HMB Rockfish tips

So from what I've got from searching previous posts, fishing the green cans using big hammer swim baits (4" or larger) or the good ol' shrimp fly rig with squid will yield good results in HMB. Are there any other methods that work particularly well out in HMB to catch Rockfish?

Im not expecting anyone to give up their best secret but general tips appreciated

Rockfish will eat anything you throw at their faces. Don't leave out the good ole high/low rig with just bait (squid). My wife out fished me 5 to 1 one time just using that rig.

Rockfish will eat anything you throw at their faces. Don't leave out the good ole high/low rig with just bait (squid). My wife out fished me 5 to 1 one time just using that rig.

Good stuff, I've used that setup on party boats to good success! I just wanted to know if there's any tips on how to catch some monster lings out there

Whole bait on a stinger rig - or fish elsewhere. HMB should be overfished by June

Cannot beat live bait for lings. I love swimbaits as much as the next guy but if you want to consistently catch big lings in a heavily pressured place like hmb than live is the way to go.

Use a small sabiki to catch some 6"-15" long smelt, sardines or mackerel. Rig them up on a three way or dropper loop and hang on tight. Drop down just outside the kelp and reel up about 3 feet.

Good times!

-Eliot

Shrimp fly tipped with squid is a good rock fish bait. Sometimes I'll put one above a big hammer or diamond jig.

Cannot beat live bait for lings. I love swimbaits as much as the next guy but if you want to consistently catch big lings in a heavily pressured place like hmb than live is the way to go.

Use a small sabiki to catch some 6"-15" long smelt, sardines or mackerel. Rig them up on a three way or dropper loop and hang on tight. Drop down just outside the kelp and reel up about 3 feet.

Good times!

-Eliot

Where can you catch baitfish in HMB? Within the harbor?

Cannot beat live bait for lings. I love swimbaits as much as the next guy but if you want to consistently catch big lings in a heavily pressured place like hmb than live is the way to go.

Use a small sabiki to catch some 6"-15" long smelt, sardines or mackerel. Rig them up on a three way or dropper loop and hang on tight. Drop down just outside the kelp and reel up about 3 feet.

Good times!

-Eliot

Where can you catch baitfish in HMB? Within the harbor?

You can usually catch them outside of the harbor. Occationally you can also catch some mackerel inside the harbor too. There will usually be schools of anchovies, macks, croakers or jacksmelt during the summer time. Find a nice bait ball and use a sabiki to catch them. Don't use the sabiki if you already have a rockfish/ling in possession or trim down the sabiki to two hooks and catch some small rockfish as bait too. Lings love to chew on some baby rockfish.