Odd bait question...

Has anyone tinkered with the idea of saving a black rockfish head to use for bait?  Say, after a day of cleaning a day's catch, you go back out the next week.  Saved a head and froze it just for this occasion.

Get out to the ling grounds and weight that fish head good enough to sink it to the bottom.  Now, not sure how one would go about rigging it so that a hook is in the right place to get Mr. Ling connected properly.  Do ya think a ling would even attempt such an offering, or would it even be worth the mess/hassle?   

Remember, I'm just thinking out loud right now. 

 
 I've bought frozen black rockfish carcasses at Pacific City sporting goods for crab bait. Never thought about hooking on a head and dropping it to the bottom. Sounds interesting, might be worth a shot.

Get out to the ling grounds and weight that fish head good enough to sink it to the bottom.  Now, not sure how one would go about rigging it so that a hook is in the right place to get Mr. Ling connected properly.  Do ya think a ling would even attempt such an offering, or would it even be worth the mess/hassle?   

I think the mess/hassle would be minimal.  Cut off the head, stuff in ziplock, throw in freezer.  You might want to rig it before freezing.  Rigging a large frozen bait with a large hook on a rocking boat might be hazardous.

I save Rockfish carcs for crabbing.  I don't think a Ling would bother with a head.  The gill plate is sharp and spiney on most.  I think you'd be better off with a greenling or a rock crab.  And lets not forget the tentacles off those Humbolt Squid if you can find one washed up. 

-Spot-

And lets not forget the tentacles off those Humbolt Squid if you can find one washed up. 

Speaking of which, you guys ever see those 2 foot squid in the Asian food markets.  Take one of those tentacles and put it on a jig head like any other plastic worm.  I guarantee you that you'll be mesmerize by the action on it.  All those little suction cups create a nice turbulence that makes that thing dance unlike any plastic creation you've ever seen.  Think of it like a bunch of little paddle tails along the entire length.

Hey Andy, can you make a plastic version of that?

-Allen

I save Rockfish carcs for crabbing.  I don't think a Ling would bother with a head.  The gill plate is sharp and spiney on most.  I think you'd be better off with a greenling or a rock crab.  And lets not forget the tentacles off those Humbolt Squid if you can find one washed up. 

-Spot-

+1

Oh ... if you want to save any part of the rockfish for bait, save the belly.  Salt it up and put it in the freezer.  You can get creative with the shapes you cut out of it, or just be lazy and put a long strip on a jighead or on a double hook mooching style rig.

-Allen

I save Rockfish carcs for crabbing.  I don't think a Ling would bother with a head.  The gill plate is sharp and spiney on most.  I think you'd be better off with a greenling or a rock crab.  And lets not forget the tentacles off those Humbolt Squid if you can find one washed up. 

-Spot-

Yeah, yeah, yeah....      

Oh ... if you want to save any part of the rockfish for bait, save the belly.  Salt it up and put it in the freezer.  You can get creative with the shapes you cut out of it, or just be lazy and put a long strip on a jighead or on a double hook mooching style rig.

-Allen

I agree wholeheartedly with using a strip of belly meat on a jighead. I often fillet my fish leaving the gut cavity intact. Then I cut strips out of it and freeze them for later. I think belly meat, with its white/silvery skin, is awesome bait!  I'll sometimes even slice a thin strip or two off the belly meat of any trout I keep when lake fishing (usually after I get home) and freeze that.

Also, I have never had squid fail me as an effective bait.

I save my rockfish heads/carcasses for crab bait, or I just return them to the ocean next time I go fishing.