Coral St., Pacific Grove, 11/5/06

A little overcast and windy (east) at launch at high tide  at 7:30.  "Eugene" was already out there in his Prowler, as were several p b's.
I trolled beyond the kelp line looking for a ling, but got some big olives, a couple med. blues (as well as some dinks) and a smallish cabbie (sent back to grow).   The wind stopped and it was perfect out from 10 on until I had to leave at 11.  At one point, I lost the wieght on my dropper to the floating rapala and just dragged it around dodging the kelp and caught a couple of olives lurking somewhere in top water, or curious what the commotion was.  Looked like it was going to stay nice for a few more hours.  Better than most summer days out there today.  I think I was skiing last year at this time.
   For a while today, I used a piece of rebar as a wieght.  I remember someone posting that  they tried it and that they thought lings were hitting on the bar - well I saw proof - as I got the rig near the surface, there was a hitchhiker ling chewing his way through the rebar and ignoring my lure.  He gave up 3 ft from the surface and went back to his hole.  It makes sense, it was the bigger of the two moving objects. I guess next time I'll have to take one of ther trebles off of the lure and attach it to the rebar.

nice to meet you Tom!

just for the record, I have a Wilderness not a Prowler. 

I got to coral street early but with the wind tied up in the kelp along with a few PBs and two inflatabe rafts.  Got some dink blues one decent cab.  When the wind let up, went deeper where I met Tom.  Blues were thick you could see the schools rushing your bait.  Not the biggest but lots of them.  Had one hitchhiker ling probably a bit short but will never know as he let go when he saw my ugly mug.

later in the morning the sun was shining, water calm with great vis, hard to believe its November!

 Tom, you are making a real science of the ling trolling, it seems to have worked well for you this year!

J

E2G: The record will so reflect.  I didn't know that not all dark green yaks are Prowlers.   That was tough to leave early yesterday and watch you out there on that millpond in the sun.  One of those days where catching fish was the bonus. Let me know when you head out again.
   JMairey: One thing I've learned from trolling in rockfish areas is how many varieties are scattered throughout the various depths, or are willing to come up to explore the vibration of the lure.  Except for strictly sandy areas, I've seen them hit where I had no kelp within a couple hundred yards.  But mostly I do it because I like to move around.  Cheap lures are the key - Cabela's has another sale going on their Fisherman Series Walleye Runners - $2 apiece.  I think I'll work on making them a little more kelp proof with some kind of weed guard or single hooks. Science must progress!   

I just checked the cabelas site and couldn't find a sale on the walleye runners. Do you have a link? Thanks!


-Brian G

first pick 'bargain cave'

then type in 'walleye' into the search.

the main search does not check 'bargain cave', 

An article needs to be written: Secrets of Ling Trolling from a Kayak. I think the game FIsh Association should open a Rebar record classification and I know who'd have the first one. Geez. Rebar? Way to go. I guess it shouldn't be that surprising since rebar is sort of just like a rusty Diamond Jig. But still...I never would have even guessed.

And we thought Rockfish were pretty dumb. Oh well, we need to remember that fish are mostly just brainstems with a mouth, gills, and a tail.

the rebar was chosen as a weight, one that is bio-degradable actually. it was not intended as a lure as I recall when we were chatting about this a while back.

J

the rebar was chosen as a weight, one that is bio-degradable actually. it was not intended as a lure as I recall when we were chatting about this a while back.

Yes, I remember--that's what is so ironic. A biodegradeable Ling lure. Maybe that will help get the MPLAs opened up to kayak fishers. Naw, just kidding.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=&id=0042633119377a&navCount=1&podId=0042633&parentId=&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&catalogCode=1AG&rid=&parentType=&indexId=&hasJS=true


Geez, what a link!
    I got the 4 1/2" ones  - watch out, some are not $2 - The hooks don't bend with the big fish like some Rapalas I've used.
Cabela's also had these in some kind of combo pak in another part of their website.