It's All About The Ling - (Videos Added)

I woke up at 4:00 AM and started to get ready. My brother was supposed to meet me at my place by 5:00 AM so we could head out and make our trek to Half Moon Bay. This would be our first adventure in big blue for a much anticipated 2009 rockfish season. Of course Gabe was a 1/2 hour late. I knew I should have told him 4:30 AM  

Well we got to the harbor around 7:00 and looked around a bit and got some squid to tip the jigs if needed. We saw Mooch driving around in the man van checking things out. Unfortunately he didn't see us waving at him and probably headed to work. We drove out the harbor towards the green pier to launch from there. Mr. Magoo was there to give us some tips and point the way. Big thanks to you sir for helping us rookies out.

Gabe and I paddled right out of the harbor and hugged the jetty. I saw waves breaking over the reef and was wondering how we would ever make our way out past the point towards mavericks. We saw an opening and paddled hard. We fished the point in about 30' of water and Gabe hooks up with a 13" Gopher right away. We were siked and it was a great start. I tried my luck with a rootbear twin tail scampi and had to fish on briefly. They came unbuttoned and I told myself I ate that banana in the car, that shouldn't count. We paddled out to about 80' of water and met fishinmike. I was marking a bunch of fish, so we dropped our jigs without any love. Gabe and I then paddled back towards the point to fish in shallower water. We decide to both tie on white twin tail scampis and I hook up almost immediately. I was a little timid to pull up and reel in because I thought I was snagged on kelp again, nope, not snagged LING...BABY!!! This thing felt heavy and peeled line a few times. I fumbled with the net a few times but it was hooked good so I brought it home. I could have done a jig right there on the kayak if I wasn't afraid of falling in. First trip out and first fish for me was a 28 1/2" Ling. Could this be real, someone pinch me. I key up the radio to let all that would listen that I had just brought in a ling. Mr. Magoo comes back with a good job and I thank him once again. We paddled around some more without any luck and the swells were getting bigger. We decided to head in around 11:30 as I had to get home to take my boy to his 5:30 PM baseball game. I got a little queasy out there which did not make me happy. I didn't think this would happen to me. It won't keep me from coming back.

A bunch of lessons learned today, so I couldn't ask for a better start to my madness and ongoing addiction.

Ray

Sorry for the late addition of the videos but my intent was to edit them. I did not get a chance to edit them as I have been too busy, but thought I would post the raw footage anyway. Thanks to my brother Gabe for capturing this moment for me.

Yep, nice! 

WTG, Raydog!     Great report.

1st Trip Ling?!! Thats awesome Ray. White scampi is my favorite lure for lings--good choice!

way to go ray, thats the way to start your time on big blue, cameron

nice way to go on the Ling

Congrats on your first ling of the season.Well done.

nice ling dude.. hey i seen ur truck around town (Monterey) u fish this way much??

WTG Raydog. Congrats on the ling!

nice ling dude.. hey i seen ur truck around town (Monterey) u fish this way much??

It must be another truck that looks like mine, although I thought I had a pretty unique kayak rack since I made it from scrap unistrut. I live in the east bay but would love to live around Monterey and have the ability to fish that area. I hope to get out there sometime this summer.

Thanks for the kind words,
Ray

Way to go Ray!  Great way to start your addiction....with a nice ling for your first catch!

Sorry for the Ling for you are now caught up in something there is no way out of!  Way to Go!

Solid report and WTG on the Ling...it's a rushhhh and an addiction there might be a class for "LA" ling anonymous???

Thanks again for your report and pics... I was hoping for pics of the "jig" on your yak...

Nice Ling, thanks for the post!

Nice fish Ray!!!!
Congrats!!!
Santiago.