Loleta Eric's Guide Service

05/26/2025

Robert and Sarah engaged my services for a run down through the Oldgrowth Corridor yesterday, and it did not disappoint! Temps were mild, but we got plenty of sun and the wind stayed down for us. The river is in nearly perfect condition, but if you follow the flow gages watch out! The Miranda gage has been lingering in the 300's for too long, and it plus the Fort Seward gage add up to more than the Scotia reading, so something's amiss. I've judged for myself that the South Fork is running maybe only about half of what the gage says, so if you're going you'd better get on it.

I'd love to introduce you to one of Humboldt's finest floats, but when it comes to the Springtime Eel, if you snooze you lose!

05/20/2025

Gimme Shelter Nineteenth Annual Kayak Fishing Tournament/GSXIX is in the books!

Here are some highlights:

- Matthew Mayes took home his second OG Redwood Trophy Trough as AOTD - that's Angler of the Day! With a 31 inch lingcod and a 20 inch rockfish, Matt was 2" ahead of the 2nd place finisher, Allan Sanchez (49 inches including a 23 inch cabezon), and 3" ahead of his brother Chris Mayes as well as Chris Coleman - both at 48 inches.

- Brandi Easter worked her usual magic, directing a small volunteer army of helpers in an XXL version of the Gyotaku Fish Printing Extravaganza! Campground staff and members of the public joined in, and the 'event within the event' continues to develop a very strong following. Some were known to say, "this has become my favorite part of GS..."

- The potluck was fabulous, as has been the standard for NCKA, and the Taco Shack by Ricci Chavez and his dad Rick went splendidly, as Ricci was filling the void left when Kayak Jack couldn't be there to run the Shack. Who knows what happens next year - could be some kind of Taco War coming on! 😀

- The raffle benefiting Shelter Cove Fishing Preservation Inc. was rich with quality prizes, and we raised over $2300 for SCFPI! Captain Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Charters came back for a 2nd year in a row of helping with the raffle, and this year his son Mason joined in. The crowd was eating it up when Mason ended up winning some nice prizes and building up a kayak fishing kit that he'll need, as his dad just recently got him a new fishing kayak!

- All the kids who printed t-shirts came up on stage to each receive their own fishing pole as a participation prize, and it was definitely one of the highlights of the entire event - lots of joy and special memories made right there.

- Others were recognized and awarded special GSXIX tagged abs for their efforts on behalf of the event and the club.

- No salmon were reported as being encountered over the weekend.

- No halibut were encountered either!

- Weather, even though the forecast was very poor, was fishable each day until about midday.

- The water right up onto the beach was 48.5 degrees!

Huge thanks to all participants, volunteers, raffle item donators, Shuland, R&R Chavez, Takagi's, Jake and Mason Mitchell, Brandi and her small army, the locals at the Cove, and, last but never least, the fish! We are grateful to have opportunities to enjoy the resource and the world class beauty of Shelter Cove and its offshore wilderness.

See you next year maybe~

05/10/2025

Gimme Shelter, coming on strong.

05/04/2025

The story behind the Trophy Troughs:

Back in maybe GS5 or GS6, I was measuring the competitors' catches, and I called Jamie Meier's lingcod at 36 inches. She immediately protested and claimed 36 and a half, but I measured again, and I stood on my reading. Jamie then produced her own Hawg Trough and proceeded to show me that I was getting some bad readings!

My Hawg Trough Extension was reemed out where it connects to the Hawg Trough... Oops. Good thing no bigger lings had come in to that point!

I knew for sure, I needed a fool proof system. It was then that I crafted the first Trophy Troughs. Never again would a reemed out Hawg Trough Extendor lead to a bad reading!

All of the fish measured at the Gimme Shelter tournament will be on Trophy Troughs accommodating up to 48" entries.

If our troughs get maxed out, we bow down!

04/19/2025

This just in: Monday, 4/21 postmark OK!

Send a message to learn more

04/08/2025

The ceramics are all fired up, and the abs are tagged. Let the traditions and the Good Times roll!

If you haven't signed up yet, get it together!

Hope to see you at GSXIX on May 17th.

04/06/2025

10 years ago...

If you're ready to experience kayak fishing on the ocean, hit me up and we'll book a date.

YOLO - it's real.

Caught a nice early season King paddling outside the Whistle Buoy at Shelter Cove. This hot fish had me waiting for it to tire as it peeled line and dodged ...

03/27/2025

It's coming together for GSXIX.

Hope to see you there~

03/23/2025

Yo, yo, yo, let's go!

