Lingcod: Alaska Fish Species Guide

Lingcod are apex predator’s in Alaska’s waters who will eat whatever they can cram into their very toothy mouths. Their coloration is a mottled brown / copper / green / blue, and is variable between fish and location. They have large eyes, a big bucket mouth, large fins and 18 sharp teeth.

Lingcod can live to about 25 years old. Females are generally larger than males and an average mature fish is about 20 pounds, but can get far larger. We’ve caught 60-pound specimens and the state record is north of 80 pounds.

Lingcod are found in rocky reefs across all of Southeast and Southcentral saltwater. They are relentless predators who ambush prey from their rocky lairs. One of the cool facts about male lingcod is that they will guard the nest of eggs for several months until they hatch. After scouting a nest in the fall, the female will lay eggs, then the male fertilizes them and stays around to guard them. If they didn’t do that, the eggs would struggle to survive.

Lingcod Fishing Tips

In southeast Alaska, anglers are able to start catching and keeping lingcod in mid-May when the season officially opens. In Southcentral, the season opens to retention on July 1. Anglers can reliably find and catch lingcod in Alaska from May through September.

While lingcod will eat bait, the more common technique is to vertically jig metal lures. Lings have a hard time resisting a shiny object being yo-yo’ed in their vicinity. Since lingcod live in rocky reefs, an angler has to be careful to keep the jig moving and not let it rest on the bottom or it will get hung up. In most cases, boat captains drift over reefs while anglers jig, so it’s even more imperative to stay tight to your jig and not let it drag. Some savvy anglers will rig their jigs assist style, meaning that the hook is attached to the top rather than the bottom of the jig. This helps substantially in reducing snags.

Lingcod Gear

Since lingcod are big and strong, and also have the tendency to eat your jig, retreat to their reef and flare their extra-large pectoral fins, an angler needs a strong rod to pull these fish out of their lairs. A 6-foot stick rated for 50- to 100-pound-test is about right, mated to a conventional reel with sufficient drag and capacity. Many anglers use their halibut rods for lingcod fishing. Be sure to use a heavy leader material, as lingcod teeth are exceptionally large and sharp.

Saltwater:

• Icy Bay
• Yakutat
• Sitka
• Seward
• Whittier
• Homer
• West coast of Prince of Wales

Always check current area ADF&G regulations before fishing.