Lingcod Competition!

So, what happens if someone catches a larger lingcod in the weeks following your qualification? It doesn’t matter! Qualifying lings are determined by the lings caught between Monday and Sunday of any given week, what happens after that does not determine eligibility for someone already qualified.

Once you have qualified, you’re in-it doesn’t matter what other anglers catch in the weeks to come! Some qualifying lings are 5lbs, some 30…it’s what happens on the December fish-off that brings the money!

The last Sunday in November is when qualifications end, and the Lingcod competition fishes the second Saturday of December, weather permitting.

The Ling Cod Competition itself is a totally clean slate! Every contestant has an equal opportunity at reeling in some of that prize money! It’s all about bringing onboard the at least one of the top three biggest lings of the trip, and walking away with $5000, $3000 or $2000 dollars! Top prize has gone to seasoned anglers who spend half the season on the water, and 13-year-old novices just getting into the sport.

This year the Lingcod Competition is sponsored by new Virg’s Landing owners Ron and Lisa Casey. New to the fishing industry, they are proud to continue to offer their customer’s the chance to be entered into the largest pot for amateur anglers on the Central Coast. “This is an iconic part of fishing out of Virg’s and we are excited to be a part of it,” Ron says. “The 2022 competition was a blast, and we are looking forward to making 2023 even bigger and badder!”

The competition is named after Capt. John Rowley, long time skipper at Virg’s Landing and Morro Bay fishing legend. He is now retired in Oregon, but the legacy of all the decades he has spent promoting and fostering ocean fishing on the Central Coast is inescapable. It is his love of sport fishing and the years he spent sharing his love and passion for fishing that makes his name synonymous with the competition!