I would like to start this trip report with a big THANK YOU to Don-B. He allowed me to come along on this trip based on another divers suggestion and he was a great skipper and dive buddy!
Don, Andrea and I met up on Friday evening out at Sekiu. We went over the diving plans and what to expect since I had never been on the Washington coast before. Saturday morning we left the dock at 06:00 bound for cape Alava. Once we arrived the fun of choosing a dive site began. We tried to anchor up on a pinnacle but the current was running too hard. We then moved over in the lee of some rocks and got the anchor to hold. With our gear on and some last minute coaching for the spearfishing newb (me), we rolled over the side and met up at the anchor line. We made our descent and checked that it was hooked in. Then the hunt began. I watched Don take the first couple fish and then made a couple practice shots on some black rock fish. The viz over all was good until you got within five feet of the bottom. The place looked like it had a ground fog but it was krill. I didn't score any lings that day but Don did. We fished with hook and line during our surface interval to help fill our limits. By 14:00 the sun had come out and it was a darn nice day to be on the water. We headed in and cleaned that days catch for a total of about 30 pounds of various fish.
Sunday we left the dock at 05:30 and headed for Point of Arches to some rocks we had scouted the previous day. We geared up and headed out. This is when things started to go sideways. On the surface my spear still had a tip. At the anchor it was just a threaded shaft. On the plus side there was no krill here and about 12 feet of viz. Rather than give up I decided I would be the designated goody bag carrier and see if I still couldn't get a fish. This site had a lot more fish to choose from than Saturdays location. Don drew first blood on a Cabezon that I had swam right past. Dope! Five minutes later a spotted a nice ling and moved in on it. As soon as I fired a got my hand on the spear and held it to the rocks until I could get my other hand below the fish. It worked! I had my first ling! Don Shot three more fish and I missed two. After this dive we were both really tired and decided we would finish out the day fishing with jigs. Sundays catch was about the same as Saturdays. We headed back about noon so that everyone could get on their way home.
I can't wait to go spear fishing again and given the chance it would be with Don.
Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
You breath like a girl! -Blaiz
I thought she was right until I dove with eliseaboo!
I thought she was right until I dove with eliseaboo!
Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
glad you guys had fun, sorry I couldnt make, still shaking off the last of this cold.
Last edited by Jeff Pack on Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
Thanks Matt for going along.It was a fun trip and your welcome back any time.
We stayed at Curleys in Sekui and the couple of air fills we got there were good.
Diving in the Big Boy Water was fun and interesting.
I have always had respect for the ocean and now even more.
I was really surprised that you could still fell the swell surge at 30-40ft down.
The water was also warmer then i expected. 56-57 degrees from the surface down to 55ft.
i will and some more info later i have to start work know.
We stayed at Curleys in Sekui and the couple of air fills we got there were good.
Diving in the Big Boy Water was fun and interesting.
I have always had respect for the ocean and now even more.
I was really surprised that you could still fell the swell surge at 30-40ft down.
The water was also warmer then i expected. 56-57 degrees from the surface down to 55ft.
i will and some more info later i have to start work know.
Last edited by Don-B on Mon Jul 02, 2012 11:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
Nice catch Guy's... I've been wanting to try out along the N. Coast but never seem to have the time or Buddy to go with...
Sounds like a great time was had by all!!! I did manage to get out and do a bit of crabbing for opening day though... That was pretty entertaining...
Sounds like a great time was had by all!!! I did manage to get out and do a bit of crabbing for opening day though... That was pretty entertaining...
-Alex-
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
For the record ANY moderator can modify/change posts, not just Spatman.Jeff Pack wrote: If anything in the above post needs to be changed or modified, ask spatty to do it
**Pinch it, don't stick your finger through. You're just pinching a bigger hole.
CAPTNJACK - 2012**
CAPTNJACK - 2012**
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Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
Nice first experience for you Mateo. Good size ling.
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
Thanks Tom. It was a great first outing and I am really excited to do it again.
You breath like a girl! -Blaiz
I thought she was right until I dove with eliseaboo!
I thought she was right until I dove with eliseaboo!
Re: Don and Matt's excellent adventure!
Here are some pics of the area we were at saturday.
this is out in front of Cape Alava.
i had been out here fishing a half a dozen times but never dove out there.
pictures don't do the area justice.
there are so many spots to choose you dont no were to start.
Because we didnt have a live boat i played it safe.
a lot of the more interesting spots we too exposed.
the swells coming in made it imposable to hold the boat anchored if you were not protected.
The underwater structure is a lot different then in the sound.
the best way to describe it is theres more of it.
the rocks are bigger,deeper cracks, and spires.
Sunday we did the Point of Arches.
I will say i liked the spot we did better than saturdays.
I will be going back late July early August.
last year the first week in August the water was like glass.
This was a good first trip and i'm looking forward to the next.
this is out in front of Cape Alava.
i had been out here fishing a half a dozen times but never dove out there.
pictures don't do the area justice.
there are so many spots to choose you dont no were to start.
Because we didnt have a live boat i played it safe.
a lot of the more interesting spots we too exposed.
the swells coming in made it imposable to hold the boat anchored if you were not protected.
The underwater structure is a lot different then in the sound.
the best way to describe it is theres more of it.
the rocks are bigger,deeper cracks, and spires.
Sunday we did the Point of Arches.
I will say i liked the spot we did better than saturdays.
I will be going back late July early August.
last year the first week in August the water was like glass.
This was a good first trip and i'm looking forward to the next.