Jigging for Bottom Fish

Here the term “Bottom Fish” will refer basically to rock dwellers like Rockfish (sea bass, or their many cousins), Ling Cod, & it's cousin the Kelp Greenling, & Cabizon to name a few.   It does not include halibut, by definition from the regulations by WDFW.   In fishing terms, jigging is a method used to fish whereby you attach a weighted lure in the end of the line, let it down, raise the rod tip, let it back down, and repeat again.  Sometimes it is really that simple, but there can be a few other requirements depending on a multitude of factors.

Mixed bag of Black, China, red phase Copper & Yellow Tail rockfish	Ling Cod, Cabizon, Black Rockfish & Kelp Greenling, the makings of lots of Fish & Chips for the crew

  Water Depth:  Since rockfish have swim bladders, it is advisable to only fish at depths that you can release the small ones unharmed.  This means that if you fish deeper than about 60', when you bring them to the surface, this bladder will force the stomach to pop out of their mouth.  Sometimes this depth is not practical as you may be fishing in an area where the bottom may be 40' at the start of the drift & end up at 150'.  The 60' depth is not magical number but usually bringing any fish from deeper than that, it is considered a dead fish unless you do something soon to relieve the pressure.  I have even seen their eyes get glazed & pop partially out if from deeper depths like when fishing for halibut at 400'. 

It appears that different sub specie of rockfish react differently to being brought up from deeper water.  In waters near the 100' level, Canary rockfish seem more prone to having their stomachs pop out than other specie.

There are some methods of returning them slowly in a plastic milk box to depths of below 60' & allow them to acclimatize & then they may swim off.   Another method is to lightly puncture this protruding organ with a needle or fish hook which allows the internal air to escape.   

The more scientifically approved method is called "Venting", in which you use a hypodermic needle to just puncture into the belly cavity right behind one of the pectoral fins at a slight forward angle.   CLICK HERE FOR LINK  Do not push it far enough to puncture the stomach or intestines.  When the needle enters the body cavity, you can see the belly deflate, & hear the gases escape.  Once the pressure is released the fish will retract the parts in question & recovery has been proven very effective.

The above is explained as:  Spiny finned fish have closed swim bladders that help produce sound & maintain buoyancy plus they hold nitrogen, oxygen & carbon  dioxide.   When these fish are reeled up from the deep, the gas molecules expand & rupture the bladder.  The escaping gases then fill the body cavity, forcing the eyes to bulge & the intestines to protrude out the mouth.  If the gases are not released (or vented), the fish can't submerge, which makes it an easy target for predators.

As sportsmen we can not condone ANYONE to continue to kill fish, while continuing to fish, just for the sport of it.  These fish that are just thrown over the side are prime targets for seagulls or seals.  With the bladder extended, they can not dive under the water, as it is like a person with a life vest on.  The gulls will first pick out the fish eyes, & next will pick out the bellies.

Mother natures design of a  fish eating machine, also known as a Ling Cod.	A Double on Black Rockfish using leadhead jigs & curly tails

  Rod:  Here, like many other types of fishing, the gear is important every bit as much in this method as salmon trolling or mooching.  If you are boat fishing you do not need a long rod, & a medium rod in the 7’ 6” to 8' 6"size seems to work pretty well.   For the bank bound fisherperson, a longer rod, even up to 10’ may be found to work better for you.   These rods would probably need to be in a medium sensitivity or heavier depending on  where you are fishing.

  Reel:   There are 2 basic methods of fishing for these fish.  One can normally require some considerable casting, with light jigs toward rocks with lighter leadhead jigs of from 3/8 to 3/4 ounce.  Here a boat would need to be positioned near the rock structure & you would be casting & you retrieving a lot more here than in any other method, you may consider a open faced spinning reel with a retrieve ratio of at least 4 to 1, with upwards to 5 to 1 +, being better.  You will need a reel that can hold about 200 yards of approximately 12-15# test monofilament line.   The amount of line is not the criteria, but the size of the reel to handle this size of fish.  If you are boat fishing off deeper underwater rocky reefs where the casting is not an issue, then about any large steelhead or a small salmon star-drag reel will function quite well.

