Hooked!

I have to admit that I have gotten hooked on kayak fishing.  Well actually my plan isn't to get hooked but to do the hooking.  

Ling cod hooked on my line.

This summer, the ocean has been really rough so we haven't had many good fishing days.  But when we have made it out, we have caught enough fish for dinner and some to share with friends and neighbors.

Hauling in my limit of ling cod.  Photo by Jeff Laxier

For us kayak fishing is a team sport.  Jeff, Gail, and I head out together and keep an eye one another.  Some of it is the excitement of seeing someone land a nice sized fish, some of it is keeping score, and some of it is out of necessity to help out if needed.  More than once, we have hooked a "big one" who has attempted to drag us into the rocks.  It sure is nice to have a buddy handy to help out with a quick tow.

Gail with a big one on the line.

Most of our kayak fishing is at home on the Mendocino Coast fishing for bottom fish.  On the Mendocino Coast, these are types of rock cod that live among the rocks on the bottom of the ocean.  We typically are in 20 to 80 feet of water and primarily use jigs.

Kayak fishing on the Mendocino Coast.

The ling cod are usually the largest of our catch.  They have to be at least 22 inches long to keep.  Ling cod have large heads with mouths full of sharp teeth and spotted bodies.  Often they are a blueish green and have blue meat when you fillet them.

Jeff about to put a ling cod on his stringer.

Other types that we catch include cabezon, vermilion, black cod, blue cod, sea trout, and china rock fish.  On a good day, our stringers can be quite colorful (and hefty).

Gail with a cabezon.

I try to keep my set up as simple as possible but it still seems to be a bunch of stuff.  My pole is one that I found floating in the ocean several years ago.  Jeff put a new tip on it and a friend gave me her father's old reel.  My pole is short and stiff - about 6 feet long. Regulations require us to have a net.  I find it very handing for landing feisty ling cod.  Some fish identification charts, a beat-good stick, fish grips, a stringer, and needle nose pliers round out my kit.

My set up for bottom fishing from my kayak.

I have to admit that I am more into catching than fishing.  There are times when the bite is slow.  

I am not good at sitting and bobbing in the ocean so I will sometimes wander off in search of other adventures.  This is where I put my rock gardening skills to use swooshing around the rocks, exploring sea caves, and often looking for abalone.

I guess it isn't the fishing that has me hooked but the catching.

Highs and Lows of the Spring of 2016

My blog has been a bit quiet lately but life certainly hasn't.  March wrapped up with a 5 day whitewater kayak self support trip on the Eel.  We had lots of water, the flow was high, and the trip was spectacular.

About to go over the drop of Kekawaka Falls on the Eel River at over 10,000 cfs.

We returned home from the Eel and packed our sea kayaking kit for a trip to the Oregon Coast for a photo and video shoot for the new Dagger Stratos.  I was beyond excited as one of the shooting venues was in the Ecola Beach area where Goonies was filmed.  

Jeff Laxier paddling the Dagger Stratos on the Oregon Coast.  Photo Dagger Kayaks

Just before we got on the plane to Portland, my sister called from Pennsylvania - dad was missing.  He was hiking in the local mountains with his dog and didn't come home the previous evening.  The Pennsylvania State Troopers were searching but couldn't find him or the dog.  She, my brother and neighbors were going out to look for them.  

At the airport in Portland, I sent Jeff on to the photo shoot and booked a flight to Pennsylvania.  During my travels, my mom called to say that they found him and he was dead.  Eight miles into his hike, he sat down on a log to have a snack and his heart stopped.  The neighbor that found him said that he had a peaceful look on his face.

My family dairy farms in a rural area of Central Pennsylvania.  When word was out that dad was missing, the local hunters, farmers, neighbors, and friends rallied to go find him.  The love and support of the community was amazing.  I was thankful to be there with my family and our friends to process our loss.  It was a difficult but special time for us - reminiscing on dad's quirky sayings and wry sense of humor, sharing memories, and receiving visits from neighbors, family friends, dad's colleagues, and hunting buddies.  Dad will be missed by many, but we all are thankful that he didn't suffer and spent his last day hiking in a place that he loved.

After some time in Pennsylvania helping out with matters (including helping get the family vegetable garden going), Jeff and I returned home to California.  We were 2 weeks off of our preseason work schedule and supposed to be leaving in a week for our annual Spring Run-Off Trip.  We vowed to gut it out, work hard, and go on our trip.  Then we had several major computer issues.  We were both feeling really stressed and depressed about our workload and the likelihood of not getting to do our Spring Run-Off.  Huge kudos to our friend and computer tech Lin for getting our computer back up and running.  We buckled down and got some work done, decided the rest could wait, and decided to pack up our Jackson Karma RG's and run-off and chase the snowmelt as it runs off - down a river.

Whistling Bird on the Lower Owyhee River

Off to the Owyhee River we went.  "Oh Where eee?" might be a better name for it.  It is in the southeastern corner of Oregon about a hour and a half from Boise, Idaho.  We were prepared for a low water run but were pleasantly surprised by a last minute storm that stalled out in the mountains and gave us a nice flow.  It was a spectacular trip with fun whitewater, hiking, and camping on geologically fascinating river.

