Almost went Jetty Jumping (10/2)

[Latimeria]

With all of the nice lobster reports coming in, I decided to take a run out on a Thursday to try and beat the crowds.  I took the Square Boma to work and planned on fishing for a while until it got dark.
This navy ship has just been out everywhere and all the time this year...


It was windier than sh!t out there and the white caps were throwing spray all over me.  I ran deeper inside the bay until the winds died down enough to run out and set the nets.  the wind went from 20 to 0 in all about an hour.


I got some good positioning right next to the jetty, but the kelp floating out was horrendous!  I spent most of the time clearing kelp off my buoys to keep them from being dragged off.

I think I got a bug on every single pull, but almost all of them were 1/8" to 1/4" short.


I was clearing some bouy lines when my motor died.  I tried to get out of there since the jetty was coming up on my really quick!  The motor would start, but stall when I put in gear.  I threw the anchor before I realized that I had a pot line spun on my prop... ugh and the pot was stuck too! I don't have power trim and trying to lift the motor manually while hanging off the back of the boat in pitch black sucks monkey nuts.  thankfully I had duct tape, a filet knife and a gaff to attach the knife too.  Unfortunately, I had to lift the motor in order to cut the line, but it was only at 10 seconds at a time and I did not have great leverage with the gaff handle. 
After 45 minutes, I cut it free and the boat swung around right at the rocks... but the anchor held.  WHEW!  I was less than 10' from crashing into the rocks... what frightening experience.  LOL

I continued to catch a bunch of shorts and every once in a while picked up a legal or crab.


I also caught the oddest thing...  I got a legal in the net but noticed he was "Broken" in the middle.


When I picked him up, I saw he was empty!


The meat looked fresh, so I'm not sure if he molted in my net or a sea lion sucked the meat out of him!  How bizarre!

I finally got to fish as all of the kelp had now passed and fishing was doable.  I sent out a piece of squid on a C-Rig with 8lb test to just see what was around.  I thought I had a halibut on, when I see this come up... A Banded Guitarfish!  My first one ever and a really cool looking fish!


I also caught a micro calico bass and a round ray, but that was it for this type of fishing.

Anyway, my back is jacked and the boat & bugs are clean.  Time for a nap before dinner.

My wife is not too happy with my story from last night, but I guess I'll just have to be more careful and maybe not stick so close to the jetty next time.

Final Tally was 42 total lobster and only 3 keepers out of that along with two huge rock crab.


Thanks for reading and I hope your hoops are filled with buttery bugs!

[sasquatch]

Scary story Tom. Glad you are ok. I don't think three bugs is going to lift the yoga night debt after that.

[Latimeria]

Scary story Tom. Glad you are ok. I don't think three bugs is going to lift the yoga night debt after that.

No, but it is a start. 

[raychavez91]

Made for a very interesting read, but hopefully well worth the meal lol

[Pinoyfisher]

I had a similar experience a few years back. A guy I worked with at H&M invited me to go hooping with him on his jet ski boat. So, we set out some hoops next to Zuniga jetty then motored a few yards away and did a little h&l fishing to pass the time. As we head back to check the hoops, sucks a bunch of kelp into his motor and the boat stalls. The tide is coming real quick and the jetty is only about 20' from us. He lifts the motor, I toss out the anchor line to keep us in place while cuts out all the kelp. I doesn't help. Current is moving to fast and with all the sand underneath us, the anchor drags. We slowly inch towards the jetty.

When he finally cuts out all the kelp, we are only seconds from hitting the jetty. He quickly backs out away from the jetty then we hear a strange sound and realize he backed over the anchor line and the rope got sucked into the motor!! Out of the fryer into the fire! He tries cutting the rope out, but so much rope got sucked in, you can't even see the shaft. As we drift closer to the jetty, I prepare myself to jump onto the jetty to keep the boat from running aground.

There we are dead in the water, both of us on the jetty kepping for boat off of it and the tide is rising quicker than sh!t. 10 minutes goes by before another boater finally comes within shouting distance to tow us to the launch ramp... after asking us for $100 bucks and to keep the hoop nets that are still in the water Greedy m'fers!!! That sucked more than the whole boat ordeal, running across some douches that only helped us after we agree to highway robbery.

Glad you got home safe Tom, maybe, don't go it alone...