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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2018)
PAGE B2, KEIZERTIMES, NOVEMBER 2, 201d Fall is for eating Lings by G.I. Wilson “Hurry and get healed up from that surgery. Found a new hotspot.” You could feel the excitement in Donald’s voice. “We have landed 10 le- gal-size lingcod in an hour. Not another boat in sight.” October is prime time. Outdoor enthusiasts are in overload mode; deer, elk, up- land bird and water fowl sea- sons open, and estuaries are packed with salmon anglers and crabbers. On top of this: football season and the World Series. One needs a spreadsheet to make it through the months of October and No- vember. Great time to head for the lingcod reefs. Donald Koskela, of Pas- time Fishing Adventures, and Charlie Foster, of North- west Sturgeon Adventures, have decided to take a “fi sh- ing guide’s holiday” and hit the ocean for lingcod. Rick Gardner, of Salem, is invited to join them. Most people that eat fi sh frequently say lingcod is the fi nest eating white fi sh in the ocean. Lingcod fi shing is typ- ically open year-round. It has closed at times when ODF&W feels the rock fi sh- ery has been over harvested. Lings can be found on most reefs along the Pacifi c MAN CODE Northwest coast. They patrol the rocky ledges of reefs. “There are more lings on the inshore reefs than there have ever been,” Longtime commercial fi sherman, and Oregon State Fisheries gurus explain, as he is cleaning two coolers of rod and reel-land- ed lings. “They should increase the limits. Let sports anglers har- vest them.” Winter months are pop- ular with lingcod anglers. Boaters work the rocky reefs along the coast, fi shing wa- ters 50-100 feet deep. Main challenges can be winter storms and a rough ocean. Dockside Charters, of Depoe Bay, offers trips that fi sh reefs as deep as 600 feet. They catch huge lings. Don Lebold, owner of Town and Country Lanes, has shared photos of some of the mon- sters. Bank anglers hook lings from rocky shores. Anglers catch them along the steep rocks in Depoe Bay. For this October trip Koskela has decided to try deeper waters away from the inshore fi shery. He has used charts to locate reefs at 200 feet, surrounded by much deeper water. As soon as two jigs hit bottom, two hookups. Ten landed in the next hour. It is a matter of not set- tling for a “legal size” fi sh, but choosing the ones you want to keep. Lings are voracious pred- ators. They will strike any- thing that enters their space. “It’s a matter of using something with fl ash and color,” Koskela explains. “Sound is extremely import- ant. You want something to bang off the bottom to get their attention.” “Lings are vicious pred- ators. We will often hook a small fi sh, and a big ling will grab onto that fi sh.” Koskela adds, “They are like a bull dog. Once they sink those razor sharp teeth in, they hang on. We have hooked good, le- gal size lings, and have larger lings latch on, and land both of them.” “Key is, don’t lift the head out of the water. Net them both below the surface. Lift the head out of the water, he’s gone.” Basically, it is a matter of locating the reef, make a slow drift across it, bouncing your offering off the bottom. Can’t fi nd them on that reef, hit the next one until you locate fi sh. Koskela will catch fi sh on a reef, if the bite slows or stops, move to a nearby reef for a while, then return to the previous reef and catch ling. Obviously, good electron- ics-and knowing how to use them-is crucial. Dependable gear is essen- tial. Koskela uses 65# braid- ed line. You will hang up on rocks and have to break line. It is crucial you learn how to do a fast wrap, around some- thing like your fi sh club, and break the line or hook, or you will lose all your line, possibly destroy a reel. You will need an assort- ment of jigs and colorful plastic worms. You will lose gear. Some days, a lot. Serious ling fi shermen learn to make their own. Tons of “how to” informa- tion is readily available. Newport is one of the more popular boater des- tinations because there are so many reefs within a few miles. Depoe Bay is popular. Not as many reefs. Dockside Charters runs half day char- ters. They seem to focus more on rock fi sh than lings. Several dory boat charters operate out of Pacifi c City. Good news there, is you will be fi shing close-in reefs, and very few boats. Plus, thrilling launches on the beach. An Oregon fi shing license is required. Your catch does not have to be recorded like salmon, halibut and sturgeon. Bag limit is two fi sh per day. Size limit is minimum 22 inches. There is no upper size limit. Koskela will sometimes dump out crab pots in the ocean while fi shing for lings. Talk about a gourmet meal– fresh lingcod and Dungeness crab. Soon as the doctor releases Submitted Lings can be found on most reefs along the Pacifi c Northwest coast, patrolling the rocky ledges. me, going to be out there. A Wilson house favorite: Cut 8 ounce skinless lingcod LESSON 1: THE ELEMENTS OF a Perfect Proposal PERFECT LOCATION PERFECT WEATHER crossword PERFECT MATCH PERFECT HAIR THAT PERFECT RING Only at the Area's #1 Bridal Jeweler DON'T FORGET B OUCHER JEWELERS DIAMONDS 503-393-0701 4965 River Road N Monday – Friday 9 to 6 Saturday 9 to 5 fi llet into 4 pieces. In shal- low bowl combine 1/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1-1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese. In another shallow bowl beat 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water. Heat nonstick skillet on medium, spray with cooking spray. Dip fi llets in egg mix- ture, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Cook un- til golden. Spray tops with cooking spray. Turn and cook until gold- en. Enjoy!
