Lingcod Hide and Seek

For the first time since October, the weather and my schedule and my knee allowed me to paddle out and explore some offshore reefs.

Started off at my favorite reef that has a beautiful crack down at 35/40 feet that often holds nice Lings, Cabs and Sheephead.

Use my GPS to find the spot and dropped my marker weight right on the crack, anchored up and jumped in...once in the water I could see that the current was so strong that it pushed the 75 foot float line all the way under the water.

Took my time exploring the crack from one end to the other, but nobody was home.

Decided to check out some of the cracks on the back side of the pinnacle and dropped down through a big school of small blues towards the bottom...

About halfway to the bottom there are some ledges and I see a nice looking Ling head poking out from one of them...surge and my momentum had me falling past the Ling but I thought I had a good shot and took it.

From watching the footage I can see the Ling flinched right before I pulled the trigger and the shaft went through her gill plate instead of the center of her head. 

She took off and tore off almost right away and headed into some nearby boulders.

Went up and breathed up and dropped back down...headed towards where she had gone and see her heading back towards the front of the pinnacle....I know from experience that the best crack in this area is the one my marker weight is right on top of so chances are good she headed there to hide.

Breath up and start looking in the crack again...finally see her at the very end of my breath hold in a small sandy pod where sheep often hide.

Go back up to breath and when I drop back down again she is gone and there is just a churned up cloud of sand where she had been. 

Curse myself for not taking the shot when I had it, and start methodically searching the crack again from one end to the other...

After 4 or 5 drops I see her waaaay in the back, so wiggle in as far as I can and shoot her right in one eye and out the other. 

Super stoked to finally get her on my stringer, beautiful bright blue fish just shy of 31 inches, and I take a few pics of her before I head to the next area.

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2560

By now the tide was dropping and the area I went to was suuuper surgy and I couldn't find any other Lings or cabs, but shot a mixed bag of rockies (blues, an olive, a kelpy and a bny) to make sure I had enough meat for the people I had already invited over for dinner.

One of the Blues was a nice sized 16 incher:

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catches/2561

By now I was getting tired and had plenty of meat so decided to call it a day and paddle back in...

Felt great to be paddling with the sun shining down, along my favorite stretch of coast, with some nice fish in the tankwell. 

Fileted the Ling and the bigger blue back at home, did the collars in the Nuwave oven served with a ponzu dipping sauce, the head in a foil packet with cilantro and garlic, some ling steaks with a sofrito over rice, and nuggets for fish tacos for the kids.

Always great to end an awesome day by sharing the catch with family and friends!!

Here are some pics, and a mini vid showing the Ling, a few of the rockies, and some filet action back at home:



 

Sincerely,

Jim

Jim - Love the video!  I miss fishing the salt and you got me really excited. 

Jim - Love the video!  I miss fishing the salt and you got me really excited.

Thanks Mel!

Here's a screenshot of free falling through a school of blues....the pic with them upside down is how they look when you dive past/through them...but I flipped it in the second one cuz I think it is easier for the eye to focus on them right side up...

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Nice! What was the temp?  What thickness of suit are you wearing?  I remember dropping in on MB and even with the 7mm on, that cold water still sneaks in.  You know it's coming, there's nothing to do about it, you know it's going to be cold, and then it happens.  Thank goodness it warms up.

I'm glad you were able to track down the Ling, it is such a bummer when a prey takes a hit and manages to disappear, just to die later without being harvested.

Always Luv ur write-ups
And videos!!!
ThanksJim!$!$!$!


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FISH - you better swim away and far because: BIGJIM is back

i like the music !!!  good choice

He's back

2:30 stop n get a drink lol.  Cool vid

Right on Jim, hitting that ling through the eyes? Awesome!

Thanks for the report, pictures, and video Jim.

Thanks for sharing and loved the video.
Cheers

Thanks for the kind words guys!

Already jonesing to get back in the water again!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Nice Mulligan on that fish bro 

That will teach em for playing hard to get 

Back in the old days when i spearfished, i had a pneumatic.  I secured my light to my speargun so I would just stick the tip into the holes instead of my hand.  It also freed up one of my hands.  Don't know if you can do that with your slinggun.  On a calm day like that it looks like so much fun, it makes me wonder if i can still fit in my wetsuit.