Pacific Cod MA 6

I was reviewing the WA regulations when I saw that pacific cod, hake, and pollock are open. Two of each species is the daily limit. I have never tried to fish for them and I am going to give it a try. Does anyone have any experience fishing for them and know where to find them. I was thinking about going out of Port Townsend and trying in about 300 feet of water. I am going to use a shrimp fly rig and a jig. There was a lot of videos of people in the UK using them with great results on YouTube. Any thoughts from anyone out there?

Not to say it can't be done. But I've never heard of anyone catching one of those... You could be the first. Perhaps one of the more experienced guys will chime in.

Correction, I will only be fishing 120 feet. But it's all good the guys in the UK were getting them at 85 feet. I don't think it has been open for years as year round fishery. This mite be a great winter fishery as we wait for summer salmon season.

I say try it. One thing I learned this year is that there a lot of untapped fisheries in the PNW.

I caught one a few years ago in 130 ft of water mooching a herring off West Point in the Puget Sound.

Back in the 80's there used to be great winter spawning runs of P-cod into the Puget Sound.  Anyone else here remember the Agate Pass fishery?  There used to be smaller runs around Port Townsend and down south at Dalco Passage.

Any one else remember the old Dogfish Charters?  They used to score the P-cod and Pollack out at Point Defiance.

-Allen

We saw a few get pulled up by motorboaters by Freshwater Bay when targeting halibut this past year.

Back in the 80's there used to be great winter spawning runs of P-cod into the Puget Sound.  Anyone else here remember the Agate Pass fishery?  There used to be smaller runs around Port Townsend and down south at Dalco Passage.

Any one else remember the old Dogfish Charters?  They used to score the P-cod and Pollack out at Point Defiance.

-Allen

I remember Dogfish Charters!  Showing my age, I guess.  I remember a time (as a kid, of course), when you could count on catching a couple salmon, maybe a couple cod, and the pollock were everywhere.  The pollock were good eating, but a lot of people considered them just one step above a dogfish.
Unfortunately, because of the unregulated Indian fishing and almost unregulated commercial and bottomfish charter fishing back then,  all that has changed in my lifetime.  I think I've only caught (and released) one little  cod, and zero pollock, in the last ten years in the South Sound - never caught one in MA 6, but have only been there a handful of times.

Caught them fishing for other species. But when I do find a school I whack em with the Point Wilson Dart. Those fish get aggressive and school up sometimes. Best of luck

I made it out there for a couple of hours today. I didn't get to the dept I wanted due to the weather threat of gale force wind in the near term forecast. The wind couldn't make up its mind today. So I hung around the kelp beds and ended up catching a greenling and a small ling cod. Also if you have never launched out of Fort Walden, the tide rips off of point wilson. I had a lot of fun getting through it.

Back in the 80's there used to be great winter spawning runs of P-cod into the Puget Sound.  Anyone else here remember the Agate Pass fishery?  There used to be smaller runs around Port Townsend and down south at Dalco Passage.

Any one else remember the old Dogfish Charters?  They used to score the P-cod and Pollack out at Point Defiance.

-Allen

I remember Dogfish Charters!  Showing my age, I guess.  I remember a time (as a kid, of course), when you could count on catching a couple salmon, maybe a couple cod, and the pollock were everywhere.  The pollock were good eating, but a lot of people considered them just one step above a dogfish.
Unfortunately, because of the unregulated Indian fishing and almost unregulated commercial and bottomfish charter fishing back then,  all that has changed in my lifetime.  I think I've only caught (and released) one little  cod, and zero pollock, in the last ten years in the South Sound - never caught one in MA 6, but have only been there a handful of times.

Let's not blame the Native Americans on this one.  I don't believe they had a large impact on this fishery.  Both commercial and sport fishing had a big impact.  Personally, I believe it is something more systemic.  Not only was there a reduction in p-cod and pollack, but even more junky fish like hake reduced dramatically, without being a target fishery.

-Allen

I tend to agree with Allen. Since they are not being targeted now, it seems you would be catching more incidentally when fishing for ling and halibut.  But...I don't know much about the history of the fishery.  I did catch one last summer off of west beach deception pass in about 30 feet of water just off shore.  Happy new year.

I tend to agree with Allen. Since they are not being targeted now, it seems you would be catching more incidentally when fishing for ling and halibut.  But...I don't know much about the history of the fishery.  I did catch one last summer off of west beach deception pass in about 30 feet of water just off shore.  Happy new year.

How big, or small, was it?  At that depth, I'm suspecting it was a Tomcod, also once prevalent in Puget Sound.

-Allen

Small. 14-16 inches. I didn't take any pics. When I got home. I checked the wsdfw pics. It looked like a pacific/ true cod. With the spots and the lower jaw whisker

Man, this thread after I read it is a little scary.  To hear pollock and Pcod discussed as some type of endangered fish seems insane from an Alaska perspective but it just goes to show you should never take anything fro granted.

They are amazingly good fish.  I put 250 pounds of halibut fillets in the freezer.  Gave away and ate 150 pounds already.  I still bought a 30 lbs case of vacuum packed 8oz pacific cod fillet from a commercial processor last spring and its mostly gone.  I think we prefer it to halibut...only if someone else cleans it.  I try not to ever bring P-cod home uncleaned because my kids will stop eating fish if they saw it I think.  Lol.

As far as the pollock goes,I am currently trying to get 15,000 metric tons or 33 million pounds fished in the Aleutians Islands starting January 1.  I have 7,500MT left but it has to be fished with boats under 60ft.  Hmm...kayaks anyone??  lol.