Change in size and type of fish caught during fall / winter ice fishing

Observation by Marilyn Swan:

I believe we did get two types (sizes?) of tom cods that were caught in Kivalina last (couple) months. I do not have photo's available at this time. But they were absent in our area for a number of years. They are/were a welcome sight. The ones caught in October were of larger size (usually seen in Kotzebue area) and the ones in November a smaller, more familiar cods that we use to get. I get my knowledge from my dad, I listen to what he says and relay to the rest of the family. This is what he said in passing, he commented that the bigger Tom cods are from Kotzebue area, we use to have smaller ones. But I remember the smaller ones also, that's why I made that comment, so I know that to be true. And we hadn't seen them in a number of years during this ice fishing season early in the winter.

Gay Sheffield with Alaska Sea Grant writes:

My first thought is that these are 2 types of cod...smaller being Arctic cod / "blue cod" perhaps? Hard to say...

Comment by LEO Network Editor:

This post is the fourth post since early November about changes observed during fall and winter ice fishing, not just in the Northwest Arctic but also further south in the Yukon and Kuskokwim Delta communities. See also the attached posts from Chevak, Chefornak and Kongiginak about absence of tom cod and related harvest failures. LEO Network welcome observations and insights by LEO Network members and local fishers about ice fishing harvest success and changes.