Limit Out On The Salmon? Go For The Lings!

Silver (coho) fishing in Ketchikan can be phenomenal from July through September.  So what do you do when you and your buddies have limited out on 24 coho salmon before 10:30 AM?  Go bottom fishing!  You can find a spot to halibut fish in nearly all weather conditions – just find a spot that’s not too rough, drop anchor, throw out a bunch of scope and start soaking big baits. But successful Lingcod Fishing requires a slow current and little or no wind to make the perfect drift over rock piles and steep ledges where these bucket heads live.  So if you have good weather and a slack tide go for the Lingcod.

The 43″ Lingcod  pictured above was caught in Ketchikan by an angler from Oregon state who traveled to our Alaska fishing lodge yesterday to do a little self-guided sport fishing. After limiting out on coho salmon in the morning he and his buddies spent a little time bottom fishing for Halibut and Cod.  His catch of the day = Six Silver salmon and one Lingcod.  Bonus!

Alaska Sport Fishing Bag Limits in the Ketchikan Area:
The 2018 bag limit for Cohos is six per day and the bag limit for Lingcod is one per day between 30″-45″ or over 55″. The bag limit for halibut is two per day  for self-guided anglers and one per day for guided anglers.  2019 bag limits are expected to be the same.