By Paul Lebowitz

When rockfish season opens, the hunters are free to go after the monsters that haunt their dreams.

Monsters? With their freakishly oversized heads, mouthfuls of savage teeth, crocodilian tails, vicious attitudes that embody naked aggression, and flesh that often has a sickly blue-green hue, calling big lingcod monstrous seems appropriate. It’s no wonder the largest specimens of these fish, anything 15 pounds or better, are colorfully called lingosaurs.  

Big lingcod are central and northern California’s kayak fishing big game bread and butter. SoCals, don’t tune out here. While the waters south of Pt. Conception can’t match the numbers produced up north, there are still respectable lings to be had. South of the border in northern Baja’s Pacific cool water zone, lings are again the kings of the reef.

I asked Sean White and Bill Pennington for some tips on kayak fishing for big, delicious lingcod (note to the squeamish, the strange color cast in the meat disappears when cooked. The flaky white filets are prime eating). White owns the Great White Kayak Company, the only fishing-centric kayak dealership north of the Bay Area. Pennington runs NorCalKayakAnglers.com, a lively internet community. Both men spend considerable water time hunting for Lingzilla.

What, I wanted to know, are the advantages of going after lingcod from a kayak?

“You can use lighter gear. The fight is more fun,” said White.

“My personal setup is a relatively small baitcasting reel spooled with spectra for sensitivity,” added Pennington. Lighter gear works fine in the shallower water usually fished by kayakers. What else?

“We can fish places private boaters avoid,” said Pennington. That would be around shallow reefs that might rip the bottom out of a powerboat (watch out for sneaker waves!) or remote spots far from a launch ramp or harbor. Can you say ‘pocket beach?’  

Where do White and Pennington focus their ling-finding efforts?

“I like to fish rocky pinnacles from 70 feet to the legal limit,” said White. The best ones are what he calls “random stealth pinnacles,” rocks that loom up out of deeper water but don’t quite make it to the surface. “Those that show themselves get fished more” said White, who relies on a fishfinder to locate the submerged rocks. Whenever he finds one, he marks it as a waypoint on his GPS so it will be easy to find next time.

Don’t overlook the shallows. “There are bigger lings in shallower water, where there isn’t a lot of pressure from boat anglers who don’t want to get that close. I’ve caught 10 to 15-pound lingcod in 15 to 20 feet of water early in the season,” said Pennington. Look shallow again towards the end of the season.

Now that we have a couple of places to start looking, what baits are best for enticing the big ones?

“I’ve slayed big lingcod on thin, Megabait-style jigs. It’s my go-to,” said White. He recommends 3.5 ounce models in black and silver.

HALF-MOON BAY HOME RUN – Brian Santini’s 28-pound lingcod smashed the competition to take the win at 2005's first annual NorCalKayakAnglers.com Half-Moon Bay Derby at California Canoe & Kayak. PHOTO COURTESY NCKA

MONSTER SLAYER – Sean White hoists proof of his ability to find big lingcod. His arsenal of tricks includes finding structure most anglers miss and moving around until his back and silver jig finds the fish. PHOTO COURTESY SEAN WHITE

GOTCHA – You might think twice before inviting a big lingcod to share your kayak. Go with the gaff, either through the lower jaw or at the gill opening. The rest of that bony head is too hard. PHOTO COURTESY STEPHEN BLACKWELL

Get the type that come rigged with a wide-gap Siwash hook, or change out the trebles yourself to reduce bottom-snagging. Tying these jigs onto braided line improves their action.

“Its all about the Spectra,” said White. Not only does the braid transmit vibration so he can feel every bump and tap on the bottom, the narrow diameter line cuts right through the water so his jig “sinks like a torpedo.” You probably don’t want to use straight braid; few people can pull hard enough from a kayak to break the tenacious stuff if it snags. White and Pennington both add a sacrificial length of monofilament leader onto the end of their lines.

Pennington is a plastics man. “I’m a big fan of soft plastics such as swimbaits and larger curly-tail grubs, 6 to 8 inches long. Big bait equals big fish. In a place with a lot of smaller fish, I might get some short bites, so I use tougher plastics,” said Pennington. Remember, avoiding smaller fish keeps your bait in the water, which increases the odds of hooking the monster you’re after. “If you don’t want to spend too much time catching 10 to 12 inch rockcod keep your bait near the bottom,” advised Pennington.

Iron or plastic, the technique is the same.

“Always bang it on the bottom. Then jig it about 10 times. Quick drop, slow lift,” said White.

“Actually hit the reef. I believe it stirs up the lingcod and gets them mad,” said Pennington. 

“They usually hit on the drop. If you don’t hook up in 2 or 3 minutes, move,” added White.

Snags are inevitable when you’re dropping your lure right onto the rocks. They can be minimized. Keeping the line vertical is the key. Letting it fall at an angle is “trolling for a snag. You’ll catch one,” said White.

Except for building your biceps, it’s better to pull on a big fish than the bottom. 

Kayakers are faced with two challenges when there’s a live one on the end. Keeping the fish out of the rocks, and how to get that thing safely aboard.

Once a lingcod hits, chances are it’ll head straight for its lair in the rocks. Quickly get your reel in gear and pull hard to turn it. If a hefty ling makes it to a hole it’s game over.  

After an initial run or two, most lingcod settle down. Don’t be complacent; the hardest part of the battle is the end game.

When a monster-sized lingcod or other big fish is beaten, when it’s floating quietly alongside your kayak just waiting to be landed, it’s gut-check time. Break out the gaff, ready your stringer or game clip, and limber up the fish billy.

According to White, the best place to stick the gaff is in the gill opening. Through the soft flesh of the lower jaw works too. The rest of that bony head is too hard.

“You’ve got a rodeo on your hands at that point. You’ll get the gator roll,” said White. Hang on and get it on the game clip.