Lingasaurus!

[Nelly]

We jokingly talked about a Puget Sound "sea monster" on Saturday's show but little did we know that our next time out on the bay we would have a "big" experience ling cod fishing

Bailey the black lab saw it come up first and she had her best "what the heck is that" look on her face!

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Nick Kester of All Star Charters took a ride today on board Great White and mugs for the camera with the lingasaurus.

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Tale of the tape: This big gal was well over the 36" upper size limit, measuring out well over 40"

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The weather and tides this week definitely spell "GO TIME" for the Puget Sound ling season which runs until June 15th!

[PAINKILLER]

nice job Nick is a stud when it comes to lings!!

[Billgo4th]

Nice work! freaking awesome!!

[onwhiskeycreek]

That's one nice Ling....... But it's obvious that Baily must have put you on the fish.
Gary

[quickspin77]

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[Nelly]

That's a darn nice ling too!!!!

[Smalma]

Impressive lings!
Getting up and personal with such fish is an awesome experience!

Those big old gals (all the larger fish are females) are the backbone of the future of ling fishing. They have huge fecundities (often more than 1/2 million eggs) and under favorable conditions a health population of large females can produce large year classes of a young recruits for the future of the species and our fishing. Please respect those valuable fish.

In a related matter have others noticed that those 26 to 34 inch fish that should be the backbone of the legal PS ling fishing are at low abundances for central Sound? I believe that the 3 year classes that would have contributed to that portion of the population have been weak. Unfortunately the next two classes (sub-legal size) also appear to be weak. Does not bode well for the fishery in the next few years or replacement of those large breeds down the road.

Curt

[quickspin77]

She was handled very gently and respected for all that she brings to sustaining the fishery. A beautiful lady to see on my May 1st birthday! Released back totally unharmed and happy!

[Nelly]

Impressive lings!
Getting up and personal with such fish is an awesome experience!
... have others noticed that those 26 to 34 inch fish that should be the backbone of the legal PS ling fishing are at low abundances for central Sound? I believe that the 3 year classes that would have contributed to that portion of the population have been weak. Unfortunately the next two classes (sub-legal size) also appear to be weak. Does not bode well for the fishery in the next few years or replacement of those large breeds down the road.

Curt

I hear you Curt. I think the last couple of years have been very good and there are definitely lings out there to be had.
There are certainly more folks out there doin' it and I hope we're not lovin' our lings to...well...you know