shore rock fishing

Cam I have a 10'6" it's free if you want it.

Using circle hooks can help reduce hangups too.

Lots of great tips here. I like to keep it simple.  40lb test, two 1/0 hooks above 3oz river sinker.  I've got a couple 11 ft rods you are welcome to use anytime. Let me know if you want company sometime.  There is a killer spot just before the stump beach parking lot. Park at the call box on road and walk straight across the field to the west.

Sup guys, new to the board. 

Weedless bass rigs actually work quite well in my limited experience for shore rockfish. TX rigged plastics, jigs and tx rigged dropshot have all kicked out some fish.

Don't know if you can still find them but I used to use those small tabacco bags filled with rock and sand for weights. they tear loose when you snag. I would also use a standard rig with a balloon bobber to keep the rig off the bottom. Them there is always tossing a weedless bass jig down kelp alleys

thanks for the replys guys, so another question would be, spinning or casting, and do you really need a 9+ft rod, or can i get away with my rods i use kayaking 7-8ft, cameron

I'd vote for casting gear, but its basically a personal preference. I'd rather not deal with line twist if I didn't have to. Rod length will depend on where you're fishing and how your doing it - if you were say, flipping to pockets in weedbeds and targeting nearshore structure it wouldn't matter a whole lot how far you could potentially throw. I'd think accuracy in placement of your casts, coupled with the ability to turn your fish is more important than distance for shore cod - for the most part. Think 20lb mono as a starting point, and if you run spectra go for thicker diameters as shore codding will do a number on your gear. Alotta sharp barnacle covered rocks, man. And heavy line allows you to straighten hooks if you snag up - just bend em back or retie after if the hook points shot. I've gone trips without losing a single weight/rig after making the switch to weedless rigging and heavyish line.

thanks B_T, now all i need is a day i can get out there, cameron

This time of year is great for Poke Poling, too.

What size slip bobber do you guys use to hold up 4-6 oz. weights? I'm sure they have larger options available closer to the coast than the sporting good stores in the foothills. I have not seen anything up here that would come close to floating a 4 oz. torpedo weight. I was thinking of tying up some 6' or so drop shot leaders and slipping on a bobber before tying to a barrel swivel on the main line. Is 6' or so drop deep enough to fish suspended fish in kelp beds? Between that and a new poke pole I'm hoping to get some rock fish in the next month.