Decided to go to the Short Banks for some lingcod and possibly some rockfish and whitefish. Got to Larrys at about 7:30am and got a mix of some of the best cured sardines and anchovies. Got to the Short Banks at about 8:00. We metered around for about 30 minutes looking for some rocks and structure. We did not find too many good looking areas, in fact we did not fing any. We did see alot of BIG balls of bait all over the bank. Three years ago with this much bait on the bank there would have probably been large numbers of yellowtail. We finally found an area a rocky bottom. We set up and started to drift squid and sardines. About thirty minutes into the drift i hook up on a big sardine. After a 5 minute fight i bring a 10 pound pinback shark to color, oh well try again. Ten minutes later the other rod goes bendo and im on again. This time the fish felt bigger and took out quite a bit of drag during the ten minute fight. After ten minutes up comes a 15 pound pinback shark, i could have swore that shark fought just like a lingcod. We saw a fleet of about 3 or 4 party boats 1/4 of a mile inside of us and decided to check it out, it would turn out to be the right decision. :-) Stopped over a rocky area and instantly got bit. The first couple of times down was all small rockfish. Then i get a good hit on the strip of squid. I thought it might be a short lingcod because it fought all the way to the top unlike rockfish. I was quite surprised at what i had caught, it was a beutiful 2 pound female sheepshead, the first one i have caught in the bay in a long time, the last one i caught was at rocky point. Started to look for some stones on the meter and we found three in a row by a set of lobster buoys. I drop down and right away got a really good bite and set the hook, this ones definetley its a ling. After a nice fight i get it up and sink the gaff in it and its 24.5 inches, first legal of the day. Right after that one is gaffed, my other rod goes off and it is another legal ling, both of the lings were much fatter than the ones i caught at the farnsworth a couple weeks ago. By this time our cooler is looking very full. After those two lings i get some whitefish, rockfish, and a really nice chucklehead. Decide to head in at 11:30. On the way in the rocket launcher holder breaks so my dad stops to fix it in about 90 feet of water straight out in front of the marina, so say what the heck maybe ill pick up a halibut. Drop down and get hit right away, raked bait. Drop down again, another raked bait. By this time i am using 12 ounces of weight on my 15 pound test newell/seeker combo. 20 minutes later i lood over to see my rod bent over double. I quickly grab it and it feel like a big sand shark. This was a good fight, and then it shakes his head, so im thinking halibut. I bring it up to color and it is about an eight pound halibut that my dad sticks the gaff into. We head in to larrys and it weighs in at 8.3 pounds, which put me in second place in the monthly halibut jackpot which i cleverly entered when we got our bait. In my book that is agood day, lings topped off by a nice halibut. I got so many fillets that day i had to give alot to my neighbors, they love fish.



I want to thank my dad,Ray for putting me on the fish once again.


tight lines and good fishing everybody


Derek