First time rockfishing

[fishingman220]

I will be rockfishing out of my boat for the first time this year. i have been on a charter boat every year for about 7 years, but i am trying to out fit my boat now so i am wondering if any one has ideas on things that are must haves. i will be trolling in the bay and off the shore of va beach. i have 5 rods and 6 holders. how many umbrella rigs?? how many teasers? my boat is a 22ft with stern drive 1.81 drive with 19in pitch prop, will that troll slow enough??? any help would be good help, dont want to drive that far and not be ready.

 

[dingbat]

Re: First time rockfishing

I just loaded the boat for Winter Striper season on Saturday.

This is a rough list of what I carry on board.

14 - rods and reels
16 - rod holders
1 - set of planer boards w/ 100 ft. lines
25 - "Scotty" clips
1 ? 32 x 41? Frabill Power Catch net
15 - bucktails (3-6 oz)
20 - parachutes (2-10 oz)
8 - surgical hose baits
2 - 16 oz. Mojo
2 - 32oz. Mojo
8 - 12"-6 arm umbrellas rigs (rigged with tandem baits)
3 - #17 Tonys - Chrome/ White/ Chartreuse
4 - #21 Tonys - White/ Chrome
2- #13 Cripple Alewives - Chrome
25 - 9" shad chartreuse
25 - 9" shad White
50 - 6" shad chartreuse
50 - 6" shad White
24 - #165 coastloc swivels (ball bearing)
1 - Dummy line
min. 2 each -4,6,8,10,12,16,20,24,28 oz in-line sinkers
min. 2 each -10,12,16,20,24,28 oz bell sinkers

 

[coricluster]

Re: First time rockfishing

i usually troll with 5-6 rods. i usually have one umbrella off the back dropped way down with a 48 ounce weight. then one closer to the top on the other side. then i usually troll 2 stretch 25s a little farther back. ill set an eel rig out there somewhere and then i usually keep an 80 on the top of the bridge for a way back with a sea witch and a ballywho because 2 years ago i caught a 280lb bluefin tuna 7 miles off the beach...so i keep that option open even tho it prolly wont hapen again.

now when i drift our shoals. i just use bottom rods and reels, 4 ft of flouro with an egg singer and a mini mini skirt and a hook with eels. and i tear them up.

 

[rolmops]

Re: First time rockfishing

It can be done with far less gear to start out with.
If you can get a Penn 112 and a Penn Black Saber rod with carboloid guides.You should put a hundred feet of 50 pound backing and 600 feet of 40 pound stainless steel wire on it.For bait use 5 or 6 ounce bucktails(black,red,green) and jig this single rod while moving at roughly 2.8 mph water speed (not GPS).300 feet will get you down about 40 feet and 500 feet will get you down to about fifty.You have to jig lively and expect hell to break loose any moment.

 

[dingbat]

Re: First time rockfishing

It can be done with far less gear to start out with.
If you can get a Penn 112 and a Penn Black Saber rod with carboloid guides.You should put a hundred feet of 50 pound backing and 600 feet of 40 pound stainless steel wire on it.For bait use 5 or 6 ounce bucktails(black,red,green) and jig this single rod while moving at roughly 2.8 mph water speed (not GPS).300 feet will get you down about 40 feet and 500 feet will get you down to about fifty.You have to jig lively and expect hell to break loose any moment.

That?s a pretty exotic setup for what is essentially a top water fishery. Most fish come off the top 15-20 foot of the water column.

FWIW: I?ve not seen a wire line outfit in use around here in several years. Everyone has gone to Power Pro for the versatility

 

[rolmops]

Re: First time rockfishing

That?s a pretty exotic setup for what is essentially a top water fishery. Most fish come off the top 15-20 foot of the water column.

FWIW: I?ve not seen a wire line outfit in use around here in several years. Everyone has gone to Power Pro for the versatility

This is how we always work Cape Cod bay,along with almost every charter in the bay.
Most stripers are laying on the edge of channels waiting for food to be carried by.It is during high tide that they go onto the shallows to feed and it is then that other methods work well.

 

[dingbat]

Re: First time rockfishing

This is how we always work Cape Cod bay,along with almost every charter in the bay.
Most stripers are laying on the edge of channels waiting for food to be carried by.It is during high tide that they go onto the shallows to feed and it is then that other methods work well.

But this isn't Cape Cod. Down here all the charters are running planer boards.

Remember you're in a migratory situation here. These fish are not lying around waiting for food. They are suspended in the upper part of the water column actively feeding on the bait that is migrating out of the rivers for the winter. With the water temps now pushing 50 degrees and it's pretty common to see the fish up sunning on the surface on sunny days.

The trick for us is to cover wide stretches of water with most attention going to the top 20? of the water column which is why planer bards are so popular down here.. Boats pulling 20-25 lines at a time are fairly common places.

I run a rather small spread, only 16