Lingcod

Lingcod are not true cod at all, they are the biggest member of the greenling family, and their body gives that away fast. Look for a long, torpedo-shaped body, a huge mouth with sharp canine teeth, and a single continuous dorsal fin with a notch in the middle rather than two separate fins. Color runs all over the place, brown, gray, blue-green, even blue-fleshed on the inside, and they carry dark blotches or mottling that helps them blend into rocky bottom. That variable coloring is normal, not a different species.

The most common mix-up is with rockfish, especially the larger greenish or brown species. Rockfish have spiny, often venomous dorsal fins, bigger eyes relative to head size, and a smaller mouth built for picking prey off structure rather than engulfing it. Lingcod have a noticeably bigger, more toothy mouth and a longer, more streamlined body built for ambush speed. Cabezon is the other lookalike, but cabezon lack scales entirely and have a fleshy flap over each eye, while lingcod are scaled and lack that eye flap. If you catch something with a wide, tooth-filled grin and a body shaped like a torpedo, you have a lingcod.

Rocky reefs, kelp beds, and rugged bottom structure along the Pacific coast, from nearshore rock piles down to several hundred feet of water. Lingcod hold tight to boulders, ledges, and drop-offs, waiting to ambush prey rather than roaming open water.

Smaller fish are more common in shallow nearshore rock and kelp, while larger lingcod tend to sit deeper on offshore reefs and pinnacles. They do not migrate far and will stay on a productive piece of structure for a long time, which is good news once you find one.

Lingcod eat other fish, plain and simple. Herring, small rockfish, sculpins, sanddabs, and even smaller lingcod are all fair game. They also take squid and octopus. The mouth is enormous for the body size, and they are not shy about attacking something nearly as big as they are.

Fish the bottom on rocky structure. A heavy jig or a big soft plastic swimbait on a leadhead, dropped straight to the reef and worked with a lift-and-fall retrieve near the bottom, is the standard approach. Bait fishermen do well with a whole herring or a large chunk of fish on a leader above a sliding sinker, fished right on the structure.

Lingcod hit hard and often follow a lure up before striking, so many anglers add a second, smaller jig or bait a few feet above the main lure to trigger a following fish. Because they hold so tight to rock, expect to lose gear. Fish heavier tackle than you think you need, both to horse them off the bottom and to handle their sharp teeth and strong jaws.

Regulations on lingcod are strict in many areas, with size limits, bag limits, and seasonal closures common along the coast. Check your state's current rules before you keep one.