Report: Edmonds rockfishin' 6/20

Was a beauty of a day and finishing up work so decided to check the tides and looked to be working out. Packed up the gear and headed to Edmonds for some cabezon. The weather was super warm w/ only a little wind so nice glassy conditions. I went to the usual spot that produced for me last time and on the third cast had a nice fish on. Got it to the yak and turned out to be a 12" brownie. My best brownie out of Edmonds so far so a good start.



From there it went a little flat w/ just a few more hits but nothing too strong. Drifted a little further when BAM!! I got a nice strong hit. Good little fight turned out to be a 13" copper.



This evening was turning out to be a real nice one. I got 4-5 more brownies and coppers but wanted to turn it up a bit so changed up jigs. First cast and ab-so-lute-ly got hammered!!! This was the right jig for the job!! From the head shakes on this bugger I could tell it  was not a small fish. I tried to hold on to him to keep him from going back into his cave but wasn't successful and he got me snagged. Finally got my jig free but only to slack line..  Casted for a few nice scrappy lings after that.



Next cast KA-BOOOOM!!! Absolutely buried the rod tip so set the hook, pulled the rod back as far as possible and tried again to keep 'em from digging in. At first I was successful and could tell this was bigger than the previous large one. Nice good strong head shakes. Then he took a good run, stripped a ton of line, and snagged me up again in the rocks.  Got it free to another lonely jig. A few more casts later got a nice copper.



Had a few more nice fish that I couldn't get to the yak but a great day fishing. I never did get that cabbie so will be back.

Z

Z,

I'm pretty sure that those "coppers" you're catching are actually spinebacks.  They are my favorite rock fish to eat since they have a flavor quite a bit like shrimp and a texture like halibut.  Well, to me at least.

I've been afraid to catch and release for rockfish in the sound since the regs read that your limit is not one fish, but "the first legal fish caught" (as in not a canary or whatever species).  I was told that the reason for that is that they don't survive C&R very well at all, especially when they get pulled up from any depth at all.  Basically, if you look inside of his mouth once in the boat and he's puked his guts into his mouth, then you've got a dead fish already.

I don't want to rain on your parade, especially since I could be full of crap on this issue.  I'd love to find out that we've got such a great C&R fishery as your great report points out, right in our back yard.  Maybe some of the other members could weigh in on this one?  Anybody got the word right from "The Man"?  By "The Man", I mean the wildlife people, not necessarily Polepole.  That would be a different "The Man".
 
Fishin-T

Z,

I'm pretty sure that those "coppers" you're catching are actually spinebacks.  They are my favorite rock fish to eat since they have a flavor quite a bit like shrimp and a texture like halibut.  Well, to me at least.

Uhhh ... you mean quillbacks.  One of 'em looks like it might be one.

I've been afraid to catch and release for rockfish in the sound since the regs read that your limit is not one fish, but "the first legal fish caught" (as in not a canary or whatever species).  I was told that the reason for that is that they don't survive C&R very well at all, especially when they get pulled up from any depth at all.  Basically, if you look inside of his mouth once in the boat and he's puked his guts into his mouth, then you've got a dead fish already.

<60 feet and they CNR all right.

-Allen

Z,

I'm pretty sure that those "coppers" you're catching are actually spinebacks.  They are my favorite rock fish to eat since they have a flavor quite a bit like shrimp and a texture like halibut.  Well, to me at least.

I've been afraid to catch and release for rockfish in the sound since the regs read that your limit is not one fish, but "the first legal fish caught" (as in not a canary or whatever species).  I was told that the reason for that is that they don't survive C&R very well at all, especially when they get pulled up from any depth at all.  Basically, if you look inside of his mouth once in the boat and he's puked his guts into his mouth, then you've got a dead fish already.

I don't want to rain on your parade, especially since I could be full of crap on this issue.  I'd love to find out that we've got such a great C&R fishery as your great report points out, right in our back yard.  Maybe some of the other members could weigh in on this one?  Anybody got the word right from "The Man"?  By "The Man", I mean the wildlife people, not necessarily Polepole.  That would be a different "The Man".
 
Fishin-T

Oh boy, Rockfish ID. I haven't heard of a spineback but have heard of a quillback. They are similar but usually the first few spines on their dorsal fin are white and longer than the "Coppers" I caught. Bsteves?

Here's one for comparison.


And a copper


As to the regs., the first fish caught rule is about fish retention. Meaning, that the first fish you catch is the only one you can keep.

As to the fish being damaged from C&R'n I think rockies are some of the heartiest fish out there. You're right about depth. Most C&R'd rockies die due to barotrauma but only when they're pulled from deep waters (approx. 70' and deeper). You can tell they're suffering from it when their eyes and tongue bulge out from their swim bladder over-inflating.

Barotrauma victim:


I was fishing in 5'-20' FOW so when I bring them up they're plenty feisty and go back in the water the same way. I think their survival rate after a shallow water C&R is plenty good. But that's a whole other discussion.

Z

BTW a cool page w/ rockfish ID's for Washington.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/bottomfish/rockfish.htm

Good job Z.

 I catch cod(all blacks so far) in 60 feet all day long and release 'em and they have no signs of distress at all. Blacks are pretty tough buggers, there usually still kicking as i filet 'em hours later.

What's with that blue color jig?  Looks like it worked nicely.  I would have never thought about tossing jig with that color.

-Allen

What's with that blue color jig?  Looks like it worked nicely.  I would have never thought about tossing jig with that color.

-Allen

That thing macked 'em!

Z

Think

Yeah, Quillback.. that's the ticket.  What ever it is in your pictures, I've had those before and they were great eating.

As for C&R, I've pulled up the black rockfish from 40' and had them puke their guts.  I'm pretty sure at those depths between 60' and 30' it's got everything to do with how fast do you yank 'em to the top.  At 5' to 20' like you're saying, I'm sure you're doing fine.  And I've never seen the ling cods look like they were bulging, even from 60' or so.  I wasn't really concerned that you might be killing fish, I didn't think so.  My main concern is how the ranger will interpret that reg if I go out there and do it myself, cause I'd LOVE to.  I've just never done it cause I always though that you get to hook one tiny fish and you're done for the day.

Fishin-T

Uh oh!  Looks like you my ribbing lit a fire under you.  I need to get out and fish or I'll be giving up the lead soon. 

Nice report and nice fishies!

Z is right, this is a copper rockfish.  The distinguishing feature is the wide light band down the back half of the lateral line.   Of course, as I've mentioned before quillbacks, coppers and browns are known to hybridize in puget sound.

The other fish ..



.. looks more like a black and yellow rockfish ( a close relative of the gopher rockfish) but I don't know if you have them in Puget Sound.  Maybe it's a quillback.

Brian

Yeah, the first one Brian ID's as a copper looks very much like a copper to me, but the dorsal is high.

The second one Brian ID'd.  I don't think B&Y.  More like a brownie, but very dark like a quillback.

Maybe they're all hybrids!!!

-Allen

Those damn puget sound mutt rockfish.  They really need a name for them.

Brian

looks like you just did it, B
"the mutt rockfish" . not pretty, but still better than hagfish.