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Fishermen's Journal |
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Deep (Rockfishing from a Private Boater's Perspective) by Ted Cernak
Rods & Reels
I can hear some of you now…"Electric reels, that’s sporting!" Well that’s what I thought at first, but it’s just not practical to fish deep with a five-pound lead using a conventional reel. Rockfish are not exactly known for their fighting ability, and the real skill involved here, is in the hunt and your boat handling. Besides, fishing is supposed to be fun! (Ted is pictured with his wife after a trip out to a bank near San Clemente)
Terminal Tackle I tie all my own ganions. In the past, I’ve used an 8-foot long, 7-hook ganion. Under the new regulations I’ve opted for a 6 1/2-foot ganion with a 125 pound main line, barrel swivels placed between beads and crimp sleeves spaced 18 inches apart with a 10/0 circle hook tied exactly 6 inches from the opposite end of the swivels on the main line using 100 pound mono. To finish things off, I attach a barrel swivel at each end of the main line with a crimp sleeve. Your ganions are the business end of things and it’s important that they be tied correctly. If the connection from the hook to the main line is too long or if you use a lighter mono, you’ll spend the day untangling your rig after each drop. If you use a cheap store bought ganion without swivels on the mainline, you’ll spin off a lot of fish on the way up and/or twist your rig till it’s no longer useable.
Whatever type of sinker you decide on, use a weight that gets you to the bottom with a minimum amount of scope in your line. No angles, no tangles! Tie it a foot below the bottom swivel using 40 or 50 pound mono and a not-so-good knot. In the event you get hung-up in the rocks, your line will break between the bottom swivel and sinker saving your ganion and any fish you’ve hooked!
Bait
Dropping Down
Setting Up on your Spots The real skill in rockfishing, is in the hunt and your boat
handling. These fish won’t come to you, so you need to drop right on ‘em. This
is easier said then done, particularly when you’re fishing in 900 feet of water.
You’ll need a quality fish finder or sounder…and you need to know your
instruments! When you come across a likely spot of fish, toss a paper plate over the port
and starboard side. Make sure your anglers are ready to
(Use the cheapest uncoated paper plates you can find. In the event they cannot be retrieved, they’ll breakdown quickly.)
When and Where
Ted Cernak
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As is the case with many of the fish off our coast, live squid is the bait
of choice for rockfish. However, live squid are hard to come by and when you can find
them, there’s a price to pay. In lieu of live squid, frozen is your next best bet.
Every year, when the squid are thick and market prices are low, I head to the State Fish
Company at the commercial docks in San Pedro and pick up a couple of hundred pounds of
frozen squid. You’ll pay anywhere from $.35 - $.50 per pound for a 5 pound box which
is a heck of a lot better than the $2.00+ per pound the tackle shops and landings get.
Belly strips are another good bet…particularly for lingcod! 
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