I use a Shimano Sahara 400 open face spinning reel for shallower water & a Shimano Triton 100 or 200G, if I am going deeper with less casting.  I have recently tried the line-counter level wind star drag reels & am very impressed with them in that you can watch the boat's depthfinder & then your counter & place your jig 2' above the bottom therefore having less hang-ups.  The Shimano Tekota TEC400LC, Okuma Magda Pro MA 20 DX, & Cabellas Depthaster DM 20 would be good choices.  You do need a reel with a good drag system & the above reels fit this bill quite well.  As you never know when a large Ling Cod even a Halibut  may attach your lure or a small fish you are reeling in.

  Line:  For the spinning reels, most fishermen still use the monofilament line.  For the level wind reels, you may want to fill the spool about half full with 20# mono, & then top it off with 125 yards or so of one of the new Spectra braided type lines in from 30# to 50# size.  The size line is not for catching big fish, but to allow for abrasion on the rocks & also for recovering a snagged jig.  This type of fishing is where the spectra type lines really pay off, because it has no stretch, and since it is a very small diameter, allows you to feel the take on the jig, plus reaching the bottom with less weight.  My personal preference is Power Pro.  

Using too light a spectra line is detrimental in that IF you do get a big one on & with this small diameter line when it comes to the side of the spool if a fish is really pulling, this line WILL sink down against the spool edge.   You will not know it until you are letting out next time, & it may well be tucked in so deep you put the rod away & later take your time & use a crochet hook to untangle the problem.  Been there done that.

Using a spectra type line here you can feel fish hitting the line if going thru a school.   One time we were fishing in about 150' off Duncan Rock at Neah Bay & when letting down, I felt something ticking the line when it got to about 50', I hesitated & put my thumb on the spool when it got about 60'.  I immediately had a fish on.  Dropping it back over the side & stopping at the magical 60' level, I pulled 5 fish, (2 being a double) in one drift.

  Sacrificial leader:  You might consider using about a 3’ + sacrificial or shock leader of 25# weight mono attached to a simple snap, & then with a large dropper loop about 2/3 the  way up & another small loop at the upper end.   Here I attach a leadhead jig to the bottom snap & at the upper loop, I use a 7/0 mooching hook (using no weight) with a curly tail attached.  This gives you a double presentation where if the the fish are concentrated, & you get a hit, don't be really fast in pulling it in once the hook is set, as other fish have seen the frenzy & try to get in on the action & many times you will bring in a double.  I have even have seen a sea bass on the top lure & a ling cod goes after the bass, but takes the bottom lure.  Also using this type of leader will help keep you from loosing some of your mainline if you snag up, & makes it easier & faster to change jigs.

  Lure:  Here you have many choices.  From the leadhead jigs to Point Wilson Dart, BuzzBombs & Crippled Herring types are popular.  Many times you will find jigs available made by an enterprising local angler.  One that seems to be worthwhile to give a test drive is the Grim Reaper.  It's design was given some thought in that it is heavier on the rear, allowing the tail to sink first on the drop.  This will make for a better feel when the fish hits the lure, which is usually on the drop.  The color & sparkle are protected by a clear shrink wrap, instead of just a paint job.

If the fish are not many, then the lure may be of some importance, but from what I have sampled, if you get the lure in the right place, about anything will catch fish.   However I have found a pearl or a lime green are a darned good color to start with.

Top lure is a Lindquist 16 oz Halibut/Ling Cod jig #2 is a 4 oz bullet nose with a 6" swim tail #3 is a 2 oz bullet nose with a 5" Berkley Curley tail #4 is a 1 1/2 oz bullet nose with a 6" swim tail #5 is a 3/4 oz round head with a 3" tail	Above are an assortment  of various jig tails ranging from 7" down to 4" size

Top is a Point Wilson Dart "Herring" in 6 oz #2 is a Les Davis Mooch-a-Jig in 4 oz #3 is a Grim Reaper in 2 1/2 oz #4 is another point Wilson Dart but in 2 1/2 oz #5 is a home cast jig with swim tail in 2 1/2 oz #6 is a Buzz Bomb in 2 1/2" size	Here we have a  3 oz. spire point jig rigged on 40" mono of about 25#, using a dropper knot for the upper tied lure about 2 1/2' apart to a snap on the bottom.  The top could be a smaller jig  to increase the total weight.

