NorCal Kayak Anglers

Dive Zone => Kayak Diving and Spearfishing => Topic started by: BigJim on February 22, 2018, 10:43:52 AM

Title: Played Hooky...
Post by: BigJim on February 22, 2018, 10:43:52 AM
Looked like there was a little break in swell/wind so snuck out of work early and charged down to a local spot.

Was rougher than I was hoping for, and there was a lot of whitewater and surge at the areas where I have had the most luck...

Chose a spot where  there is a hole where I have seen Lings before, and even though it was in the whitewater zone I was able to sneak in between sets and drop my marker weight/floatline in front of the hole.

First time I dropped and looked it was empty.

Left the marker in front and did a few drops in general area...didn't see anything I wanted to shoot so circled back around to check the hole again...

Dropped down and looked into the left corner where I have seen Lings...still nobody home so pulled back a bit and scanned to the right...and about pooped my pants when I saw a FAT Red right in front of my face. 

 :smt005 :smt044 :smt005

Was super surprised to see the Red because it is a shallow hole (only 37 feet), and I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen it right away.

Lined up and shot her right in the temple and after a brief tussle I got her up to the surface.

Super solid fish, and at 21.25 inches is my third longest Red so far, behind 23.5 and 22.25 inchers taken in 2017 and 2014.

Dove around a bit more enjoying the stellar viz and exploring some new pinnacles, but didn't find anything else I wanted to shoot so called it quits early and was back home by 445.

Love these fish, and am always stoked and grateful when I get to bring one home.  :smt007

Here's a little IG vid and a few pics:

https://instagram.com/p/BffRGjDHO8P/

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim



Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: BigJim on February 22, 2018, 10:46:20 AM
Sequence of stills that came out pretty cool...

 :smt006
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: Otter on February 22, 2018, 12:11:40 PM
Nice fish! Thanks for sharing.

-Eliot
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: mako1 on February 22, 2018, 12:47:35 PM
Nice pics, as usual!
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: Eddie on February 22, 2018, 12:56:05 PM
What a meal!  Good stuff :smt006
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: chopper on February 22, 2018, 01:52:01 PM
Awesome short vid -- I love that surprise when your looking around and suddenly there's a fish there. Too bad might aren't usually that nice!

Cheers,
Brad
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: Sailfish on February 22, 2018, 02:08:37 PM
Nice Red  :smt007  Thanks for the report, pictures, and video Jim.
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: NowhereMan on February 22, 2018, 03:20:21 PM
That one is seriously red!
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: Tote on February 22, 2018, 03:43:27 PM
Wham Bam Thank You....Sir!
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: BigJim on February 23, 2018, 07:02:38 AM
Food porn...

Baked collars and head, fried skin on fish ribs, scaled skin chicharrones, fillet strips made into super tasty tacos with fresh homemade sofrito and ensalada de repollo.

 Washed down with some Bargetto Winery Pinot Grigio.

 Awesome way to celebrate a beautiful fish.

 :smt006
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: oysterer on February 23, 2018, 08:31:35 AM
Your use of the whole animal is super inspiring! I'd love to chat sometime about your preparations-I'm in the food industry and like to offer fish parts on the menu (collars, tails, etc).
Title: Re: Played Hooky...
Post by: BigJim on February 23, 2018, 08:46:14 AM
Your use of the whole animal is super inspiring! I'd love to chat sometime about your preparations-I'm in the food industry and like to offer fish parts on the menu (collars, tails, etc).

Thanks dude!!!

I'm no chef, but do like trying to use as much of the fish as possible...

This was my first time doing the fried fish skin and I was really happy with how it turned out...didn't do anything fancy, just scaled the whole fish first, and after filleting laid the skin out to dry on a papertowel while prepping the rest of the meal.

Then rubbed it with some yellow mustard, shook in a bag of Zatarains and threw it in the skillet while frying the skin on belly/rib meat chunks...

The skin on the belly/rib meat gives it a really nice texture when fried...wife makes me leave it on now after she tried it the first time.  :smt005

Here is a post I did last year with some details and pics of how we prepared and cooked the last big Red I shot...if I could go back in time I would cut the rib section off first (get a chunkier/cleanier cut that way I think), leave the skin on the ribs, and fry the rest of the skin after filleting.  :smt003

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=77642.0

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim