Liveaction PRO
The rocky Oregon coast is wild with big water and big fish. The crags and caves that litter the bottom host giant lingcod. Anglers bounce big swimbaits and jigs, but Hobie pro Jeff Anderson (
www.youtube.com/c/ rawkfishpnw) targets the largest lingcod with live bait.
KAYAK I fish out of a Hobie Revolution 13. It is stable enough for open water fishing yet loose enough to roll with the waves. It performs great in the surf, so I can bust through waves on the way out and stay out of trouble on the way in.
PADDLE Holding my rod while power drifting over the structure keeps me covering bottom and I can still feel the lightest bite. I also constantly adjust the depth of my bait to stay just above the ledges, drops and pinnacles.
SEAT
I added a Crack of Dawn rod holder bag to the back of my Vantage seat to carry my fish-gripper and fish-bonker. When a lingcod is boat side, I can reach back, grab the bonker and dispatch the lingcod.
ROD HOLDERS I use a combination of Scotty Orca rod holders for power drifting and RAM Revolution tubes to store the rods on my Revo 13.
TACKLE/GEAR I primarily use Plano trays and heavy-duty Zip-Loc bags to store my tackle. The
52…KAYAK ANGLER
trays and bags fit anywhere. I can carry them in the livewell when it isn’t filled with water. Then stuff the bags and boxes under my seat or in the tankwell when I need the livewell.
GADGETS The key to catching a big lingcod is using a big bait. My live bait system starts with Hobie’s livewell. I added a timer to the switch so I can cycle the pump on seven seconds and off 21 seconds to save battery power. A balloon with a hole in the end stretched over the outlet keeps water from emptying when the pump is off. A metal screen on the inlet keeps vegetation from clogging the filter. I use a three-way switch so I can set the livewell to run on the timer or stay on.
ELECTRONICS I carry a SPOT satellite messenger on my PFD. Not only can people on shore track my location while I’m fishing, but if I get into an emergency situation, one button brings my friends, The second brings the cavalry.
PFD I look for a PFD with plenty of attachment points for accessories and pockets for electronics. The more stuff I carry on my PFD, the less stuff I have rattling around in the bottom of the kayak. Attaching pliers, snippers, my SPOT and VHF radio to my PFD keeps me from losing them in the surf. I also like reflective tape to increase my visibility in low light or fog.
BIG FISH LIKE BIG BAITS; RIG A LIVEWELL
TO TEMPT TROPHY LINGCOD. PHOTO: COURTESY JEFF ANDERSON
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