Fishaholics Forums

We went back last night and fished from the kayak for an hour or so - no bites but we had lots of fun.

Sebastes wrote:

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I'm sorry man I don't know how I missed these posts! 
That's a bummer to hear about the bad luck but any day you can get out on the water can't be that bad That's really cool your kid likes to go out fishin with you. My kid fishes with me sometimes but he has no real motivation for it.
The water has been pretty clear. I finally went out the other day and the conditions were really nice. I love to fish that shallower area past the parking lot. Do you fish that section a lot?

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Yo!  I haven't checked in in a while.  8>}

We do fish that area just past the parking lot (toward the dolos) mostly (we don't go too often) because it's a good place to watch the kids playing on the sand dunes or right along the sand/jetty wall while I fish the boulders.  I've had my only luck on little blacks, tossing out a little grub on a 1/2 or 1 oz. weight.  I think I need to just drop down into those boulders as far as I can and go for it - is that the method there or what?  I've tossed out ab gut and squid and such, but, again, maybe I need to just dip that down into those boulders as far as I can get it to fall...

I've been doing some rockfishing this week over around the Cape and south of the Mattole too.  I love it so much over there that I go there probably 10 times more than to the jetty, and I live in Loleta!  I've got to say, the rockfishing over there is NOTHING like it used to be...  sad. 

Well, I'll try to check in more often.  Keep in touch - email any time.

Eric

It depends on the day I think. If it is a nice, warm day with calm water you should be dippin in the rocks. The fish will go into the rocks to get out of the sun. I figure they bite for all kinds of reasons when they are in the rocks. They might be trying to protect that area while they are there. They probably get hungry after being in there for long enough. Or maybe they get startled by they sudden appearance of your lure. I have face hooked a lot of fish when dippin which is from a defensive head strike to try and thrash the lure out of their area.
It seems like a different fight when they are in the rocks. I have never had a fish that got hooked in the rocks just float up to the surface. They always give their best in the rocks. Because they are fighting hard in the rocks you have more chance of them breaking you off so I recommend a little bigger line for this application.
Also because you are dealing with the fish in such a small area I recommend shorter lures with bigger hooks. I would never (well never anymore anyway) dip a 5 inch senko on a 4/0 into the rocks. Most of the time in the rocks the fish will strike immediately on site of your lure. With all that tail being longer than the point of your hook the fish will bite but not reach the hook. Not realizing when you go to set the hook it is quickly released and you pull up a worm that was been bitten off right past the bend of your hook.
If your working lures it's best to keep moving and don't leave you lure in one hole for too long. If you using bait like squid or ab guts you can let it hang in the same hole because the fish will search for the smell.
If it's a normal Humboldt day, a little overcast and slightly choppy water, I throw a 5 inch senko or similar lure on a 4/0 worm hook. Also it just depends on what I feel like doing.

Sebastes wrote:

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I hope my last post didn't sound like I am putting Claymans fishing down. I have fished with him a number of times and consider him one of the best jetti lure fishermen.

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lol, no worries man, I know what you mean.  What I meant to say is that if it's a legitimate keeper fish, then chances are he/she will inhale the whole lure.  The smaller guys like greenling and shorty cabs will more often than not miss the hook and only grab the lower portion of the bait, but when you're targeting fish to keep then does it matter?  I don't mind missing hooksets on greenling