Seems ironic that our lingcod stocks seem to be rebuilding and yet we lost a consumptive lingcod season for the very first time this year on the oregon coast, I believe around Nov 20th or so.
For those that didn't know Oregon and Washington had to pay a penality for California over fishing their lings.
Seems we could manage our own borders and not have the whole west coast considered one stock.
Well, at least they don't have to be finn clipped!
Anyway for those of you that aren't familliar with the lingcod fishery on the Oregon coast it is now time to get excited about it.
The peak fishery for lings is in approx. one month.
February is considered to be the best most consistant time of year to catch both large lings and quanity.
In January of this last year, this year? last year? :grin: Anyway January of 2003 (approx. 12 months ago :grin: ) ling fishing was hot off the rocks of Depoe Bay.
Ling fishing can be good any time of year but especially late winter when the lings move into shallow water to spawn.
I've seen on some years especially the El 'Nino years when the peak spawning time seemed to be more March than February but typically February is the month.
As I mentioned earlier the lings have seemed to rebound and cutting the salt water version of the Columbia River gillnetters, the Trawl fleet off of them helped tremendously.
The limit was increased back to 2 fish a day last year because bio's have seen progress with the lings.
Again for some of those that aren't aware lings can be easily caught off the rocks of Depoe Bay and especially this time of year.
I have often had times in February where I have caught lings on every cast up to maybe 6 or 8 in a row.
Of course some of those have to go back with the size restrictions these days.
I am gratefull for the sise limits on lings and pushed for them years ago when jerry Buttler was at the helm.
I do wish they would have left it at 22" minimum though for their is nothing wrong with a 22&1/2 or 23" ling if you know what I mean.
I wish fishermen would incourage ODFW to adapt the max size limit on the big old spawners again also.
I won't get into all the specifics now but this is the time to get thinking about and persuing the tasty lings when the ocean is down to about a 6' swell or less.
Some folks assume the ocean is rough all winter and in reality you can get some of your nicest ocean in the winter time.
The calm between the storms so to speak can be real calm and without that obnoctious NW winds of the summer months.
You can have some pretty brisk very cold east winds sometimes durring the winter months however.
Got to go for now but I taught a bunch of ifisher's how and where to go fish the rocks and where to fish a small boat out of Depoe Bay last year.
I remember the first time I met Jamie (lingslayer) this last May and showed her a cool spot to fish.
She decided she was going to join ifish and try and get the name lingslayer.
A couple hours later after she slayed the lings we thought that name was appropiate for her.
And that was May or possibly June and the ling fishing was still hot!
Jamie is a real cool person and great cook I found out while visiting her and her boy friend at their camp and one heck of a fishermen or fisherwoman. :grin:
I know she will be happy to pass on some spots, techniques, etc to some fellow ifishers.
I just don't know how often I will get down there anymore now that I am up in Longview.
I'll be there fishing with some ifisher's though from time to time and with other friends.
Sometime today I hope to post a thread I have started several months ago with ocean charts that Nancy originally posted for me to use that I colored in some areas to catch rockfish and pictures of the proven terminal tackle normally used over the years and also some arial photos of the rocky shoreline in those areas.
I've been up all night taking advantage of using someones PC since I don't have internet presently and reading some interesting post and posting on various threads.
Cool we got some ODF guys on the site now!
Mine eyes are tired.
Goodnight and Happy New Years everyone and may some of you put a fresh ling or sturgie on the dinner table now that you can keep them once again!
[ 12-31-2003, 05:44 AM: Message edited by: Born to be Wild ]
Lingcod and Sturgeon Retention opens tomorrow
. Any time you want to go down and fish off the rocks give me a call and we'll make a day of it. I'd love to learn how to catch those lings off the rocks. A guy can't get seasick standing on the rocks can he 
. 
:shocked: :whazzup: [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] 
Mark Mc
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