I have found that of the leadhead jigs, I prefer either the "Spearhead" or “Spire Point” type shown above.   The spearhead moulds are not made in sizes above 4 oz. The Spire point can be made up to 20 oz.   Both of these are shaped like a pointed bullet, with the nose of course forward.  The hook eye comes out about the middle of the bullet, so that the bullet/jig hangs pretty much horizontal in the water.  The good thing with this type, when you hang up on a rock, give it a little slack & twitch the rod tip a few times, almost always it will come free.  I do not think the hook is what is caught on something, & my thought here is that the hook eye is in the middle of the lead, & when the nose is pulled into a crevice, the twitching allows the pivot point to move enough to allow the stuck nose to tip down & allow it to become unstuck.  If I use a regular round headed jig, the pivot eye just pulls the jig tighter into the rock & a break it off is the rule.

The one thing I have not mentioned yet here is that with these leadhead jigs, you thread a plastic worm up over the hook.  I have found that it works best if the tail is in the upward position when it is on the hook.  Worm size usually will be dictated by the specie & size of fish you expect to catch.  Usually a 5" plastic swim tail worm works well for most rockfish.   If you go too long, the fish just bite off the tails & don't get hooked.   If you are targeting strictly Ling Cod or Halibut, then you will want a longer tail.  Color can just about be what ever you favor.   White will work about any time.  Purple, or brownish green, pink all work.  One favorite is a white tail with a red or orange head, or a green tail & orange head, if you can find them.   In use the worm's tail will wobble, creating a swimming motion that seems irresistible.   As for color of the leadhead jig themselves, about any color works, but since you may loose many,  I don't bother to paint them anymore.  I just leave them as cast in the natural silvery lead color & use the plastic worm for a color.  If they get tarnished I just wire wheel them to brighten them up.   A pretty painted color seems to catch more fishermen.

Size of jigs depends on where you are, how deep you are fishing, & the tide or current.  I have found 3/8 to 1 oz jigs work fine when casting into the kelp beds & swimming the jig in the upper to mid water column.  For deeper water or where a current is, then you will need heavier possibly up to 6 oz.  If I had to pick only one size, that would be hard to make a choice, so I would say a 1 oz &  a 3 oz. would be a compromise.  This way if you are using the above dropper you can replace the salmon hook with the 1 oz if you need more weight.   Sometimes if the wind & drift are strong, even an 8 oz jig may be needed.   You can put the trolling motor in reverse & back into the wind to slow you down.   You can not head into it as wind gusts will not be coming from the same exact position each time & will catch the bow from different angles & you will be trying to correct one way only to in the next 3 minutes go the other way.  Another thing to try is to put out a drift sock or two, this will slow you dowm.

If you plan on doing a lot of jigging, maybe you & your fishing buddy might consider purchasing a mould & casting them yourself, once you figure out what size & shape works best for you.    Do-It  http://www.do-itmolds.com/ makes a whole line of do-it-yourself jig & sinker moulds.

  Hooks:  Here it is important to have sharp hooks.   I have found that the smaller hooks used on jigs from 3/8 to 1 1/2 oz are pretty sharp as they come from the box, but the larger cadmium plated hooks usually need sharpening with a file.  They may even have to be touched up after being hung up & you are lucky enough to retrieve it.

  Live Bait:  Many times when you are reeling in a smaller Rockfish or Greenling, a Ling Cod will decide you took away his meal & grab onto it himself.  If this happens & you are pretty sure what the situation is, SLOWLY reel in, but not being aggressive as the cod is not really hooked except by it's long teeth engaged into the smaller fish.  When you get the two of them near the surface, (say under the surface about 10") have your partner quickly get the landing net out & with you not bringing the fish out of water,  scoop both of them in. 

One method is to save the smaller Greenling, & keep them alive to be used for Ling Cod bait later.    Yes, it is legal to use live bait in Washington state saltwater areas.

 The Method:  This may depend somewhat on where you are fishing.   But typically you need to be close to, or over rocky structure or kelp beds, as these fish tend to hide around it.  The wind & the tide play a very important role for this kind of fishing.  Ideally you would like a calm day with no wind or tidal current.  But this is simply dreaming for ocean fishing.  So you have to make the best of it & either fish only at a slack tide, which can be only a couple of hours, but then the wind may be doing it's thing at this time also.  If the a current or wind is there, you will either have to live with it & use heavy lures, or put the motor in reverse & slow your drift down.  Another thing is that there is lots of locations where these fish may be residing.  Here you need to find an island or a point of land that protects you from the wind.  You may well have to change your lure to match your location.

