Hali killer
Member
Heading up to Port Hardy later this week for a bit. Weather permiting we will be doing a little bottom fishing. Wondering what your favorite lures and techniques for some catching some cod are?
Best rockfish lures and techniques?
- Thread starter Hali killer
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Hali killer
Member
Dont get me wrong im not trolling for personal hot spots.seeing we cant get hali we still need some white fish for the table
Hali killer
Member
Sweet looking rig. I will hook one up as i have all those parts in the tackle box.i have always found the multiple hoochie set up to work the best.
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
Whatever I've got laying around so some bodies are glo some aren't-the hootchies are glo for sure.
EDIT-and that chunk of heavy mono is also something found laying around usually I use 80# but that looks closer to 200#!
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fish stalker
Active Member
In most places on the island rockfish closed last week.
Dave S
Active Member
Dogfish are open........
MILLERTIME
Member
That's right and here's how you clean 'em........
[zLAMnWiW6q0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zLAMnWiW6q0
fish stalker
Active Member
He said 'cod'.
I was pretty bummed when I found out. Just got into jigging.
That vid is insane.
Hali killer
Member
Its still open at the top of the island so we will have to run a little bit from the looks of it.that dogfish cleaner is amazing.they can be hateful creatures, good to see them getting there due hah.
Bassblaster
Active Member
Holy Crap! Now that's a knife! I can't imagine even attempting to do that for 8-10 hours a day as a job.
So Rocks are closed, what about the other bottom fish like Cabezon and Greenling? I thought they were open all year in most places?
So Rocks are closed, what about the other bottom fish like Cabezon and Greenling? I thought they were open all year in most places?
D
DHA
Guest
@DogBreath,
This lure kills cod and other bottom species. Radiant lures used to make a product that was similar, with only one hoochy and the hook on the bottom eye of the lead body. I like Dog Breath's rigging! Nice job man.
DHA.
This lure kills cod and other bottom species. Radiant lures used to make a product that was similar, with only one hoochy and the hook on the bottom eye of the lead body. I like Dog Breath's rigging! Nice job man.
DHA.
spring time
Well-Known Member
I,ve heard of a copper pipe kind of jig before but never sen one
D
DHA
Guest
TheBigGuy
Well-Known Member
Spreader bar with a large hoochie and chunk of bait works great most places. I'd recommend the spreader bar with a lighter test break off leader of about 6inches to 1foot for the weight. The north Island is pretty snaggy and better to lose only the weight, rather than a bunch of pricey lures.
Rock cod may be closed but there are lots of great eating species of fish up there. Learn to identify Cabezon, Sablefish, and Pacific Cod. Not sure if Lingcod are open up North right now, lots of good size great eating ling up that way. Sablefish are great smoked, and the others are excellent eating and a great replacement for Rock Cod.
Learn to identify Arrowtooth Flounder as well, they look like Hali, but have sharp protruding teeth. They can get a good size up there, keep one and try it. If you are going to eat one you must bleed, gut, and ice it immediately. They must be cleaned and eaten as soon as possible after catching. Don't bother keeping one if you don't plan on eating it for dinner that night at the latest. They have an enzyme that will make the meat mushy if not cleaned, iced, and eaten ASAP. IF you follow those procedures you will probably enjoy Arrowtooth Flounder for dinner.
I have only eaten 4 or 5 from the north Island, and found them quite good when cared for properly and eaten right away. Lots of guys will tell you they are trash fish, but they may not have processed it properly and eaten it promptly. Don't bother keeping them to freeze, they will be worthless if frozen. Try one before you right them off, you should catch some up that way.
Lot's of people throw back Cabezon because they have no idea what they are, and they are so damn ugly. Don't chuck them back they're great eats. There are lots of other bottom fish species up there you can keep. I love to bring back the Sablefish and Pacific Cod, they're fairly plentiful up there.
Have fun, and good luck.
