SoCal day trip

[thorhammer]

Ok folks besides this forum and Saltwater Sportsman, I've no idea about Ca fishing. It appears I will be making a few trips to the LA area in the coming months and kind folks on here have recco'd some charters. I see a lot of you guys jigging or baiting for ling and rocks; is that what I'm looking at for a day trip? I'd prefer to bring my own; what size reel is best for that? jiggy / 3/0 range? I'm looking at the four piece Toro tamer 20-40 to travel with; is that enough arse for bottom bouncing in that scenario?

thanks!

J

[Wicho5981]

Theirs a video on the travel rod on youtube charkbait has it he explains.  I seen people use avet sx two speed for bottom fishing needs to be full of braid maybe short leader of mono.

[SoCalAngler]

Don't know when your coming out but ground fish/rockfish close down in Jan and Feb and open back in March.

Due to depth restrictions 20 to 30 lb gear is used most often. I like using a high speed reel for this due to cranking up from 300' is a pain with slower gears. You could use heavier lb test but when you get snagged and it will happen it is just a fact of rockfishing, heavier lines are harder to bust off. I also like stiffer rods for fishing at depth and spectra backed reels with a shorter topshot of mono allows you to use less weight to get to the bottom and you feel much more without all the line stretch of mono. Do you need spectra for this type of fishing? IMO no, I use both strait mono and spectra backed reels for rockfish.

Here are the regs for south Ca rockfish. Scroll down to "Southern Management Area"
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary#south

[thorhammer]

Thanks! I expect it will be over the course of the next three months. i usually braid and short topshot bottom bouncing; i have a torium 20 set with 65 PP and fluorotopshot that should do nicely. if not, avet LX 6:1.

[SoCalAngler]

Those reels should be fine and maybe even a little over kill but not to worry. You could bring some fluoro if you want but mono toppers will work just as well for rockfish. These fish are not line shy and when they go on the chew they will eat just about anything as far as line goes. Depending when and where you fish you never know when there may be a chance of catching some wintertime homeguard yellowtail and these fish are bigger and meaner over the summertime YT's for the most part.  

Edit: These fish were caught in early May this year, not exactly winter, but they are around the size of winter homeguards. These fish went around 35 lbs and last years winter yellows went around 35 to 40 and even some pushing 50 lbs but the winter YT don't hang around a long time.

[mackereljoe]

Yellowtail still biting, pick up 2 sat.  It will be good to have 2 or 3 rigs.  1 strickly for bottom braid with about 20 feed of mono.  And a live bait rig, #25 mono and 3 feet floro.  The long mono for bottom is for crazy tangles.  Just cut the.mono and re-rig it is much faster.  Mono suck when stuck deep.  Just bring a glove just in case you have to break rig.  Also, try small hooks for whitefish, size 4 is about right.  Don't ball up the squid on your hook.  Circle hooks 2-2/0 works well for surface yellowtail, just give it a slow 5 count before engaging.