Lingcod: how big is too big?

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Bordeau

Bordeau

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A friend caught a 30lbs lingcod and I was explaining that this is a productive egg laying female and should have been release. The flesh is also not as tasty as smaller one.

The following site suggest a maximum of 34in (86cm) was once part of the regulation.

https://mailtribune.com/oregon-outdoors/fishing/lingcod-rebound

This one explains that the biggest ever recorded was 150cm and 85lbs.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=lingcod.printerfriendly

What is your maximum size? When do you release them for being to big?
 
There’s two sides to this debate. When is too big for prime eating and when is too big to impact conservation. My personal opinion is anything over 25 is going down hill for eating. As far as conservation is concerned in my opinion there is not even close to enough data to support keeping big ling cod is detrimental to the population. Catching ling cod in a lot of areas is one of the easiest fish to catch, there is no way to count them properly, therefor I don’t see a cause for concern. I don’t judge people if they want to keep large lings. Maybe that person only catches that one fish. I catch my annual limit, even though smaller I feel like my impact on conservation is higher than someone keeping one big ling and that’s it? That’s the way I see it anyways.
 
At 65cm minimum size is just about right, young enough and the meat is still fresh, reminds me of high school. Any smaller and its meat to bones ratio sucks. Myself Ive kicked off some monster lings guessing around 40-50 pounds, meat quality and worms main reason.
 
For eating it is personal preference - I like 20# & over.
For conservation I have heard suggestions from some Lodges of 30# max.
 
Aces said:
Those commercial boats that supply stores and restaurants don’t throw back the big ones
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Agree Aces... We are our own worst enemies..... Dont want to keep a large female-- your choice, but they are not like salmon and only spawn once and die.
 
Generalizing I figure meat is best 10-20ish lbs. in the Charlottes years ago the senior guides taught me to start suggesting that guests allow me to release Lings over 30, and strongly suggest anything over 40 should almost definitely go back, for their own good as much as the fishes. I saw one over 60 which was awesome to behold, made the 14 she bit and was hanging onto look like a baby!
 
You know, there is sometimes a difference between the right thing to do , and the legal thing to do. Just because fisheries says its ok and legal doesn't make it the right move. Right now, the Nanaimo area is open to lingcod fishing. I would suggest that its a mistake, given the state of the stock, and that it concentrates every fisherman onto lingcod, as salmon is closed, thereby putting intense pressure on the already fragile lingcod population. IMHO Fisheries has repeatedly made this error in judgement over the decades coastwide and specieswide. The individual fisherman is not to blame for following the rules, but sometimes one has to consider whether those making the rules really know what they're doing and perhaps adjust their behaviour accordingly. Just sayin.....
 
back in the eighties my dad caught a ling that was 60 lbs. somewhere i’ve got a photo of my dad holding its mouth open while my entire head is in its mouth. my largest ever is 28 and i can tell you for meat quality it was just ok. i prefer the ones in the 15 lb range
 
Well guys we don't have this problem any more in Washington. The minimum length is 26" and the maximum length is 36", and the limit is one. Also the season is only about 6 weeks. There is no rock fish season in the Puget Sound area at all. Also, the shrimp season in some area's this year was 1 day, from 7:am to 1:00 pm. Crab are only open a few months . So everyone do what you think is best, or else this decision whether to keep the big female ling cod will be made for you.
 
Cuba Libre said:
Agree Aces... We are our own worst enemies..... Dont want to keep a large female-- your choice, but they are not like salmon and only spawn once and die.
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I’m not saying I keep them but was just stating a fact. I agree we are our own worst enemy
 
I can say my opinion just based on the volume of ling and ground fish I have processed and dressed out.The 12lb ish range fish are primo meat quality. Up to about 18lbs they stay fairly healthy and anything over that gets really weird sometimes. Not saying I haven't or you should eat however as a fisherman, I like the cream of the crop myself and the bigger ones really gross me out. Probably should just let them make babies
 
True. Commercial guys hammer them up North Island and do not throw the big ones back.
I prefer 15 pounders.
Even 25 is not prime IMO
 
Brian said:
You know, there is sometimes a difference between the right thing to do , and the legal thing to do. Just because fisheries says its ok and legal doesn't make it the right move. Right now, the Nanaimo area is open to lingcod fishing. I would suggest that its a mistake, given the state of the stock, and that it concentrates every fisherman onto lingcod, as salmon is closed, thereby putting intense pressure on the already fragile lingcod population. IMHO Fisheries has repeatedly made this error in judgement over the decades coastwide and specieswide. The individual fisherman is not to blame for following the rules, but sometimes one has to consider whether those making the rules really know what they're doing and perhaps adjust their behaviour accordingly. Just sayin.....
Click to expand...

there’s a shortage of Ling Cod in the Nanaimo area?
 
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