Ling Cod Question

Started by Bill B, September 16, 2021, 06:54:46 PM

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Bill B

Guess this is more of a west coast question, but when fishing on the 3/4 and full day boats, when is the best time to target ling cod?  Most boats start out deep (300') and gradually fish shallow water (100')  so should I target them in deeper water or wait until we get into shallow water?  I've seen a big variety of techniques, pipe jigs, large curly tail jigs, whole squid on a Carolina rig, fresh sand dab.....what are your thoughts?  Bill
It may not be very productive,
but it's sure going to be interesting!

sabaman1

Fresh sand dab on carolina rig or just on a dropper loop with a treble hook.
JIM

Hardy Boy

Hard to beat the meat, but that being said up here I catch lots on jigs: pipe, octo, Norwegian and swim baits. My biggest, 55 lb, tried to eat a 12 lb ling that was hooked so you cant really go too big either.

Cheers:

Todd
Todd

Vintage Offshore Tackle

My favorite if you can get it is a nose-hooked (so it doesn't spin) live mackerel with a treble trap hook rubber banded around the tail. 

Have a sabiki outfit ready to go and if you see anyone catch a mackerel, go to work.  They like to hang out under the boat, especially on long drifts.

Bill B

Cool beans....so should I target deep or shallow water?  Bill
It may not be very productive,
but it's sure going to be interesting!

Vintage Offshore Tackle

I think that you have a better shot at big fish deep, but what's more important to improve your chances is to go on the longer trips that will hit areas that get the least pressure

Hardy Boy

I would agree with Randy, less pressured is best. I have had good ling fishing from as shallow as 60 feet to as deep as 500 feet and everything in between .................. just depends where they are at on the habitat.


Cheers:

Todd
Todd

q3fishboy

My preference would probably be a live mackerel.

But just a reminder.  I saw the mention of using a sabiki rig to catch bait in a previous post.

At least in California, if there are any rockfish on board, no sabiki rig or anything with more than 2 hooks.

Vintage Offshore Tackle

2-hook Sabiki rig is legal with rockfish on board in California.

jurelometer

Hey Bill,

This may surprise you,  but I take the scientific approach :)  I believe in a seasonal strategy.

Lingcod generally nest inshore during the winter to early spring.  After hatching and passing through a pelagic larval stage, juveniles will settle in grassy shallows and  will mostly work their way deeper as they grow over several seasons.  The adults will start the inshore move in the fall in preparation for spawning, so you will tend to find the them more frequently in  30-120 foot toward the end of the CA season, starting late Sept/early Oct in Nor Cal.  The males come first to claim a nesting spot, and stay after the eggs are laid to protect them.  Females just show up to drop off the eggs and  don't hang around as long.

There will always be some big lingcod in shallower water year round.  If your particular fishery is heavily pressured, the size ratios will be working much more against against you in the summer in the shallower water.   You will find that the majority are one and two year olds that are well below to just barely minimum legal size.

Fall was always my favorite time for lingcod, as we could target the adults without having to fish deep. And since lingcod seem to feed more aggressively when there is some current, shallower water makes it easier to work jigs and swimbaits during the part of the tide when they want to eat.  At least for me, one on the jig or swimbait was worth 10 on bait.

-J

Bill B

Thank you for the replies and connecting the dots.....to recap:

* summer months fish tend to be deep
* fall winter fish tend to be shallow
* migration to shallow water fall
* shorter males stay on the nests to guard the eggs, while the females move back deep water


I have a game plan.....just need to go fishing now 😉. Bill
It may not be very productive,
but it's sure going to be interesting!

jurelometer

#11
The season is closed during the time the males are guarding the nests.

I don"t know what it is like in Central and SoCal, but there are big lings to be caught in the shallows year round farther north.  In addition to fishing pressure, water temps might  be an issue in the summer in the southern half of their range.  

The  shallows are easier to fish, plus you get more bottom time per drift.  The problem sometimes  is the ratio of small fish to big fish.   You can do some rigging to improve the odds of bypassing the smaller fish, but then you will have to be OK being the guy not catching much.  

You can always hedge your bets and fish a combo rig.   If you want to maximize your odds of getting a big ling, I think you need to rig to minimize hooking small fish, and also not use a combo rig.  IMHO, riders/hitchikers are a low percentage game, so you don't want to give a lingcod a choice between your  jig or the small rock cod hooked on the shrimp fly above it.  But I think most folks disagree with this logic.

-J

Keta

#12
Quote from: Vintage Offshore Tackle on September 17, 2021, 02:33:00 AM
2-hook Sabiki rig is legal with rockfish on board in California.

And 3 hook is legal in Oregon.

Quote from: jurelometer on September 17, 2021, 08:18:51 PM
The season is closed during the time the males are guarding the nests.

I wish they would do this here.
Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

q3fishboy

Sorry Randy, you are absolutely correct.  Most sabiki rigs come with more than 2 hooks but if you make your own or cut them down to 2 hooks you are perfectly legal in California.  As long as you do not have more than 2 hooks on the line you are ok.

the rockfish ninja

Quote from: Bill B (Tarfu) on September 17, 2021, 05:13:26 PM
* summer months fish tend to be deep
* fall winter fish tend to be shallow
* migration to shallow water fall


This has been the rule of thumb I still go by, but I have to admit that this year has been different. I've caught more Lings this year than ever B4, mostly in shallower depths, and also from shore, maybe it's an odd year.

What I've found from some research I've done over that past couple months is that the full moon cycle and stronger currents that come with it may have an even greater effect on your Lingcod catches. It's been confirmed to me thru my own catches and the fish count data available to me that the Ling catches go way up during these times.YMMV

Livebait always works for them, sanddabs, sardines, or small rockfish will get you the bigger fish. Large swimbaits and long glow striped slow pitch jigs are my preferred methods.

Good luck

Deadly Sebastes assassin.