Big Sculpin on SATURDAY

[TomTurtle]

I took my buddy out to LJ saturday morning. It was his first kayak fishing venture. I made a couple pieces of bait at the peir and we trolled them out to the grounds at about 7:30. I found a nice fishy spot at the kelp with bait popping and barracuda chasing them half way out of the water. There was no one around for 200 yards or so.
I had a candy bar mac carolina rigged at the bottom and get a good zing on my clicker, I set the hook and know that i have a bottom dweller on its way up. I thought a small ling but little fight to offer on 20lb test. It gets to color and its the biggest sculpin i have ever seen!
I flop it on the deck and pin it with my paddle. My buddy says "What the F*&^ was that?"... I said, "I think its a Sculpin!".... Long story short... A two pound nine ounce sculpin!
Not only a personal best but the biggest of that species I've ever seen in many years of fishing. I came home and checked the DFG records to find that the state record is three pounds. I felt very fortunate to catch such a nice model of this fish.
Tasty tacos and tight lnes. No yellows or whites but a extremely happy and well fed kayak angler at the end of the day.
I took pics old school and will post a late picture report when the film is developed. It measureed 15 1/2 inches! WOW!
Anyone with relative info on this species pertaining to size and weight is welcome to leave their input!
SHOOTS MAHALO! 8)

[dgax65]

Good job on the sculpin. I've never seen on anywhere close to that size. You could actually get more than one taco out of that one.

[lamb]

that is a big sculpin.

No info on sculpin, but the DFG has that neat "How Old Is My Catch" reference that lists an average length to weight ratio for some other common species in our waters...

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/howold.pdf

[TomTurtle]

I forgot to mention that it also puked up a whole squid that was about 10 inches long. I am surprized with a belly that full he went after my mac.

[nmbrinkman]

Did you use the squid?

[TomTurtle]

No. i was a little nervous about clipping the spines and all on the water so I just dropped him into my front hatch. I checked on him about a hour later (he was still alive) and noticed he had puked up what I thought were entrails. I didn't realize it was a squid until I got to shore. Bummer too because I had given my last mac to my buddy and every bait we had got hit within minutes of being on the bottom.

[hantipala]

Originally Posted by TomTurtle

I took my buddy out to LJ saturday morning. It was his first kayak fishing venture. I made a couple pieces of bait at the peir and we trolled them out to the grounds at about 7:30. I found a nice fishy spot at the kelp with bait popping and barracuda chasing them half way out of the water. There was no one around for 200 yards or so.
I had a candy bar mac carolina rigged at the bottom and get a good zing on my clicker, I set the hook and know that i have a bottom dweller on its way up. I thought a small ling but little fight to offer on 20lb test. It gets to color and its the biggest sculpin i have ever seen!
I flop it on the deck and pin it with my paddle. My buddy says "What the F*&^ was that?"... I said, "I think its a Sculpin!".... Long story short... A two pound nine ounce sculpin!
Not only a personal best but the biggest of that species I've ever seen in many years of fishing. I came home and checked the DFG records to find that the state record is three pounds. I felt very fortunate to catch such a nice model of this fish.
Tasty tacos and tight lnes. No yellows or whites but a extremely happy and well fed kayak angler at the end of the day.
I took pics old school and will post a late picture report when the film is developed. It measureed 15 1/2 inches! WOW!
Anyone with relative info on this species pertaining to size and weight is welcome to leave their input!
SHOOTS MAHALO! 8)

"SHOOTS MAHALO" Dat is one kanaka quote for shua. You from Hawaii? if so what island?