June abalone

[FISHNCHIPS]

Had permission to camp and ab on private property near Rockport where I had seen an 11" taken a few years ago. My boy and I got the tent trailer set up in a pasture and were geared up for a beach meal the next day of abalone,urchin and mussels.
Got up early on the 22nd and rappeled 200 feet down to a great little beach,got the new wet suit on and got to work. The surf was rough and the kelp is thick this year all along the coast so we didn't get out far but had plenty of territory to search. Nothing! the abalone were gone,the urchins were gone which were under every other rock before. Somebody made some money off that cove. Since we had cookware,we made the best of it and steamed mussels,limpets and snails there on the beach and they were delicious.
Down went the tent trailer and we headed south to a cove near Fort Bragg that my son had seen at low tide a month before and wanted to try. I was skeptical but what the heck,I never tried it around Fort Bragg,thought there was too much competition.
Stayed in a motel and took a wonderful hot shower before suiting up and driving the ten miutes to the cove. Got out there in the dark like you should and there were already folks heading out. We got to some rock that looked right and I told Grayson that we would give it five minutes and move on if we didn't find an ab. He hit the water and was holding one up in two minutes. I grinned and said this spot will do. every other rock I checked had abs and we limited in an area the size of my kitchen and didn't have to use the calipers to know they were legal.
We went back for breakfast and another hot shower and headed down to Fort Ross to feast and ab with the guys that taught me years ago. After a dinner of more ab than we could eat,we all went out the next morning on a 1.7 minus tide and it wasn't as easy as the day before but we filled our limits again (three for me andone for Grayson), due to the possession limit and these were good size too. My largest of the trip was 8 1/2 inches,not the ten plus I expected from Rockport but a great trip with great weather.
I am inept with pics so tonight I'll get Grayson to post them,they are good.
Sorry that I don't name the cove near Bragg but really,I hear that it's good anywhere in that area.

[diamondbear]

IAM JEALOUS FOR SURE , nice going on the abalone in Bragg . 8 1/2 inches is a real nice eating ab , like to see pics and hope they fallow . The Fort Bragg area is the only place I dive for abs , good going . // db [ -1.7 tide is kinda fun to dive on ]

[FISHNCHIPS]

Got some good pics of both my recent posts but both my son and fishing buddy who are camera/computer literate can't figure out how to get them on here.
Thanks D.B,I love those super low tides just to see part of the bottom of the ocean.

[Troutman65]

I just saw this post. Nice going on the abalone. Thanks for sharing.

[salmonheadsoup]

being a local to fort BRAGG, THERE ARE MANY MANY great hidden spots to AB that only a few people know about, I have got my limit every time very quick and have never had to get wet past my knees>>

abs are king

[E.A.R.G.]

how do these things taste? how far you gotta drive up from LA to actually get these things?

[Viejo]

Interesting comment on the times that your "secret spot" on private property that required a 200' rappel was cleaned out by the poachers. Abs used to be plentiful along the SoCal coast and Catalina but greed and ignoring the regs pretty much cleaned them out. They are big business on the black market in Central and NorCal. With the limited DFG enforcement presence...it is just a matter of time before too much demand and take will make them scarce in your end of the state as well.