Big problems...Can't use the boat at all

[Jan from Humboldt]

I'm really bummed out , no way to use the boat, it's winter, the ocean is lumped up 12-14 feet, Humboldt bay bar is worse than dead mans curve at 50 mph right now and it's gusting 25-30 with rain moving in on the Satrad Sigh.

The boat is safely winterized and tarped in the back yard, I'm rebuilding poles and reels and keeping the stove loaded up and staying warm.

The boat ran great this year, I pounded the crap out of it and nothing broke, shoot, even the deck screws stayed put since doing the "Hot screw" trick and adding a couple of new ones on either side.

Caught lots of fish and had a heck of a lot of fun with my little plastic boat and didn't have a thing to gripe about.

[Genelie]

You see what happens when you live up in the cold winter part of the world....It is still 85 - 90 degrees here, I have not had her out for 2 months due to hunting season....but..................................... .

[Jan from Humboldt]

Now we're waiting for the break up of the pack ice that's formed in the bay this year.

The good thing is the Coast Guard guys are the front runners to win the Ididarod race next year as they've had lots of dog sled practice patroling the bay.

Yeah it's been a little chilly up here this year.

[aronlevin]

Jan, I made it out last Monday and is was flat(cold but flat). Tried for a few crabs but the big boats have picked them all clean. I got a few but did not seem worth it. I can not wait till the waeter clears and season opens again.
See you on the water.

[Jan from Humboldt]

I wish we had the weather to fish more in the winter but I refuse to go out and waste my time fishing for mud marlin in the winter while freezing my backside off.

I wish the new saltwater regs would get posted pretty soon, one thing we have to look foreward to is the change in the Pacific halibut regs.

From what I understand we won't have a size limit on them this year so we'll be able to keep the "Chickens" and the season will have a month added and end at the end of October.

Make sure you study the gear regs this year too as I understand there were some minor changes in how and what you can use for federaly managed fish.

[aronlevin]

Sounds good Jan. When the weather gets better and the season opens we will have to take the boats out and meet up on the water.

[k9reno]

Ok please forgive this midwestern freshwater boy, but what the heck is a mud marlin?

[cagrove]

Originally Posted by k9reno

Ok please forgive this midwestern freshwater boy, but what the heck is a mud marlin?

K9,
You beat me to it...I was just ready to ask the same question!! OK, guys, fess up and educate us. Mud Marlin??

[Jan from Humboldt]

Ah! The mighty Mud Marlin also known as the Bat ray, here they can get up to 200 pounds and can give your gear a serious workout.

Fighting a big Mud Marlin is a lot like taking a 4x8 sheet of plywood with a motor on it and an eye bolt dead center and tieing your line to it.
http://www.thefishermans-tips.com/archive/batrays.html

[cagrove]

Originally Posted by Jan from Humboldt

Ah! The mighty Mud Marlin also known as the Bat ray, here they can get up to 200 pounds and can give your gear a serious workout.

Fighting a big Mud Marlin is a lot like taking a 4x8 sheet of plywood with a motor on it and an eye bolt dead center and tieing your line to it.
http://www.thefishermans-tips.com/archive/batrays.html

OK...I understand now. I had a leopard ray take 300 yards of 15 pound line and strip the gears out of my spinning reel this past summer while fishing from a pier on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Might as well hook your line to the rear end of a bus and try to reel it in. Thanks for the education.