Camping below Lambert Rock on the Owyhee River

We are home now with lots of work but lots of great memories and a promising summer tour season.  I am looking forward to sharing photos and tales from the Eel and the Owyhee and some fun tidbits on self support whitewater kayak trips.

New Liquid Fusion Kayaking Videos!

Unfortunately part of being successful in the kayak industry these days is self promotion.  Some are of course better at it than others - that subtle dance of showing off knowledge and skills while being modest.  In our electronic world, videos have become a means of showing off one's stuff as well as sharing one's adventures.  I am a little bit camera shy, but enjoy taking photos and shooting video.  The problem is that I need a deadline to get my butt out of my surf boat or off my mountain bike and onto the computer to create and publish a video.

Last week, Jeff and I were invited to teach and present at The Headwaters Kayak Shop and Headwaters Adventure Company's Albion Bash.  We decided to do a presentation on our adventures in the Lost Coast.  Instead of talking about it, we chose to show who we are and what our adventures have entailed.

Here's a little promotional video for Liquid Fusion Kayaking (which is Jeff and I).

Presenting on the Lost Coast was challenging because it is an area that is quite remote, exposed, and subject to extreme conditions.  Our goal with the video was to share the beauty and wonder of the area, our adventures there both by land and by sea, the challenges of paddling the area, and give an idea of the skills necessary.  Also sharing the fact that there are many days when the Lost Coast is not paddleable.  Take a look at our video and let me know what you think.

Liquid Fusion Kayaking Presents:  The Lost Coast - Adventures by Land and By Sea.

A huge thanks to our friends who have shared these adventures with us.  May there be many more!!!

Grocery Shopping in the Sea

Last year, I got my first taste of kayak fishing and have to admit that I am hooked (hopefully not literally).

My first black cod caught on a handline.

Now is the season for almost everything - dungeness crabs, abalone, salmon, rock fish, and sea vegetables.  Slowly but surely, I am acquiring the necessary tackle and skills for getting dinner at sea.  Every day this week, I have caught or gathered food from the ocean.  

My first lingcod - 28 inches.

7 years ago, I got my first abalone.  Jeff came home from work and was treated to pan friend abalone.  Since then, he has become quite the abalone diver, and we have expanded our repertoire of cooking methods and recipes.  I haven't dove the past several years because we both don't need to and Jeff is all about the "hot lap" (timed trip from the house to the ocean and back with abs).  I am all about !@#$'s n giggles diving.  I like to take my time and swim around and sight see.

An advantage of spending so much time kayaking in the rock gardens of the Mendocino Coast is that I have lots of opportunity to scope out my fishing, diving, and harvesting spots.  Over the past month, I have been seeing a ton of abalone and did my first solo abalone hunt this week.  It has been fun to fish and dive with friends, but I enjoyed the independence of my solo mission.  Jeff was pretty stoked when I came home with 3 nice sized abalone and a couple of dungeness crabs.

Kayaking to a favorite abalone spot.

On our plate this week has been fish.  We have caught greenling, black cod, and ling cod.  I understand how people become enthralled with fishing.  Fish are fascinating.  I love how they move in the water and am learning to identify the different types and what each type eats.  Fishing is definitely a challenge - figuring out the right place to be but also what type of bait or lures to use and how to effectively use the lures/bait.  A homemade handline has been my primary fishing tool.  I like the simplicity of it both for use and for transport.

Using a handline to fish for bottom fish.

I get so exited when I feel the tug on my line (have to admit I was a bit nervous when I hooked my first lingcod - it was a large fiesty fish with big teeth).  Reeling it in is like opening a present.  Even though you might have an idea of what is on the line, you don't know until you pull it in.  This week, Jeff caught a black cod and as he pulled it in a ling cod grabbed on to it and he landed both.  Yesterday, I pulled in 2 black cod on the same cast.

Jeff with a fish-on!

Pulling crab pots can be exciting too.  Not just in the excitement of seeing what is in the pot but the excitement of pulling up a heavy pot from a kayak in choppy ocean conditions.  Of course one could go crabbing on calm days or in calm bays or estuaries, but Jeff likes to simulate the television show deadliest catch.  This week we were surprised with an abalone in our crab pot (of course neither one of us had our abalone card and tags with us).

You never know what you might find in your crab pot.

With lots of fish in the fridge and freezer, today's mission was to get some sea vegetables.  One of my favorite gathering spots can also be a good surf spot.  I have been enjoying my Jackson Kayak Karma RG for fishing and rock gardening, but it was really nice to be in my super light, responsive surf kayak.  A session of tasty waves was followed by gathering some salty green goodness.

Gathering kelp in my hp surf kayak.

I also have to admit that we will be having beef for dinner tonight but will have some tasty sea cheetos and abalone ceviche as orderbs.  

Abalone Ceviche!!!

