Photo: V. O'Connell, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Image ID: nur00516, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Sebastes spp.

How to catch Rockfish

Rockfish feed in 44–62°F water and bite best at 48–56°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 7 waters; in October they are at their peak in Southern California Bight, Central Coast & San Francisco Bay, The North Coast and 2 more.

10 pts · trophy at 18"Feeds 44–62°FBest 48–56°FIn season nowArtificial reefLedge / hard bottomWreckFishing pier

About

Dozens of species — black, blue, vermilion, copper, canary, yelloweye — on every reef from San Diego to Kodiak, the backbone of the West Coast half-day boat. Some (cowcod, yelloweye in many places) can't be kept; deep fish need a descending device.

How to fish it

Drift over the reef with a shrimp-fly rig and a jig on the bottom; black rockfish school mid-water on calm days and take a jig near the top.

What it eats

shrimp flies on a droppersmall jigs and swimbaitssquid strips

Live bait for it

SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.

Anchovies (Pacific)Nose- or collar-hooked on a #4 to 1/0 hook and fly-lined with no weight, or on a dropper loop; a dozen tossed over the side as chum keeps the bass and bonito up.

HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.