Rock cod may be closed but there are lots of great eating species of fish up there. Learn to identify Cabezon, Sablefish, and Pacific Cod. Not sure if Lingcod are open up North right now, lots of good size great eating ling up that way. Sablefish are great smoked, and the others are excellent eating and a great replacement for Rock Cod.
Learn to identify Arrowtooth Flounder as well, they look like Hali, but have sharp protruding teeth. They can get a good size up there, keep one and try it. If you are going to eat one you must bleed, gut, and ice it immediately. They must be cleaned and eaten as soon as possible after catching. Don't bother keeping one if you don't plan on eating it for dinner that night at the latest. They have an enzyme that will make the meat mushy if not cleaned, iced, and eaten ASAP. IF you follow those procedures you will probably enjoy Arrowtooth Flounder for dinner.
I have only eaten 4 or 5 from the north Island, and found them quite good when cared for properly and eaten right away. Lots of guys will tell you they are trash fish, but they may not have processed it properly and eaten it promptly. Don't bother keeping them to freeze, they will be worthless if frozen. Try one before you right them off, you should catch some up that way.
Lot's of people throw back Cabezon because they have no idea what they are, and they are so damn ugly. Don't chuck them back they're great eats. There are lots of other bottom fish species up there you can keep. I love to bring back the Sablefish and Pacific Cod, they're fairly plentiful up there.
Have fun, and good luck.
Live shiner all the way especially for the Lings.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Rockfish will pretty well hit anything you put down there.
I use:- medium stiff rod with M-1 mooching reel......30lb. Tuffline.....6 ft. 20lb test leader....bead chain swivel where main meets leader.
Best lure:- Spinnows
Color....doesn't matter for Rockfish but Lings like big Spinnows, pearl white with black edge.
kelp greenling like smaller lures that are half metallic green/half chrome.
Personally I find the best results on a flooding rising tide.
Small Rockfish= 50 ft or less
Big Rockfish= 100 to 140ft.
I always let the line down to the bottom and then come up about a foot.
White buzzbomb with a little lime green on it works good too.
That's about all you need to produce. If deep jigging---addition of glow helps.
I've tried everything under the sun for jigging.....and Paternoster rigs ( spreader bars),pipe jigs, copper pipe, and all the rest of the stuff is IMO un-necessary.
Spinnows,Zelda's will get the job done evry time.
I like to custom paint my jigs so that at least 50% of the jig is White. White is good for jigging.
If fishing in areas that produce bait you will sometimes hit the "doldrums" for jigging around June. So much 2" or less sized bait in the water that they won't hit a bigger jig. So then you have to go small for Rockfish. problem is to get small lure down in the current.
So you use spincaster rod and cast way ahead of the current....you don't always have to be on the bottom ...I've had tons of hits when lure is halfway up winding in.
I use:- medium stiff rod with M-1 mooching reel......30lb. Tuffline.....6 ft. 20lb test leader....bead chain swivel where main meets leader.
Best lure:- Spinnows
Color....doesn't matter for Rockfish but Lings like big Spinnows, pearl white with black edge.
kelp greenling like smaller lures that are half metallic green/half chrome.
Personally I find the best results on a flooding rising tide.
Small Rockfish= 50 ft or less
Big Rockfish= 100 to 140ft.
I always let the line down to the bottom and then come up about a foot.
White buzzbomb with a little lime green on it works good too.
That's about all you need to produce. If deep jigging---addition of glow helps.
I've tried everything under the sun for jigging.....and Paternoster rigs ( spreader bars),pipe jigs, copper pipe, and all the rest of the stuff is IMO un-necessary.
Spinnows,Zelda's will get the job done evry time.
I like to custom paint my jigs so that at least 50% of the jig is White. White is good for jigging.
If fishing in areas that produce bait you will sometimes hit the "doldrums" for jigging around June. So much 2" or less sized bait in the water that they won't hit a bigger jig. So then you have to go small for Rockfish. problem is to get small lure down in the current.
So you use spincaster rod and cast way ahead of the current....you don't always have to be on the bottom ...I've had tons of hits when lure is halfway up winding in.
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