[tautog]

Over the last twenty years that I have been bottom fishing, winter ling was variable at best. Remember my earlier years on the J 2 12 hr trips often getting a dozen with my one or two keeper cod. Remember the Paramount and D not getting 20 fish total for most of the 2000s. We had that one warm winter about 5 years ago when you could catch a 100 in a day per man if you worked at it. Ling do not like ice cold water in general so you need a warm January to catch some. Size is generally down however even when the bite is good. They are one of the last things without closed seasons, so they get hammered. Open up sea bass again year round and they will get some breathing room.