Herring For Lings??

Sublime · 03-05-2003, 12:06 PM

I usually use plastics for Lings but i've heard that they prefer Live bait. What about frozen herring or fresh caught, but dead. Would you just drop shot them and go from there?

How would you fish with a Herring for Lings? (off the rocks or along the jetties...not across the bar)

Thanks, any Info would be appreciated

Sublime :smile:

tailchaser · 03-05-2003, 12:58 PM

There's a couple of ways to do it. My favorite is to thread a whole herring on your line and have a good size hook somewhere in the low end of the herring. On the mouth of the herring use a small rubber band and close the mouth. From there I use a big bullet weight (similar to the ones used for bass fishing but bigger) and then let it slide down until it hits the bait. Cast that bugger out and jig it back to you like the old banjo minnow. I absolutely kill the lings when I target them this way. Make sure the bait is bumping bottom from time to time is the most important thing.

I've also seen people rig a three way swivel and have the weight on the bottom and the herring about 1 1/2' off of the bottom on the third swivel.

I actually watched some bankies nail a couple large fish using bobbers with a herring last weekend. They dead floated it just off the bottom on incoming tide and each pulled two fish off the rocks.

tc

Orca · 03-05-2003, 10:02 PM

I've always used frozen herring with decent results. I'm sure fresh is better, but I haven't made enough time to go get some before heading out.

In the ocean, I've fished them with a trolling weight and a 2 hook salmon mooching rig. Off the jetty, this should work, or you might use a sliding sinker like you would for sturgeon.

Son of an Okie · 03-06-2003, 08:04 AM

I've had pretty good success down in Humboldt Bay using a method similar to Tailchasers. Down there we use anchovies more than herring, but the process is still the same... bury the hook inside the bait making sure the eye is down the throat. We used to use a half hitch to close the mouth, but the rubber band sounds better. The difference is that we use about a 3 foot leader in fromt of 3/4 to 1 oz. bullet weight. On the pointed end of the bullet weight, slide a 3 inch piece of surgical tubing, the same stuff we secure pencil lead with when steelhead fishing. The tubing should securely attach to the top of the bullet weight. This method is almost snag free and can be worked through the rocks with ease. As the main line slides over the top of a rock, the tubing will contact before the weight, and essentially flip the weight over a potential snag. Give it a shot, works for me. One caution here though... once you feel safe from the snags, you'll tend to work the bait slower, so frequently check the main line for abrasions. Nothing worse than hooking a monster jetty snack and loosing him to a main line failure.

The Fishin' Okie's Kid

Reba · 03-06-2003, 08:42 AM

Sublime, Hooking lings with a bullet weitht and a mooching rig, or if you don't happen to have a bullet weight, a mooching rig and banana sinker is just good duty!!! I have never found a lingcod to be hook shy, line shy or shy of anything for that matter. Troll along the jetty's or out side the bar along shallow reefs this time of year and you can't go wrong. Another really fun way of catching these fish is by casting or trolling rattletraps. Under the right conditions, these things are deadly! However, when using them a pearson tends to crowd rocky structure, so be careful and watch the swell

will_e_fish · 03-06-2003, 10:49 AM

Has any tried smelt? With so many smelt around just wonder if anyone has taken them to the jetty to give them a try. I going to give it a try why not.

Son of an Okie · 03-06-2003, 01:15 PM

Fishing out by 3 Arches last year, I had my son using herring for bait. He was catching a few, but when the bag of herring ran dry, I had him try a smelt. From that point on, he had non-stop action. My opinion is that smelt is a better bait than herring.

swampy · 03-06-2003, 06:52 PM

I've caught lingcod on herring behind a diver while fishing for Coho just south of the jetty in Newport.hooked 4 or 5 within 20 min. or so.

tailchaser · 03-06-2003, 11:41 PM

I can't say I've ever heard of a ling being picky about what kind of fish he ate, so I'm sure smelt would do just fine.

tc

ANDYCOHO · 03-07-2003, 05:49 PM

Using a Mooching rig and a sliding weight is my favorite way to put KEEPER lings into the boat, here is some proof:

I caught this guy off the sunken jetty of the Columbia.

Good luck,
Andy

PS. Just saw that this picture was published in Fishing and Hunting News, sorry had to brag a little! :grin:

8knots · 03-07-2003, 05:56 PM

I have had a lot of luck using a taste of squid on my rubber or metal jigs. It can make a big difference on some days and it stays on the hook. One time I caught them where they are just puking up whole squid. We had lots of good bait that day and caught a bunch of Lingering Cod. It was in March on the inner reefs off Newport. Maybe after you all knock down the salmon limits you can grab some reef fish. Good Luck!

Pilar · 03-08-2003, 11:40 PM

Try a salmon mooching rig. 2 hooks, 4/0 and 5/0, solid tied and 40# leader about 3'. Use a whole herring and fresh is better if you can get it. Then we bounce the bottom with a trolling sinker and wham it's a ling, no it's a king but wait no, it's a halibut.

That rig will catch all 3 and the fun is in not knowing which will hit this time.

I tried swimming a weighted, live herring under a bobber by the embarcadero rock wall last spring. I had several wicked takedowns followed by me pulling on the steelhead rod and saying 'It's snagged ... again'.

They dash out, eat and then dart back into the rocks.

Maybe a heavier rod would work better.