I'm sneaking away on a quick rockfish trip Monday. I have weekdays off this summer and the last few weeks have been super busy and stressful so when I saw the Avenger had enough reservations to leave the dock I signed up. I'm using this trip as a little stress relief and mental health recovery.
I called the landing this morning to see what depths are open and was relieved to hear 300' is the deepest we can target and the plan was to fish deep for reds/rockfish then move into about 100' for lings.
I'm bringing 2 setups
SPJ: Fathom 15lxnd2 with 30# braid on a Temple Reef SPJ rod rated 150-350g
Backup: Fathom 25nld2 with 50# braid on a 7' California rod
I'm only bringing jigs, no shrimp flies or swimbaits. I have various jigs from 100g-300g.
The big group trip in the fall I invited a bunch of first timers with me so I never really got to try out and break in my spj setup so I'm excited to use it all day.
Good luck, PJ!
Best, Fred
Good luck PJ! You deserve a "rockstar" level trip. Love Morro Bay. My "only" "Suggestion".. (as a long time fisher of Morro Bay) is...vintage shrimp flies weigh nothing, and they work! I would have at least one coiled up in my bag, "just in case". On my June RP 8-day, we hit rockcod for 1/2 day to break up the ride uphill - and my Dad's old "hand tied lawn chair webbing" shrimp flies put some solid meat on the deck in 3 drops. Looking forward to a great report; I need to get back up there and escape the temps here in the 909.... - john
Good luck PJ. Fishing has been very tough on the 1/2 and 3/4 day trips here lately, but if anyone can do it, you can. I wish that I could go, but we have company tomorrow.
I normally don't go on open boats, only charters. But when I do go on a open boat it's on a weekday. Way less anglers and the talent level is way better than the weekend boats that pack you in like sardines!
I agree with Brewcrafter, take some fly rigs.
Good luck!
Weather looks decent,that's half the battle. Keep the jigs bareback, you'll get less junk that way. Have a fun trip!
Quote from: Swami805 on July 21, 2024, 05:56:27 PMWeather looks decent,that's half the battle. Keep the jigs bareback, you'll get less junk that way. Have a fun trip!
Yup I don't even plan on touching squid at all!
If I really can't fill a limit using jigs only I'll have some gear for sale!!!!!
Ha! You prolly get the big'uns using a fast sinking, large jig, over the shrimp flies.
Dude, the goal is to catch fish, not get over religious on your methods!
Go get'em PJ. Bill
Quote from: MarkT on July 22, 2024, 01:57:53 AMDude, the goal is to catch fish, not get over religious on your methods!
When you're attempting to master a skill angling like SPJ it pays to be religious about your method.
Quote from: pjstevko on July 21, 2024, 08:46:46 PMQuote from: Swami805 on July 21, 2024, 05:56:27 PMWeather looks decent,that's half the battle. Keep the jigs bareback, you'll get less junk that way. Have a fun trip!
Yup I don't even plan on touching squid at all!
If I really can't fill a limit using jigs only I'll have some gear for sale!!!!!
You're going down a path I went down years ago and documented some of it here on the forum.
Stick to your guns, just don't get discouraged if your first few trip doesn't provide the results you expect. It took me a couple trips to master SPJ, but once I did my limits were twice the size of conventional rockfish methods.
(https://i.ibb.co/WFqrBFf/IMG-3936-1.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Two tips I'll share is don't forget to fish off the bow of the boat, and cast up current to stay vertical as much as possible.
Have a great trip and post your results of your SPJ success.
So keeping in the trend of work the last week I didn't get home until 9pm. I loaded the car, took a shower filled a thermos and a travel mug full of coffee and hit the road.
Go get 'em! Good luck! - john
I was making great time until I'm heading down the grade towards Hwy 46 and come around the corner and a line of cars/trucks are stopped in the road. Major accident and the life flight helicopter lands on the hwy 4 cars ahead of me... I'll make to Cayucus eventually
Life flight coming in for a landing
Bummer!
Long week, long day at work, then the traffic gremlins.
In retirement I have less driving time and more choice about when. Sometimes I can even u-turn and go back home as I see a jam-up ahead. But not always, doctor or dentist appointments cost $ when missed. Then I godda phone ahead if I continue. No cure for the anger/frustration though.
Hope you get there on-time, interested in the trip details!
Had a great day on the water. I caught 2 short lingcod, 6-7 bocaccio (which I gave away), 1 legal lingcod, 2 red rockfish and a yellowtail rockfish
Great job, glad to see you having some success with jigs.
Which jigs produced the best for you?
.... and I don't blame you for giving away the Bocaccio. :P
A LB Fishing Supply Pit boss and SK jigs did the best!
It was tough fishing, I don't think a single person caught limits. It was so slow that even the people using shrimp flies had to work hard to catch fish. Captain Brad said it was because the fish have been gorging themselves on the selps. Additionally it was only an 8 hour trip so we didn't run too far north.
Overall I had a great trip and it was fun to sneak away
Nice.
I think that that "big green" rockfish might be a yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus). Back in the day, it used to be one of the more common midwater school rockfish caught on sport trips around the SF/Monterrey area. They would make up the majority of the catch on some trips.
-J
Quote from: jurelometer on July 23, 2024, 04:11:54 PMNice.
I think that that "big green" rockfish might be a yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus). Back in the day, it used to be one of the more common midwater school rockfish caught on sport trips around the SF/Monterrey area. They would make up the majority of the catch on some trips.
-J
I think you're right. I couldn't exactly remember what the deckhand called it.
It is a yellowtail ..... nice size.
Todd