trolling for lingcod

hey everybody,

I decided I want to try trolling for lingcod.  Any tips regarding set-up and lures?  How heavy a weight to use?  The biggest I have at the moment is 6oz - I was thinking to rig that up on a 3-way swivel with a big rebel broken-back minnow.  Or am I better off trooching with, say a 4 or 5 oz banana rigged on the main line?
 
Thanks!

Chris

use more like 10-16oz.

J

use a live jacksmelt, blue, olive or anything with a wiggle.  a double treble hook rig should work nicely.  one goes topdown through the nose, the other gets rubber banded around the tail and drags free.  use a standard copper salmon sinker release with a 1-2 pound weight.  5-10 feet off the bottom should work well.  dragging or bouncing the weight on the bottom would attract more fish, but you'll loose alot of sinkers.  an rsk will also work, as will a hoochie and flasher.  lots of options. 

I have use a Braid Slammer 4oz.  I would drop it down to the bottom and then paddle from one high spot to another at Half Moon Bay.  Got 3 legal lings this way .  It was not bouncing on the bottom and do not know what depth it was.  But, it did work.

Ken Kickfish

Thanks.  For some reason I was thinking more along the lines of trolling a lure . . but next time I'll bring a sabiki along and try to get some bait.  I also have a flasher/hootchie set-up I want to try out.  I need to get back to the shop, though, and get a couple of bigger weights.  I want to avoid releasing sinkers . .but I was thinking about maybe taking a very short, stout rod with a monster reel and strapping it to the deck and tieing it to a 2lb cannon ball . .kind of like a ghetto downrigger or something . . I'm not sure about that one.

I found a old back half of a rod (reel seat half) and cut it down to fit the width of my kayak.  Cut the handle side.  Used a old baitcaster reel with 30 or 65lb test braid on it. My Yak has two brass eyelets in front of me and tie it down with tie straps. I use it to troll for trout.  Could use it for salmon if they ever show up at Linda Mar.

I feel Lings are on the move a very short time.  They stay near they holes and wait for things to come by.  I lure a braid slammer 4 oz with 30lb braid.  To bounce the bottom with.  Some guys like the big grubs with the leadheads.

I just feel you lose more rockcod on that outfit.  But, if you want to troll go ahead.  Just remember to tighten the drag trolling (on the fishing rod) to set the hook and back it off after getting the ling off the bottom.  Also, keep a lose drag on your downrigger....just in case of snags.

Ken kickfish

I've had decent luck using a basic halibut ball bounce type setup, with a 3 way swivel and a 6-10oz weight. Seems like I catch a lot of lings with this just before the RF/ling/cab season opens while I am fishing for halibut but drift into a rocky area.
-Sean