New lingcod rules

[shaggie]

Check out the new rules for lingcod in Washington State this year:

LINGCOD

May 1-June 15 Hook and line season only. Min. size 26". Max. size 36". Daily limit 1.


May 21-June 15 Spearfishing season only. Min. size 26". Max. size 36". Daily limit 1.

Kind of hard to make those ling stay still to measure them before you shoot them!

[North Star]

Gonna be a lot of ling cod left on the bottom of the ocean with spear holes in them. Fortunately they usually sit still long enough to get a good look at them to estimate size, but a mistake can be and has been made by many.

Just be as careful as you can and think before you shoot. Seeing one and letting it swim away is still a score in my book - you took it in your memory bank, even if it isn't in the freezer.

[Tiburon]

Being able to keep only 1 ling makes me wonder if it is even worth it...... by the way those limits only apply within the sound. If you go out to the ocean its 2 per day (I think).

[pablo]

The only change this year is that in the Sound lings have to be 26" - 36", in line with what line fishers have to abide with. We were told that the regs this year would be in line with hook and line fishermen - and we thought that meant that the season would be just as long. Wrong we were! They kept the 3-week season for us and added the length restriction. Divers used to be able to spear any ling size in the Sound. In Ocean waters the length limit was and is still 24". Silly in my estimation.

[dive0saur]

It's really sad to hear this. I know the hope is that this will help the species populations but I can't see how. All I can see happening is like North Star said, there is going to be a lot of Lings left on the bottom. In fact if you think about it, those who are going to go fish will be much more likely to kill a fish and when the size doesn't fit, continue fishing.. resulting in much more waste then if they were allowed to keep their original catch. I can only speak for myself when I say that this sort of waste is not what spearfishing is about but I can only assume there will be cases where this waste does happen. Be smart out there guys.

[shaggie]

I supose my shears might come in handy for something else besides cutting fishing line. ;- )

[abever]

Since moving to the east coast, I have had to estimate fish sizes before shooting, as the spearfishing size restrictions are the same size as the hook and line, as it should be. I have let tasty fish go becuase they may not have been quite large enough.

If you are really considering shooting anything and then leaving it on the bottom you should consider not even going. Also, look around at all the fishing closures in the US and try to keep that kind of crap off the internet. Otherwise the lingcod spearfishing season will not exist.

[shaggie]

Actually it's not the slot limit that bothers me so much (as most ling shot around the Seattle area are under 36" anyways) but, if the fish and wildlife dept want to put spearfishing rules in alignment with hook and line, then our season should be the same length also.

[no excuses]

I have had to estimate fish sizes before shooting, as the spearfishing size restrictions are the same size as the hook and line, as it should be. I have let tasty fish go becuase they may not have been quite large enough.

If you are really considering shooting anything and then leaving it on the bottom you should consider not even going. Also, look around at all the fishing closures in the US and try to keep that kind of crap off the internet. Otherwise the lingcod spearfishing season will not exist.

X2

I would rather get the ticket then leave it on the bottom, yeh it will get eaten by something but thats still not right..

[pablo]

Actually it's not the slot limit that bothers me so much (as most ling shot around the Seattle area are under 36" anyways) but, if the fish and wildlife dept want to put spearfishing rules in alignment with hook and line, then our season should be the same length also.

That is exactly what we are trying to accomplish. There is absolutely no reason for the discrepancy.