Ling or Cod?

[The Great Wallsendo]

Got to admit, I'm not a fan of Ling personally

Slimey, toothy and quite hard to dispatch...couple that and they're a bitch to fillet

Much rather have a Cod any day...or in fact any other fish

It's always the fear when using bait that you'll attract a Ling onto your hook

They're ok in terms of eating but all other reasons outlined above outweigh this for me

[Codfather]

I think the ling put up more of a fight in the boat than in the water, just get hold of the hook and they start to roll and twist.

We usually put the ling back so when we think we've hooked a one ( good fight at first then mostly just a dead weight ) we reel in slowly to try and stop the swim bladder going so they go back alright.
But sometimes you can't unhook the big ones without knocking them on the head, more than once, so they get kept then. Like you say slimy things tho.

Had some right scraps.

So Cod for me.

[Wasabi]

I think the ling put up more of a fight in the boat than in the water, just get hold of the hook and they start to roll and twist.

We usually put the ling back so when we think we've hooked a one ( good fight at first then mostly just a dead weight ) we reel in slowly to try and stop the swim bladder going so they go back alright.
But sometimes you can't unhook the big ones without knocking them on the head, more than once, so they get kept then. Like you say slimy things tho.

Had some right scraps.

So Cod for me.

I prefer ling

cod s..ts all over the boat and stinks. I also dont like the uneven fillets...and its not really that cod fight like hell.
also cod is too easy to catch. It is one of the most tricky challenges to catch a large ling over 10 pounds...they go back into the wreck, if you sleep.

filleting?! I use an old towel to hold the ling whilst filleting. I just filleted 4 ling and had no bother.

In order of fight, flesh qualtity etc, here is my list (not reagarding rare fish like Haddock)

1. Pollock
2. Ling
3. Cod
4. Coalie
5. Pouting
6. Whiting

[Codfather]

I agree pollock fight well compared to cod, although the best fight out of the fish on your list I've had would have been a double figure coalie that stripped line off the reel a few times, put up a hell of a fight.

The last couple of years we have been getting more big ling than cod, even catching decent ling on shads.

[canman]

I think it would be cod for me. I don't do a lot of deep wrecking nowadays, but I find a 4-5lb cod puts up a good scrap all the way to the surface in 50ft of water and a bit tide on a light rod, although I don't find them particulally tasty, that crown would go to gurnard for me. mmmmmmmmm!

[Charlton]

far better tasting than bland cod, cod almost as bland as salmon, quite easy to fillett as well, wipe the slime off with a wire scouring pad, put ling on palnk of wood or long bench, if a big un off with its head with the cleever then chop in half and then fillett as normal.

[northeast1]

Ling for me, thou they have been so few and far between this year from all known ling marks.

[KeithB]

I prefer Ling to eat, I find the tastiest part of a cod supper is the batter

Not as easy to fillet though, probably best filleted the next day (according to John the fillet man RIP )

[northeast1]

Tried for ling today for 2hrs not a sniff on the bait ling wise, bloody cod kept taken it

[Tadpoleman]

Both and lots of them

[Hadji Kareem]

I was out on the famous from Hartlepool on Thursday with a load of mates. There was plenty of ling and cod. Got my PB 107cm ling for 14lb on the nose. Cracking day, cracking boat. Cheers Dave.

[Joe-m]

for me personally cod for eating every time, fight quality pound for pound coalfish takes the trophy, yes pollock give one or two ferocious dive's then give up, coalfish have the stamina