Lings......How big is too big?

[TheBigGuy]

It all boils down to food security and the notion necessary in understanding and creating a reasonable expectation of an opportunity to harvest a fish. What we all need to do is stop over harvesting and then to stop wasting our catch. Playing with fish for fun is totally the wrong attitude, as it can create more damage to the shared resource than not. It is what it is, but it takes all of us working together to realize that the future depends upon the choices to which we are all entitled make. Today.

Sorry to disagree with you, but I am a "sport" fisherman. I do not fish for sustenance other than the few fish I keep most years. I have kept 1 ling and if I'm not mistaken 2 Springs this season. Almost all of my fish were released. I do not, and never have wasted fish. In the old days I used to fill my freezer with Tyee and near Tyee size fish every year. As I got older I realized that was insanity, and far too harmful to the resource. I have curtailed my harvest drastically as I got older. I am very proud that I taught my kids growing up the importance of catch and release.

Most of my fishing is done with a single barbless hook for Salmon. The fish are always released in the water, and they are never netted or brought into the boat unless they are to be kept. I do not believe I have resulted in a mortality to a single fish I have released this year.

Large Ling and Halibut are extremely hardy fish and can easily be fished without causing undue harm by releasing them. I rarely hook a fish deeply, as I do not allow it time to mouth and ingest a bait, and I do not feed it line to ensure it is well hooked. I strike as soon as I feel any weight or resistance on my line, this almost always lets me remove hooks easily if I wish to release a Ling or Hali. If the fish was badly hooked I would keep it rather than release a badly injured fish (but that rarely happens). I find it very hard to believe that my limited harvest is more detrimental to the resource than guys keeping all their fish for sustenance. I do not trophy fish, and prefer to keep the less desirable species such as pinks, or coho for consumption, so I don't impact our more preferred sport fish like large springs. I find it a little hypocritical that some guys condemn others if a large ling is harvested, yet they will gladly harvest a Tyee themselves.

Some guys prefer to release large springs and lings, as I do.. That is a good thing in my opinion. I personally think it should be encouraged. However, I would not condemn anyone for keeping whatever size fish they wish within the regulations. To each there own.

There are lots of guys who practice catch and release, and the resource is much better for it (as long as it is not simply being used as a tool for high grading). In my opinion, fishing for sustenance is nonsensical as it can be acqired far cheaper at the grocery store.

Again, just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to fish the way they prefer within the regulations. Please do not take this as an attack on your viewpoint, you are entitled to your views, as am I.

 

[gungadin]

When I target lings, I target them for food. Most of the cod I catch are in the 15lb. range. I have found some very good producing areas where they all seem to be in that range. I have also found areas, that for lack of a better term, are nurserys, where every one is undersized, I do not fish that area again. The first legal sized one is the one I keep, be it 10 lbs or 30lbs. I have no problem catching 10 per year, all of which are first either filleted or cut into steaks, vacuum sealed and frozen. The backbone and meat from around the head are sealed and used for chowder. I remove the gills and boil the heads and use the strained liquid as fish stock.

Ling cod at the market sell for around 10-18 $/lb, putting the retail cost of one fish north of 100 $. Discounting the cost of tackle, l spend about 2-400 $ on fuel, oil, and launching fees for my entire fishing year, including salmon. I know the fish I catch are fresh and processed within a few hours and are considerably less dear then those on the supermarket.

To answer the OP's question, I don't know what is too big. I have eaten ling up to about 40lb and found the taste acceptable, but not as "sweet" as smaller specimens.As I freeze all my lings before consumption, worms are not of particular concern.

 

[sly_karma]

There's a fine line between sensible catch & release and harassing wildlife.

 

[ericl]

Fished Hippa Island this summer. Before going out, i asked about what Lings to keep. The said keep it under 30 and don't limit out on them. When Murphy's first started at Kyuquot they were catching big Lings & posting pictures for advertising. DFO told them to take it easier on the breeding population & in 2001 Dave wouldn't let anybody go the area that is now a RCA just south of Brooks.
I think we have fished-out lower BC pretty well; used to catch small one's Salmon trolling Ucluelet to where we had to check the gear every 5 minutes back in the 80's.

Having seen the decline it's easy for me to back-off on the resources. Along with size, numbers matter. Given the choice, I'd tend to keep 1 20# instead of 2 10's. A 30# in Haida Gwaii may be appropriate but not in Victoria.

 

[trophywife]

I think we have fished-out lower BC pretty well; used to catch small one's Salmon trolling Ucluelet to where we had to check the gear every 5 minutes back in the 80's.

Having seen the decline it's easy for me to back-off on the resources. Along with size, numbers matter. Given the choice, I'd tend to keep 1 20# instead of 2 10's. A 30# in Haida Gwaii may be appropriate but not in Victoria.

i firmly believe the draggers have been the major reason for not catching the joovies on the banks,, seeing their nets layed out on the pier and all the by-catch in it,, disgusting.. lil hali, rockfish, ling, ratfish, etc etc.....the birds clean out the nets.