Topic: Starving Abalone? Another Closure? (Read 4954 times)

August 23, 2016, 06:21:40 AM #30

7 or 8? That must have been worrisome.

August 23, 2016, 06:34:59 AM #31

Empty ab shells doesn't equal starvation or disease. I often see cabezon eating whole full sized abalone. So if they are starving I am sure that would be an easier meal and survival of the strongest.

August 23, 2016, 07:31:00 AM #32

Before they allowed harvesting urchins commercially on the Sonoma coast years ago there were a lot of big healthy urchins I would get stuck all the time. Then the commercial boys came in and cleaned up and did more than that too abalone went too. Some poachers had false bottom boats for the abalone. They literally stripped the bottom of urchins and abalone. It really got pretty bad. This is different we had a lot of bull kelp an a healthy ecosystem. I would think if these shrinking abalone don't get some relief they ain't going to make it and it will set off an alarm to fish and game to try and help the situation.
Now Mendocino is different and different weather might be better but that is no help for us Sonoma divers.

August 23, 2016, 07:49:11 AM #33

Srdave,

Don't get me wrong. I still see areas that are all purple urchin and no kelp in Mendo. But 20 yards away its Healthy. So who knows. Also know divers who can find large amounts of big healthy abs in Sonoma so guessing it's possibly the same as up here where you can have two completely different ecosystems in a relatively close area.

And yes there will always be poachers but haven't seen any data showing reduced numbers is because of them.

August 23, 2016, 10:19:20 AM #34

DG, I would think there are places in Sonoma that might be thriving. I have not seen it as you drive up the coast and look out over the different coves there is no kelp and for this time of year it should be just thick with bull kelp. Now I hope I am dead wrong and and next year folks can point to me and say ya that crazy ole man over there was all wrong and everything is wonderful.
Ya know I would welcome urchin divers to help keep the populations down but!...I can imagine a urchin diver picking urchins for pennies on the pound and right next to that are abalone worth 100.00 each I am not sure how I would do either....LOL Like working in a coal mine and having to leave the diamonds alone.

August 23, 2016, 04:39:42 PM #35

Quote from: Wilderness medic on August 23, 2016, 06:21:40 AM

7 or 8? That must have been worrisome.

Gio, did you take that pic or was that off the net?

Reminds me of the die off on the Sonoma Coast

August 23, 2016, 04:53:36 PM #36

Boy! Me too I hope that photo was not this year....Yikes!

August 23, 2016, 10:29:18 PM #37

Quote from: Cabeza de Martillo on August 23, 2016, 04:39:42 PM

Quote from: Wilderness medic on August 23, 2016, 06:21:40 AM
7 or 8? That must have been worrisome.

Gio, did you take that pic or was that off the net?

Reminds me of the die off on the Sonoma Coast

I took it.

0:25

August 24, 2016, 05:46:47 AM #38

That's why you got a PB cabbie there. It's a cabezon dump site. I always find cabezon when I find a bunch of empty shells.

August 24, 2016, 07:45:46 AM #39

Quote from: DG on August 24, 2016, 05:46:47 AM

That's why you got a PB cabbie there. It's a cabezon dump site. I always find cabezon when I find a bunch of empty shells.

Lol. Cab was at the other end of the cove.

August 24, 2016, 08:56:40 AM #40

Quote from: Wilderness medic on August 24, 2016, 07:45:46 AM

Quote from: DG on August 24, 2016, 05:46:47 AM
That's why you got a PB cabbie there. It's a cabezon dump site. I always find cabezon when I find a bunch of empty shells.

Lol. Cab was at the other end of the cove.

Looks like that's an ab graveyard. Some of those look like they've been there for quite some time though.
Abs are definitely not as chunky as in the past. I passed up multiple 9+ abs last Sat due to not being plump enough. The only one I took was 9-1/4" but nothing to brag about in meat quantity.

There was plenty of kelp for them to feed on but the surge kept me out of those places.

Hopefully there's some fatties at the cove this weekend.

Congrats on your PB cabbie Gio

August 24, 2016, 10:00:48 AM #41

Quote from: Cabeza de Martillo on August 24, 2016, 08:56:40 AM

Quote from: Wilderness medic on August 24, 2016, 07:45:46 AM
Quote from: DG on August 24, 2016, 05:46:47 AM
That's why you got a PB cabbie there. It's a cabezon dump site. I always find cabezon when I find a bunch of empty shells.

Lol. Cab was at the other end of the cove.

Looks like that's an ab graveyard. Some of those look like they've been there for quite some time though.
Abs are definitely not as chunky as in the past. I passed up multiple 9+ abs last Sat due to not being plump enough. The only one I took was 9-1/4" but nothing to brag about in meat quantity.

There was plenty of kelp for them to feed on but the surge kept me out of those places.

Hopefully there's some fatties at the cove this weekend.

Congrats on your PB cabbie Gio

Perhaps an area where poachers were working? Stripping the meat and discarding the shells?

August 24, 2016, 10:19:53 AM #42

Quote from: Rock Hopper on August 24, 2016, 10:00:48 AM

Perhaps an area where poachers were working? Stripping the meat and discarding the shells?

I thought that the first time I saw an area with a bunch of shells until I saw a cabezon eating an 8" abalone.

August 24, 2016, 12:10:25 PM #43

Quote from: Cabeza de Martillo on August 24, 2016, 08:56:40 AM

Quote from: Wilderness medic on August 24, 2016, 07:45:46 AM
Quote from: DG on August 24, 2016, 05:46:47 AM
That's why you got a PB cabbie there. It's a cabezon dump site. I always find cabezon when I find a bunch of empty shells.

Lol. Cab was at the other end of the cove.

Looks like that's an ab graveyard. Some of those look like they've been there for quite some time though.
Abs are definitely not as chunky as in the past. I passed up multiple 9+ abs last Sat due to not being plump enough. The only one I took was 9-1/4" but nothing to brag about in meat quantity.

There was plenty of kelp for them to feed on but the surge kept me out of those places.

Hopefully there's some fatties at the cove this weekend.

Congrats on your PB cabbie Gio

Thanks but that's kind of old. Need to update. Shot a 14 pound one nor long after that.

August 25, 2016, 06:45:58 PM #44

Whoa- where is that ginormous pile of shells? I've seen empties, but never on that scale. Is that Sonoma coast?

That article about the guys clearing entire coves of urchins by themselves is pretty damn inspiring- unbelievable numbers! Guessing they must have been using some kind of hookah setup. Anyone seen them in action?

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Topic: Starving Abalone? Another Closure? (Read 4954 times)

Wilderness medic

DG

srdave

DG

srdave

Cabeza de Martillo

srdave

Wilderness medic

DG

Wilderness medic

Cabeza de Martillo

Rock Hopper

DG

Wilderness medic

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