NyQuil stringer and ling pig left for Matt, Jim, or others

OK, it's a rainy night, so I'll risk being a little wordier and telling a story to pass the time. Some of you probably noticed ocean conditions up north (I click on Ft Bragg) were going to be REALLY good Thurs and Fri. I had an ironclad work obligation Thurs, which wasn't too fun as I woke up with a head cold moving to throat. But Thurs night, even though I was feeling hot and drained of energy, I packed up my diving gear, figuring by Friday morning I might be feeling peppier. Set the alarm early hoping to get ahead of people on the Richmond bridge.
Friday morning, when the alarm went off, I felt like my head was in a vise. Got up, took a double shot of Nyquil, couple vitamin C's, and gave myself another 1 1/2 hours of deep sleep. Felt somewhat better when I woke up and seeing how fired up my pup was, decided I could at least make Boonevillle for expresso. One step at a time right?
Deep frost everywhere approaching Booneville and I was wondering the wisdom of getting a dive in, but two expressos and great snacks had both my dog and I feeling pretty good and threw 2 sudafeds into the mix. Coast was it's own reward- WOW, been 18 months since I'd seen it so freakin calm, crazy with one storm just over and another on the way. Heading up the coast the glimpses down to water made me want to try at least a doze spots.
Decided to do what I love on the rare days like this, explore some new NW facing territories. Places I'd be getting hammered on a normal swell day. Skipper, my pup scrambled down like a crazy mountain goat- she always has to be the first one in the water.
I got in for the easiest beach entry in a long time. Here's the insane part, believe it or not, but it is still haunting (in a good way) my dreams. In the first five minutes, when I was just past the, "load the gun, get the mask adjusted right, tighten the weight belt" stage, in only 10 -12 feet of water, I saw what I thought was a young seal cruising a rocky channel. You know how sometimes a seal will sort of glide around you? And then I realized it was a fish. I literally didn't realize it was a ling at first. I'd never seen a ling that big and solid. My younger daughter shot a 22 lber about a year and half ago, so I know exactly what that looks like in the water. This was just a different sized fish altogether. The size of fish you figure only Matt Mattison or Big Jim are going to nail.Quick dive down with my 55 hole gun and tried to close. It was moving away and I took a not fully aimed shot. Couldn't tell whether I hit it, but it did jerk forward and disappear. (I only have two wraps of shooting line on that gun, so tip of spear is probably 6+ feet in front of gun). I might have just partially penetrated, or more likely just glanced off the rear body as it wasn't a broadside shot at all. Then it was gone!
Spend another 2 hours out in the water looking around that structure and all sorts of awesome but fairly barren structure further out. Put a few blacks in the bag, and near the end entered a tunnel and had a smaller ling approach head on resulting in an almost point blank head shot (don't you love those shots?) Got enough fish to call it quits and go back to my pup waiting patiently for me.
Best thing of all, by the time I got back to the Bay Area, feeling quite physically tired, my head cold seemed to have disappeared. Tired, happy, more healthy and thinking of that mutha of a ling.
Small request: If anyone pops a honkin' ling north of Albany this year and it has a hole or scar on its left side, probably nearer to tail, please post a photo. I'm expecting a better spearo than me to nail that thing. Good luck guys and gals! How's that for New Year's motivation?
(oh the last pic is just a nice ling skull near where we went in - size 12 foot for scale)

Way to power through the cold.

I lost a ling like that many years ago at Franklin Point.  Biggest lingcod I've ever seen under water - will never forget it.

Very nice thanks for sharing!

Way to power through! I bet the pressure felt great. jk.

Great story, seems the big ones come in close to shore to breed in the winter so it's a good time to getum diving or hook and line from the rocks!

I really didn't think tankers like that existed still, at least down here in CA. I know up in WA and Alaska they get some monsters. It would have made my year on the first dive of 2017. But now I definitely have to keep hunting! Good luck and safe diving to everyone. Be totally stoked if someone else nails it!

Great report buddy!!!

Stoked you got to see a Ling that big...go back next time its flat and you might see her again?!?!!!

Congrats on a great day and thanks for sharing!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I have left holes in plenty of big fish.  I have also recovered some on later dates so you have a chance of seeing it again. 

Nice work. Way to get out there and do it


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