Ling cod is a boat game from my understanding
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Ling Cod are deep water fish. I doubt you'd see one near a beach unless it had lost its way.
Caught from a pier in the North Sound on a Squid fly
Piers can be tricky to cast from but not impossible
Don't think it would be effective targeting them from the beach
Piers can be tricky to cast from but not impossible
Don't think it would be effective targeting them from the beach
i bet it could be done, but youde be wasting alot of time. jig for them on structure.
I caught a baby ling off the docks in Westport a couple years back... Don't think that would be a good way to target them though. Occasionally gear guys get one off the jetties in Westport, but I don't think flies would be the easiest way to get 'er done. I can't think of any other situations where it might be likely - I've always thought of it as a boat game as well.
As noted, lings are reallynot a "beach" fish. You can fish for them in deep water off of rocky drop offs, like in the San Juans, or from jetties. You mostly get rock fish from the jetties. While you may find a few in shallow water, they would like be smaller. You can find greenling in some of the shallower, rocky areas.
MB
MB
While I've never fished Puget Sound ( being a dastardly Canuck) I have regulary taken small ling cod (up to 22") off the shoreline rocks around Campbell River. If you can access spots where rocks drop off into deep water you can probably get a few. Even the little ones pull like stink.
Find a breakwater that has a decent ledge that you can access by foot. Lings are not always deep, but they do like some place to hide and you can reduce the depth by fishing low tides. Fish with big chartreuse or orange bunny flies, they are super aggressive, get your fly near them and they will eat.
Might be confusing Ling cod with Kelp Greenling, which are much smaller but have the same looks
It is a myth that ling cod can not be found shallow.
I have caught them on flies in Puget Sound as shallow as 3 or 4 feet and there are a number of spots that one would have a decent shot at multiple fish days. It is true that much of the best ling cod habitat is found in more than 60 feet of water and most shallow spots are fish hard making things more difficul. Shallow spots that are lightly fish are not all that common and to access most requires a boat.
There a spots where a fish can be taken from the shore but finding such areas require good understanding of what ling cod like and lots of exploring; not sure how willing anyone who has done the leg work would be to give such locations up.
The suggestion of jetties is a good one; until last few year ago many produced an chance at a ling and in some cases very good fishing. However even there being able to fish from a floating platform helps - much easier to fish down the hill than up the hill.
Daryle -
Pretty sure that they are ling cod; I fly caught them large enough that they could easily swallow the largest greenling.
Tight lines
Curt
I have caught them on flies in Puget Sound as shallow as 3 or 4 feet and there are a number of spots that one would have a decent shot at multiple fish days. It is true that much of the best ling cod habitat is found in more than 60 feet of water and most shallow spots are fish hard making things more difficul. Shallow spots that are lightly fish are not all that common and to access most requires a boat.
There a spots where a fish can be taken from the shore but finding such areas require good understanding of what ling cod like and lots of exploring; not sure how willing anyone who has done the leg work would be to give such locations up.
The suggestion of jetties is a good one; until last few year ago many produced an chance at a ling and in some cases very good fishing. However even there being able to fish from a floating platform helps - much easier to fish down the hill than up the hill.
Daryle -
Pretty sure that they are ling cod; I fly caught them large enough that they could easily swallow the largest greenling.
Tight lines
Curt
for the most part it's a boat fishing thing. You need full sinking lines and huge flies with lots of tail movement. Lots of fun to catch and release on an 8wt.
All talk and no action buddy... I've got the boat running and ready for Lingin', tides and time are right. Get a damn babysitter and lets gidddyup!for the most part it's a boat fishing thing. You need full sinking lines and huge flies with lots of tail movement. Lots of fun to catch and release on an 8wt.
I brought it up since the father in law thought greenlings were Lings, he was an old time dragger off the coast and kept the greenlings for food, I hope the greenlings don't get targeted too much, or sould I shut my mouth?
Daryle-
Since lings and greenlings are cousins it is not too surprising that folks might confuse the two.
It seems to me that the number of greenling in the San Juans have dropped quite bit in the last couple years. Have to wonder if it has to do with all the folks using them for live bait forlings.
Tight lines
Curt
Since lings and greenlings are cousins it is not too surprising that folks might confuse the two.
It seems to me that the number of greenling in the San Juans have dropped quite bit in the last couple years. Have to wonder if it has to do with all the folks using them for live bait forlings.
Tight lines
Curt
I actually just watched a video on YouTube where a guy was pulling lings out of the kelp beds on a fly rod. Mostly he was getting rock cod, and black sea bass but did hook into a couple lings. He didn't say what pattern he was using or how deep he was swinging it.
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