Epic day fishing on the pacific coast in California

luckydude

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I'm the newbie in the 228 always asking for advice. Where to go, how to fish, how to smooth out my boat, yadda, yadda. Graditude but not enough fish? Today we had enough fish.

Did a two boat launch with my fishing buddy and mentor, Barry Lakinsmith today. We motored north a long way to just south of Franklin point. We launched out of Santa Cruz CA.

Barry fished deeper, in about 140 feet and he got bigger fish. We fished in 110-120 and we got more action. Dylan, my younger son, got 3 lings, 2 @ 25, 1 @ 30. I hooked up with a 26-28 inch ling and learned that I need to work on how Dylan and I net a fish, it got off. I got a 23 inch ling so we limited on lings. We had 19 keeper rockies. So almost 2 limits.

It was a fun day, ocean wasn't flat but it was 3 foot swells and no chop so as easy as I think I'll ever see it going north and super easy coming back. I bitched at Barry for not being fast enough, he came back on my wash at around 26-30mph. I had to show off the Grady so when we go close I punched to 40mph and left him for a minute.

I'm both learning and loving the Grady White. It just feels safe. Decked in bow so if I ever stuffed it, no worries, not that I'm worried about that, I've never been in a boat that has stuffed the bow but it could happen? Maybe? If it does in that boat, it doesn't care. I have been in Barry's boat when we were pulling crab pots and water was coming in over the transom cutout and over the splash well, yeah, that sucked. My boat has swim platform bracket that the motor is mounted on, a full, high, no cut out transom, when a wave comes it tends to lift up under the bracket. It just feels safe.

I'm learning, trimming the engine is a thing. Bang, bang? Trim it forward so you cut through the waves. On our waters, trim it forward, I have yet to be out on a day where I could trim it back and drive in on the back of the boat. I trim it forward.

Epic day. I'll edit this once I put pics up so you can see. I love me some Grady White, I was driving it home and I got out of the fast lane to let someone by, he did a hard thumbs up, over and over, I thought it was because I got out his way and my son said "he likes the boat". My son is right.

He and I love the boat, it is a great boat. If I lived somewhere where I could get a Marlin 300, oh, hell yeah, but where I live, this is the boat that fits on our road. And it is a great boat. Like any boat, it beats you up in the swells, I need to look at some better seat options.
That said, I love that boat. Look at the pic of me and my kid in it, I'm an ugly old dude but that is one good looking boat.

Pics at http://mcvoy.com/lm/boat - Look for July 20 for the last trip (I wrote the code that lays out that site, it's a little weird, it goes backward in time at the month level, so new stuff is kinda first, but it goes forward in time inside each month. I think I did that because I had some multi day thing and it was weird to not have the days in sequence. Whatever, scroll through and check out the pics)
 
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Bloodweiser

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Lucky

I'm glad that you are enjoying your boat. Gradys are fantastic boats. keep your lines wet

Blood
 

Shannon C.

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That's awesome lucky, what a great day!! We need to get together sometime and hit it hard, I'm only 30 minutes away. My kids and I limited out on lings and rocks on Saturday, it was epic..Congrats!!
 

luckydude

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That's awesome lucky, what a great day!! We need to get together sometime and hit it hard, I'm only 30 minutes away. My kids and I limited out on lings and rocks on Saturday, it was epic..Congrats!!

You're the guy with the Marlin 300, right? Ran up to me at the launch yelling "Luckyduuuude!" which was awesome.

Yeah, how about a 2 boat launch and we run out for rockies and lings? Where did you go?

I stuck pics up at my weirdo site, look for July 20: http://mcvoy.com/lm/boat
 

Blaugrana

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Kids and netting are a tough mix, glad I am not the only one struggling with it. My 6 yr old daughter and I are still trying to figure it out, who holds the net, who handles the rod etc.

Glad you are loving the boat!