More NCKA in Humboldt - 5/25 - 5/27 - approaching XXX rating...

ya know the ol saying   "once you've GONE MAD?, you'll never go ?" 
HOWdidTHATgoAGAIN? 

bait? depth?

Bait = 6.5 oz. Megabait in Dorado colors with a big single hook tipped with squid.  I've only used Megabait for a year and I find them very effective - thank you to the Mendo Crew for introducing me to those purty little irons.   

Depth = around 40' - I don't use one of them cheater-screen gizmos.      FYI:  a powerboater a few miles north of us caught a 134# Pacific Halibut jigging for lingcod with a 4 oz. leadhead in 80' of water!     Supposedly woulda been a state record if they'd gone through the proper channels.  I'm seriously thinking that's what I had on at Shelter Cove for the Thrill Ride on 3/31 because a 20 pound lingcod didn't fight anywhere near as strong and heavy as that thing did.   

Dude, you either have way too much time on your hands or are so inflicted with "the madness" there is no turning back!

Too much time, no.  Madness, Yep!   

The•Madness¹ [Da madunesss]
noun

1. Kayak fishing to the point of obsession. A person so wrapped up in kayak fishing that his/her life is run by it. Filming every trip and editing with funky 80's music is a tell-tale symptom. The madness had infected him so badly he forgot to sharpen his knife and filleted his finger.

2. See AbKing.

I knew I was in deep when these two things started happening with regularity:  1)  when people referred to pictures in a post according to an Abking standard; and 2)  when swearing at or posing with a fish could be synonymous with my name.   

you have gotten me all pre-fluided out, I got to go clean-up!    

 

What is the key to that grandeur?

The only grandeur I want is to be known as someone who highly values the resources and the relationships.  Caring and Sharing, like Frankfishing said.   

DAMN LingKing!!! (possible namechange from Abking?)

It's been suggested before...     The thing is, "Abking" doesn't have that much to do with abalone, and certainly nothing to do with being any kind of king.  It's a spiritual trip that has to do with my M.O. and not so much my harvest.

I'm lucky to be part of such a cool community.   

I'm lucky to be part of such a cool community.  

**GROUP HUGGING**        

OMG

 

My wife just looked over my shoulder at the video and said WOW!......Great video, thanks for sharing.

-Eric

Erik -

As always, your videos are AWESOME!!!!!! Congrats on the nice fish. However, you almost made "hella asian" status for remembering to "save the cheeks" but get a knife sharpener and use it frequently.  Watching you fillet was like "Shelter Cove Chainsaw Masacre". 

Scott

AbKing...

 You are the Master....

 Making up These Kool Videos for us to live precariously thru You while were stuck at our Jobs,

 Busy with the Kids and Good fishing Grounds Too far away....

 Keep it Coming and Hope to pay you a Visit on The Lost Coast soon.......

Thanks, all.   

Erik -

As always, your videos are AWESOME!!!!!! Congrats on the nice fish. However, you almost made "hella asian" status for remembering to "save the cheeks" but get a knife sharpener and use it frequently.  Watching you fillet was like "Shelter Cove Chainsaw Masacre". 

Scott

LOL at the Chainsaw Masacre!     After splicing together a few dozen little clips of myself sawing I established a firm goal of making another fileting video with the ultra-sharp set of knives!  Thanks also for the almost-hella-asian nod  - I was feeling hella wasteful not really knowing how to get the meat from the collar area - there must have been a pound of meat there.  If anyone can bring that skill up here and show it to me I'll be stoked.   

Hell of a ling, Eric!   Man, that would be something to see Orcas.

Big lings. With Eurythmics yet.

um.......I'm speechless.

Love it.

..........Watching you fillet was like "Shelter Cove Chainsaw Massacre". 

Scott

           
And a DULL chainsaw at that!     Got the job done, but I was wantin' to see finger a check to be certain one hadn't been "lost" in the fray

Awesome Ling, cant wait to rip into one of those here in Monterey County Coastline!!!

This is a late addition to the Humboldt report, sorry to be so late but I just got back to my computer today after spending last week on vacation. I spent a week in Arcata, managed to get out for 3 days of fishing. The first was at Trinidad with Ben (beenfishin), I believe he has reported on it elsewhere. We had glassy but also foggy conditions, fishing was alittle slow at least for me, I got one medium sized black and a small ling, but Ben had the hot hand. Every time I looked up he was reeling in another big black, and the biggest was a real monster. Anyway, it was great to meet Ben and apart from the fishing i saw the biggest sea lion I've ever seen. He was eyeing us suspiciously and took at least an 8' high dive off of the rocks while I was watching.
The next day was with eric (abking) as he has reported above. The water was a little rough, and a heavy fog was sort of coming and going throughout the morning, so I was glad to be with someone who knows the area. I think I might have had a hard time finding my way back through the rocks to the beach on my own. The fishing was fine though. I caught my first legal ling (which was also the biggest fish of any kind I've ever caught) and my first vermillion rock fish, also a nice size. I'm afraid I didn't get any pictures while on the water, but I do have pictures of the fish taken after we landed. Judging from what I know of the size of my truck's tail gate the ling was probably an inch or two more than 3'. Anyway, this was a fantastic day. Eric it was great to finally meet you after reading your reports.
The third day was fishing for halibut in Arcata bay. No luck on the halibut, the only catch was a bullhead that was exactly the same size as the frozen anchovie bait I was using. I have no idea how such a little fish would get hooked on a bait like that. My girlfriend came with me for this, she wanted to try out a mini-x and Hawk (swellrider) obliged us. She really enjoyed the responsiveness of the small boat. I think I'll have to get one for her eventually.
The rest of the week was spent hiking in the Arcata community forest and checking out the kinetic sculpture race (which is a pretty interesting event if you've never seen it before) and generally taking it easy. A pretty fine week overall.
Thanks again to all the Humboldt area NCKAers for all the hospitality, and I'll see you again next time I get up there.

FAN-FREEKING-TASTIC!  I need to head up north sometime, but have never been up there before.  What a beautiful dayABKing, you really know how to document the entire day. 

Take me under your wing, oh picture video king!  Think I need to make some mount for my camera to do the fishing vids!  Love the filleting video too!  I'll try and put together the video's I have of SinCoasts knife skills from the opener in carmel, like I promised weeks ago (sorry sc!).