Looking for rockfish tips

I only got into kayak fishing last year, so I'm still trying to find my "favorite" rockfishing technique from a boat.  This year I've been trying an adaptation of my shore rockfishing rig.  It involves a 4 inch tube or curlytail grub rigged weedless as a teaser, and a 7" Zoom fluke (also rigged weedless) on the bottom.  For weight, I'll just string on a couple of big sliding sinkers onto the line between the two lures.  It looks somewhat ghetto, but it hardly snags at all and the fish seem to like it.  I like to bounce the bottom a lot because I don't have a depthfinder, and the weedless hooks cut way down on snags.  I get lings on the 7" fluke and assorted rockfish on the teaser.

So does anyone have perhaps a picture or a description of how to rig a jighead/7" grub with a shrimp fly teaser? I think that's the way I'm going to go this weekend at Albion, along with squid on the tips of the hooks.

I keep picturing using a 3-swivel and then attaching a 24" leader with a 6 oz. jighead, and then a 6" leader with a shrimp fly. Is this the way to go or will it produce too many tangles?

So does anyone have perhaps a picture or a description of how to rig a jighead/7" grub with a shrimp fly teaser? I think that's the way I'm going to go this weekend at Albion, along with squid on the tips of the hooks.

I keep picturing using a 3-swivel and then attaching a 24" leader with a 6 oz. jighead, and then a 6" leader with a shrimp fly. Is this the way to go or will it produce too many tangles?

I tried that (almost) exact set up at GS4. Three way swivel to the side i used a pre-snelled mustad 4/0 baitholder hook. That I the threadded on a plastic bass grub. On the lower eye I tied short leader with a 4 or 6 oz jig head with a root beer or white 7 inch grub.

I did really well with this set up...Why?

1. Any break offs and I only lost part of the rig.
2. The pre-snelled hooks had fairly short 'leaders' so there were no tangles. The swivel also helped.
3. When I got a bite or snag on the larger jig the attempt to reel in or free it made the 'shrimp fly' jump and jiggle all over. All my black and greenlings came on the 'fly'
4. With each part being an individual component I could switch one more more pieces out w/o having to re tie an entire dropper loop. 
5. Less knot tying = less chance of puking my guts out.

I like to tie a big (~3"-4") dropper loop about 12" above my jig head. Don't cut the loop, just use it "as-is". Then I can just slide the shrimp fly onto the loop using the handshake loop method. That way I can easily remove the shrimp fly once all the little black/gopher RF start annoying me. Also, this ensures that the hook point for the fly is always pointing up. And instead of a shrimp fly I also like to buy the P-line Ling Cod rigs, remove the squid from the rig and use them instead of flies. They're attached using the same handshake method.

Dropper loop:

I agree with Jay....dropper loop, 1 potential failure point intead of 3.

I agree with Jay....dropper loop, 1 potential failure point intead of 3.

what you don't trust your knots? I have had more issues with DL's braking then my knots. Plus I get sick tying knots...

Here's a tip: the tips of the rockfish are called fins--sometimes those fins have spines. Don't get spined. That's the tip of the day. But it ain't free, so don't forget to tip your waiter.
-my 2 cents

I agree with Jay....dropper loop, 1 potential failure point intead of 3.

what you don't trust your knots?

I trust them....thats why I don't have a problem tying a dropper loop 


I've never had one break on a fish, its always been instances where I have to break off a snag.  The DL is quick and easy....exactly how rockfishing should be.

Droper loop here too!  Its quick and easy to make at home ahead of time, I puke otw tying up rigs too.  However I still have 2-3 points of failure, since I start with a high quality snap swivel tied to the main line, then tie a loop in the leader to connect to the swivel, a droper loop in the middle with fly, and either leave the tag end alone (direct tie to jig) or add another (yet cheaper) swivel.

I've never had one break on a fish, its always been instances where I have to break off a snag.  The DL is quick and easy....exactly how rockfishing should be.

Yup, same here.  But, I guess if I lost the big one because of the loop I'd be upset.

With frays, nicks and fishing deep in the structure I re-tie all day long.....leaders and swivels just get in the way.  At the end of the day I've never felt having all that other junk inline would have changed the days outcome.   

First of all is your mainline braided line? This in itself will cut down on snags because of the instant relay of feeling the bottom and quickly bringing the rod tip up. It will also let you use a strong mainline wihout having to compromise diameter of line when drifting. 30 pound braid is the diameter of 8 pound mono. So your rig will stay more vertical hence less snags. I tie 4ft leaders out of 25 or 30 pound floro with a dropper loop for the teaser. I make the loop big to get my squid or whatever away from the main part of the leader so it wont wrap as easy. I tie a snap to the terminal end of the leader with a palomar knot. I also use a palomar knot at the end of the mainline and a palomar knot to the barrel swivel on the top of the leader. I can pre-tie all these at home before and put some different teasers on. Roll them up and put each one individually in a small zip-lock baggie. I dont want to be tying shit on the water during a hot bite. I like to keep changing the bottom jig till I find whats working best. Usually a 4oz red leadhead with a white or rootbeer scampi. I also like fishtraps in halloween color, sardine, bleeding anchovy, white.

this picture should speak for itself.  for noobs, i use a daiwa 17 line counter reels loaded with 50# spectra.  the reel has a daiwa power handle with a 2/0 kolekar grip.  it's alot easier for noobs to crank with.  the rod is a 7 foot trevala rated at 20-50.  it's the $99 trevala, not the $199 version.  the nice thing about the trevala is that it has a long foregrip and makes cranking easier for noobs.  i like it, too!  



at the end of the spectra i put a slider and a swivel.  that way i have an option of hanging a weight on the slider and running a single or double hook leader to dead or live bait.  my favorite single live anchovie rig is a single #4 gamakatsu treble hook that goes topdown through the nose.  i will use the same rig for whole squid or frozen anchovies.  with larger squid, jacksmelt or mackeral, i like a bronze 1/0 mustad treble hook.  sometimes i use a j-hook with a treble stinger, but i really prefer a single 1/0 treble for larger baits.  one reason i like the 1/0 bronze hook so much is that it will bend out on a rock.  

if i use a leader, it's typically 30# test with 1 or 2 shrimp flies tied on with a blood knot(60% strength).  there's a perfection loop (also 60% strength) at the top and a swivel at the bottom.  for a double hook rig, you have to use a bare weight.  this is a great rig for kids because you catch lots of fish.  most importantly you have fewer tangles.  you can zip that line straight to the bottom and not worry about tangles.  if you know you have big fish in the area, then i like a single hook rig with a bar, a bullet head or a swim bait at the bottom.   if you are fishing deep and get a floater, just send him back down to the deep.  he will come off, one way or another.  

and of course, you can always fish with a single bar or swim bait using a straight tie and a cast/retrieve technique.  drop shotting, straight up and down also works well.  using a bar, it's important to change out the hook.  i recommend that same 1/0 bronze mustad treble. the number 1 treble will break and the 2/0 is so strong that it will break the leader.  i had a bunch of bass guys on the boat one time.  we were using iron with those 1/0 trebles.  the guys got hung up a hundred times but only lost 1-2 bars.  the 1/0 treble is great to avoid losing gear.  alan