Happy Halloween!

Good News and Bad News

Hi Ladies!

Well, "the Biff" and I had another interesting weekend. The good news is we survived. The bad news is our boat did not.
After such a hot beautiful week of flat calm water we were anxious to get out on our boat and go over to the islands now that the fuel tanks had been installed and we had more range.
We launched and left SB harbor at 8 am to cross the channel and made Santa Cruz by 9 am we fished around inside Beecher's Bay for a while as our electronics went out after we got there, no sounder, no gps - a bad omen. there was a fog bank hanging on the front side of Santa Cruz/Santa Rosa like a big curtain. So we decided to go around to the front side of Cruz and fish there for a while and we could head back home from there on a dead reckoning heading using the swell directions and probably pop out of the fog about mid channel.
We were doing some drifts in a little bay about a mile off the west end of Santa Cruz and catching some fighting white fish when we noticed our deck was wetter that usual, it usually has an inch or so sloshing around but it had several , the bilge pump had quit or become overwhelmed we don't know.
Biff started the engines and sped off but we were too heavy and couldn't plane off. Our electronics had died so our radio was out, we still don't know for sure but suspect the power problem may be related to the pump failure. We had kept an eye on other boats fishing near us, so since we could drive we drove to the dearest one and asked the to radio for assistance. This was the Calico Hunter, a private charter out of Ventura. As soon as we slowed to talk to him, we started to take on water rapidly and their Capt instructed us to get our life vests on and get to the front of our boat, but it was apparent it was going very fast, so they took us on their boat.
We spent the next 2 hours on this boat with these guys watching is horror and disbelief as our boat just bobbed in the water and then after about an hour or so it turned over. I had caught one white fish about a 3 lb-er and put it in a forward bin with ice and water it - I wander if it swam away.
At one point we were afraid it was drifting too close to the cliffs so the guys in true cowboy fashion lassoed the anchor of our boat and towed it back out away from the rocks.

Once the Park Ranger boat got there we were transferred to their care and the boat was transferred to a tow line on the Ranger boat. Then Boat Assist came to take the Boat and do the Salvage thing. Then we were delivered to the Coast Guard and given a ride to SB Harbor.
The only hitch was the keys to the truck were in the glove box on the boat and in all the excitement Biff's cell phone had died and my phone was locked in the truck. Thank heaven for Auto club and 19 year old sons who answer their phones.
We managed to save 3 poles, 1 gaff, 1 12 oz sinker and the life vests.

Well, when we go fishing ladies our goal is to have fun & meet people.

Biff & I certainly met a lot of very nice people and owe them our deepest gratitude for thier help, bravery and graciousness.

Buggin' with the HOMIES!!!!!!

Went out for a little Friday night fun with some of my favorite peeps!!!!!!Me, Tim-aaaaay, Flipper (Mike)and Batray (Mary)met at the F.I.S.H to hack up some macks and ready the nets while having my celebratory "The week is finally over" brewskis....


Jimmy and T-bone were at the shop with the smoker fired up and a TON of yellowfin in the racks cookin' away...Man did it smell good...I arrived just in time for the sampling!!!!

Mike and Mary were ready as well so we put the petal to the metal to hit our destination before dark
......
Sunset was absolutely STUNNING!!!!!

And the Ocean was grease flat...What a way to start the night!!!
Dropped the nets and enjoyed some brews while we waited...
First pull and we thought we were in for a fantastic night....Almost every net held a bug.....

Mostly shorts, but 2 legals for the bucket!!!! I am thinking at this point that it is going to be an epic crawl.....NOT!!!

So we float around chattin' and drinkin' and I realize drinking beer in several layers of clothes and slickers is not the best idea... My eyeballs are floating and I am not about to go in so....TIMMY TURN YOUR HEAD!!!!!!! What a relief......I know, TMI, but that moment was one of my highlights of the evening!!!!

The rest of the sets were pretty big disappointments....a couple of legal doubles for me and Tim.... and thank goodness for that because the bugs quit crawling soon after....

So we are sitting there "tending our gear" and from out of nowhere a bird flies up and lands in our boat...

I am not sure what kind of bird it was. To me it looked like a Sandpiper, but Mike said no...Anyway this thing was not afraid of people as you can see in the pics below....

Trip out!!!!!!!!! This was the first time I was in such close proximity to a wild bird. We were starting to get pretty cold and we had 8 legals on board so after a couple of dry pulls we decide to pull the set and head in.....Our new friend stayed on board during the whole fiasco....and road with us all the way back to the dock where he kicked back on my shoulder while I waited for Tim to back the truck down......

Fishing was very slow considering the time we invested on the water, but we agreed that even if the lobster didn't want to show us love...The bird made up for it...What an incredible experience!!! I took home four.

Thank you T-bone(Todd) for use of your vessel and To Jimmy for the fantastic smoked yellowfin I ate for dinner....And for the record...Promar nets are way too heavy now that I have fished the Danielsons....No freakin' contest...Danielsons are the way to go!!!
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Warning...

