Tag Archives: Lingcod

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It's not often the Pacific Ocean looks like a lake, or as my friend Richard Lewis once said, "the ocean laid out flat like a lizard drinking." Last week saw several days of those conditions and lots of fishing boats were plying the waters.

Catherine Miller and Hal Ferguson look forward to days like this, as they fish from their kayaks. Here's Hal heading out for a fine day of fishing.

Hal Ferguson fishing from a kayak by Catherine Miller
Catherine photographed the calm waters that reflected the clouds above.
The Pacific Ocean was like a lake by Catherine Miller
And the results - lingcod, black rock cod, and kelp greenlings.
Fishing from a kayak by Catherine Miller

While out on the ocean, they saw a sunfish, a mola mola, as big as their kayaks! They also saw several whales, including a mother/calf Gray whale pair. All in all, an idyllic day on Lake Pacific.

Thanks to Catherine for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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This weekend brought calmer weather and abalone divers from near and far headed to the Mendonoma Coast. The swells were minimal but the visibility was not good. That didn't stop seekers of red treasure from finding their goal.

Here is a photo from a recent dive. Roger Rude and his dive buddy, Jack Likins, each got a ten+ inch abalone. Roger also speared a Lingcod.

Roger Rude with a ten+ inch Abalone and a Lingcod by Jack Likins (Large)

Rick and I took a walk on the Walk-on-Beach public access trail on The Sea Ranch yesterday, Saturday. We greeted two abalone divers headed back to their truck. They were tired but happy. We saw the trail they used to get down the bluff face. It is steep, very steep. I guess abalone divers must be part mountain goat!

Here is a photo of the iridescent interior of an Abalone shell, taken by Craig Tooley

Abalone shell by AUG Craig Tooley

Thanks to Jack for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To learn more about abalone diving, preparing abalone, and much more, here is a link to Eric Anderson's awesome website: http://www.abaloneten.com/home

To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

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Before I show you some of the interiors of Fort Ross, I wanted to show you that Salmon are running off the Mendocino Coast. Rick and I live in Anchor Bay. When the clouds lifted a little while ago, I saw fishing boats off of Fish Rocks. Yesterday Ken Bailey and Richard Lewis went out in a Zodiak and look what they caught:

A fifteen pound King Salmon and a seventeen pound Ling Cod - gifts from the sea.

Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photo with you here and thanks to Wendy Bailey for sending the photo and sighting in.

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The fishing fleet has been busy just north of the border of Sonoma County and Mendocino County. Rick and I can see many boats fishing for Salmon from our home in Anchor Bay. Yesterday Mel Smith purchased one for us from the pier at Point Arena Harbor. Yes, we had fresh salmon, caught in the pristine waters off the Coast, for dinner last night. The cost? $8.00 a pound. The fish Mel got for us was 13.5 pounds. Lots of salmon fillets are now in our freezer.

And today is the last day for Abalone diving. The season is closed for the month of July. The conditions today look ideal, as the Pacific Ocean is very calm. Recently Jack Likins and Ken Bailey went out. The result was this cache of big Abalones and a very nice Lingcod.

They shared these spoils at a birthday party for Ken's wife, Wendy Bailey. I can personally attest to the delicious fish tacos made with the Lingcod and the exquisite Abalone.

Thanks to Jack and Ken for allowing me to share this photo with you here.