The Lingcod is a unique fish that has a genus all to its self.
It is a long, slender fish, usually brownish tan to greenish in color, with a pale belly. It has a large head and mouth with very strong jaws and many sharp conical teeth it uses for grasping and holding on to thrashing prey until it dies, so that it may swallow the prey whole. These voracious fish are known for eating just about anything and will commonly latch onto an anglers hooked rockfish and not let go.
Lingcod are usually found in rocky, high relief, high current areas with an abundance of available rockfish or other prey. They range from Alaska to southern California, and like the Pacific Halibut, attain a larger maximum size on the northern end of their range. Maximum size is nearly 5 feet long and 80 pounds. Females grow much larger than males, in fact, almost all Lingcod over 16 pounds are females. This species is an important commercial and recreational fish due to its excellent firm, white flesh and sporting fight on rod and reel.