I plan on defending my title.
Erika's not coming, is she?

Stardust Charter November 15

Our November Charter is Getting closer and at this time I have only 4 spots open.

I spoke with Capt. Jason Diamond yesterday and our plans are to make for Santa Rosa toward the gap between Rosa and San Miguel to do some rock fishing. Depending on condtions and time we may troll for bonito on the way back . On that I will have to let you know more as we get closer to the date.

He takes Charters there often, maybe once a week, weather permitting so he knows the area. This is a relatively short run for the Stardust but not easily accessible to other charter boats.

Please contace me by email or phone.

This is a day Charter 5am to 5pm out of Santa Barbara Harbor, 85.00 per person let me know if you will need a rental rod and/or a day license.

Thanks Everyone " HUGS" is the new name

Thanks to the Pampered Chef Consultants ~Shiela Addis

"Hugs"

will be the new name. I had a lot of interesting suggestions:


"Helping Hands”
“Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds You” “Lend me A Hand”
“Hands of a Friend”
“Reaching Out to Love”
“Reaching Out To You”
“hands Across America”
“Hand Out”
“Party of Hands Your Table Is Ready”
"Reach'es Essence"
"coral hands"
"THRILLER"
"DEMOCRATS"

"Coral Hands"
"Hands"
"Hands of Time"

Thank you to all of you who responded to my plea - Wow what a great bunch of Ladies on and off the water!!!!

This is part of why you all haven't seen much of me lately!

I just finished, delivered and installed this piece.

It is a commission for a nice couple in Goleta.

It is built in a box that measures 3 ft high x 2 ft wide by 8 inches deep. there are approximately 100 hands, actually vintage ladies gloves filled with polyurethane foam. I have not come up with a tittle for it - I'm almost afraid to ask you all for suggestions but I need some ideas.

BB Mc

Lings And Lings

I was really thrilled to see that ling cod emerging from the depths and low and behold it was attached to my line. Just for kicks I had to compare the fish of this last saturday to one from last April 1st and I am again reminded how special each and every trip is. Each time I get on a boat it turns out to be a unique experience. The group this last saturday was a rowdy rollicking good time bunch and no one could help but have a great time and yes the conversation got a little salty but all in good nature

Had a charter aboard the Mirage along with the wonderful woman of Gold Coast Lady Anglers...Also on the boat to celebrate his BIG # 13 birthday, my beautiful boy...Tanner Banks.....

Gathered at Club Redwood for the pre-party and then hit the landing around 8:30pm.

We arrived to find out Joe had the night off ....But Tucker and Apollo were there to put us on the fish...We put all of our goodies that we bring on the tables and grabbed our bunks, then hit the stern to set up and partake in a few beverages before bed....


Safety speech and Tucker gives us the good news that we are headed for SAN NICHOLAS!!!!

I was a good girl and only drank a few beers...even hit the sack before midnight!!!!

Woke up to the cold morning and conditions that were not so great...Windy!!!!




As the sun came up we all remembered how blessed we all are to be out on the water at sunrise....





Tucker moved the boat to some more favorable conditions and the fish started to bite....





Tanner gets the first legal ling...What a way to start the day!!




Fishing was very rough due to screaming wind, nasty current, and wind chop that came through the scuppers and drenched us from the waist down...




The fish wanted to bite though so we fished on for some quality whitefish, sheephead reds, chucks, and lings...







In between moves we enjoyed some brews, Bloody Mary's and Screwdrivers!!!! (Thanks Tina!!!!)









Pineapple cooked up the goods as usual with the infamous Kona and to-die-for fish tacos!!!!!





And the boys were working hard....or hardly working????




I am targeting Lings and end up with close to 15 for the day…only 3 legals though…the rest close but no cigar as the stretcher was not on board…..




Kissed all the shorts goodbye to catch another day….




Finally Mary hooks up to something huge!!!! JACKPOT BABY!!!!!!!





We named it baby boo-boo and played with him for a while until he died a happy death….




Chris nails this fat Ling, but alas, not in the JP…Lesson learned, huh girl???




Meli is freakin’ on fire this trip and lands this huge Goat that wins her the JP!!! FINALLY GIRL!!! YOU ROCK!!!




We ended up with some nice Goats, honkin’ drag-ripping Whitefish, few nice Reds and Lings….Steady and quality despite the conditions…





The skunk is off Meli FOR SURE!…Here she is with her catch for the day…



On the way in we celebrate Tanner’s birthday with a cake that Jeannie made that is one of our Favorites…RED VELVET!!! GRUB!!!





Dan and Pineapple brought a few things for the boy..HOW AWESOME IS THAT?????? Thank you guys so much for thinking of him…..and Pineapple, that is the raddest paper I have seen in a long time!!!!





Watched the boys cut for a while and then hit the rack for a nap..Woke up to a beautiful Sunset and a perfect ending to a fantastic day.



Thanks to Tucker, Apollo, Dan, Miguel, and of course Pina…You guys are the best!!!!
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