Here's the final design on this year's Gimme Shelter event shirt.

Even if you're not attending, if you'd like to support what I do and/or want a shirt - hit me up! Black hoodies too.

(707) 845-0400

01/23/2025

Registration is now open for Gimme Shelter XIX, to be held May 17th at Shelter Cove.

See this post at Nor Cal Kayak Anglers for rules, schedule, application and registration form: https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=103342.0

I hope to see you there!

12/02/2024

I was so pleased to close out the nearshore rockfish and lingcod season at Shelter Cove with a couple of return guests who brought strong skills and all the right gear. David's a frequent participant on my trips, both as a client and sometimes filling the role of Super Assistant Guide of the Year. Rodney has been out with me on one other trip several years back, where he and a second guest that day, Skye, joined me for steelheading on the Mainstem Eel. That day turned out to be the coldest outing ever for my guide service, as we got snowed on while kayak fishing below Dyerville! Catching a wild steelhead that day managed to help us stay warm.

Saturday's forecast was excellent for a closing day at the end of November, and it was actually one of the best calls of the entire year for wind and swell. The predictions came true, as we enjoyed slick water and no wind through early afternoon. A light breeze did kick in around 130PM, but by then we'd put together a diverse list of catches and loaded our stringers with a selection bound for home.

We made our way in with the tide dropping toward a sunset minus, and even with cool late Fall temperatures the locals were out in force, enjoying the beach in the shelter of the cove - I've said it so many times: the place is aptly named! We got the traditional Stringer Display Photos taken, and the Tailgate Fillet Station saw its final session of the year while we enjoyed warm conversation and a cold beer to cap our day.

Big thanks are in order, for my guests, David and Rodney. It was a great season-ending outing, where we enjoyed good conditions and great company on an adventure to be remembered and cherished.

In the coming weeks I'll be fleshing out the details and announcing the schedule and format for the 19th Annual Gimme Shelter event to be held in May of 2025. It's a family event where many aim to get there a day or two early and make it a long weekend of fun with the community and activities for all to enjoy. I have long had a goal of developing more of a festival that honors the fishery that has been so good to us, along with the usual tournament with special harvests, shared food and drink, and focus on diversity and inclusion. Reverence for the fish, respect for each other and the locals, and maintaining priorities of generosity, compassion and committing ourselves to envisioning and supporting a strong future are what I have in mind - not just for Gimme Shelter, but also on every trip that I guide.

Thank you for your love and support - that's what this gig is all about.

10/01/2024

Last week I got to take a father-son team out. Joel and Dylan were stoked to try kayak fishing, but we were unable to link up on a couple of planned dates over the summer, due to covid, work and other life details. We were all lined up to get down to the Cove last Wednesday, but I had to make a last minute change when the forecast blew up a little. Tuesday evening I was stressing on the forecast and how it might be a tough trip to take my guys out for their first time on a potentially rough ocean with a newly forecasted southwest wind to contend with. So I switched things up to a Humboldt Bay mission. My guests would get their intro to the kayaks, specific fishing techniques, the immersion gear and hopefully catching a halibut or other bay fish. My bay trip offering is a shorter day than my Cove offering, and it's a lower pricepoint too. Those damn halibut though! They can throw a wrench in the works for sure...

The day started out great - nice and smooth for our launch just after sunrise, and the first hour stayed glassy. Then a freak southwest wind showed up - it was part of that last minute forecast for south of Cape Mendo, but the Point St. George to the Cape forecast didn't mention it... I think forecasting is getting tougher with climate change!

We rode out the squall with a stiff 10 to 15 knot wind in our face for 30 minutes or so before things gradually mellowed back out. After riding the bay rodeo ride against the blow and over 10,000 sloppy wind waves I saw I'd missed a bite, and that was it for the day on the halibut front. We did manage to scratch out a couple of lingcod (one keeper) and one smallish rockfish, so the day wasn't a bust. I felt good about the shake-down run for the guys - they did great getting the hang of the kayaks as well as the trolling methods I showed. Hopefully they'll sign up for the full Cove run next summer - where I guarantee we fill some stringers!

Guiding isn't easy - especially on kayaks in the ocean. I've realized over the years that it's tough to not want to raise the bar every trip. Having had great success with a whole bunch of guests, experienced and newb's alike, it can sting to suck it up and digest a day that didn't meet hopes and expectations. I'll be ruminating on how and when I can make it up to my dudes - maybe they'll join in for the Midnight Crab Opener! 😁