ling cod on Vancouver Island ?

[BIGHUNTERFISH]

My wife and I are thinking about taking a trip to the Island to do a little fishing.I have a 15 foot welded aluminum boat with a 30 horse and we are intrested in fishing for ling cod and rock fish and dropping a crab trap .Any suggestions for good bottom fishing in calmer waters.
Thanks in advance

[Bow Walker]

If you're fishing out of Nanaimo - fish in and around the Five Finger Islands and/or Snake Island, plenty of lings, and rocks, and some snapper as well. I remember this from when I lived and fished there.

[islandboy]

Check with Fisheries. I called this morning and they said Lings and rockfish are closed until June at the earliest.

Areas 13 to 19 and Subarea 29-5
The fishery for rockfish and lingcod is now closed. The balance of Area 29 is also closed. Listed on 28/09/2007 FN0739 (http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=104913&ID=recreational)

Rockfish conservation is at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Restricted_Areas/rca_e.htm

[Eichelherr]

I think only the west side of the island is open to ling-cod....

once i caught a lingcod with a throwin crab trap from shore....

[Paulyman]

Near the kelp beds always worked for me when i was growing up on the Island.

[Johnnybear]

They have had openings for a few years now on the East side of the Island for Lings. It was shut down for quite a few years. It usually opens on June 1st but is in the "to be announced" stage. Keep checking the regulations now and then as they should make up their minds in a few weeks.

[springpin]

Not living on the Island anymore, so not sure of regs. But, Norris rock on the south end of Hornby is good fishin.

[boxhitch]

I haven't looked a salt regs for a few years now.
Are other bottom fish still open , with a throwback of Lings ?
We used to fish around Parksville/Qualicum in a 12 ft w/ a 10 horse.
Winchelsea Island is one that comes to mind.

[huntergirl270]

Egmont... near the skookumchuk... Keep away from the rapids in your boat though..... (I know this isn't on the island but GREAT blue lings and rockfish!) If you want a guide go along the right of the inlet until you hit a little shack with a bunch of wharves tied together at the water. Call out the name BRUCE and a really nice native guy will take you out in your boat for a couple beers or a few bucks. He used to supply all the fishermen with their live bait years ago. He's got some really good stories to tell too. I had many summers of fishing with him when my grampa preferred to sit on the balcony of his cabin and drink instead of taking me fishing up there. I hear there are a few really nice lodges that have been built recently up there too.
Good luck :)

[tomahawk]

Check for closures regardless of where you want to go, they are coming under a lot of review lately.

[Bow Walker]

When I lived in Nanaimo I used to scuba dive - the best place(s) that I found for Lings, Rocks, and Snappers were Amelia Island and Snake Island.

Amelia is an island just offshore by Northwest Bay. On the inner side it has a "shelf" that is around the 40 foot mark, then it drops off to who-knows-how-deep. Well that drop off is the place to fish/dive. It was like being in a grocery store and looking at the shelves filed with fish. Just choose the biggest and the ugliest - swim up to it and spear the thing right behind the ears. Pick and choose, then harvest. Got a great Snapper there (at about 85 feet), took it to the beach and BBQ'd up lunch.

Snake Island is just outside of Departure Bay, Nanaimo. Directly south of the Five Fingers. It is the top of a steep hill/mountain because the drop off is sudden and steep. The bottom shelves out to about 60 feet and then takes a near vertical drop to around 600 feet (according to the charts IIRC). My first "open water" dive was there. I was following the bottom out to the drop off when I spotted a huge, ugly bullhead-like fish head, laying in the kelp leaves on the bottom at about the 90 foot mark, just staring at me.

"Perfect" I think to myself. I did the spot and stalk thing and drove my spear in just behind his gill plate, up high on the neck. Next thing I knew the kelp started "boiling up" about four and a half feet away, where his tail end was. Yup, a huge bugger! I didn't know it then, but it'd turn out to be the biggest Ling Cod that I'd ever see or get while diving.

Nothing beats fresh ling in the pan. Except fresh crab, crusty bread and a few "wobbly pops"........but that's another story.

[TDoyle]

off of Campbell river (Denim Bay, Hall point, etc) they just opened it up a year or two ago (if i remember correctly).

I used to work at a fish camp up there, some of my buddies still do. I saw some pictures of some big ling from this past summer. - just spent about... 2 hours looking for them. unfortunately i failed. - big fish though.
you might want to double check on the regs there before you go.

oh yeah. also I'm not sure how safe the water is. in fact, I am sure that its not that safe at all. Lots of strong tidal currents, whirl pools, back eddies, etc. if you don't know the waters it can be pretty scary. few years ago a neighboring guide sank his boat in something like 3 minutes after hitting a rock (poor guests). - On second though - might not be the safest place. It is an awesome place if you get the chance though - BEAUTIFUL area.

now that I've had fun procrastinating - i must go get ready to fail my final exam tomorrow :P)

[TDoyle]

Nothing beats fresh ling in the pan. Except fresh crab, crusty bread and a few "wobbly pops"........but that's another story.

If that isn't the truth. . . !

[TDoyle]

here it is!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/501/medium/lingcod.jpg

[mr eagle]

The Deep Bay/Bowser area has very good ling cod fishing in season, and there is some protected water there dependant on wind direction. Norris Rock, Tribune Bay, and Flora are all good places to start there. Herring or other bait works the best, the lings are hesitant to take a jig with the exception of the small ones.

[porcupine]

Not only are there seasonal closures, but there are LOTS of Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCA's) where you are not allowed to fish for ANY species.
________
Yamaha XV250 (http://www.yamaha-tech.com/wiki/Yamaha_XV250)

[Poguebilt]

The Deep Bay/Bowser area has very good ling cod fishing in season, and there is some protected water there dependant on wind direction. Norris Rock, Tribune Bay, and Flora are all good places to start there. Herring or other bait works the best, the lings are hesitant to take a jig with the exception of the small ones.


I fished this area for 25 years! the last few years the seal population really took all the fun out the area. if you go to the area make sure to take the wife to tribune bay... the beach is white sand and has cool rock formations there.

[Johnnybear]

here it is!
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/501/medium/lingcod.jpg

That's a fair sized ling. Where is that taken from? My son (11 years old) is the cod master in my parts (Snake Island). Out fishes me 3 to 1 no problem for the bottom fish.
Jb

[TDoyle]

That's a fair sized ling. Where is that taken from?

I don't know the exact location - somewhere around Big Bay - could be anywhere up to East Thurlows. (NE of Quadra Island.)

I wasn't with them - so I don't know the exact spot.