When the fish bit his bait, big Mike swung his rod upward hard enough to lift a baby grand piano, but that fish didn’t budge.

I think the fish got mad because a moment later Mike was pinned to the rail, hanging on for all he was worth and hollering, “I can’t stop this fish!”

His rod bent deep enough to look like it would break as it pulsed with the powerful surges of a very large fish. Not many fish can do that to Mike, who stands 6 foot 3 and is built solid. This one sure did.

My deckhand, Captain Tiffany, teased and encouraged him by saying, “No worries, Mike. When that fish pulls you over, we’ll grab your ankles. Just hang onto that rod!”  

Then to Mike’s fishing buddies she added, “We will grab him by the ankles and save him … right guys?”

There was just a general amused murmur of response to the effect of, “Sure, if he promises to pay for the fishing trip!” 

Mike wasn’t quite convinced and bellowed, “Captain, what the heck is this?”

I calmly replied, “It’s a ‘lingasaur’ the size of your leg and you’d better put down your purse and pull on that fish afore it reaches the rocky reef.”

Just then the monster lingcod made one more rod-stressing surge, and suddenly the line went dead-taught.

The fish made it to the reef, the line sawed off on the rocks and big Mike went sprawling backwards, flabbergasted.

“What could I have done differently?” Mike asked incredulously.

Now I know Mike and he’s an ace angler. He didn’t do anything wrong other than tangle with a prehistoric monster that kicked his hind end.

I just smiled and said, “Nothing. Next time, catch the fish.”

That convinced Mike that he had done the best he could, and he felt better.

Tiffany rigged him up again, baited his rig with a large lively sardine and he dropped down again, hoping for the best.
Our lingcod season is freshly underway and fishing is good when the weather cooperates. If you want to tie into some, give Santa Barbara Landing a call and get on a boat. They offer fun trips with great crews.

This is the only fish I name after a dinosaur, hence my nickname “lingasaur.” Lingcod are a well-managed species, as most are, without need of marine protected areas which shut out recreational anglers and result in negative socioeconomic impacts.

Lingcod are another species we’ve brought back to abundance with tried-and-true fisheries management practices including seasons, bag limits and minimum size restrictions. Just ask big Mike!