virg's landing - 5/22/2015

Friday,  5:30 pm - driving home right now,  actually Joey is driving and I'm vegging. Privilges of rank. Quick report,  lots of big reds and medium sized lings, fished 230 feet just south of Cambria. We fished on the Fiesta out of Virg's Landing on Morro Bay. Joey and Adam drove down with me.  David, Wayne,  Bryan,  Mike, Matt, and Scott drove in from the bay area.  Craig and Jonathan drove in from Fresno.  Jason came in from LA.

We started out last night with dinner in Cayucos.  It was college frat food, frozen lasagne and chicken enchiladas,  iceberg lettuce and garlic bread.  Glenn and Ellen Fukumoto from Morro Bay Landing joined us for dinner. We ended the evening with a little rum we found in the freezer. This was when Mike got the nickname "College Mike."

All of the cell phone alarms went off at 5am, we signed in at the office at 6am, boarded the Fiesta at 7am and ran 15 miles north to an area just south of Cambria. Several of us used shrimp flies with whole squid, the reel of the guys used jigs. Everybody caught plenty.  I bagged 3 nice lings and 9 vermillion.  Adam stuck 6 big rockfish and two keeper lings on bait. Joey hooked into 5 vermilions and a nice sized brown. Most of the other guys had limits or near limits.  Oh, and I got the jackpot fish again....... ;D

Many thanks to our skipper Charlie, deckhands Sean and Matt, and the staff at Virg's Landing.


full report - my parents have had this tiny little house in cayucos for a long time.  one of the best investments they've ever made. 



you'd think that a simple trip like this would not require much gear.  oh, no, not this group.



it was pretty funny listening to bryan, adam and joey.  this was definitely old school (me and squid) versus new school (jigs).



looks at these guys.  it's insane!!!!!



more to the problem at hand.  how to feed a dozen hungry fishermen?  lasagna casserole!!!!!



still way too much nervous energy!



finally settling down to dinner -craig, mike, adam and joey.  we had enough food for 30. 



leave it to wayne to bring a reel to work on!



glenn and ellen fukukoto from morro bay landing brought us squid, apple pie and ice cream!



ok, dinner's over.  on to more serious stuff!  jigs and alcohol, in that order.



the alarms all went off at 5am.  we signed up at virg's landing's office, then drove down to the boat.  we loaded up and 7am. 



a quick tour of the boat!





morro rock!



dave klein, getting ready!



adam and joey.



leaving the harbor.





wayne with a nice verimillion.



me, too!



matt with his "almost" jackpot ling.  it was early in the morning, so his fish have a chance to dehydrate in the gunny sack all morning.  this would likely cost him the jackpot!



deckhand sean and craig hasegawa, with one of the dozens of lings he would hook into today.



a little down with matt and scotty.  it was flat calm today!



scotty's first ling!



bryan scores!

bryan on a ling cod!





matt gets a little one!



jimmy (in blue) was my buddy on the rail today.  he was not part of this group, but we still had a great time.  our skipper, charlie, is holding one of the many fish with jim and i caught on whole squid. 



this was a nice one!



wayne scores another one!



another one of bryan's lings.



jason danchise!



me and the skipper!



ah, yes, and about that jackpot.  matt juanes had a really nice ling the he caught early in the morning.  it beat everyone.  well almost everyone. 



thanks again to the skipper and crew of the fiesta for a great trip!

Looks like good times. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us Alan.

awesome outing alan! bummed I missed out...

way to go on the jackpot!

Awesome post! Did you catch any lings with shrimp flies or only jigs can get them? I talked to a few buddies about your story and they all compliant thats too far. Thanks for sharing.

Nice Alan. I fished Virg's for years when they ran trips out of San Simeon back in the 90's. I still fish them once a year when I go to Cambria for an annual college reunion. Throw swim baits off the bow and kill the lings. I don't enter the jackpot though, it would be taking candy from babies.