Rockfish
winter & fall Season 2023
Rockfish love the cold water, and are one of the main stays of winter fishing off the coast of San Diego. The reasons are numerous. They are the most plentiful, easiest to catch, best tasting fish on the menu. Perfect for beginners and kids who just want to catch some fish, and a lot of them. On good days you will pull 2-5 lb rockfish up 2 at a time. Fishing on the same rock pile will also yield Lingcod, and Halibut, and Whitefish. Sometimes when running multiple hooks you can pull up multiple species also! Anyway, did you know that fish tacos are traditionally made from this fish species, and for good reason, there is no better fish taco.
This fishery is open to boat-based anglers from March 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022
Easy to catch, Almost a sure thing, The Best Taco Around!
Many of our winter trips will focus almost solely on rockfish, but even if we do you will still have a chance at bass, lingcod, and other species at the same spot. Usually, we will find the good rockfishing spots on areas of rock from 100 feet down or deeper. Usually, a two-hook setup is used, double the fun, double the catch. Just before and just after we drift over the rock patches, there is a sand bottom, and big Halibut tend to hunt here. Lingcod also share this spot too!
Don't have enough people to fill a six pack? No problem! We offer open party four and six pack charters where you can team up with other people to catch fish and SAVE MONEY.
If you are looking for a private party six pack, click here.
The 2022 Rock fishing season will end on Dec 31st, 2022. Right now we were catching limits on almost every HALF DAY trip. In other words, bang for your buck! Departing daily from Mission Bay and San Diego bay, the Kraken (30' 6 pack), The Nauitlus (50' 6 pack), the Cattitude (28' 4 pack), and the Reel Life (29' 4 pack) will all be participating this year. Any trip 6 hours and above, open party or private, is perfectly suitable to bring home limits or close to limits with nearly wide open fishing.
Earlier this decade, rock fish stocks were heavily depleted by over fishing, but with competent fishery management, they have made an incredible comeback. What this means to you is an easy day of fishing, and a full cooler of fish at the end of the day.
Here are my top three reasons to go rock fishing this year!
1. Taste great, less filling
Millennials out there may not get the joke above, but Rock fish is some of the best eating fish out there. Soft, white, flaky meat that hardly taste like fish. Of course, the best dish to make is MEXICAN FISH TACOS. Most people do not know it, but if you have ever had real Mexican fish tacos, you were probably being served rock fish or rock cod.
2. EASY TO CATCH
Catching rock fish is not difficult. Pull up to about 180 feet of water and let your bait sink to the bottom. Wait for the tug, and reel them up. Sometimes you will even catch more than one at a time. The bigger rockfish put up a decent fight until they start to surface, and then they inflate like a soccer ball due to decompression, making them come up very easy.
3. surprise species!
While you are down there trying to catch rockfish, you will find that there are a wide variety of fish eating your bait, there is literally no telling what you might hook into. Some fish come to mind though; Halibut, White fish, Bonito, Shark, Bass, Barracuda, Sheepshead, Yellowtail, and that is just to name a few.
identify your catch
Click here to view the fish and game Rock Fish Identifcation guide.
Click here to view the limits and Regulations for Southern California Rock Fishing published by Fish and Game.
It is important to follow the law and not catch over your limit. In the head of the moment it can be easy to do. Your captain and crew can answer any questions you may have about identification or limit of species.
THE BEST WAY TO CATCH ROCK FISH
Luck favors the prepared, so please take a moment to read up on how to catch rock fish with the below handy guide.
Once the captain finds the spot, he will let you know. Wait for the boat to come to a complete stop before dropping your line! Remember to keep your thumb on the line as you decend, or you will get a nasty tangle. If you are not familiar how saltwater fishing reels work, just ask a crew member for assistance. Once you hit the bottom you will know because the line you are letting out will go slack. Once you feel that, put the reel in gear and relax. When you feel the tip of the rod being weighted down, you know you have a rockfish. Give a quick tug to set the hook and then real it up!
Don't have enough people to fill a six pack? No problem! We offer open party four and six pack charters where you can team up with other people to catch fish and SAVE MONEY.
If you are looking for a private party six pack, click here.
After the Trip
Here is one of my favorite recipes for Ensenada Style Battered fish tacos.
By the way, if you need your fished shipped anywhere in the country, just ask, we do that! We use Five Star Fish Processing in Point Loma and they can ship nationwide on dry ice, overnight delivery.
We hope you enjoyed our article about rock fishing, if you want to go, just give us a call at 619-508-7823 and we can get put you on the calendar instantly!
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