Lingcod in the San Juans

[HuntingFanatic]

Just curious if anyone has done any fishing up there the last few years? Do any good? I would like to take 3 or 4 days in May and go to Orcas Island with my dad. I am not looking for any info on fishing holes and such. I have spent a lot of time fishing there.....just not in a long while. Just looking to see how many people take the time to go up there for lings. Pictures are welcomed!

[h2ofowlr]

Yes, I usually do fairly well at them.  Not to exciting of a fish to catch though.  Sometimes you reel two up at a time as the big one grabs the little one.  I like to eat them, so I go out, but I don't get to excited about catching them.  Salmon is the ticket.

[HuntingFanatic]

Thanks for the pics! I prefer bottom fishing probably because I have not had good luck salmon fishing. I have noticed that when you actually hook them they fight good. Its fun to feel that sudden dead weight too!

[Big Valley]

HuntingFanatic

Ling fishing around Orcas is great, better toward the beginning of the season & on lesser tides but they can be caught anytime. I look forward to Ling cod season each year & the fishery seems to be real healthy the last few years. Dave

[Big Valley]

Shoot me a PM if you need more specifics. dave

[lokidog]

Had to throw a couple of pics in the mix.  2008 opening day, the boy reeled in the 8 pounder all by himself, and the other is 16 pounds.  Weathergirl caught one a few years ago that had three huge herring in it and an octopus arm, two of the herring had hooks rigged by the same guy.  We even get some with the green meat once in a while.  YUM!!

[fishcrazy]

Lings can be alot of fun to catch. I fish them at Westport. When I started fishing them I didn't know what I was doing. I figured they would eat a herring. I found myself catching more seabass and lings then alot of the guys who have done it for years with other methods. Them lings really like a huge herring cut plugged and backtrolled with the current.

For seabass I run smaller herring and anchovies cut plugged.

Kris

[let.it.fly]

i love fishing lings. the cool thing is never nowing what you got. i do alot of fishing for emm around deception pass. allen island is my favorite. my fiance actualy caught what turned out to beat the state record quil back by almost 1.5 lbs. she threw it back though. she just love fishing for emm. and i usualy spend the day rerigging her because we loose so much gear. lol she has a blast though. the fish up there arent huge. average about ten pounds though i am sure i have hooked a few over twenty but they always seem to break me off.

[Shootmoore]

Nice photo's thanks for sharing!  I love bottom fishing, but I won't lie I am a bit intimidated by the saltwater.  I'm a sagebrush boy and my biggest water experience driving the boat is in the Columbia.  I think my 14 footer is to small to take out in the salt anyways.

So please keep the picks coming, as I am going to live vicariously through you guys that know what the hell your doing out there!

Shootmoore

[D_morg]

When does the season open?

[Alchase]

Lokidog, nice blue!

Some good food there.

[rasbo]

ummm ling cod,cool picks

[Dmanmastertracker]

Had to throw a couple of pics in the mix.  2008 opening day, the boy reeled in the 8 pounder all by himself, and the other is 16 pounds.  Weathergirl caught one a few years ago that had three huge herring in it and an octopus arm, two of the herring had hooks rigged by the same guy.  We even get some with the green meat once in a while.  YUM!!

 Those are some nice fish, we've caught a ton of ling's up at Sekiu, but we call them Axe-handles, because rarely are they over 24-25", the local's up there just hammer them before they can mature. I think the biggest we caught was only 8.5lbs., my uncle did yard a few nicer one's towards Neah Bay.

[lokidog]

Season opens May 1 to June 15 in the sound.  Longer season on the coast.  Ask Runamuk about Westport fishing.  Actually I think there was a thread last March about our trip out there. 

We don't fish too far off Rosario Strait and generally get a fair number in the 8-12 pound range.  I got my scuba gear all back together last summer and am looking forward to doing some "hunting" this spring.

Anyone ever wants to come out and fish, drop me a line.  May 1 is also opening of prawn season.

2009 did seem a bit slower for the lings here in the islands but was still really good out of Westport.