The target grounds for this trip is the isolated and remote reef 20 miles to the north of Trinidad Head known as Reading Rock. Giants live here.
These grounds are well known for producing trophy caliber lingcod and rockfish.
Lingcod over 30 pounds are taken every year, with an average catch of 8-12 pounds.
Water depths here range from an average of 80 feet atop the high pinnacles to 180 to 220 along the reef margins.
Common catches include the lingcod, black rockfish, blue rockfish, tiger rockfish, yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish, vermillion rockfish, quillback rockfish, blue rockfish, yellowtail rockfish, rosy rockfish, kelp greenling, copper rockfish, bocaccio, pacific halibut, pacific sand-dab, chinook salmon, coho salmon.
In 2012, the state of California placed a Marine Protected Area over a portion of this reef in the name of conservation. This area covers about .25 square miles of the reef (about 1⁄4 of the total reef area) and 9.5 square miles of mud/ sand area. Read more about the Reading Rock State Marine Reserve.
