where can you catch rockfish/ lingcod fron the shore?

I have heard that they can be caught from the shore somewhere in point reyes, please help me out. I am thinking about getting a kayak, but i dont have enough money for all the gear yet.

Not sure where you live but both rockfish and lings can be caught pretty much anywhere along the coast, usually in rocky/kelpy areas...no need to go all the way to Point Reyes (although it is a beautiful place).

Rockfish, cabezon, and greenlings will most likely be what you end up hooking into but it's not that much of a stretch to think that you could hook into a legal ling.

I spent quite a bit of time fishing from shore along the San Mateo Coast and although I'm certainly not the most experienced fisherman here I can give you some pointers if you'd like.  A better place to ask this question though might be http://www.pierfishing.com/msgboard you'll usually get a lot of help from some of the guys there as long as you can stand digging through the cat fights and whining of some of the others.

When shore fishing be prepared to lose a lot of terminal tackle.

Another option is to wait for a minus tide and go poke poling...  I've caught rockfish, eels, and crabs that way, and you lose no gear. 

-10 foot rod (either spinning or casting, whichever you prefer and can cast more accurately)
-20-40lb test line or some good braid. I use 50lb Spiderwire Stealth
-3/0 to 6/0 octopus hooks
-2oz to 4oz sinkers (preferrably torpedo sinkers because they cast farther, sink faster, and snag less)
-frozen squid or anchovies/sardines/herring/smelt/macs or octopus OR artificials if you're feelin froggy
-find some rocky structure and cast right into it

There are plenty of great places to fish for rockfish from shore, from Baja to the Oregon border. You're generally better off finding your own secret spots because the popular spots tend to get overfished. You will lose a lot of gear. You will get frustrated. You will get skunked.
But, hey, you're at the beach! And when you do catch a fish, it will be very rewarding! I've caught everything from state record grass rockfish to 35 inch lings to halibut from the rocks. So I know they're out there. Now go get em!

Good luck, and Welcome!
PK

I've only ever caught 2 lings from shore - both times just fishing as Sin_Coast describes above for rockfish.  I know a lot of people catch them in the jetties - either by poke-poling or not.  If you're in the Pt Reyes area you might try heading to Bodega Bay and fish the North Jetty (the one that's hard to get to - not the Doran Park side).   I've read reports of lings there and seen some giant ling heads on the rocks . .never got one myself.

Good luck!

I've had decent luck at the Bodega jetty at sun set during the spring for lings.  Right now you can get small rockfish (mostly blacks) right after sunset.  The jetty itself is a bit of an obstacle course and fishing after dark makes it even more interesting.

I've heard fishing with circle hooks cuts down on lost rigs. Wait til they hook themselves.

A guy on Coastside reported he was getting some off the rocks at Bean Hollow.  Mainly, blues and blacks.

Ken kickfish

i got a keeper ling last year fishing in the harbor of chrissy fields, it was an accedent but ill take it, i was using an ice fishing pole catching shiners in 2 feet of water for the next days fishing trip when i casted towards a rock my buddy yells at me that the rock ate my bait!!! i set the hook and fought the "rock" for about 5 min. after a while i got her close enough to grab her, anice 23 inch ling what a fluke!!!


and on sunday went to fish with some of my buddies in the city off the piers slow action so me and one other went to the pier off the end of vannese st in the city to catch some perch. using a 1 ounce wait and 2 size 10 hooks baited with a piece of white shrimp casted towards some kelp only to realize it was only about 2 or3 feet deep i let it sit any way then 5 min latter my rod gets SMACKED HARD then nothing i figured he had taken my bait thinking i still have another piece i let it sit, 5 min later i decide to check my bait, when i lifted the rod i felt a head shake so i set the hook and ended up catching a 3 pound rock cod   both by pure luck fun times!!!!