rogerdodger
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with 1-3' swells, fairly light winds, and soft tides, this was a day I have been looking forward to, cool misty rain was a bonus, makes being in a drysuit very comfy.
launched near the crabbing dock at 9am, radioed CG station to let them know I was going to be hanging out near the ocean, dropped my trap by A6 and headed for the bar. just past A4, I looked left and saw 2 black porpoises heading for the bar also, the first ones I have ever seen in the Siuslaw, about the size of a sea lion but with a dorsal fin, very cool and just the start of my 'bucket list' day....
conditions looked good so I cruised over the bar, headed for and looped around the whistle buoy about 1/2 mile out from the tips of the jetties, practiced jigging for bottom fish with a p-ling shrimp fly rig and 4oz lazer jig, then I headed for the south jetty to check conditions on the ocean side of it (SW swell made fishing there a no-go).
I was about 100 yards OFF the south jetty tip, heading south when just 2 rod lengths to my left (15 feet), a large Gray Whale moving at the same speed and direction raised it's back up just above the surface of the water, the exposed surface was at least as long as my kayak and 5' wide, it never spouted or showed it's tail, it just swam along next to me for 5 or 10 seconds, then it slowly sank back below the surface and was gone. I got both GoPros running but it was too late (1:50 in the video is me searching for it), it did not surface again...
here is my "over the bar, around the buoy, search for the whale, head back into the river" video: https://youtu.be/-imUvrnuvNs
now for the crabbing report: pot at A6 had just some large females in it, good for the future but not dinner, so dropped it by A4 and jigged the rocks while it soaked...came up loaded with male crabs, 3 were 1/8" under but that gave me a wee bit of hope, loaded up more bait and scent, moved it slightly south and gave it a 20 min soak- not as many but males again, one just under sized and finally one keeper, just a tick under 6" and sporting barnacles on its hard shell...hey, it's just one crab and definitely not the highlight of the day but a very tasty dinner and perhaps some hope things will improve....
A4 crab: https://youtu.be/i1vj7uSzyao
cheers, roger
launched near the crabbing dock at 9am, radioed CG station to let them know I was going to be hanging out near the ocean, dropped my trap by A6 and headed for the bar. just past A4, I looked left and saw 2 black porpoises heading for the bar also, the first ones I have ever seen in the Siuslaw, about the size of a sea lion but with a dorsal fin, very cool and just the start of my 'bucket list' day....
conditions looked good so I cruised over the bar, headed for and looped around the whistle buoy about 1/2 mile out from the tips of the jetties, practiced jigging for bottom fish with a p-ling shrimp fly rig and 4oz lazer jig, then I headed for the south jetty to check conditions on the ocean side of it (SW swell made fishing there a no-go).
I was about 100 yards OFF the south jetty tip, heading south when just 2 rod lengths to my left (15 feet), a large Gray Whale moving at the same speed and direction raised it's back up just above the surface of the water, the exposed surface was at least as long as my kayak and 5' wide, it never spouted or showed it's tail, it just swam along next to me for 5 or 10 seconds, then it slowly sank back below the surface and was gone. I got both GoPros running but it was too late (1:50 in the video is me searching for it), it did not surface again...
here is my "over the bar, around the buoy, search for the whale, head back into the river" video: https://youtu.be/-imUvrnuvNs
now for the crabbing report: pot at A6 had just some large females in it, good for the future but not dinner, so dropped it by A4 and jigged the rocks while it soaked...came up loaded with male crabs, 3 were 1/8" under but that gave me a wee bit of hope, loaded up more bait and scent, moved it slightly south and gave it a 20 min soak- not as many but males again, one just under sized and finally one keeper, just a tick under 6" and sporting barnacles on its hard shell...hey, it's just one crab and definitely not the highlight of the day but a very tasty dinner and perhaps some hope things will improve....
A4 crab: https://youtu.be/i1vj7uSzyao
cheers, roger