The methods can probably be divided into 2 basic types of fishing.  (1) could be casting & retrieving in a more horizontal manner while letting the jig sink, while (2) could be vertical jigging.  Number 1 could turn into number 2 type at the point when the jig was under the boat.  In jigging, you need to cast out, allow the lure to sink to near the bottom, twitch the rod tip up so the lure moves 12" to 16", then drop the rod tip so the lure flutters back down.   Don't do the giant yank-a-roo when jigging!  That moves the jig WAY too much & the fish can't catch it.  Reel in a few cranks & repeat the procedure.  The fish many times will hit the lure as it flutters back down, & if in this case the hit will not be dramatic, except when you feel the tug on the line.  Some fishermen use a controlled drop so they can feel a strike by a fish on the drop.

Most of the bottom where you will find these fish is rocky, & tends to reach out & grab your lure if you try to drag it along the bottom.   You can donate many pounds of jigs to the fish gods.

Some areas will have these rocks showing above water, while others do not.  The areas out of Westport are the "do not" ones however there are a FEW underwater reefs.   Here a GPS is needed to locate them.   A good depthfinder/fishfinder may well be beneficial also.  Below is a fantastic picture of a screen taken while bottom fishing off the Point Grenville area north of Westport in the spring of 2006.   What you are seeing here is MANY small baitfish being forced to the surface by black rockfish.  This was during a WDFW rockfish tagging trip & the number of black rockfish caught by 10 fishermen & tagged in one day numbered 751.  The bottom was at 131' but the fish were caught at about 1/2 that.   Water temperature was 50.5 degrees.

That's a lot of bait & fish under the boat

These fish live in a fish eat fish world, where the looser is ends up food for a larger fish.  Therefore they tend to stay in or near rock structure where they feel protected, but yet are close enough to smaller forage fish that they can get dinner with little effort.  Any structure that also has kelp nearby is an added attractant.

A couple of refinements to the above method is to hook a fish, raise it up enough to clear any submerged structure, & put the rod in the holder with the fish still hooked, & with the lure in it's mouth.  Now you may have other fish concentrated around this suspended, fighting fish, thinking there is something going on here.  Another method akin to this would be to take the hooks off a lure & use it as an attractor in the same manner.  Now you & other fisherpersons aboard can concentrate at this location.  I many times if I suspect there may be a school below, I will solidly hook the first fish, but not reel it in immediately & let it hang for a short while, so that his buddies will come over & many times I get a second fish on the other lure.

If you do not get a hook up within say 5 minutes, move to another location, maybe only 50' if underwater structure is there.   The only times I have seen fishing above open gravel bottoms & not rocky structure is in the spring of the year & apparently when small fishes, (sand lance, etc.) appear to be spawning in this gravel.

   Rod Holders:  It is advisable to have rod holders on the boat, not to put the rods in for fishing, but if you get a large Ling Cod to the boat & your buddy needs to net it, he really needs a secure place to put his rod while he is devoting attention to netting your fish.  Otherwise it is very possible he may very well donate a rod & reel to the fish gods (been there-done that).

Rocky islands near Umatilla Reef, a choice Bottom fish location	One of the Revetments at Westport's point, with the river's bar in the distance	The start on filling a 100 qt cooler fishbox after limiting on halibut at LaPush

   Boat fishermen:  For the boat fisherman, the possibilities are endless.   The easy ones are a rock structure that is visible above the waterline.  From near these rocks, you cast as close as possible, let your lure settle a bit, twitch your rod tip & crank up a couple of cranks.  Let it settle a few seconds & crank up again.  You may have to find the depth level that the fish are located at by letting it settle more & deeper next time.

  Exposed rocks:  One method that I use is to get close to rock structure or kelp, get in a position that allows you to cast next to the structure or kelp, & then simply put the motor into slow forward & move only enough to position the boat or keep it under control.   Kick it in & out of gear as you & your partners cast near the structure as you move slowly move along.   This way you are far enough away that you do not spook the fish, but allow you to move enough to cover some of the area.  

Some of these areas may have submerged rocks also.   Here you need to really be there at a LOW tide & observe any protruding rocks & remember them in relationship to the visible ones.   Otherwise props can get costly to be repaired, take it from one who knows.

