TI G H T LI N E S BY MARK YUASA
The Beauty Of The Beast Fisherman MARK YUASA shares his tips and tricks for hooking the beast that is the lingcod.
As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Take for example, the lingcod. Commonly referred to as a “buckethead,” it is perhaps one of the ugliest creatures in the sea, with their wide-mouth, gnarly canine-like teeth, buggy eyes, prickly-sharp dorsal and pectoral fins, and mottled brown and gray skin. Despite their beast over beauty appearance, anglers embrace them as a resilient fighter when hooked, and then later, a delightful eating fish. What really got me hooked on catching these magnificent creatures occurred more than a decade ago, when I battled a 50-pound lingcod in southeast Alaska. To date, it’ll go down as one of my most memorable moments as I met one of my tougher fishing opponents. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity each spring and summer to pursue lingcod in local marine waters, where their population have rebounded after declining sharply in the late 1990s. “It is really exciting to see more fishing opportunities opening up in 2021 and 2022 off our coast,” said Heather Hall, coastal fish policy manager of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Being careful in how we manage our resources has allowed us to access more deep-water areas that had been closed for 15 years.” Fishing for lingcod and other bottomfish species off Ilwaco, Westport, La Push, and Neah Bay is now open daily through October 16. Do note: The northern coastal ports of La Push and Neah Bay are closed due to COVID-19 precautions, so the closest access points are Sekiu in the western Strait and Westport on the south-central coast. A non-migratory fish, lingcod prefer an uneven bottom along rocky pinnacles, ledges, drop-offs, reefs, and jetties. They’re insatiable predators and will eat just about anything like flounder, kelp greenling, rockfish, sculpin, octopus. For gear, bring a stout 7- to 8-foot fishing pole and reel filled with 50-pound braided line, a slip swivel, and an 8- to 16-ounce lead ball attached to a 7/0 barbless circle hook on top trailed by another hook with a large-size herring or live flounder. Others use a variety of metal jigs, plastic sanddab, grubs, squid, and octopus lures; or an artificial scampi-type jig. Many anglers start off their day by dropping pieces of Berkley Power Bait herring strips on small hooks to the sandy bottom at depths of 30 to 80 feet to catch live flounder for bait. 62
Before jumping on the boat, anglers should also carefully read up on current regulations including catch limits, closure zones, and restrictions. The retention of yelloweye rockfish is prohibited in all marine areas. For details, go to wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/halibut. Lastly, making sure your boat is seaworthy and in proper working order is vital off the coast. Crossing the bar at ports can be dangerous during spring months due to fast changing weather and rough ocean conditions and you’ll have battle enough to do in pulling in those lingcod. KEY SPRING/EARLY SUMMER FISHING DATES CHINOOK: Winter Chinook is open at Sekiu (Marine Catch Area 5) now through April 30. LINGCOD: Opens in the Sekiu-Port Angeles areas (5 and 6), San Juan Islands (7), and Puget Sound (8, 9, 10, 11 and 13) from May 1-June 15. Hood Canal is closed for lingcod. HALIBUT: Opens in the Port Angeles/Puget Sound areas (6 to 10 only) from April 22-May 22 and June 3-26 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and May 28-30. Sekiu (5) is open May 6-22 on Thursdays and Saturdays; May 28-30; and June 3-26 open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Neah Bay/La Push (3 and 4) is open May 6-22 and June 3-26 on Thursdays and Saturdays; and May 28 and 30. Westport (2) is open May 6-23 on Thursdays and Sundays; and May 27 only; and could reopen June 17, 20, 24 and 27 if catch quota remains. Ilwaco (1) is open May 6-23 and June 3-27 on Thursdays and Sundays; and May 27. Halibut fisheries are quota driven and areas could close sooner than expected. Mark Yuasa is a longtime fishing and outdoors writer. Born and raised in Seattle, and a UW alum, Mark joined the Northwest Marine Trade Association in 2017 as the Director of Grow Boating Programs after 33 years at The Seattle Times. He also volunteers with the BSA Chief Seattle Council and National Order of the Arrow organizations, and enjoys fishing for salmon and other fish species in local waterways.
