Yelloweye rockfish

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Gros Coffre

Guest
How do you fish for Yelloweye Rockfish (red snapper) I know they are quite deep, but have no clue what attracts them.

Any info is greatly appreciated

Thanks

Pat

It's better to burn out than to fade away
 
herring is the best by far although jigs work well at times too. Hook up a whole herring as if you were going to mooch it, then drop it to bottom with the neccassry weight. reel up about 5-10 cranks then just play with you line a bit to simulate a dying herring.

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Those things will bite a piece of rag on a hook-forget monkeying around with stinking bait.
Also you don't necessarily have to be really deep I have caught Yelloweye in 40 feet of water a number of times but usually 60'-200' is better.
A large leadhead jig on an 18" 80# mono leader and one of those huge twistertail worms from Berkey-best prices in town @ West Marine on Fir St in Vancouver-a reel with 50# no stretch line and a rod to match and you're good to go-you'll catch all kinds of things.
Failing that a Glo/White hootchie draped over a 8 ounce mooching weight with a hook attached works well and is cheap too.
It's all about technique-don't 'jig' the lure at all bounce it slowly off the bottom always staying in contact with the rocks sure you lose a few rigs but they are pnuts to buy.

Note however that there are 3 different kinds of 'Sebastes' that are sold as so called Red Snapper (they are no such thing but that's another story).

Sebastes ruberimus</u> is the true Yelloweye Rockfish-you've checked the limits on them I'm sure.

Sebastes minatus</u> the Vermilion Rockfish is a true vermilion colour and to my taste the best eating of all-easy to distinguish.

Sebastes piniger</u>-this is the Canary Rockfish and is a reddish rockfish that many people can't distinguish from the others-mainly because they arent looking closely enough.

While it's true that a large Rockfish can be ancient it doesn't hold that all Rockfish even the big ones are 50+ years old-catch your limit and enjoy feasting there are lots of fish left.
A bottomfish trawl catches 1,000 times as many groundfish in one pass than you or I will ever kill in our entire lifetimes.

livin' la vida pesca!

Edited by - Sam Salmon on 03/11/2005 22:47:18
 
So where doese one go after these delicious finned critters? I live in Victoria and often wondered if there are any places that are aound
here that I could go out to.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks "Yote".
 
i do not know the area, but all i can say is go deep like 300 ft from a popular rockfish spot, you may have limited succes...worked for me once. Or look for kelp beds, go deep adjacent to them
 
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