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Posted by jas on 10:24:43 04/15/03
In Reply to: Carlsbad 4-12&13-03 posted by Eagle Eye
: Carlsbad 4-12&13-03I spent the weekend with my wife and (3) young children at the Tamarack Beach Resort on Carlsbad Blvd in Carlsbad CA. There are two important things that a out of town kayak fisherman needs. One is a nice place to keep the wife and kids happy while you’re out fishing and the other is a safe place to park your truck w/kayaks and fishing gear while you sleep. I found both of those things in this resort. Pool, Jacuzzis, recreation room with pool tables, ping-pong, and video games, activities for the kids, weight room, movies etc. The gated parking garage is underground and has video camera surveillance.The power plant where we were going to launch our kayaks from is about a mile south of the resort. I met up with Jim from Oceansideand Grant from La Jolla on Saturday at 6:30. We did an open ocean launch, which is the most difficult of all launches. Jim led the way and was bucked from his kayak by a big wave, but he recovered nicely and then paddled quickly out and clear of the dangerous surf zone. While Jim and Grant were making bait (Spanish mackerels & smelt) Ipaddled out to the edge of the kelp forest to investigate some birdactivity. There was a small school of some kind of fish that werechasing and boiling on baitfish and a few red tuna crabs. I lost (1)approximately 4 LB Sand bass at the kayak while trying to lift it out ofthe water by the lure, a royal blue/teal green swim bait. Then caught (2)14” x 1 lb. 4 oz Sand Bass while dead sticking a Kroc. We trolled west out into the deeper water for an hour and then back in search ofThresher shark. On the way back Jim and I saw an adult whale and a calf swimming in the ring of giant white buoys at the end of the jetty.Grant and I landed dry at 11:00.I went back to the resort and took my family across the street for some EXCELLENT giant fish tacos and clam chowder over at the Harbor Fish Cafe.It rained Sunday night and was still raining a little when I returnedfor round two. The surf was larger than the previous day, so Iconsulted with a couple of old surfers that I had seen there theprevious day. They also mentioned that the waves were noticeably larger, but as they put it “the waves were organized” and they pointedout a hole that I could use for safe passage out. The rain stopped and the skies began to clear, so at 6:30 I paddled out.I began the day by trolling a rapala in hopes of finding a hungry T, butthe farther out I got the rougher the seas were. I was taking about one out of every ten waves over the bow, the wind was starting to howl and the skies grew dark again. I gave up trolling and paddled back to the safety of the kelp. Once there I deployed a drift chute that was attached to the bowline. Ever so slowly now drifted across the kelp, pot holing along the way. This produced (2) more Sand Bass on Halloween and brown swim baits. The largest one (pictured) was 2 lbs. 11oz X 18”. I decided to head in. There were now a lot of surfers in the water,which is never a good sign. I planned on landing in the same place were I had launched from that morning. Every thing looked perfect so I started sprinting for shore. About that time I notice that the surferson my left and right had turned around and were doing the same. Looking back over my shoulder I saw a 6’ wall of water coming at me like a semi truck. There was nothing left to do but hold on, lean forward, and crouch as low as I could, bringing my center of gravity down as low as possible. The kayak then violently swung out from under me and was being pushed out in front of the on coming wave. Even though my legs and lower trunk were now in the water and trailing along behind the kayak I manage to hold on to the side rail for the entire ride in. The wave deposited me in knee-deep water with my shoulders and head still dry. The price of adrenaline is high, but there really is nothing like it :)Thanks for coming out guys I sure enjoyed your company~john
Great report John. You don't hear too many reports from that area. Glad to get one and get the visual as well. Cool picts.
jas
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