The Year 2014!!!

As 2014 comes to a close, I am a little bit remiss about not keeping my blog regularly updated.  The primary reason is that I have been spending more time outside and less time on the computer.  The result has been many fine adventures and misadventures and a very happy me.

Tahoe Lounge Chair

Surf kayaking and mountain biking continue to feed my soul.  Of course life is even better with friends to share it with including 2 of my favorite guys - 

Tom Cat

Jeff and I camping in the Redwoods along the Eel River.

3 new dancing partners (boats) came into my life this year - It has been challenging and fun learning the nuances of each.  Of course my favorite place to dance is in the surf.

Jackson Kayak Karma RG

Jackson Kayak Star  Photo by David C. Smith

Surf Kayak

Most days, I am content at home on the Mendocino Coast - redwood forests, rock gardens and surfzones and my garden.

Nothing beats fresh veggies from the garden!

On occasion it is fun to take a jaunt off the coast and play elsewhere.  Trips this year included our Spring Run Off Trip to the Redwoods, Fall on the Lost Coast, Mountain Biking in Tahoe, and a Wintery White Thanksgiving with my family in Pennsylvania

The Abominable Snowman

And teaching at the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium and Lumpy Waters.

Lumpy Waters Symposium in Pacific City, Oregon Photo by Jason Self

Of course, I am stoked to be back home and hoping to spend most of the winter on the Mendocino Coast - surfing, mt biking, and mushroom hunting.  Yes, we are having a bountiful mushroom season.

Feast from the Forest - Hedgehogs, Black Trumpets, Yellow Feet, and Golden Chanterelles

This is only a snapshot of the adventures of 2014.  Thanks to all of my family, friends, and students that have shared the adventures with me in 2014.  I am looking forward to many more in 2015.  I enjoy writing and sharing my experiences and promise to make an effort to get my blog on in 2015.

Nick's Nightmare

"You've got a big boat - you gotta go for the big wave!"

I've been getting my new Jackson Kayak Karma RG out to play in the rock gardens of the Mendocino Coast.  A lot of my time is teaching and coaching so I get to work on dialing in my skills on small waves as I demonstrate techniques for paddling ocean rock gardens.  Small waves are fun and a great place to build skills and learn the nuances of a new boat but don't usually make for exciting stories and dramatic photos.

Styling it in the Karma RG

This weekend, we got a little play time in.  As I continued to work on style and finesse in the RG, Jeff kept urging me on - "You've got a big boat - you gotta go for a big wave!"  I found it at Nick's Nightmare.  Nick's is a dramatic pour-over.  In the ocean, a pour-over is a feature that involves a wave washing over a rock.  A simple way to think about it is riding a wave over a rock and then surfing or sliding down the other side.  SUPER FUN!!!

Jeff running Nick's Nightmare in his Jackson Zen 65.

Nick's Nightmare is a tricky spot with a lot of hydraulic activity on both sides .  The approach is straight at a rock with lots of swirling hydraulic currents in front of the rock.  Your instinct says that there is no way that you want to paddle straight at that.  Timing, positioning, and wave selection are critical.  Get it right and you get a spectacular ride.  But even with the best made plans, Nick's can be a nightmare.

Most nightmarish is the giant hydraulic at the bottom.  When you ride a sizable wave over Nick's, you feel on top of the world . . . that moment of bliss ends when you look down.  The water slides down deep into a gaping hole and reverses into a wall of whitewater.  Try as you might and no matter how big the boat - Nick's Nightmare swallows you up . . .  It does spit you out.  Sometimes you are lucky and the buoyancy of your boat rockets you out of the depths.

Sea kayak going subsurface at Nick's

Other times, the nightmare continues as Nick's sucks you back into the throngs of chaos and confusion and back over the other side.  I guess you could say you get double your money when you get to ride Nick's both ways on one wave.

We had some spectacular rides at Nick's this weekend including this one where I got double my money.

That moment of bliss on top of the wave . . .

Plunging in deep . . .

Subsurface in a 12' boat

Nick's spitting me out  . . .

Rolling up as I go back over the pour-over.

Jeff says, "Sometimes you get to watch the entertainment and sometimes you are the entertainment."  I know he was entertained . . . I hope you are too.

Goldilocks Outfits Her Jackson Kayak

I love the simplicity of Jackson Kayak's outfitting - especially since it doesn't involve ratchets (which corrode and break) and has a bulkhead that can be adjusted on the fly (no more wrestling matches on shore getting a bulk head into place).  The one thing that I don't like about Jackson Kayak's outfitting is where the backband sits.  Being a smaller paddler, the backbands feel like they are too high.  After some experimenting over the winter with my Zen 55, I found a fix that I liked.

Outfitting changes to my Jackson Kayak Zen 55.

When I got my Karma RG, re-routing the backband was the first thing that I did.  Jeff ended up liking it to so we made a video as I re-routed his.  Here's a link to the video.

If you try my backband fix, please let me know if you like it and/or if you have any other suggestions.