Kinda silly that currently serving active duty folks aren't included for the State parks pass.  Life is tough with an enlisted person's salary here in CA.

Exactly! I believe that anyone actively serving should be included! Give the current military members an opportunity to enjoy our state parks on their days off or on vacation without charging them to enter the parks or to camp. Until you pin on sergeant stripes you’re not making a lot of $.

Sounds and looks awesome! Definitely going to try this out!

I've been using this one, pretty simple and quick

250g salt
150g brown sugar

Coat and put in fridge 40min for small/medium pieces or collars and up to 1hr for larger fillets.  Rinse and dry under fan for a few hours then smoke 150-170 degrees till 145 or so. 

I've been experimenting with pulling them early or letting them really dry out.  These ones I was running out of time and tired so ended up cranking it to 200 to finish them off for the last 30 minutes.  It was about 6 hours of smoking.

Thank you for sharing your recipe! I’ll be giving this a try!

BDon your smoked fish looks awesome!

We went pretty far off shore. We didn’t have any issues with any boats luckily! One boat was heading in while I was fighting my hali and he stopped the boat and watched. He said he was impressed with all of us kayakers and thinks we’re all are crazy lol. It is always sketchy hearing boats in the fog but where we were there was about 200 yards of visibility so we felt somewhat safe. We got back to the dock around 3 pm…. Long day!

I haven’t ever smoked the collars on rockcod, lings or hali so I am planning on giving these a try. Anyone have some good brine recipes they could share?

If you gently scrape off all the scales, wash the fish off to get rid of any scales you will get rid of the fish slime. Also use paper towels to pat dry before you drop them in hot oil, it will help with oil splattering and boil over. Nice sized koks!

I was looking forward to going this year but I am not going to be in town again. Unless I’m able to check in pacific halibut from Fort Bragg I will have to wait for next year lol.

I use a size 1 circle hook and I will use a stinger on a trap rig. 9 times out of 10 they will hook themselves and less damage to the short fish. My leaders are 60# fluorocarbon.- I use to run 30-40# until my brother lost one at the net last season that was over 40#. Chafed/bit through his 30# leader. They are not line shy so go heavy and save yourself the headache! Lol caught a bunch this last season on whole frozen squid, frozen sardines, live jack smelt and live anchovies. Best action was the squid and 6-10” jack smelt.

Quote from: li-orca on March 04, 2023, 07:25:21 PM

Interesting. I have to say that when I saw the fish,  the bulging eye and general coloration didn’t seem like halibut to me either. But I’ve never seen a sand sole or a sand dab so..

You are missing out my friend. Sand dabs are so plentiful and a local favorite. On the menu at pretty much all restaurants in the Monterey Bay. 

Sand and Petra sole are great as well but take a little more searching for than a sand dab.

One of my favorite dishes to order at the Sur restaurant in Carmel by the sea!! Sand dabs are really good eating! I target them, sole and halibut out of HMB and with the rock fish closures this year I’ll be fishing a lot more for flatties.