Lingcod
Know your fish
Lingcod
Ophiodon elongatus
Typical size:55–110 cm, 2–15 kg
- Long body, huge mouth with canine teeth
- Mottled brown, grey or blue-green; some have blue-green flesh
- Single long dorsal fin with a notch
Looks like: Cabezon is stubby with a broad head and no large teeth; kelp greenling is small and spotted.
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cm
OK to keep
- Minimum 65 cm (53 cm head-off); inside waters closed roughly Oct 1 to Apr 30
- Annual limit 10; record each fish
Must release
- Under 65 cm
- During the closed season in Areas 13 to 19, 28, 29
Best months
May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Fishing licences across Canada
Rig to tie
- 1Main line 50–65 lb braid
- 2Swivel Size 1 barrel or ball-bearing swivel
- 3Leader 40 lb mono or fluorocarbon, 45 cm
- 4Jig 4–8 oz Point Wilson Dart, Gibbs Minnow, or 6–8 in swimbait on a 3–6 oz head
- 5Hook Single 6/0 siwash or the jig's treble; crimp the barbs for easy release
How to tie and fish it
Tie it:Braid to swivel with a double uni or Palomar. Leader to jig with a loop knot so it swings.
Fish it:Drift over the pinnacle at slack. Keep the jig in the bottom 3 m, lift a metre and let it fall on a tight line. A ling follows and grabs on the drop; reel steadily to the surface without pumping.