SWS 4/3/11: If at first you don't succeed.... (pics added)

I arrived at Stillwater at about 8:00 this morning, looking for a break in the swell. I didn't find it. It was however, significantly smaller than Saturday, and the vis looked better too, so I decided to gear up and paddle out to a new area. The weather was beautiful, with sun and little wind.  The swells were pretty large, but they were relatively spaced out, so I figured I could get around the point and work the other side of the cove. With good timing, I made it around the point with ease and was on my way.

I knew that the swell would produce a lot of surge, so I opted to find a deeper area. I tied off to some kelp and dropped a bag of rocks on a rope down to estimate the depth. I measured about 25', so I figured I'd be good to go.

First drop, I didn't see any really promising topography, just a few rocks jutting out of the sand. Undiscouraged, I began swimming around and found some nice pinnacles-- just what I was searching for.

Visibility was about 10 feet, good considering the swells. My first drop at the pinnacle I immediately started checking out the caves and crevices. I still had the cabezon and kelpy from the day before, so I told myself to only focus on lings and pass up everything else.

Right off the bat, I found several black and yellows and holed up blues, but stayed disciplined and kept searching. Finally I found a ling, but it was short, 4-5" I estimated.

I found another pinnacle and made a drop. I found a painted greenling which had some cool color patterns, and a good-sized abalone in a cave. Right next to the abalone I found a big monkeyface eel, but again I passed it up, also because I have enough eel already.

I worked my way to the back side of the pinnacle, as I knew that lings preferred caves that face away from the swell. I dropped down and exactly what I was searching for. A small, but most likely legal ling sitting beneath a ledge. I surfaced and breathed up, and began to relax after seeing the possibly legal ling.

I went straight down, and then slowly hovered over the bottom back to the crack, so as to not spook the ling. Once again I stopped and observed the orange colored ling, trying to decide to take a shot or not. Finally, after gauging it very carefully with the side of my gun to get an estimate, I lined up the shot. The shaft penetrated the eye and went out through the rib cage on the other side. The ling instantly exploded out of the cave, darting, twisting and spinning up the shaft. After jamming my hands on it's spines as it spun, I was able to get my legs around it upon surfacing.  I made my way back to my dive board soon after.

Here, a seal almost got my ling, as when I was removing my knife from the board, the shaft+ling had slid down to my fins, and I felt a bump.    and saw a harbor seal grabbing ahold of the ling along the gill area. Startled, I quickly reached down to punch it and scare it away. Those damn seals are so aggressive this time of year. Luckily it only ripped some of the gills out and the shaft was still secure. I'm just glad my legs were closed and offered no chance for the seal to take a cheap shot at me 

After that, I quickly put the ling on my game clip and measured it. My estimations under water had been correct and the ling taped out to 24.5", my first ever lingcod 

I thought about looking for another, but by then the sets were coming in pretty big, like large, rolling hills of water. I got back on and paddled in, happy to have shot my first ling. I was out by 11:30 or so.

The ling had blue meat and I baked it with some panko fish mix. It was really good, kind of like a combination of greenling and cabezon. A hint of softness in the texutre, though not mushy, but with wide flakes like a cab but not as firm. I suppose that makes sense, considering that lings are hexagrammids.

I was going to go check out Pacific Grove after, but I was too beat and have an essay to finish. Couldn't have had a better dive to finish off the first weekend of ling season!   

Right on Rick!!!   

Congrats on your first of many to come...   

WOOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

NICE job bro!!

Very, very happy for you!!!!
 
You got out there and your persistence paid off and you earned that fish...I'm sure it tasted all the better for the effort you put in to get it!!

Congrats again and I'm looking forward to seeing the pics!!
 
Sincerely,

Jim

Congrat on your first Ling of the season Rick.  Thanks for the report.

Way to go Rick! Your tenacity and focus is going to take you to some great places. Thanks for the report.

Way to go Rick.  I'm stoked for you with a hint of envy. When is your spring break.  We need to get some dives in that week.  I'm glad your persistence paid off.  Nice job buddy

Thanks, guys! I had my underwater camera with me on the trip, and I wish I had taken some footage, but I left it in the car because I didn't think the vis would be too good. I'll be sure to bring it next time.

Darrel, my spring break is next week, so I'm hoping I can get out diving some. A good possibility, but I'll have to wait and see.

sweet dude, lets hookup for sure

Nice write up Rick, great job on the dive

Beautiful fish Rick!!!!!!

 

Congrats again bro...super stoked for you.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Thats how its done! Very nice Rick so you finnaly shot the gun huh? Way to go bro!

Rick, way to stay disciplined as it totally paid off with your first linger!! Good thing is that ya now know where that big MFE is prowling, only good things will continue