big lings

S

starcrafttom

Active member
IMAG0558.sized.jpg

This is the largest Ling I have ever hooked out side of Kodiak Alaska. ( guide trip)

I have just learned to caught live sole for bait and rig them for Lingcod fishing. Susan and I got this 45 incher, and a 41, Both had to be released. We also had 4 keepers in two days. All around 29 inchs. I had a least 10 hits that hung on half way to the boat and them let go. All in one spot in the San Juans. Live bait is the way to go.[/img]
 
Nice job Tom. keep it up and Jim will be bringing his tour boat around looking for your fish :lol: Hope you had a nice weekend, sure sounds like it. Coming across the Strait today would have been a bust. (15 - 25 mph winds with gusts above) would not be fun.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
How about a lesson on how you rig the bait? We have only used plastic tailed jigs for ling. Looks like we need to upgrade our bag of tricks. Congratulations on some fine fishing skills. Roger and Cheryl
 
Man that thing is ugly!....

...and so is the fish....!!!!


...hey, oh! :wink: :wink:

But serisouly, that is one serious ling cod. Live bait, uh.
 
Nice feesh Tom!

Now I remember the name of the live bait used for fishing lings as described on the various fishing sites that I couldn't remember at Friday Harbor. Sanddabs, which is another variety of flounder, sole, etc. Pretty much all the same thing.

Way to go on that big ol' ling. It looks like you've got that fishery nailed down!

Peter
C-Dancer
 
Roger, I have used the jigs and never did good on them. Tried them all and mostly just lost gear or got undersized fish. Started hearing about people using sole and greenling as live bait and after talking to a few people and reading a article on it at Johns sporting goods web site along with a video that he has posted I decided to try it. Man its easy and fun. You have the rod in your hand the whole time and its a soft bite. You think you are on bottom, then bottom does a head shake :shock: and its a fish. The big ones run for the bottom over and over again so its a battle. The 45 inch was a blast. Susan netted it 4 times :roll: it kept sliding in and out of the net. I will post pic of the others latter.

Season in this area ends june 15 so get out and do it.
 
tom if you can get some piling perch or dock shiners, as we call them and run them on a two hook live bait leader, two 5/0 gamies or such, they are also deadly! they work good for halibut as well. I find some bigger lings get jig shy because they have probably been hooked 10 times on them as they are growing up, but they can't resist live bait
 
we usually use the meat from mussels on a #6 fly hook and a couple of split shot. they are around the pilings of most docks. if you find some kids fishing on the dock they are good at catching them. pay them to keep some alive in a bucket is the easiest way! those ugly seaworm that live under rocks catch them too.
 
we usually use the meat from mussels on a #6 fly hook and a couple of split shot. they are around the pilings of most docks. if you find some kids fishing on the dock they are good at catching them. pay them to keep some alive in a bucket is the easiest way! those ugly seaworms that live under rocks catch them too.
 
Tom,

Helluva nice looking fish Tom!

Please forgive the ignorance of a non-fisherman, but why do you have to let the big ones go? Is there a Max keeper size limit or something on Ling Cod?


Take care,
Dan, Tanya, and Hannah on C-Renity
 
Dan, yes there is a slot limit on ling cod. You can only keep fish between 26 and 36 inches. Its a good rule really. This allows the smaller fish to get to a good eating size. a 26 inch fish has a good amount of meat on them and a 36 has plenty and is a really nice catch and fight. The bigger fish are mostly females and are big egg producers. They are also hard to kill even with netting and handling, So at that size they are able to be released after a good fight. Both on my big fish swam away with speed and power. Its a rule limit that I can support. Same reason we have slot limits on sturgeon. Its the big females that lay the most eggs.
 
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