Salty dirtbag firsts for me

[Northern]

A friend invited me out to jig for lings (yesterday) and drop traps for the first day of spot shrimp today. We were out on his 23' Aluminum Chambered Boat, fishing around the San Juans, with overnight "camping" at his Crane Island treehouse, complete with fresh lingcod sandwiches for dinner.
A ton of fun!



And I got the prize for most unique bycatch

 

[Scott Salzer]

Nice catch on the sea cumber. Pentamerous symentary, they really aren’t worth getting the muscles. They also evicerate internals as a defense mechanism. And it doesn’t taste that good to me. Catch and release.

 

[Brute]

Awesome…I remember my first and only trip bottom fishing for rock fish and ling cod off the Farallon Islands nearly 30 years ago…they are one third head…and delicious .

 

[Dustin Chromers]

Bottom fishing is rad.

"You never know what you're gonna pull up."

Forest, Forrest Gump

 

[SurfnFish]

Awesome…I remember my first and only trip bottom fishing for rock fish and ling cod off the Farallon Islands nearly 30 years ago…they are one third head…and delicious .

and the tastiest part of them? their cheeks, the filet mignon of a ling...seriously

 

[Salmo_g]

Yum! Lings and prawns. You've got a good friend there Northern! With results like that, I don't even think about the dirt bag aspect of "how it's done." It's all about the good eats to me. I wouldn't hesitate a moment to go "dirty azz nymphing" for eats like that or for spring Chinook.

 

[Northern]

and the tastiest part of them? their cheeks, the filet mignon of a ling...seriously

We harvested them, but amother partipant who hadn't had ling before got those. I believe you, though - the same is true for walleye cheeks, and I've had plenty of those!

 

[Nick Clayton]

and the tastiest part of them? their cheeks, the filet mignon of a ling...seriously

I know so many people who love ling cheeks but personally I don't care for them too much. Just don't really dig the texture. Always seems a bit rubbery or something to me. Honestly not huge on Halibut cheeks either but do prefer them over ling.

As a deckhand I quickly learned to despise those who wanted their fish cheeked lol. I would never utter the word cheek on a trip, as many folks don't even know cheeks exist on those fish and I didn't want to encourage them. I never minded cheeking the big fish as it is at least worth the effort but man I hated being asked to cut 1/2 ounce cheek pieces out of 20 lb Halibut lol



And hey, @Northern , sounds like a really cool trip! Ling is my absolute favorite fish to eat. Even better fresh! I am trying to imagine this tree house camping....now that sounds right up my alley!

 

[Evan B]

Bottom fishing is one of my favorites, and a huge reason I have my ocean boat. I've made it out once so far this year... More to come

Never did do bottom fish in the Puget Sound when I lived up there other than one fly fishing ling trip around some marinas.

 

[SurfnFish]

I know so many people who love ling cheeks but personally I don't care for them too much. Just don't really dig the texture. Always seems a bit rubbery or something to me. Honestly not huge on Halibut cheeks either but do prefer them over ling.

As a deckhand I quickly learned to despise those who wanted their fish cheeked lol. I would never utter the word cheek on a trip, as many folks don't even know cheeks exist on those fish and I didn't want to encourage them. I never minded cheeking the big fish as it is at least worth the effort but man I hated being asked to cut 1/2 ounce cheek pieces out of 20 lb Halibut lol



And hey, @Northern , sounds like a really cool trip! Ling is my absolute favorite fish to eat. Even better fresh! I am trying to imagine this tree house camping....now that sounds right up my alley!

On Ling Cod Wednesdays (a cluster of ling loaded peaks 12 miles offshore that rose to 180' from a seabed of 320'), my deckhands would clean lings for tips on the hour run back to the harbor..for those who wanted the cheeks, they'd scoop them out with large spoons whose edges had been sharpened on a grinder.
I'd fish the bow bouncng chrome bars, hauling them in and distribute to those not catching their fair share..good times.