Lost Coast - 9/30/16 - Video added

The Lost Coast kicked out a special catch today.

I had family duties and chores to do early, so I didn't get over the hill at the Cape until nearly 2PM. I was biding my time, knowing that the forecast showed the potential for a mellow afternoon. Passed by some friends who were out at the usual spot, and I was tempted to join them as they reported a nice bite on the radio.

I had come for a specific trip though. I was there for the Trudge. I was ready to haul my X-Factor on Wheeleez, loaded with all my diving gear and fishing gear too. I'd do 1.5 miles on the sand to get to my remote launch - a place that I've been coming to for over 20 years.

I hauled down the beach enjoying a light breeze and warm temps, and before long I was ready to launch. Got on the water quickly and headed outside where I descended herring along kelp beds in 50 feet and less. Almost immediately I was on lingcod - caught 4 in a row just over the legal size and kept the first of those.

The water was pretty kicked up, but I was rock solid in my X-Factor. As I worked my way around the kelp bed with my herring offering hovering near the bottom I enjoyed the steady bite and figured I had a chance at a bigger fish, but I'd take what I could get - this was paradise already!

Paradise got even better. I was hooked up on a heavy one. Got the video rolling and figured I had a 15 pounder or so on, but then I got it topside and saw that it was a real PIG! Got it in the net and considered releasing it, but it was a fish to keep today - I wanted to fully document this catch more than a catch and release video can do. I'm glad I made that decision, because this lingcod turned out to be a personal best at 27 pounds and 41 inches.

On my way back up the road I stopped and shared my stoke with Rob and Matthew who had nice stringers from their day on the water. My day had amounted to a difficult trudge in the mid afternoon, catching seven lingcod in a row, hauling back out of there with about 30 pounds more than I'd brought, and riding the permagrin all the way home.

Still a month in the season - let's get on it. 

...

I have a quality opportunity any time of the year.

Thanks for sharing the beauty and grandeur of the Cape, Eric.

Nice PB Lingzilla, too!

Beast!!!

Congrats on the PB Lingzilla  Thanks for the great report and pictures Eric.

Awesome!  Thanks for sharing Eric.

WOW Eric - what a monster, glad you kept it - there's pleanty more where that one came from.

Epic!!! Bro your looking mean, lean, and like a catching machine!!! ConGats on the sublime!!!

Awesome fish looks like an amazing day on the water

Another great report.  Congrats on the ling.

Great trip! Congrats on the pb ling

Thanks for the kind replies, folks. 

Another part of the story:  With all my dive gear including weightbelt plus the weight of the X-Factor, my Wheeleez were taxed on the way down, so the way back with over 30 pounds of lingcod was a bear!  I was beat when I got back to my truck - such a good feeling.

After getting that nice ling and enjoying my yak time so much I didn't really feel like burning the last 45 minutes on a low-viz dive for an abalone, and any more weight on the Wheeleez wasn't going to work out!  After burning myself down on the return Trudge I was glad I hadn't dove.

Thanks for the kind replies, folks. 

Another part of the story:  With all my dive gear including weightbelt plus the weight of the X-Factor, my Wheeleez were taxed on the way down, so the way back with over 30 pounds of lingcod was a bear!  I was beat when I got back to my truck - such a good feeling.

After getting that nice ling and enjoying my yak time so much I didn't really feel like burning the last 45 minutes on a low-viz dive for an abalone, and any more weight on the Wheeleez wasn't going to work out!  After burning myself down on the return Trudge I was glad I hadn't dove.

Very nice video. Thanks for sharing

Lingzilla!