Morro Bay set-ups for Virg's 1/2 day - 2 day trips

Started by pjstevko, November 13, 2015, 04:52:43 PM

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pjstevko

I'm finally gonna get to go fishing out of Virg's and I wanna make sure I have my bases covered. I'm hoping to be going on trips ranging from 1/2 day through 2 day trips. I plan on mostly jigging yo-yo irons and butterfly jigs ranging from 3-8oz. Will these 2 set-ups cover everything I'll encounter or do I need more, better, bigger and shinier gear  ;D ;D ;D ;D

Rig 1: reel: Penn 500 Jigmaster, aluminum spool with 25# mono, power handle with knob, no internal upgrades
          rod: Tsunami Jigging Rod, 6' MH power, 20-50# line rating, 1-4oz lure rating

Rig 2: reel: Shimano Spheros 8000PG, 65# green PowerPro
          rod: Shimano Trevala, 6'6" MH, 50-100# line rating, 3-8oz lure rating

Leaders/Top Shot: fluro leader material in 20, 30, 50, 60# sizes

Am I good to go  ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? If not recommend gear to me.....

PJ

johndtuttle

#1
Quote from: pjstevko on November 13, 2015, 04:52:43 PM
I'm finally gonna get to go fishing out of Virg's and I wanna make sure I have my bases covered. I'm hoping to be going on trips ranging from 1/2 day through 2 day trips. I plan on mostly jigging yo-yo irons and butterfly jigs ranging from 3-8oz. Will these 2 set-ups cover everything I'll encounter or do I need more, better, bigger and shinier gear  ;D ;D ;D ;D

Rig 1: reel: Penn 500 Jigmaster, aluminum spool with 25# mono, power handle with knob, no internal upgrades
          rod: Tsunami Jigging Rod, 6' MH power, 20-50# line rating, 1-4oz lure rating

Rig 2: reel: Shimano Spheros 8000PG, 65# green PowerPro
          rod: Shimano Trevala, 6'6" MH, 50-100# line rating, 3-8oz lure rating

Leaders/Top Shot: fluro leader material in 20, 30, 50, 60# sizes

Am I good to go  ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? If not recommend gear to me.....


Rockfish and Lings are about the least discerning fish in the Ocean. Generally, if you are over them and if they are in the mood (they will strangely show on the meter but refuse to bite some days) you are catching, so don't over think it.

Short rods are fine if you want to get jiggy with it, but a rod with a nice long foregrip that you can set on the rail is still useful when you are winching up dead weight (your standard rockfish fight :) ).

Leave the fluoro at home, no need and no loss of pricy line when you hook "california" which is always a common occurance.

For the best way to catch rockfish and fill a sack of tasty filets fish use glow in the dark hoochies rigged with circle hooks tipped with squid.

The idea with circle hooks is that you do nothing to set the hook. This way you do not uselessly bring up anything small or tug off your bait swinging on fish that aren't there. Use a nice big hook and let them hook themselves. The smaller models will peck at the bait, but you want the nice 5lbers that can eat the whole thing and swim off with it hooking themselves. Once one has hooked himself, leave him hanging and one of his brothers will come along and hook himself on the other hoochie (you are allowed 2 hooks) that is dancing seductively due to the wiggles provided by the other fish.

You will land more quality fish this way. Incredibly effective.

I fish the rod in the holder while I appreciate the day etc. When it goes bendo, take it out and feel how heavy it is...and stick it back in the holder till the second fish hits...that way when the second fish gets on there you can feel the difference and then winch them both up. By far the best quality limits I have ever gotten were done this way.

VERY effective for beginners. Don't worry about fish coming off and be patient waiting for that second fish. With circles once hooked they stay hooked almost always.



If you get bored or the fishing is a little slow then SLOWLY wind the first fish up. This brings him and the unbit and wiggling hoochie through the water column and often through suspended fish off the bottom. An easy way to pick up a second fish.

Jigging with any kind of iron or such is more fun when you are fishing shallow water otherwise it gets to be work moving the jig and lifting fish from 200' etc. The circle hook set up is perfect when you have to fish deep as it really saves effort checking the bait, bringing up dinks etc.

swill88


AlasKen

Interesting write-up and I want to try it next summer.  I like using large circle hooks for halibut but haven't tried for rockfish.  Does it work for Lings as well?  Assuming you use it for Lings what size circle hook for rockfish and what for Lings?  This sounds like a good way to cut down on small ones.  Thanks for taking the time to write this up.  Ken

theswimmer

There is nothing like lying flat on your back on the deck, alone except for the helmsman aft at the wheel, silence except for the lapping of the sea against the side of the ship. At that time you can be equal to Ulysses and brother to him.

Errol Flynn

johndtuttle

Quote from: AlasKen on November 13, 2015, 08:25:29 PM
Interesting write-up and I want to try it next summer.  I like using large circle hooks for halibut but haven't tried for rockfish.  Does it work for Lings as well?  Assuming you use it for Lings what size circle hook for rockfish and what for Lings?  This sounds like a good way to cut down on small ones.  Thanks for taking the time to write this up.  Ken

Works fine for lings. Big hooks, like 14/0 with a Rockfish filet hung on them for big lings.

9/0-10/0 for rockfish. These will hook lings too.

They all have buckets for mouths so they can eat any whole fish that will fit (like each other lol). You just have to be sure the hook gap will span the lip cartilage.

Big Tim

The Endeavor owned and captained by Brad League and is one of the most knowledgeable Captains on the central coast. If this is your 1/2 day trip he may take you in the shallows and what you got is more than good. Shrimp fly rock cod rig with squid 8oz weight or jig on the bottom with a single teaser and sometimes more depending on the depth and the current. On your 2 day trip which I'm guessing this would be the Princess and I believe the captain is John Rowley ? no matter who they will take you just below Big Sur and you will fish in the 240' depth range and if the current is rippin' you will need 16oz lead at times. I feel if you want to jig at those depths knowing the area like I do you need a longer rod with a narrow fast reel and 40-50# braid to reach the bottom fast and prevent tangles. Brad will try to get you 3 Lings quick and then a variety. The 2 day they go for beg Reds and Salmon Grouper(Boccaccio) and big Lings + you get 2 limits. I throw everything on these trips and my kid equals me or better with a 16oz. weight and a shrimp fly rig.


Have fun and good skippers on both boats.

BT

johndtuttle

Quote from: Big Tim on November 13, 2015, 09:46:26 PM
The Endeavor owned and captained by Brad League and is one of the most knowledgeable Captains on the central coast. If this is your 1/2 day trip he may take you in the shallows and what you got is more than good. Shrimp fly rock cod rig with squid 8oz weight or jig on the bottom with a single teaser and sometimes more depending on the depth and the current. On your 2 day trip which I'm guessing this would be the Princess and I believe the captain is John Rowley ? no matter who they will take you just below Big Sur and you will fish in the 240' depth range and if the current is rippin' you will need 16oz lead at times. I feel if you want to jig at those depths knowing the area like I do you need a longer rod with a narrow fast reel and 40-50# braid to reach the bottom fast and prevent tangles. Brad will try to get you 3 Lings quick and then a variety. The 2 day they go for beg Reds and Salmon Grouper(Boccaccio) and big Lings + you get 2 limits. I throw everything on these trips and my kid equals me or better with a 16oz. weight and a shrimp fly rig.


Have fun and good skippers on both boats.

BT

yep, going to hoochies and circle hooks is just a Shrimp Fly rig improved a bit.