fort ross 9-11-09

got to the fort this morning to meet jack(kayakjack), it was alittle foggy but could see some blue as the sun came up, so thought it would burn off and would have a nice sunny day for once, the sun and blue kept playing hide and seek with the fog all morning, but there was no wind and the swell was small and well timed, and the drift was slow and at some points non exsistent. headed south making our way through the kelp which is starting to get bigger and further out in the last few weeks. started picking up a few gophers which went back when all of a sudden i get hit hard, set the hook and feel alot of weight and then two big head shakes and then total slack line. what ever it was bit me clean off. as i re-rig i loosen the drag and forget to reset before fishing again, after a few i get another big hit and go to set the hook and i feel weight then the rod keeps going back, no drag means no hook set, let out a few choice words and regathered and tightened the drag down and go on my way. bite goes off a little and then bam, a good hit but not great but its putting up a good fight, im thinking small ling but turns out to be 17 inch cabezon, and pretty small for its size, was going to release it but as i go to get the twin tail scampi out of its mouth i noticed that it has engulfed it so deep i cant get it, and its a bad bleeder, so apply the metal shampoo and cut the lure off. when i cleaned it when i got home it was half way to its stomach, knife actually hit the hook in the belly. met back up with jack who was heading back to the beach for a little nap after not getting much sleep last night and decided i would head out to deeper waters to look for some reds, found a good pinacle in 80fow and dropped down and got a good hit but missed it, was looking up into the fog for a low flying plane i could not see, so redropped and get another good hit and get a good hook set, it gives some good head shakes and pulls pretty good but is coming up pretty fast so not thinking its much, then about mid water column it takes a nose dive for the bottom. keep fighting for a few more then it comes to color, by the way clarity was really great today, and to make a long story longer, i ended up with my first legal ling, 26 3/4 inches. hooped and hollered into the fog and got it on the clip and sat there with a warm fuzzy feeling, called it a day and headed back to the beach to find jack taking a face down nap in the sand, so pulled up the yak and sat and watched the water and reflected on a great day, cameron

more pics

Thanks for the report and pics. Ohh What A Feeling! on that first one ehh? Good Job. jim

Yep Your neck of the woods...wanna trade???  Hell Yeah!!! way to go Cameron!!! isn't funny when they really realize there hooked and make a made dash for the bottom... heart pumper on your side...a little cussing helped...

And another incredible fog pic...love the color of that ling...my under lings had similar color up @ still...great post and pics  ConGRATS!!! u Deserved it bro!!!

PS Oh yeah! whats that saying "snooze u lose"  I'll bet Jack was cussing his little nap...

thx for an excellent post!!!

Congrats, Cameron.  Great pics and report.   

WTG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Killer pics and report!!

Thank you for sharing!

Sincerely,

Jim

it was just like cameron said. i spent the last two nights up at all hours comforting my 7yr old from her repeated nightmares. she pees the bed then wakes up sceaming SPIDERS!!!  i actually fell asleep twice in my yak before heading in. as soon as i hit the beach, i dropped face first in the sand for nap. i was awoken once by some kids poking me with a stick. i think they thought i was dead. back to sleep for another hour until i was awoken by some yakfisherman who didnt see me laying next to my yak. they were talking about my yak and practically jumped out of their skin when i rose up out of the sand. packed up my gophers and headed home. thanks to cameron for the ride back to the parking lot.

Great report, Cameron. Good nap story, Jack!

Great fishing and thanks for the pics and report.

OG Disclaimer--it's ramblin' time  
When I got my first legal lings I got two: one brown and one blue-green (11# and 13#). No taste difference but that green flesh is interesting. I have been led to understand it is due to their diet but I cannot figure why only Lingcod change flesh color so dramatically due to diet. I know Salmon get their orange flesh from Krill, but green where does that come from? And why don't other predators turn green as well then? Do only Lingcod eat enough baitfish that feast on maybe Phytoplankton (I have no idea) to turn green--seems unlikely. I would like to know the answer. But they sure still taste good.

it was just like cameron said. i spent the last two nights up at all hours comforting my 7yr old from her repeated nightmares. she pees the bed then wakes up sceaming SPIDERS!!!  i actually fell asleep twice in my yak before heading in. as soon as i hit the beach, i dropped face first in the sand for nap. i was awoken once by some kids poking me with a stick. i think they thought i was dead. back to sleep for another hour until i was awoken by some yakfisherman who didnt see me laying next to my yak. they were talking about my yak and practically jumped out of their skin when i rose up out of the sand. packed up my gophers and headed home. thanks to cameron for the ride back to the parking lot.

Man......good thing there wasn't a big tidal change or Cameron might have had a good "Look What I Found Floating & it was Snoring" story.    jim

Nice job on the cabbie and Ling Cameron!!! That is the perfect eating size ling and I don't know why but I like the green/blue ones the best. I think it has more to do with their environment and the appropriate camouflage than what they eat but who's to say? I know when I catch a ling from the bull kelp they tend to be dark brown like the surroundings but it could just be a coincidence.

Nice fish any way you slice em!


-Eliot

Congrats on the cab and to your first legal ling Cameron.

Jedmo

thanks guys, i do love the color of the ling, especially when you filet it and its still the same bright blue/green, cameron

Great report and beautiful fish I love the blue/green ones so much color.

Congrat on your first and second legal Lings!  Thanks for the report and pictures Cameron.