The Cape - 6/20

Saw signs of potential epic conditions in yesterday's forecast, so I called Hawk for a Cape run.  He got to my place at 5AM and we headed over the hill with his trailer loaded with 2 X-Factor's.  It was certainly flat - as I see that everywhere in California was today!  But there was a breeze.  A forecast of NW winds 5-10 knots is pretty sweet, but sometimes that call's not even yakkable at the Cape.  I prefer "variable to 5 knots..."  We hit the water a bit after 6:00 and got out to the fishing grounds quickly.  I was fishing my new 6.5 oz. pretty silver and blue Megabait, and hoping to hook a big red with it (among other species) since the Mendo Crew had done well with Megabait's out there.  Got my 21" red within the first 15 minutes or so.  Hawk and I caught an assortment of blacks and blues, but the fishing was altogether not as hot as it can be out there.  I ended up with 17 blacks (kept 2 including a floater dink), 4 lings (kept a 31"er), 2 reds (kept the 21"er), an olive (literally murdered by a 12-14# hitchhiker ling that would not let go - I think it's teeth were stuck because I was putting my hand under its gill plate and trying to lift it before it finally did a death-spin while still biting down on the olive, which basically gutted the olive like putting a big spade bit in redwood or something), and a China which got released.  The highlight of the catching was the big ling I got in the first 30-45 minutes or so.  It fought pretty good, but I didn't know it was Lingzilla class until I saw it.  I had the net ready and slipped her right in.  She then went ballistic in the net which Hawk got some good photos of I hope.  Once she calmed down and I got my tackle out of her mouth and the net I grabbed her by the gill plate and got the tape measure out.  I got some decent shots of the 39"er, and hopefully Hawk got some stellar ones.  The whole time I laid her there between my legs she was calm.  Then I weighed her and let her go, and she didn't move at all until I put her in the water and pushed her away.  I think lings can smell pheromones like dogs can - she sensed no danger!  23.5 pounder!  Hawk ended up with a nice ling of his own and an assortment of fish taco material.  The whitecaps were present, but not much of a factor today.  Great time.  Thanks, Hawk, for letting me demo the X-Factor - I loved it!  I'm pooped.   

Great Report..  I need to plan a trip up there soon.  That shot of the ling on the scale is wicked.

John

Nice haul Eric! I'm really looking forward to catching a "Lingzilla". I felt shorted at "The Cape" with only a 28" fish. I hope to hit the salt soon with the improving forecasts.

yee-haw,  .  those blacks look he-uge. pretty funny that I just the fishing by the blacks!

J

Nice report and great lookin catch, i wish the coast out here looked like that.  jtf..

yee-haw,  .  those blacks look he-uge. pretty funny that I just the fishing by the blacks!

J

Actually I do, too and those are some bigguns!  I tend to judge a rockfishing spot by the avg size of the blues/blacks/olives or whatever is in that spot.  The bigger they are the less fishing pressure the spot gets (or so I think). 

That looks like a mighty unpressured spot you got there Eric! . . I can't wait to put some more pressure on it with you guys this summer.  Thanks for the report!

Nice haul.  Those big lings are awesome.  I need to get back up there sometime myself.

Eric Nice report and nice fish . I hope we can hookup while I'm up that way
Howard

Great report as always and way to release that big mama ling!

The lings love you.......got to meet the matriarch and take one of her army home to dinner....doesn't get much sweeter.........

We got into a spot of lings where eric brought up that Grandma and they started swarming in that one little spot dozens of ling of all sizes but none equal to the matriarch who is still down there only more wise now.

Damn...those are some big ass blacks!

Great report and pics!

Nice report and great pics.  I think it's great how you released that ling, but I noticed that in your last photo you guys caught a kid, too!!  You shoulda realeased that kid...man.  I hope F&G doesn't see that post cuz kid season doesn't open till November .

Yeah, little Collin was trying to blend in with the fishies I guess - lucky I didn't fillet him!   

That ling had more gold in her than any I've caught I'd say.  That and the big bite out of her tail are pretty distinctive - maybe one of us will catch her again some day. 

Don't bank on the color...it can change in minutes. She'll have her shark hickey for life though.