Fridays are always improved if you can tack on a fishing trip in the afternoon. This particular adventure was pushing the limits of this universal truth. There were only a couple pictures before the rain and ocean spray put the phone in lock down but here is what people without a healthy sense of self preservation get up to:
The afternoon started with promise, driving to the coast with my Sensei and his mentor Sensei Sr. Three generations of fishermen (without many years separating us) and as the novice I knew I would get to learn a ton in my first attempt at surf perch. We got to the beach in between rain squalls but the wind was consistently in our face above 30 mph. Mocrocks beach was new to me but also more exciting because the tsunami escape route did not include a 20 mile drive...
We started off the festivities with a quick sand shrimp expedition for fresh bait. The PVC pipe rigged with a plunger was very effective at grabbing a couple dozen of these fishy delicacies. Getting sand shrimp for bait is always a struggle in Seattle as they fly off the shelves within hours of arriving from the coast. A couple people thought we had mastered a new trick for clams but no such luck. We also unearthed a red and green worm that exactly matched some of the plastic bait I had brought. I thought the manufacture had just invented a creature so it was extra promising to know I had a very realistic approximation to entice the perch.
With bait in hand it was time to face the ocean. I came prepared with chest waders, which is key, because surf perch fishing proceeds in a couple simple sounding steps:
1) Sneak out into the ocean as far as you dare while jumping the bigger waves
2) Heave your heavily weighted tackle as far as you can
3) Retreat to shallower water and wait for a nibble
In normal weather this probably isn't a very challenging formula but in the presence of a winter storm pushing waves and liquid hail into your face, it gets tricky to keep an open eye on the sneaker waves. As a bonus, my brand new rod and reel purchased for tossing heavy tackle had one glaring flaw. The main line apparently came from a bad batch of material and three times the line snapped in mid cast. This was a new trick for me, even when throwing twice as much weight on a rod I had no business treating so badly the main line never failed... There are a lot of knots to be tied on one of these rigs so there is a little extra hurt when the whole setup flies out of reach. Eventually I ran out of spreader bars and had to call it quits. No fishies landed but they did steal our bait numerous times.
Switched to the always consistent clam digging and grabbed a limit. The waders paid off and there was no repeat of sloshing boots. On the next trip a few of the clam necks will be competing with the sandshrimp and plastic worms for bait. Looking forward to a rematch with the surf but probably going to have the life jacket along just in case.
The afternoon started with promise, driving to the coast with my Sensei and his mentor Sensei Sr. Three generations of fishermen (without many years separating us) and as the novice I knew I would get to learn a ton in my first attempt at surf perch. We got to the beach in between rain squalls but the wind was consistently in our face above 30 mph. Mocrocks beach was new to me but also more exciting because the tsunami escape route did not include a 20 mile drive...
We started off the festivities with a quick sand shrimp expedition for fresh bait. The PVC pipe rigged with a plunger was very effective at grabbing a couple dozen of these fishy delicacies. Getting sand shrimp for bait is always a struggle in Seattle as they fly off the shelves within hours of arriving from the coast. A couple people thought we had mastered a new trick for clams but no such luck. We also unearthed a red and green worm that exactly matched some of the plastic bait I had brought. I thought the manufacture had just invented a creature so it was extra promising to know I had a very realistic approximation to entice the perch.
With bait in hand it was time to face the ocean. I came prepared with chest waders, which is key, because surf perch fishing proceeds in a couple simple sounding steps:1) Sneak out into the ocean as far as you dare while jumping the bigger waves
2) Heave your heavily weighted tackle as far as you can
3) Retreat to shallower water and wait for a nibble
In normal weather this probably isn't a very challenging formula but in the presence of a winter storm pushing waves and liquid hail into your face, it gets tricky to keep an open eye on the sneaker waves. As a bonus, my brand new rod and reel purchased for tossing heavy tackle had one glaring flaw. The main line apparently came from a bad batch of material and three times the line snapped in mid cast. This was a new trick for me, even when throwing twice as much weight on a rod I had no business treating so badly the main line never failed... There are a lot of knots to be tied on one of these rigs so there is a little extra hurt when the whole setup flies out of reach. Eventually I ran out of spreader bars and had to call it quits. No fishies landed but they did steal our bait numerous times.
Switched to the always consistent clam digging and grabbed a limit. The waders paid off and there was no repeat of sloshing boots. On the next trip a few of the clam necks will be competing with the sandshrimp and plastic worms for bait. Looking forward to a rematch with the surf but probably going to have the life jacket along just in case.