blackcod?

[kodiakcombo]

what king of fish is this? we get these this time of year close to shore trolling and jigging, usually a bunch of em.

[Anythingalaska]

Not a blackcod...not sure what type of fish that is.

[Trakn]

Could be a pollock? I can tell by the eye on those but can't quite see the eye in your picture. Looks like a over grown tomcod!!
roud:

[kodiakcombo]

another pic

here is another picture, no chin barb like Pcod, not a pollock, greenish back, white belly, bloody white meat.

[Uncle Zeek]

Sure does look like small sablefish ('black cod') in both photos. Someone on here told me that the smaller ones migrate to shallower water at a given time of the year.

Mind if I ask what depth range you're catching these in, and what kind of bottom structure? (i.e. gravel, sand, mud, rock?)

[kodiakcombo]

Sure does look like small sablefish ('black cod') in both photos. Someone on here told me that the smaller ones migrate to shallower water at a given time of the year.

Mind if I ask what depth range you're catching these in, and what kind of bottom structure? (i.e. gravel, sand, mud, rock?)

Gravel beaches, 20-35ft they follow the gear to the surface.

[BrownBear]

Yup, juvenile black cod. We get a whole lot of them in the 15"-20" range each year in Kalsin Bay. First show up in late July in about 30' of water over a sand bottom at the small end of that size range, and over the next month move deeper and deeper as they grow. Last we caught were last week in 90'. All ours have been close to bottom on jigs, rather than trolling, and I've never seen them on the surface like you describe. Different location and different behavior, I'm sure.

Do you recall way back when (mid-1980's if I recall correctly) when there was a brief flurry of aerial salmon spotting for seiners around the island? Twice that summer a bud's spotter set him on schools they thought were pinks, and it turned out to be these small black cod. Once in Kalsin and once somewhere down on the south end, if memory serves.

Just as a side note, we can (and do) really load up on these little guys when we find them. Doesn't take half an hour to fill a 5 gallon bucket. Head and gut as you land them, then lightly smoke. Oh my!:topjob:

[Anythingalaska]

They must really darken up as they mature; I've never seen one so lightly colored. But that's got to be what it is.

[Uncle Zeek]

They must really darken up as they mature; I've never seen one so lightly colored. But that's got to be what it is.

I got to thinking (sure does hurt when I do that!), and looked up a few photos online. Take a look at this link, in particular the second entry down the page dated 9/19/2011: https://mlmlblog.wordpress.com/categ...tured-authors/

Apparently the juveniles have that pacific mackerel green and do darken up as they age. I've been borderline obsessed with sablefish for the past couple of years and have been studying all the information I can lay hands on about them. Now I've learned something new!

[homerdave]

blackcod?

I have heard rumors of young black cod showing up in K-bay occasionally. Boy I would love to get into a bunch of those. I'd fill the smoker so fast your head would spin!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AKCAPT]

We catch tem in Seward by the hundreds. They are great to eat. Ifyou just cut the head off and pull tHe guts out ( eastern cut) put them under the broiler until the skin is crispy and drizzle Yoshidas on them.... Serve over sticky rice.... You are in for a treat!