Capitola 8/13/07 - one ling

Made a decision to get out  as I was getting up this morning, got out about 7 to perfect conditions, no wind, swell or fog. Stayed that way until 1 when I came in. If I could stand up for 10 mins I'd stay out all day on days like this.  I guess I could have hit the beach and relaunched.   I even got a little nap. 
Tried drifting my usual spots for flatties, out from greater Pleasure Pt,  but no luck.  Used a couple of live mackeral I jigged up with my trout pole- so much fun it should be illegal!   'Chovies, smelt, mackeral all over that area.   At one time I got two small rockies at the same time on my stinger rig - I guess one got the frenzy going and the other latched on. Felt like something bigger.
    Gave it up and trolled my silver Walleye Runner, pretty soon I got a 28" ling, but on the skinny side, so back he went.  I trolled a green swimbait and got another ling to color, but it came off about there, maybe it had just hitchhiked the end of the plastic.
    Almost no boats out on such a pretty day, and the beach wasn't crowded either.  Maybe everyone has a full freezer of tuna and spent the day doing back-to-school shopping.

Tom, you ever trolled a straight grub with a hook in it? haven't tried that one.

J

sounds like you had a great time. but please don't mention school, it is a painful reminder that I have to stop fishing and start studying. - Slowmo

Good to hear you got some action Tom!   and it reads like the conditions were SWEET enough on their own.
Thx for the report!

glad you had a beautiful day and I agree with you about the mackerel on a light rod.  Sometimes I find it hard to stop collecting bait as it is so much fun.  Of course 6 mackerel on a sabiki is a bit dangerous...

   

I took my sabiki pole and my trout pole,along with my rock rod, so I put just a single hook, perch size, with squid and a small wieght on the trout rod and when the macs hit, it was off to the races.
 I caught a couple right at the end to bring home and kept them in the bait tube until I got near the beach and then cleaned them near surf line, put them in my bait bag that had a small ice block in it, got them home and in the frig within the hour and the next day I tried out Zeelander's mac recipe where you soak fillets in soy and sugar and wine (I used mirin) and fried them up after dusting with cornstarch, they were very good - certainly a little more fishy flavored than rockfish, but I liked it, and it has the good for you fish oils.

Way to FINISH OFF your report Tom!....I like the way you added the way it was pre-prep'd and then consumed.
That's how a report should be ENDED....when you catch&keep that is.