ROCKFISHS OF CALIFORNIA {Rockcod}

The rockfishs of the west coast are many with a number of different species inhabiting the same environment at the same time the one thing they all have in common is their table value. If you have eaten red snapper at home or in a restaurant you might have eaten any number of different rockfish. When fishing rockcod its very important to know the depth that you will be fishing. Shallow water rockcod Alaska south into Mexico are typically fished in waters 200 feet or less. To fish rockcod with bait, a sliding sinker or a dropper loop works great on a medium to a medium-light rod with 15 to 20# test. A favorite of many fisherman is to bounce a jig off of the bottom. To do this use a 6 to 12 ounce jig such as Salas 6X or diamond jig dropping it all the way to the bottom raise it up a couple of cranks and yo-yo it up and down. Tipping the jig with cut bait such as squid can be a very effective  rockcod rig .When fishing rockfish this way I often times tie a dropper loop about two feet above the jig and bait with whatever bait is available. This allows you to cover more than one depth. Fishing  water which may be a 1000 feet deep you need a very stiff fishing rod with a 4/0 or larger reel filled with dacron or spectra. Fishing this way can be a lot of work as you might have to bring up a weight of 3 to 5 pounds. Make sure that you check the regulations for the area being fished as they can very as to depth and species. It’s a good idea to carry a guide of west coast fishes for identification as many of the more than thirty species of rockfish are protected.  .