Tag Archives: fort ross

Abalone Diving at Fort Ross

Went Ab diving Saturday. Folks on the net had warned of poor visibility but I just felt like diving so ended up back at Fort Ross. I decided to take the steep trail down to the south cove, the one with the rope your use to back down the trail. Got in the water about 9am. Several harbor seals were sunning themselves on the rocks. As suspected the visibility was pretty poor, maybe 3 feet at best. Appeared to be a plankton bloom. My first dive I find a legal abalone upside down in the sand so picked it up, was over 7 inches, dropped it in my bag. Second dive two more abs upside down, both legal, one about 8 inches. Wow can’t believe my good luck, was thinking it would be hard work to find some legal ones at Fort Ross with poor visibility.

With my limit in the bag I decide to look for fish with my pole spear. Literally every rock hole I peer into; abs upside down on their shells! Starting to get a little concerning. I must have seen over 25 in that state. Was thinking maybe they were feeding on the bloom but probably the bloom is killing them. I hope that’s not the case, reports form Timber Cove north of Fort Ross also said many abs were seen upside down there too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I searched for any sign of fish for an hour finally with one darting out of the hole. I looked up to see a nice blue leaving and just as I took aim he turned away and I just missed him. After that decided to pack it in. Would have loved to have a nice rock fish filet to go with the abs but had to stop at Robert’s on my way home for some Halibut instead.

Spearfishing over bait

Was up north for ab diving again Saturday. The plan was to dive Ocean Cove but scoping it out there looked to be waves right in the spot we wanted to dive. So headed back down to Fort Ross. Went to the cove where I went the first time. It has something of a steep trail and at one point you have to lower yourself repelling style with a rope for about ten feet. Finally at the water and getting my gear on I notice I’m missing a glove. Halfway back up the trail and find the glove.

Back to the water, it’s flat as a swimming pool and the resident harbor seal is sunning himself on the lone wash rock at the mouth of the cove. Today I’m going to try and spearfish over bait which is legal and friends have done with great success. I have a ziploc with frozen ab guts. Put it in my mesh bag with a one pound weight and send it to the bottom in about 12 feet. Visibility is not great, maybe 8 or so. I just brought the polespear. After only a few minutes a couple rockfish are checking out the bag. A big blue sea star moves right in and I have to prod him off the bag and relocate him. Now a big rockfish is there, I try to dive to get into range but the fish scatter when I get close. After this happening two more times I decide to just fish around the bait underwater and then approach from underwater on the bottom as quietly as I can.

Cruising around the rocks and crevices I see plenty of abalone for later. Now I dive and slowly approach the bait from fifteen feet away. As the bag slowly materializes I see there is a big cabezon on it! I glide up silently and nail him with the trident. He goes ballistic, like a bird on the end of a stick, I’m holding on but he wriggles right off of my spear. So disappointed, really wanted my first Cab. Probably should have tried to stone him with a head shot.

After several more failed attempts I decide to forgo the fishing over bait. Put my spear on the boogie board and grab my abalone iron. I swim out to deeper waters near the wash rock. The seal is gone now but will usually come check me out at some point. Not long I’m finding some nice size abalone in the rocky crevices. I’ve finally marked my iron with 9″ and 10″ increments hoping to get something bigger. I pull one that I think looks huge but it’s just over 8. After a while I’ve pulled two more also around 8. I think I’ll need to go somewhere more remote if I’m ever going to see a 9.

Back to fishing, I patrol the rocks and crevices and the kelp patches chasing a big black around but never getting close enough. One big fish in a hole that scooted right as I shot. Finally decide to call it a day. The fishing over bait looks promising, think I may need a better tip to hold bigger fish when I have to use the polespear.