[icatchcolds]

Got an early start on wednesday (for me)and was fishing in the sun by 6:30. Hiked to a spot where I had a missed bite on a previous trip. Tide was receding to 1.2 ft at around 10:30.

General area.



Got bit on my first cast, short cab around 13 inches. I'm in a huge cab slump right now, cant find any legals. I don't usually spend time taking pictures of undersized fish but this guy was very red and I had my camera strapped around my neck so I snapped a quick one.



I released him in the shallows and followed him out quite a ways as he tucked himself close to every rock until I lost him. Cool to see up close where they tuck and hide.

No more bites for a while so I hiked to a new spot around 8:30. Found some nice deep water in close and casted out to the edge of some kelp. Again on my first cast there I got a nice bite but I wasn't quick enough and I couldn't set the hook, but it came back about 10 seconds later and this time I got her, barely. Stuck me again behind a rock a little ways out. Waiting a fish out and feeling it come free is almost as good a feeling as landing it.



A nice, fat, 15" grassie. As you can see this fish was hooked backwards, with the shank of the hook on the outside. I think I got lucky.

I went out without breakfast so after that fish I hiked back to my truck to grab some food, and fish back south a little.

I was putting bait on my hook, then turned around and a flock of pelicans had landed right where I was going to cast.



They'd all sit around for a minute, then dive all at the same time, working some bait. This went on for about 15 minutes until they had mostly left. So I started fishing, carefully around them. I thought I'd snagged on some kelp when it started to pull back, Lots of line came out with my drag tight. I was optimistic but I knew what it most likely was.



Two pelicans followed it all the way in trying to engulf the bat ray from either side whenever it came to the surface the last 30 ft or so until I pulled it up to the rock.

I fished another few hours in the wind until noon for nothing, then wrapped it up.

[ucscrab]

nice ray. are they pretty rare while rockfishing?

[icatchcolds]

I primarily use squid, so I hook them occasionally at certain spots. Once every 8-9 trips or so. Same with juvenile leopard sharks.

[csmerril]

[Mahigeer]

Nice fishing.

Those pesky pelicans can be annoying.

[Rockfish Ninja]

Fat RF!!, that was worth the whole trip.

[branrx]

I posted this in the other central coast thread, just hoping someone could offer some advice.

**I dont understand how you guys fish in the mess of rocks and kelp. I really want to do this but Im afraid Im gonna go through several hooks and sinkers before I get this right. Where are you guys casting? What size sinkers, hooks? I read somewhere Spiderwire lines (braid?) will cut through the kelp nicely.
thoughts?

[icatchcolds]

[branrx]

[frozendog]

Another nice quality grass rockfish!
That can be a real rush when a bat ray grabs your bait and heads for the horizon. You think "ling" but you know "ray". But still, what a workout.