SUSTAINABILITY: Great choice if you are looking for a fishto eat- not as slow growing as rockfish, don’t have a swim bladder, so undersized respond well to release= sustainable. Lingcod stock was overfished in the late ‘90s, but because Lings are fast-growing and relatively short-lived they respond well to management and rebuilding plans- their population in California is now doing great. Catch them yourself, buy from a small-scale hook and line commercial fisherman or buy from a CSF. Large drag boats that can catch these damage ocean bottom habitat.
Range: They are found only off the west coast of North America from the Gulf of Alaska down to Baja California- common off the California coast
Habitat: Found in rocky reef and kelp forest habitat from 10-300 ft depths
Diet: Lingcod are voracious ambush predators, eating rockfish, squid, baitfish, crustaceans and even smaller lings
Age: Females mature at 3yrs old/30”, males at 2yrs/20”-these fish can live to around 20 yrs old
Description/Natural History: elongated body, huge head with18 very sharp large teeth, base color is either tanish/white/brown or bright electric blue with copper bronze mottling along back, large pectoral (side)fins they use for sitting on/near the ocean floor waiting to ambush prey.Solitary and stay within a small home zone unless spawning. Spawn in winter-females lay eggs in crevices in shallow rocky areas; males guard the eggs for8-10 weeks.
Hexagrammidae family- close relatives are the greenlings
California Recreational Fishing Regs: 3 fish 22” or more in length. The 22” length restriction protects immature fish and allows fish to spawn at least once before getting caught. A winter fishing closure protects these fish while coming close to shore to spawn and nest
