Went down to Deep Creek an hour before low tide today.Minus 1.8 ft @ 10:53.Actually I put in at 9:25.Headed west by northwest for an hour before I turned around to see where I was in relation to the tractor launch.Holy current---I was more than a half mile south of the launch.There were 2 foot waves coming at me and they were close together.My new boat (a Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 hybrid)was handling the waves ok.But when I'd go over a crest ,the boat would take a little water over the bow.There was a 15 mph +/- wind blowing and it didn't seem like it would lay down as the day wore on.So ok,what to do ? I was ready to drop a line but didn't really feel comfortable trying to control the boat in the wind/waves and get fishing gear working as well.Time for plan B.
Plan B--With a wnw wind blowing I thought " There shouldn't be any wind ,or at worst,very little on the east side of the Homer Spit.And I'm already more than half way there,so it's noon and I'm heading south.
Drive to the end of the spit by Lands End and the water is like glass.Awesome.:topjob:I should have come here in the 1st place,duh.Drag the Ultimate down the rocks to waters edge,rig-up a pole,and shove off.When I got to the ferry pilings I dropped a cut-plug herring with a 6 oz. banana sinker to the bottom and start back-paddling out.I had taken 3 strokes and tick-tick-tick.Grabbed the pole and went to cross eyes the next tick-tick.Darn-----missed.Rebait and do it again.5 strokes later--tick-tick-tick.Ok I'll let em eat it this time.No more tick-ticks.Kept back-paddling east,no tick-ticks for awhile.Ok,check bait---empty.Rebait and drop er down.By now the water is 150' deep,and still flat as glass.A few private boats have gone by,into or out of the harbor.Their wakes were tollarable (sp) you could always hear them coming.The only wake that had me concerned was from Rainbow Charters 52' boat.As long as you point your bow into the wake you'll be ok.Don't think I'd want to be broadsided,that could be a problem.
Next bait down---tick-tick-tick---------------------connect....yahoo.After a very welcome tug of war---up comes a 5 lbs cod.Coolness.
Next bait down----tick-tick-tick-----------whack em........irish lord.Ugly but pretty good sized.
Went through a few baits and a lot of kelp beds before the next bite.By now the afternoon wind had started up,not as strong as out at Deep Creek,but enough to geet your attention.Keep an eye out for that..
Wind started getting a little stronger--okay--time to mossey back to shore.By now I'm over a mile from the spit so I figure it's time to get a little more serious.Chop kicking just a little bit,so I made the run in.As I got near the ferry pilings it got calmer so one more bait out.Tick-tick-tick------------------------pow :nyanya: another cod.Alright.
There was a grandma and 2 young kids on the beach by Land's End so I didn't unhook the last cod.Of course they came over as I beached.The 4 year old boy was all excited "did you catch a salmon ?"Grandma helped make it a learning expirence for him and said no ,it sounds like a fishin rod.Sure as heck ,he got it,"A Cod" I unhooked the fish and tryed to revive it but it went belly up.So,feed the crabs.Within 30 seconds a mature bald eagle swooped down and snatched that puppy.Way cool.For the kids and me both.
Kayaking out of Deep Creek is certainly an option if a person pays very close attention to all the many variables that come into play.Cook Inlet is basically a river.It drains so many watersheds that an in-coming tide will not push you back to your starting point.There is too much pressure.
Kayaking in back of the Homer Spit,especially on an incoming tide is comparitively easy.Deep water is not that far from land,you can intercept fish that were planted in Nick Dudiack Lagoon,and there are a lot of fish on the "protected side".But with an east wind,that side can get ugly in a hurry as well.Plus you'd have to deal with other boats wakes,especially on busy weekends.
I will try Deep Creek again when the stars all align.I will definitely be back to the dark side of the spit.I have done well there with my Klamath (which I sold this past weekend)(bummer kinda).Rudy's idea of a flag on board is a very good one because yaks sit so low in the water other boaters need help to see you.Or a better target-----whatever..
We all make choices in life......let's hope we all make wise ones.
Mark
roud:
Plan B--With a wnw wind blowing I thought " There shouldn't be any wind ,or at worst,very little on the east side of the Homer Spit.And I'm already more than half way there,so it's noon and I'm heading south.
Drive to the end of the spit by Lands End and the water is like glass.Awesome.:topjob:I should have come here in the 1st place,duh.Drag the Ultimate down the rocks to waters edge,rig-up a pole,and shove off.When I got to the ferry pilings I dropped a cut-plug herring with a 6 oz. banana sinker to the bottom and start back-paddling out.I had taken 3 strokes and tick-tick-tick.Grabbed the pole and went to cross eyes the next tick-tick.Darn-----missed.Rebait and do it again.5 strokes later--tick-tick-tick.Ok I'll let em eat it this time.No more tick-ticks.Kept back-paddling east,no tick-ticks for awhile.Ok,check bait---empty.Rebait and drop er down.By now the water is 150' deep,and still flat as glass.A few private boats have gone by,into or out of the harbor.Their wakes were tollarable (sp) you could always hear them coming.The only wake that had me concerned was from Rainbow Charters 52' boat.As long as you point your bow into the wake you'll be ok.Don't think I'd want to be broadsided,that could be a problem.
Next bait down---tick-tick-tick---------------------connect....yahoo.After a very welcome tug of war---up comes a 5 lbs cod.Coolness.
Next bait down----tick-tick-tick-----------whack em........irish lord.Ugly but pretty good sized.
Went through a few baits and a lot of kelp beds before the next bite.By now the afternoon wind had started up,not as strong as out at Deep Creek,but enough to geet your attention.Keep an eye out for that..
Wind started getting a little stronger--okay--time to mossey back to shore.By now I'm over a mile from the spit so I figure it's time to get a little more serious.Chop kicking just a little bit,so I made the run in.As I got near the ferry pilings it got calmer so one more bait out.Tick-tick-tick------------------------pow :nyanya: another cod.Alright.
There was a grandma and 2 young kids on the beach by Land's End so I didn't unhook the last cod.Of course they came over as I beached.The 4 year old boy was all excited "did you catch a salmon ?"Grandma helped make it a learning expirence for him and said no ,it sounds like a fishin rod.Sure as heck ,he got it,"A Cod" I unhooked the fish and tryed to revive it but it went belly up.So,feed the crabs.Within 30 seconds a mature bald eagle swooped down and snatched that puppy.Way cool.For the kids and me both.
Kayaking out of Deep Creek is certainly an option if a person pays very close attention to all the many variables that come into play.Cook Inlet is basically a river.It drains so many watersheds that an in-coming tide will not push you back to your starting point.There is too much pressure.
Kayaking in back of the Homer Spit,especially on an incoming tide is comparitively easy.Deep water is not that far from land,you can intercept fish that were planted in Nick Dudiack Lagoon,and there are a lot of fish on the "protected side".But with an east wind,that side can get ugly in a hurry as well.Plus you'd have to deal with other boats wakes,especially on busy weekends.
I will try Deep Creek again when the stars all align.I will definitely be back to the dark side of the spit.I have done well there with my Klamath (which I sold this past weekend)(bummer kinda).Rudy's idea of a flag on board is a very good one because yaks sit so low in the water other boaters need help to see you.Or a better target-----whatever..
We all make choices in life......let's hope we all make wise ones.
Mark

Comment