One location shown me by a member of our fishing club,  where you fish a pocket on the seaward side of an island, where you need to be CLOSE to the rock.   Here, with the waves smashing the rock, I let the others fish & I back in, with the bow pointing out & the motor RUNNING in neutral shifting into forward to control my position constantly, as one sneaker wave & inattention could be disastrous as many times you might be only 30' from the rocks.

   Submerged Structure:  In many of of the prime nearshore fishing areas of the upper Washington coast & outer Straits, there will be rocks that may be "awash" or just under the water surface.  Here it WILL be beneficial for you to (1) have a good chart, be VERY observant (2) either know the area, (3) go slow until you do know it.  Some of these are just spires that will not show on a depthfinder, but they can be very aggressive when they take a bite out of a prop.   Carry a spare prop. 

There is one method of finding submerged structure that bottomfish hang around, & that is Bathometric Fishing Charts.   These are not made anymore, so you need to find someone who has them & bribe a copy.  They were made in 6 different charts, covering just south of the Columbia River, up the coast & in the straits to about Port Angeles.  Other than that, finding much of this submerged structure is to share information with other fishermen as for GPS numbers.  

This type of structure are usually in deeper water & may be effected by the tide to the extent that you may have a hard time maintaining a position for long enough to do much successful fishing.   On these, your best bet may be on the protected or lea side where the fish have some protection from the current.  There are a couple methods used here.  (1) Anchor.  (2) Throw a small marker buoy over that has a 2# weight attached to a long enough line to mark your spot. (but pick it up when you leave). (3)  Expand your GPS so you can see precisely your boat movement in a close-up mode.  Using these methods you can usually stay close enough to maintain a position.    For a marker jug, I like a one gallon Orange Juice jug, because it is a different color.  

Some fishermen say to put the motor in reverse & back into the position, however I have found it is hard to control the boat if there is much current running, or the wind blowing, if trying to maintain a position, or worse, getting back onto it.   Do not confuse this method of trying to stay on a good spot as compared to the previously mention of doing the same just to slow the drift.  Some of these underwater structures may be small, even the size of a vehicle, so this makes it hard to find, & harder yet to maintain a position over.   So the skipper many times does not get much fishing if he is occupied with maintaining a fishable position.

If you find a good location, it will usually provide you with excellent fishing for many years, as the fish tend to congregate there year after year.  That is why most GPS numbers of the good locations are very well guarded & not revealed by the most dedicated fishermen.

  Bank Fishermen:  As a bank bound fisherman, a wide variety of rockfish, including Sea Bass, Greenling, Cabazon, Perch and Lingcod, can be found along the rock jetties as well as the rock revetments surrounding most marina breakwaters.  However, here you may have to be ever observant of the tide, sneaker waves & slippery rocks.   Wear your PFD's.

   Where to Fish:  Listed below are a few of the starting spots at the various normal fishing locations in the Pacific Ocean off the Washington coast.

   Landing the Fish:  Many times you do not need a landing net, as you can simply lift a 5# + fish into the boat with a mono leader of 20-25#.  However be observant of how well the fish is hooked before you try to yank it up & over the gunwale.  According to Washington State regulations it is unlawful to use a gaff hook on these species.  It may be wise to have a landing net readily available, instead trying to hand-line a large Ling Cod in & take the chance of loosing it.  Sometimes these big Lings are not hooked but only by their holding onto a smaller kelp greenling or sea bass.  If so you need to net them rather quickly.

  Cleaning the Fish:  Most of these fish will be filleted, & the small bones removed, then dipped in batter and deep fried, but that can be covered on another article.

   Limit for Washington State:  Current 2006 ocean regulations allow a retention of 10 rockfish, 2 Ling Cod, 2 Cabizon & 1 Miscellaneous (like a Kelp Greenling) per day.  In the straits & all the sound, it is one fish & that is the 1st one caught, no min. size.  Marine area 12, (hood canal is closed. 

Oregon has an ocean limit of 6 rockfish per day.

Ling Cod minimum size is 24".    Just a note of information that a 34" Ling weighs 13#.

  Addition to WDFW 2006 Saltwater Regulations:  Page 101-102 - Marine Area 3 & 4,  20 fathom restriction clarification:

"No retention or possession of lingcod or rockfish seaward of line approximating 20 fathoms May 22-September 30 (except when Halibut is open), defined  by the following coordinates:

One of the benefits of being on the water is the sights you see,  just minutes later this whale poked it's head up within 30' of the boat & looked at us, then dove UNDER the boat, but the camera was then out of film.