Minor AOTY upgrade @ the Eastern Pacific - Beerless Goggles Video Added

Domenic and I had a blast today offshore south of the Cape.  True to form, even with a super flat and calm forecast it was pretty snotty and windy out there with a very fast drift and fog the whole time.  I ran big gear to avoid little fish and target big ones - there were schools of blacks that you could catch fish on all day.  Great grade of fish.  I caught and released 5 or 6 lings - the first being a 33.25" upgrade, 4 or 5 nice verms including a 20.5", and some big blacks.  My best fish were caught on MattS's 8 oz. red lead-head with a big green Berkley tail and a white fringe (thanks, Matt!   ).  I lost that jig and two other honkers (one 12 oz. and one other 8 oz.), and I snapped a brand new medium weight Okuma Baidarka in two just pulling on a snag that I ended up breaking off with my hand afterward!!!    I'm hoping there's some warranty on that puppy...  Domenic had about the same report as me with a 33" ling, verms, and a mess of blacks that could not resist his home-poured and painted 5 ounce fish jigs.  We were OTW for about 6 hours - much of that paddling back "up the hill" - and I was almost in a coma when we finally got the truck loaded and headed out of there.  Last night's insanity was fueled by a piece of very chocolately birthday cake that kept me up almost all night!    I don't do caffeine, and eating that cake was a mistake!  Anyway, I need to get more rest before a session like that...

The only pics I took were on-the-trough shots for AOTY, so hopefully Dom got some good ones to share.  I did get some video clips...

 

A report with no pictures from Abking?  It's hard to believe but we forgive you due to your birthday    Thanks for the report Eric and looking forward to see your video soon.

Too beat right now to see if my POS gopro camera even took a pic.

But it was an awsome day on the water. Four lings over 32 inches with in an hour and a half.

I will try to post a pic tomarrow.

  Happy 40 AbKing...

  It really starts too Hurt now.....   

WOW!  Really makes me miss Shelter Cove Great (non-pic) report!  That's exactly how I wanna spend my 40th!!!   

Happy Birthday Eric!   

Maybe you and Dom should come down and give us a visit sometime?  See what it's like to only catch one or two lings in 6 MONTHS!!!!    

33 inch ling & 20 inch red is ok day for you, nice...
Can even fish them here yet.  two more week...

I snapped a brand new medium weight Okuma Baidarka in two just pulling on a snag that I ended up breaking off with my hand afterward!!!     I'm hoping there's some warranty on that puppy...

I wanna to see that breaking Baidarka vids. that would be cool...
Don't worry, just call Okuma.  You don't even have to send the rod.  Just the serial # on the rod (you have to destroy the rod).  They'll send you new one with only the shipping fee (~$15).

I wanna to see that breaking Baidarka vids. that would be cool...
Don't worry, just call Okuma.  You don't even have to send the rod.  Just the serial # on the rod (you have to destroy the rod).  They'll send you new one with only the shipping fee (~$15).

Thanks for the info, Naoaki.  With all due respect, "shipping fee" my ass!      I bought it the day before at Pro Sport Center in Eureka, so I'm hoping they'll get me a new one with no questions, but whatever.   

...and it's too bad I didn't have the video running for the snappage.   

I've been working on a video, and I seem to have carried the jack-assery from the night before right on into my b-day.  I'll finish later after my son's birthday party at the "Bounce-O-Rama" at the Bayshore Mall in Eureka.   

Nice report. Happy birthday Eric.

I finaly got to the camera, so here are a couple of pics. I woke up and could hardly lift my right arm above my shoulder. Those lings were brutes! I didnt get any photos of the verms but the smallest I hooked was 16 in, nice fat fish. Tasty too.

Here is the crazy Old Man and a pic or two of a ling.

SuperHappyFunTime on the ole blue.

sounds like a great way to ring in the forties, i will be spending mine at the albion get together in july, hope that your day today is a sign of a great year to come for you, cameron

 Happy Birthday Abking, nice to see you did something enjoyable on your special day. I can't wait to get up that way this year to fish and dive that part o the ocean. Enjoy the heck out of your posts, keep up the good work

A,

Nice haul and Happy B-day. Turning 40 only hurts for a little while. I suggest Ibuprofen for the rest........

Congrats on the B-day fish and sorry to hear about the lack of caffeine in your life. But, I have confidence you are still young enough to learn to appreciate coffee......

Tight lines (on your rod and not around your eyes)

rob
jrsyboy

A video to match the insanity of my beerless goggles:



Enjoy, and beware of my semi-nasty comic vindictiveness.  My good buddy Ravensblack decided to thrown down a comment about my fish measuring "ssskillzz" in regard to AOTY entries, so he's an "honorary co-star" today!     All in good fun, My Man, and thanks for the reminder about the measurements.   

Happy Birthday Buddy,
They say your vision is the first thing to go when you turn 40,
NICE GLASSES
 

Thanks for the video Eric.  It makes me feel like I'm out there fishing with you in the blue