Although we don’t specifically target rockfish or lingcod on your Alaska fishing trip (except for private charters), fishing for these toothy and toothsome “denizens of the deep” is a great way to wrap up a full-day salmon or halibut charter, as time and enthusiasm allow.

Rockfish – Less Famous Than Halibut or Salmon,
But Still a Treat!

Although there are more than 30 species of rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska, only a few of these are sport-fishing charter targets. They are typically divided into two groups: Pelagic and Non-pelagic.

Pelagic Rockfish

These rockfish are found in open water close to rocky structures and include black (commonly called “black bass”), yellowtail, and dusky rockfish. They are often caught incidentally while salmon fishing near rocky areas.

Non-pelagic Rockfish

Non-pelagic rockfish reside in deep water and are a bottom dwelling fish. Species include yelloweye (commonly called “red snapper”), quillback, silvergray and copper rockfish. These are incidentally caught while halibut fishing.

Rockfish are specifically vulnerable to overharvesting and depletion because of the late age of their sexual maturity (7 to 20 years of age) and their poor ability to survive release because of the presence of a swim bladder. Fish caught closer to the surface may not suffer damage and can better survive release.

Learn more about Alaska rockfish at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.

Fishing for Alaska Rockfish

Alaska Rockfish are fun fish to catch on light tackle, but watch out for those quills! They belong to the family Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes), and once you’ve been poked by one, you’ll know why…

The limit on rockfish is four per person per day (only one of which can be a yelloweye or other non-pelagic rockfish), but we encourage you to fish for and keep only the fish that you plan to eat to help sustain this valuable resource.

Sound good? Reserve your Seward Alaska fishing charter now!

Lingcod – Can a fish that ugly taste that good???

Lingcod are not really cod, but actually belong to the greenling family. They are one of the least attractive but best tasting fish on our Alaska fish menu. They have giant heads that are mostly mouth, which is lined with sharp teeth. They can reach up to five feet in length and weigh upwards of 80 pounds.

Lingcod are ravenous predators and will devour anything, even attacking halibut being reeled in. We have netted them with their mouths around rockfish that we have hooked into and they wouldn’t let go of.

An aspiring ichthyologist? Learn more about Alaska lingcod at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.

Fishing for Alaska Lingcod

On our fishing charter, we typically catch lingcod on scampi jigs (a hook attached to a lead weight and disguised as a squid) in rocky waters. These fish are extremely aggressive, exciting to fight, and delicious to eat -- some Alaskans even prefer lingcod’s tender white meat to that of halibut.

Like rockfish, lingcod are also susceptible to overharvesting. The species is protected by a limited season, which starts July 1. Lingcod fishing is also restricted to waters outside Resurrection Bay and only to fish longer than 35 inches. The limit for lingcod is one per person per day in the Gulf of Alaska and two per person in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet waters.

Sound good? Reserve your Seward Alaska fishing charter now!

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