Succulent salmon fresh from the river have graced Alaska dinner plates for months. Heavenly halibut have been grill fare even longer.
But starting today, a new flavor is available to fish-loving Alaskans -- one that a few aficionados consider the most flavorful of the bunch.
Lingcod longer than 35 inches are once again legal to catch, and charter boat captains like Steve Zernia of Seward will motor out beyond Resurrection Bay this morning in pursuit of lings weighing 50 pounds or more. They've been off-limits all year because lingcod are particularly aggressive defending their spawning beds, making them more susceptible to anglers.
A growing legion of anglers favor lings' fight and flavor. But there are a few things lingcod are not.
Lingcod aren't cod. They're the largest member of the greenling family, which also includes the kelp greenling and the Atka mackerel.
Lingcod aren't pretty. With 18 sharp teeth, wide jaws and the fishy version of a beer belly, they're not easy on the eyes.
Lingcod aren't cagey. There are several reports of big lingcod being reeled in without being hooked -- but refusing to let loose of the smaller hooked fish between its jaws.
More and more seafood lovers seem to fancy the taste.
"At times, I prefer it to halibut, said Zernia, a 17-year veteran with ProFish-n-Sea Charters in Seward. "It's a little more moist, and you don't have to be a gourmet chef to get it right. It tends to be pretty good table fare."
"A lot of folks prefer lingcod over other fish," said Anchorage restaurateur Jens Haagen Hansen. "Lingcod is an ugly fish, but the taste is delightful. It flakes really nice and some cooks like to call it lobster-like. If it is prepared right, it can have that firm feeling."
"My customers tend to like it the best of all the cod," said chef Lloyd Lawie of Bradley House in South Anchorage. "It's a little bland for my taste buds, but lingcod does seem to have a bit more flavor than the true cod."
"There's a niche of people who seek out the lingcod because it's a little tastier," said Dannon Southall of 10th and M Seafoods. "A true cod is so bland in general. But a ling has a little bit of its own distinct flavor."
"They're very good," said Dan Bosch, the North Gulf Coast area management biologist for Fish and Game. "I know people who prefer lingcod over halibut, me included."
As the average size of halibut has dwindled in recent years, some anglers have turned to rockfish and lingcod. The prospect of catching a 30-pound-or-better lingcod can be better than landing a halibut of that size some days.
Sport lingcod harvests by the Seward fleet have grown since 1997. But Bosch said that restricting anglers to fish at least 35 inches long ensures that females will have some breeding years before they become susceptible.
Seward anglers must leave Resurrection Bay to catch lingcod. They're also available in Prince William Sound and out of Homer.
But Bosch has a warning.
Imagine you're reeling up a rockfish and an aggressive lingcod swoops in and grabs the struggling fish. You keep reeling, and before long the big fish is on the deck.
You must release it. That's using rockfish as bait, which is illegal -- even if that wasn't your intent.
The motion of a lead-headed jig worked off the bottom often attract lingcod. Pink and chartreuse work well. Look for areas with strong tidal currents flowing over a reef, where lingcod hang out.
13-pound world record?
Kodiak Mirror reporter Louis Garcia reports that a 13.24-pound starry flounder caught in Pillar Creek off the beach surpassed the International Game Fish Association record by nearly three pounds.
"It's not really a sport fish, it's just a fish you happen to come across," angler Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Brenton Weller told the Mirror.
Weller, an aviation maintenance technician, weighed the fish at Island Seafoods on a certified scale.
"At the time, I didn't realize he was a record. I just kept him for food," Weller told the Mirror. "My friends spurred me on to get it weighed because they were pretty convinced it was a record."
RED DIPPING
Ready to dip but not anxious to drive to Copper River?
You might try the southeastern arm of China Poot Bay, four miles south of the Homer Spit, for red salmon. Often fish pool up there before entering China Poot Creek, the outlet for China Poot Lake.
Reds are stocked in the lake before they move into salt water, returning two or three years later.
A barrier falls some 150 yards upstream prevent the fish from returning to the lake, creating a terminal harvest.
Spoons, spinners and streamers can be effective.
The July personal use dipnet fishery in China Poot is restricted to Alaska residents. The mud flats usually limit access to periods around high tide -- much of the bay goes dry during low tide. Check the Fish and Game regulation book for details.
Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.
Forum: Where are the fish biting?
By MIKE CAMPBELL
mcampbell@adn.com