Yelloweye Rockfish Strategy and Tips
Strategy: You can locate rockfish in less than 100 feet of water in the summer and deeper than 125 feet in the winter. To locate rockfish look for kelp beds, rocky outcroppings, island points, rocky beaches and rock cliffs. Use sonar to find reefs, shoals, deep kelp beds, shelves, and rocky areas next to a drop-off, as they prefer these habitats. Follow this up with some vertical jigging. A good jig to use is a one ounce led head tipped with a plastic curly tail worm.
Tip: Do not fish on days with extreme tide differences. You will have greater success if you locate areas where the water is sheltered from the tide. Remember not to reel a rockfish up too fast on heavy tackle, or you will give the fish the bends. Their stomach comes out of their mouths and their eyes pop outwards (this is not a pretty sight).
