I finally got out on the ocean for some rod and reel fishing. We headed north for about an hour out of Ft Bragg to try to pick up some king salmon. This is the first salmon fishing we have been able to do in almost three years due to closers. We trolled for about 5 hours with only one short strike.
Finally with morale low we headed inland to probably to the most remote coast in California. The Lost Coast is ruggedly beautiful. There are no buildings or power poles. Its like going back in time.
We metered a nice little rock pile in about 100 ft of water and dropped our baits down. I was using 2 different outfits. The light outfit is a custom wrapped Fenwick fiberglass blank rigged with an Accurized Penn 500 spooled with 20lb test. I was fishing a 5" swim bait, like a fishtrap, on a 1.5 oz head. I hit the bottom reeled up a crank and gave it a couple of slow jigs. BAMM! It was on. It had been a long day with no fish. Moments later the first fish was on the boat.
We pulled a few more quaility fish then headed down to my buddies secret toad hole. This spot was like some type of big fish vortex. Nothing showed on the fish finder put we pulled fat fish after fat fish off this tiny little spot. We would circle above then make a quick drift over it reel in a few and then do it again. We stacked the fish box with meat throwing back fish that would normally have been proud catches. I finally grabbed my heavy stick. A graphite Shikari blank with an Accurate Boss 870. This is an amazing 50lb outfit that weighs onces and is super stiff to drive the hook home and wrench what ever is on the other end out of the rocks. I dropped down a 9" fishtrap on a 4oz head. I was surprized how quick I was hit. I knew it had to be a nice fish but it was a little out gunned. A minute later the fish was gaffed and on deck.
Its not a huge ling cod but it made me happy.
When we hit our limit we started back home. Some friends in another boat had radioed us and told us they had some luck crabbing. They left their traps for us to collect. We swung by were they had left them and haled them up to find them jam packed with legal Dungeness Crab. Pulling 3 limits of Dungies form 2 traps is unheard of around here.
It was a great day out on the water. I saw whales and dolphins. I saw beautiful water falls cascading into the ocean.
And I came home with piles of fish.
Thanks all for your fishing stories and photos
Matt
Finally with morale low we headed inland to probably to the most remote coast in California. The Lost Coast is ruggedly beautiful. There are no buildings or power poles. Its like going back in time.
We metered a nice little rock pile in about 100 ft of water and dropped our baits down. I was using 2 different outfits. The light outfit is a custom wrapped Fenwick fiberglass blank rigged with an Accurized Penn 500 spooled with 20lb test. I was fishing a 5" swim bait, like a fishtrap, on a 1.5 oz head. I hit the bottom reeled up a crank and gave it a couple of slow jigs. BAMM! It was on. It had been a long day with no fish. Moments later the first fish was on the boat.
We pulled a few more quaility fish then headed down to my buddies secret toad hole. This spot was like some type of big fish vortex. Nothing showed on the fish finder put we pulled fat fish after fat fish off this tiny little spot. We would circle above then make a quick drift over it reel in a few and then do it again. We stacked the fish box with meat throwing back fish that would normally have been proud catches. I finally grabbed my heavy stick. A graphite Shikari blank with an Accurate Boss 870. This is an amazing 50lb outfit that weighs onces and is super stiff to drive the hook home and wrench what ever is on the other end out of the rocks. I dropped down a 9" fishtrap on a 4oz head. I was surprized how quick I was hit. I knew it had to be a nice fish but it was a little out gunned. A minute later the fish was gaffed and on deck.
Its not a huge ling cod but it made me happy.
When we hit our limit we started back home. Some friends in another boat had radioed us and told us they had some luck crabbing. They left their traps for us to collect. We swung by were they had left them and haled them up to find them jam packed with legal Dungeness Crab. Pulling 3 limits of Dungies form 2 traps is unheard of around here.
It was a great day out on the water. I saw whales and dolphins. I saw beautiful water falls cascading into the ocean.
And I came home with piles of fish.
Thanks all for your fishing stories and photos
Matt
