Finally got out

[boneaddict]

I hope them things taste better than they look.  Man those are mean lookin' critters.

[jackelope]

It doesn't get much better than that as far as eating goes, at least from our waters around here...beer battered and fried...fish and chips

[bobcat]

How are the worms in those things? I heard they can be pretty bad. That's one reason I've never had much interest in catching them.

[boneaddict]

Its our first swap fish hunt in the makings.  Redsides/cutts cooked streamside in butter while they are flopping in the pan and curling up, versus ling or whatever them ugly things are cooked in beer batter. 

[jackelope]

Redsides/cutts cooked streamside in butter

I might say this and duck, but i pretty much catch and release wild trout, and the planters i catch i don't want to eat...but us wetsiders with boats would be glad to take you eastsiders out for some lings if you want to. it closes in a couple weeks as far as i know and the carburetor for my boat is sitting in a million pieces in my shop right now
don't get me wrong, lings and salmon go directly to the bbq or the freezer, but the trout go back in the river.

[jackelope]

How are the worms in those things?

bob...i've only caught a few and haven't had any worm issues with them. maybe polarbear or dman could enlighten us some more on that.

[boneaddict]

No need to duck, I am almost 100% catch and release.  I say  almost because on the rare occasion when I am biviwacked out there, a couple hit the skillet.  There is nothing like 100 fish days on an Orvis 1 weight.  100 fish days are like 400 pound bears in Washington...not likely....usually is more bragging than happening...but sometimes a real occurance and when it happens its unreal!!!

[Dman]

 Any of the bottom feeders can be wormy, though I've not seen much in the ling's we've caught. Just cook 'em real good.

[PolarBear]

I have found that the true cod tend to have more worms than any of them. I havent seen many in lings, not sure why.

[Dman]

 I've seen that too, also in Pollack. I think that Trues are a little more mud-bottom oriented than Lings, the worm is a form of Nematode, generally found in the mud. You do need to cook them out good, I read of a Korean man who ate raw fish that had a live one in him that caused a ton of pain...

[Jerome]

I have seen worms in seabass but not in anyother bottom fish yet.
We fished a new area today and it started great.  First drop i hooked up a 26 incher and had my buddy take some pics (which he did video instead of snap shot).  Released keeper thinking i would catch a bigger one.  Caught one more ling and it was undersized.  Got pic though.  My buddy hooked up 1 ling.  After that it was a rockfish derby.  Boated alot of rockfish but no monsters.  Did hook up a couple decent rockfish.  Had two break offs.  Both were probally lings. 

My second ling.

My buddies ling.

[billythekidrock]

Looks like you had fun..

[Ghost Hunter]

Dang
The only way I've fished for Ling is at night through the ice jiggin', and set lines.  WA state record came out of Palmer Lake, Okanogan Co.

[Ray]

Those ugly fish would make nice presents to my mother in law.

[billythekidrock]

Never tried for freshwater lings. How do they taste?