joekacker
6/1/2011 6:47:00 PMit doest matter the size of your jig, Ive caught lots of rockfish on 6 oz point wilson darts, and these fish were only couple pounds max. You have to understand that these fish are opportunist feeders and will hit about anything that comes along, in front of there face.. Learn puncture the airsack and your mortality will go down drastic
Happy fishing
Happy fishing
A9
6/1/2011 7:06:00 PMLure size does matter, a rockfish won't hit a flounder and your unlikely to run into one if your fishing BIG leadhead jigs, 6+ ounces with a big skirt or curly tail grub on them....Think 10+ inches.....A 6 oz pt wilson dart isn't necessarily what I would call a big jig....
rick
6/2/2011 5:25:00 PMA9 -
I agree with you 100%. Big baits/jigs and large hooks significantly reduce rockfish hookups. All lingcod anglers should do whatever it takes to minimize impact on rockfish populations. Future seasons depend on it.
I agree with you 100%. Big baits/jigs and large hooks significantly reduce rockfish hookups. All lingcod anglers should do whatever it takes to minimize impact on rockfish populations. Future seasons depend on it.
joekacker
6/2/2011 5:30:00 PMlearn to poke the air bag... 1 in 10 will perish.. from my experience, any way, and ive fished bottom fish for over 17 years.. but whatever you can do i guess, If you like using 10 inch curly tails . thats massive
A9
6/2/2011 5:50:00 PMJoe,
I'm not debating that poking the airbag isn't an option. It is, and I practice it on rockfish as well. However, go down to the launch and ask the guys coming in if they know how to, most don't.
Also, it just makes sense to use bigger lures. Most legal lings aren't gonna hit some dinky 4-6 inch curly tail grub on a 1 oz jig head. If there was ever a fish where the big bait = big fish phenomenon holds true, its for the lingcod. Stepping up to bigger curly tails/twin tail jigs, or live bait (flounder, greenling, bullhead) will keep you from hooking sublegal lings and rockfish, and will increase your odds at hooking legal sized lings.
I'm not debating that poking the airbag isn't an option. It is, and I practice it on rockfish as well. However, go down to the launch and ask the guys coming in if they know how to, most don't.
Also, it just makes sense to use bigger lures. Most legal lings aren't gonna hit some dinky 4-6 inch curly tail grub on a 1 oz jig head. If there was ever a fish where the big bait = big fish phenomenon holds true, its for the lingcod. Stepping up to bigger curly tails/twin tail jigs, or live bait (flounder, greenling, bullhead) will keep you from hooking sublegal lings and rockfish, and will increase your odds at hooking legal sized lings.
Dave
6/3/2011 9:09:00 PMInteresting conversation. I thought rock fish were out of danger for the most part if caught and released in waters less than 120' deep which is why I thought the rules changed as far as depth went for bottom fishing.
A9
6/3/2011 10:10:00 PMDave,
I think for the most part, most rockfish are safe when caught in shallower waters... Out past 80 feet I notice that more fish will balloon, but I saw a few guys in 60-70 feet that were tossing some fish back that were just floating on the surface....Out past 120 feet, they almost always seem to inflate like a balloon....
I think for the most part, most rockfish are safe when caught in shallower waters... Out past 80 feet I notice that more fish will balloon, but I saw a few guys in 60-70 feet that were tossing some fish back that were just floating on the surface....Out past 120 feet, they almost always seem to inflate like a balloon....