Targeting ling cod.

[captjeffjones]

I got a call from a client the other day and he had a question about ling cod. He wanted to know how I like to target these great eating, fun fighting fish. Before I had a chance to answer he told about his "secret spot" that usually produces very good cod fishing, but never a ling cod. I told him "well, you already have the spot so now all you need to know is the setup and the bait." He was confused.

Most rockfish live suspended above rocky structure and hard bottom, and will eat baits on the way down before a ling cod have a shot. When he told me he had a good spot, I explained that there are certainly ling cod living there if the structure is there.

There are two ways to target lings, and both are aimed at avoiding rockfish bites. My favorite is fishing a single dropper loop with a very big bait. Mackerel is prime with horse sardines being a fair second choice. Use your dykes to clip 1/2 of the tail off the bait before dropping, or the bait may delay the drop time too long and miss the spot. The second way is to fish straight iron that sinks fast and drop it in a way that it will pass up the rockfish and not give them a chance to bite it. What iron drops fast enough for this you ask? A diamond jig! Over the years I have kept a rod rigged with a diamond jig just for quick stops over deep rocky structure, and it rarely fails to hook a big ling for me.

The client and his friends went on their trip and posted pics on FaceBook. They had 4 big (legal) lings and got mackerel and horse sardines from Nacho on the way out. Mission accomplished.

Back in the day before the depth and # of hooks restrictions, I use to fish commercial cod with my Uncles and Cousins. We'd drop 100 hook rigs down with every hook baited with either squid, cut bait or anchovies, but always a big mackerel on the bottom hook. We caught big lings on a regular basis on that big bait.

Good luck boys and Merry Christmas.

Captain Jeff Jones

[Mikey]

Awesome and thank you for the tip. Merry Christmas to you as well Capt.

[fisherofmen]

what about using the dabs? or big plastics with 4oz heads?

[captjeffjones]

what about using the dabs? or big plastics with 4oz heads?

There are many lingcod caught lots of different ways. I for one have not seen a sand dab outfish a mackerel as a ling bait, ever. That's not to say that it won't get bit. Same with plastics or other iron jigs. I try really hard not to say what is the best for anything, as I am always evolving and learning new things. That's a big part of what makes fishing a lifelong passion, the evolution. For me (and that's the key to this sentence) mackerel (or really big sardines) have consistently been the top producing way to TARGET lings exclusively. My second choice would be the diamond jig. Take that with YOUR favorite ways, and maximize your efforts. When I see a ling caught on a sand dab, I run and grab a dropper loop with a big bait, for then I know there are lings on that particular spot.

Its like when you hear about a guy catching a seabass on a sardine at a spot. Go back the next day with a tank of live squid and catch limits. Someone catching a seabass on a sardine tells me that there is some real volume there, even if he only caught one.

[fisherofmen]

ive tried the big bait method and i was getting short bit possibly because of my hook size or location. i saw other guys that were fishing one treble on the nose and one one under the belly. any advice on hook size, type and location?

[Saltwater Bass]

    last march choodak pinned his freshly caught sand dab and I heard a scream "hey David screw you" while he was holding this guy at SCI

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I have really never tried to fish the Mack at all! My mistake, and will do next go around! Cap. What if there isn't any Macks in the tank and i wanted to get one. We are hovering the rock cod ground at depths of 300 ft. Is there a chance to catch you own bait in those depths?

[captjeffjones]

I simply nose hook the bait. No treble or trap hook. Why? Because it drops better without foul hooking or tangling on the way down, and looks more natural as a presentation. Short bites are from small fish, and that happens. A legal ling has a mouth the size of a bucket, so you will not get short bit by a legal, trust me. You will lose a few, both in the rocks and coming unbuttoned. That's fishing right? My motto has always been "better to get a bite and lost the fish, than not get a bite at all." With a trap hook or treble you will land more of what bites, but get way less bites. That's my two cents.

[Saltwater Bass]

Thanks cap!!

[Oatums]

Thanks for the tips captian JeffJones. That is one of the thing I want to learn with you next yeat. How to get them deep water critter. Good eating stuff right there. ..... I just have to bug Choodak to pour some 1lb rock cod weight for me....

[redrock55]

He just told me that he does have the molds for 1& 2 pound weights