Lingcod on the spawn

Last week I did a trip to Depoe Bay. The fishing was okay, I kept 1 lingcod (threw back 4 keeper size) and my buddy kept 2 lingcod. When we brought them home to fillet, we learned that all were males.

I had heard alot of talk about the big females being on the spawn right now. That got me curious about how lingcod spawn. I had no idea. I did some quick and dirty research.

I learned that lingcod spawn between January and March. They gather along rocky reefs affected by wave action or strong tidal currents and lay eggs in crevices along the reef. Then the females leave and the males stay to guard the nests. With most eggs hatching between March and May.

So I assume that at least one of the males that we kept was likely guarding a nest of future lingcod eggs.

I guess I am surprised that Oregon allows the fishery to be open during the spawn. Anyone else surprised by this?

I did some research and learned that California is closed January thru April. Washington is closed mid-October to mid-March. Alaska is closed December thru mid-May.

I really like the opportunity to get out in the middle of winter and catch some bottomfish. Does Oregon have a surplus or above average lingcod fishery?

I'm probably gonna get a bunch of hate mail for this.

It wasn't always good ling cod fishing here on the Oregon coast.   Here' s a good article to read that might explain things:   https://www.nrtoday.com/townnews/food/spring-is-the-hot-time-to-catch-lingcod-off-the-oregon-coast/article_f1ddfaa6-65ee-58e6-b422-c22630d6cbe7.html

Washington State is quite different with its ling cod seasons because of accessability in Puget Sound and the number of anglers.  I lived up there in the 1980's and 90's.   The ling fishery got pummeled during that time hence the restrictions in many of the marine areas.

A stock assessment for lingcod came out last year: https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2021/12/status-of-lingcod-ophiodon-elongatus-along-the-northern-u-s-west-coast-in-2021-december-2021.pdf/

According to the assessment, the estimated lingcod spawning biomass is currently on a downward trend. However, it has remained above the management target since the late 1990s. Fishing pressure has remained relatively steady for the last decade. So unless something dramatic happens to send the spawning biomass estimate into freefall, we're free to pluck males off nests during the spawn.

My handful of February lingcod trips have all yielded similar results: small to mid-size male lingcod were biting, but the big females were not. The few times I've fished in December and January were lights-out on big female lings. It brings spawning black bass to mind: post-spawn female bass can be damn hard to catch, especially compared to when they're in pre-spawn. Maybe the big female lings behave similarly to the female bass?

A stock assessment for lingcod came out last year: https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2021/12/status-of-lingcod-ophiodon-elongatus-along-the-northern-u-s-west-coast-in-2021-december-2021.pdf/

According to the assessment, the estimated lingcod spawning biomass is currently on a downward trend. However, it has remained above the management target since the late 1990s. Fishing pressure has remained relatively steady for the last decade. So unless something dramatic happens to send the spawning biomass estimate into freefall, we're free to pluck males off nests during the spawn.

My handful of February lingcod trips have all yielded similar results: small to mid-size male lingcod were biting, but the big females were not. The few times I've fished in December and January were lights-out on big female lings. It brings spawning black bass to mind: post-spawn female bass can be damn hard to catch, especially compared to when they're in pre-spawn. Maybe the big female lings behave similarly to the female bass?

Great info. Chris!
-Mark-

Thanks for the info.

I learned that lingcod spawn between January and March. They gather along rocky reefs affected by wave action or strong tidal currents and lay eggs in crevices along the reef. Then the females leave and the males stay to guard the nests. With most eggs hatching between March and May.

So I assume that at least one of the males that we kept was likely guarding a nest of future lingcod eggs.

I am not a Marine Biologist but my results (2 males late January, 2 males yesterday, all pre-spawn) lead me to believe that the males that have spawned and guarding eggs might not be 'on the bite'.

Assuming there is an excess of males in the 20"-28" range, getting desperate to spawn, I think it makes sense they might hit basically anything.. 

Out of the 10+ lingcod I landed yesterday, only two of them were females. They were both post-spawn. I don't know the condition of the males, beyond that they weren't jizzing all over the place (I've had the males do that when they're "ready to pop").

It's also possible that the males stake out and guard a nest prior to a female showing up. The idea being that a male would attempt to coerce a female into spawning with him. While he's sitting there waiting for a prospective mate, he could be aggressively defending his "future" nest. I'm just guessing that lingcod spawning behavior is somewhat similar to that of black bass, which I'm more familiar with.

If the lingcod-black bass spawning similarities hold true, I'd expect the nest-guarding males to be just as aggressive as a male black bass guarding a nest. As in, they'll grab anything they perceive as a threat. I don't see how a passive male lingcod would result in a successful nest. They have to fend off all manner of predators, be it sculpins, greenlings, crabs, etc. And the only weapon they have is their tooth-filled mouth.

Out of the 10+ lingcod I landed yesterday, only two of them were females. They were both post-spawn. I don't know the condition of the males, beyond that they weren't jizzing all over the place (I've had the males do that when they're "ready to pop").

It's also possible that the males stake out and guard a nest prior to a female showing up. The idea being that a male would attempt to coerce a female into spawning with him. While he's sitting there waiting for a prospective mate, he could be aggressively defending his "future" nest. I'm just guessing that lingcod spawning behavior is somewhat similar to that of black bass, which I'm more familiar with.

If the lingcod-black bass spawning similarities hold true, I'd expect the nest-guarding males to be just as aggressive as a male black bass guarding a nest. As in, they'll grab anything they perceive as a threat. I don't see how a passive male lingcod would result in a successful nest. They have to fend off all manner of predators, be it sculpins, greenlings, crabs, etc. And the only weapon they have is their tooth-filled mouth.

you are, no surprise, correct. 

the 'swarm' of pre-spawn male lingcod that I encountered near Simpson reef were almost certainly not guarding nests based on where I hooked them. 6 hooked up while I was tapping sandy bottom away from rocks and another 3 were roaming up in the water column- I would load up a fresh bait, drop it halfway to the bottom, rod into a holder real quick so I could wipe my hands or take a drink of coffee, and the rod bends to the water, line peeling out. Normal day, this would be a good sized black rockfish but not last Friday, just another mid-20's lingcod. Just 3 of my lingcod and the cabby came while I was working over rocks.

I was trying hard to find more rockfish and hopefully a post-spawn female but alas, it wasn't to be....