Biggest lingcod caught by Robbie Hammond set world record

[August 1] NINILCHIK, Alaska--A 20-year-old angler on his first fishing trip to Alaska caught a world-record lingcod Friday about 80 miles south of Ninilchik, Alaska.

  Photo:
Robbie Hammond poses next to his 82.6 pound world-record lingcod caught Friday about 80 miles south of Ninilchik.   

   The large female, caught by Robbie Hammond from Discovery Bay, Calif., weighed 82.6 pounds and measured 55 inches long. It beat the old record fish, caught in 2002 by Charles Curney, by just 1 pound.


   "I feel very lucky," said Hammond, who also caught a 124-pound halibut Thursday.

    Generally, fish tend to lose moisture and weight the longer they are removed from water. Nearly five hours after it was caught, including an 80-mile boat ride and a 40-mile car ride in a fish tote, the lingcod still weighed 82.6 pounds.       

   According to Fish and Game, lingcod are not true cods, but are greenlings and can be found from the Aleutian Islands south to Baja, Calif. They are common throughout Southeast Alaska, the outer Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak and Prince William Sound and are generally found on rocky reefs from 30 to 330 feet deep.

    Lingcod are characterized by a large mouth with 18 sharp teeth and are voracious eaters. Like halibut, the females of the species are bigger. Stock said the fish likely was about 25 years old.

  Back in California, Robbie said he plans to have the fish mounted. He's already been interviewed by a couple of California radio shows and newspapers. "I absolutely had a great time up there," he said. "My friends are pretty jealous."


    World-record fish caught in Homer