These fish are at the top of the food chain with the exception of sharks. And they are not really all that picky, if they get hold of another ling cod, it’s just another meal.

To catch these you pretty much just have to be where they are, and that’s on the bottom.

You can hook these in midwater or even at the top at times as they will follow other fish up and feed on them at any depth, but mostly they like the bottom.

Here are a few tips in catching ling cod from the depths.

1) Bait: Ling Cod will bite almost anything but if you have small bait you tend to attract other less agressive fish, so bigger baits work better. 8″ Gulp bait squid are good. Big lead jigs with 6-8″ scampi tails on them are also good. You can even use herring and the like (those these will also be more fair game for anything)

2) The Bite: Ling Cod attack with fury, they tend to hit hard and fast with the intent to swallow whatever it is they are hitting and or be able to rip chunks off. So you have to be ready. If a ling hits and you don’t set the hook on the first try, it’s likely the game is over before you know what happened.

3) Gear: Fishing with heavy gear is really good when you are fighting a big ling, but is much harder to get a feel for the bottom and the strike when it happens. I like to use a light Uglystick Tuna rod with #30 braided line that is about the size of normal #8 line. This gives you a very sensitive combo and yet has the setting power and pole to fight even a big ling.

4) Be Prepared: I don’t know how many times I have gotten or seen lings come up as hitchhikers. They are either following up another hooked fish, or firmly attached to another fish. Either way you need to be ready. DON’T and I repeat DON’T let the fishes head break the waters surface. 99 times out of 100 the moment the lings head comes out of the water he’ll let go and bolt. But keep the head under the water and he’ll hold on. These fish need to be netted. Usually they are so engrossed in their meal plans they don’t even notice the net until it’s too late.

5) The Bottom: Naturally Ling Cod like the bottom the best. That is their territory. So if you can keep your bait their you are more likely to get these big lings. I often fish with heavier jigs so that I can stay on the bottom and drift less. On the upside this is where they hang out and it’s where Ling Cod bite most often. On the downside it’s a good place to loose gear. If it’s your own gear that is fine. If it is a charter boats gear it’s best to just fish normal. I have been on trips where I have landed as many as 6 lings and never lost a bait, and other times I have gotten less and lost a lot more. To me it’s worth it, I love catching Lings, they are awesome.

Those are the tips that will consistently help you land more Ling Cod. If you have some of your own, feel free to comment here. Below I will put some images of ling cod lures and baits I have used.

Bottom Fishing Trips: For this trip we fish light rods and reels.  Typically we will be using 12-15 pound test on an Ugly Stick fishing rod.   Don’t let this fool you though, you can land a big fish on one of these.  In August 2009 a lady on our trip landed a 62 pound halibut on light tackle and we have had lingcod in the 30-40 pound range.   As far as tackle we use scampy rigs with 3oz to 4oz weights.   By jigging up off of the bottom you can catch blacks, ling cod, cabazon, sea trout, yellow eyes, copper quillbacks, china cod and more.   One thing you can be sure of when fishing in Oregon waters in Bandon, you will have a great time and come back with a good meal.

Tuna Fishing Trips: While fishing for Albacore tuna on the Oregon Coast we fish with squid jigs.  We trail them behind our boat while trolling at 7 to 10 knots.   The tuna fishing is unpredictable.   You can be just cruising along when you hear “Fish On” and you see a rod buried. Our rods are heavy duty fishing poles with Penn 114 reels. We fish 80-120 pound line with heavy duty leaders. Once you hook your first Tuna, you will know why we fish heavy gear. Tuna fishing is like hooking a freight train on a fishing pole. Albacore tuna are the ultimate fighting fish. They are aggressive, strong and fast. As the bite’s on you can be hooked up with 3, 4 or 5 tuna at a time, or even 8. If you want to go fishing for Tuna on the Oregon coast, Prowler Charters is the way to go. If you want to see tuna fishing videos we have those too.

Halibut Fishing: While fishing for Halibut we fish in deep waters. Typically we are fishing 450-600 feet and use heavy duty fishing rods with Penn reels. We us 3-5 pound wights and either squid or herring. The goal when fishing for Halibut is to get right on the bottom. When a halibut hits your rod you know it. These alpha predator fish are not at all happy to find a stainless steel hook set in their mouth. Then the fight is on. Pacific Halibut are broad and powerful and will fight all the way to the surface. They range in size from 18 to 80 pounds with most in the 30-50 pound range.   Fishing for Halibut is definitely one of the best fishing trips you can go on.

Fish Filleting and Vaccuum Sealing: So now you have your catch and you are on your way back into port, what next.   At the docks you will be met by one or more locals that will take care of filleting your catch.  Prices for Halibut and Tuna filleting are 4 or 5 dollars each typically.   Bottom fish filleting is usually $5 per catch.    Once you have your fillets why not head up to the Prowler Charter’s office and we will be glad to divvy up your catch and vaccuum seal them for $1 a bag.  Each bag holds around 1 pound and will be freezer ready.  By having your fish fillets vacuum sealed it will last longer in the freeze and stay fresher.