Rockfish tackle

Just how I do it. There are probably plenty that disagree with my tactics, but that's what works for me.

I disagree!  Wait!  No, I don't.  I use a fly rod...

I wonder if 7' is too short to have any flex at the tip?  Fishing for muskies with conventional gear, I came to appreciate a bit of tip flex when I'd get one to the boat and it decided it wasn't ready.

But not more than 8', I think.  It's a trick getting bottom fish to the net - or to my hands - with a 9'6" fly rod, and I can't say I recommend it in uneven water.  If I'd have thought that part of fly-fishing through better, I'd have gone with a shorter fly rod.

I always thought that if my conventional reels couldn't put more drag than maybe 25#, then going over 30-40# braid was like filling the tank with premium gas when regular will do ya'.  I've always balanced the rating of the line with the maximum drag force of the reel, then I'd buy the rod that fits.  But that's a personal thing and I did what suited me - as should everyone.

You seem to have always had great instincts about gear that works for you, Barb.  Go buy a rod that feels good and start fishing.

I prefer Owner.

Thank you.  I'll give them a try.

That's a delicious looking fly...if I was a fish, I'd eat that.  What kind of hook is that - looks like a wide gap - what size???
Nice!  I'd like to tie things that look like that.

Willing to share a picture of some of the flies you tie?

This is the one that has worked best for me.  Store bought ones work also, but I like making my own version if I can.

That's a delicious looking fly...if I was a fish, I'd eat that.  What kind of hook is that - looks like a wide gap - what size???
Nice!  I'd like to tie things that look like that.

I just use whatever for hooks.  I think that is about a 1/0 salmon/steelhead bait type hook.  The body is made with bucktail with a little flash

I prefer Owner.

Thank you.  I'll give them a try.

Try their entire line.  I've been really impressed.  They are a bit more expensive than the US and Chinese manufacturers but it's worth it imo.  If I can't find Owner in the style I'm looking for I get Daiichi.  Japan really knows how to make quality steel to catch fish.  My barber even uses Japanese steel razors for shaves.  Stays super sharp and high quality, can't go wrong.

Tied these up for rock fish last year. Did about the same as store bought  but fun to tie different patterns.

With bottom fish if you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different opinions. One thing I do is I have a "weakest link" of 20lb. above my jig, before my mainline. 80% of the time when I snag and can't get it back it breaks off right at the weakest link. I prefer heavy mono by the jig (50lb.) because it will take some abrasion and makes a nice handle for fish that don't want to cooperate with the lip grip.

With bottom fish if you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different opinions. One thing I do is I have a "weakest link" of 20lb. above my jig, before my mainline. 80% of the time when I snag and can't get it back it breaks off right at the weakest link. I prefer heavy mono by the jig (50lb.) because it will take some abrasion and makes a nice handle for fish that don't want to cooperate with the lip grip.

Can't say I've done this, but I can say I will do this.   Pre-fishing the day before the cancelled 2016 ORC I had a fish dive into a hole -- thought it might have snagged but when giving slack the line yanked back hard.   Tried to liberate the fish from the hidey hole but ultimately had to break some much stronger line than this.   Would rather have had an easier time breaking off after deciding in 20-30 minutes the fish won that round.

With bottom fish if you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different opinions. One thing I do is I have a "weakest link" of 20lb. above my jig, before my mainline. 80% of the time when I snag and can't get it back it breaks off right at the weakest link. I prefer heavy mono by the jig (50lb.) because it will take some abrasion and makes a nice handle for fish that don't want to cooperate with the lip grip.

Can't say I've done this, but I can say I will do this.   Pre-fishing the day before the cancelled 2016 ORC I had a fish dive into a hole -- thought it might have snagged but when giving slack the line yanked back hard.   Tried to liberate the fish from the hidey hole but ultimately had to break some much stronger line than this.   Would rather have had an easier time breaking off after deciding in 20-30 minutes the fish won that round.

Here is my setup from jig to reel, if it helps. I'm not suggesting this is the best or only way to do this, but I pre-tie all these at home and it works for me.

jig - clinch knot - 2ft. 50lb flouro or mono - albright knot - 1ft. 20lb flouro or mono - surgeon's loop - "coastlock" type swivel/snap - surgeon's loop - 30-50lb. braid mainline

I've read before about surgeon's loops not being strong. I don't know what to say other than that when my "weakest link" breaks it almost always breaks in the same spot, about 1/3 of the way down from the loop, and it's never been at the knot. Maybe I'm just lucky.

I think the following is a great method to use if you are concerned about losing gear. The surgeon's loops are stronger than a traditional dropper loop.

One of our own NWKA guys.....



I take it a step further on the drop shot rig and tie a seaguar knot from my 40 or 50 lb mono just below the second surgeon's loop to say 15 lb mono down to the weight.  I can deal with losing lead once in a while.

I like that method, and he's a heck of a fisherman. And like I said above, my experience has been that surgeons loops are a good way to make a connection to a ring.

I will say, though, that using a surgeon's loop as a dropper loop did not fair well for me in some admittedly non-scientific tests I did at home.

I compared traditional dropper loops to surgeon loops used as droppers by tying them both on the same 30lb. mono line, and then hanging a 25lb. weight off of the end, and then lifting up and dropping the weight from various heights. In that test the surgeons loops used as dropper loops failed before the traditional dropper loops.

All that said, you can easily overcome that by simply using heavier line in that section to the point where the loops aren't causing a problem. And since those loops are about 10x faster to tie (for me anyway) than a traditional dropper loop, it's probably worth it.

Just about anything works for rockfish so go cheap on your tackle and save your money for the things that matter like a VHF, dry suit, PFD, and comfortable seat. People catch giant lings on Barbie poles. With rock fishing comes the real possibility of flipping over and a yard sale, it's just part of the sport. I would start with an Ugly Stick and a cheap conventional reel. For terminal gear, I would buy some shrimp fly rigs, a 3 pound box of frozen squid and some 4 and 8 oz weights. Add a 20-30# breakaway section inline above your leader as others have mentioned. Like a lot of fishing it's not the WHAT, it's the WHERE and WHEN. Ground fish are highly influenced by wind, current and swell.