Last trip to Albion in 2019. Stormy seas pounded the Mendocino coast for the past several weeks but the forecast indicated that there might be a break in sight. I took a chance and headed out to Albion.
Posted on December 14, 2019
Tracy — Stockton — Rio Vista — Fairfield — Vallejo — Petaluma — Santa Rosa — Windsor — Cloverdale — Yorkville — Boonville — Navarro — Albion
Tracy to Cloverdale: 3 hours. Then a quick stop at Plank Coffee and onwards. Cloverdale to Albion: 1 1/2 hours.
The surf was still high and the waters inside the Albion canyon as dynamic as ever. Definitely advanced conditions and definitely a good idea that I opted for my surf kayak instead of my regular expedition boat. Some swells were so big that they rolled up the Albion river and past the campground.
The rain didn't let up as the forecast had predicted but my old Springbar tent leaked very little.
On the way out I ate a breaking wave and was immediately drenched. The wave also ripped the fishfinder off the foredeck. Most fortunately it was still tethered to the boat by its power cable. I pulled the fishfinder out of the water, rigged some bungees to keep it in place and the unit continued to function without a hitch.
Traversing the treacherous canyon is hard work. The swells come from all directions, sometimes forming pointy triangular shaped crests which can easily capsize a small boat, as they echo off the canyon walls. The water feels sticky. Every time you make forward progress you seem to get pulled back again.
The outside was much better. Swells were taller, perhaps 6-8 feet, but they came from a predictable north-western direction. I rode them up and down while looking for fish.
Fishing was slow. Was it seasonal or just because fish had backed off due to winter storms? I caught a bunch of smaller rockfish, blacks and blues, and a few hours later hooked a lingcod. The ling felt pretty good, not big but certainly something I wanted to keep, and I took my time to make sure I wouldn't lose it at the boat.
Albion in winter is a trip. There's nobody on the water (or in the campground for that matter). Last year I caught a limit of large Vermilion Rockfish over Thanksgiving, perhaps December is a bit too deep into the season.