the world????
(https://i.imgur.com/LnSA6ma.jpg)
Hannah was scared to see what was living down there, but when she saw my smile, she got brave. LOL
(https://i.imgur.com/dWYqLH1.jpg)
I know where it could only lead to, but what a cool find!
(https://i.imgur.com/JAIDOJR.jpg)
Hannah took the lead when it all started opening up.
(https://i.imgur.com/cMOyVp9.jpg)
Way too cool!
By now we headed out for dinner in town. We went to a BBQ joint this time for her birthday and like everything else, it was a long wait to be seated. (But well worth the wait)
Cool town.
(https://i.imgur.com/sq264LN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Y2VxH6r.jpg)
Ran across a lady who makes mustard out of Sasquatches. Good thing Steve wasn't here.
(https://i.imgur.com/dGkZOo6.jpg)
Hannah got her birthday cake...
(https://i.imgur.com/kRovuQf.jpg)
and we had some drinks on the way back to the room.
(https://i.imgur.com/4xbreuZ.jpg)
Well, we had a bonfire on the beach and called it the night. The next morning before we left, we stopped at a little boutique breakfast joint that had 4.8 stars for thousands of reviews. Once again, a long ass wait, but we were finally seated. I looked up and was like, HOLY HELL, KISS ate here. LOL
(https://i.imgur.com/QQHzYoO.jpg)
Food was good, but not what I was expecting.
In any case, it was a lot packed into 4 days and took the drive back to Portland to catch our flight.
My review of Cannon Beach... Awesome! A little too packed for me, but the overall grade from the family and myself was an A+.
Amazing trip, Tom! Looks like a blast.