Hitchhiker / live bait question????

So I've caught dozens of lings as hitchhikers before but I've never purposely used a live rockfish for bait.

I remember many years ago people using smaller rockfish and catching big lings doing so.
Is this legal? and if so what rockfish is the best live bait for lings?

Totally legal but that rockfish you send down as bait does count towards your limit.

Don't know what rockfish works best but I'm sure plenty will chine in.

I'd like to know more about the set-up.  Are people just pinning it to a swimbait, diamond jig, or what?

Rockfish needs to be legal size if you are going to keep them for bait.

Use greenling!

-Allen

They make great cutbait too. 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Totally legal but that rockfish you send down as bait does count towards your limit.

Don't know what rockfish works best but I'm sure plenty will chine in.

I'd like to know more about the set-up.  Are people just pinning it to a swimbait, diamond jig, or what?

Three way swivel, approx 8" dropper for your weight and three foot leader to the rockfish. Sliding/adjustable hook in upper lip and a fixed treble hook in the tail.

Totally legal but that rockfish you send down as bait does count towards your limit.

Don't know what rockfish works best but I'm sure plenty will chine in.

I'd like to know more about the set-up.  Are people just pinning it to a swimbait, diamond jig, or what?

Three way swivel, approx 8" dropper for your weight and three foot leader to the rockfish. Sliding/adjustable hook in upper lip and a fixed treble hook in the tail.

Forget the 3 way.  Use an 8 ounce egg sinker.  I like heavier because it keeps the bait from darting off too much and it gives the bait something to struggle against.  The struggling action is like ringing the dinner bell.  Drop it down so it sits up off the bottom like 5 feet and as much as 10 feet, so your bait does hole up or get snagged up.  The lings will both "feel it" and see it.  I freespool when I get a hit (usually the rod just loads up) for 5-10 seconds, then just reel tight.  Gently reel her up to the surface in case she's not hooked and just holding on.

-Allen

Totally legal but that rockfish you send down as bait does count towards your limit.

Don't know what rockfish works best but I'm sure plenty will chine in.

I'd like to know more about the set-up.  Are people just pinning it to a swimbait, diamond jig, or what?

Three way swivel, approx 8" dropper for your weight and three foot leader to the rockfish. Sliding/adjustable hook in upper lip and a fixed treble hook in the tail.

Forget the 3 way.  Use an 8 ounce egg sinker.  I like heavier because it keeps the bait from darting off too much and it gives the bait something to struggle against.  The struggling action is like ringing the dinner bell.  Drop it down so it sits up off the bottom like 5 feet and as much as 10 feet, so your bait does hole up or get snagged up.  The lings will both "feel it" and see it.  I freespool when I get a hit (usually the rod just loads up) for 5-10 seconds, then just reel tight.  Gently reel her up to the surface in case she's not hooked and just holding on.

-Allen

Makes sense......I never tried it that is just how I've seen it done........like live bait drifting for stripers

Three way swivel, approx 8" dropper for your weight and three foot leader to the rockfish. Sliding/adjustable hook in upper lip and a fixed treble hook in the tail.

Forget the 3 way.  Use an 8 ounce egg sinker.
-Allen

Excuse my ignorance Allen but is this a carolina rig with a sliding/adjustable hook & treble for the greenling?

So I've caught dozens of lings as hitchhikers before but I've never purposely used a live rockfish for bait.

I remember many years ago people using smaller rockfish and catching big lings doing so.
Is this legal? and if so what rockfish is the best live bait for lings?

Greenlings! Small Scales and small fin bones, easy to swallow.

When I first started targeting lings from the Humboldt Bay jetties around 10 years ago, small kelp greenling were my bait of choice.  Those 7-8 inchers were practically guaranteed to get hit.  But then the 12 inch minimum size limit was placed on greenling, so now you're limited to only using the 12+ inch versions as bait.  Of course, that could just equate to one really large ling  .

I've used hand-sized black and blue rockfish as live bait before, and though they don't work as well as those small greenling, they still get lingcod attention.  I put one large octopus hook through the lips, and another one through the skin of the back near the tail.  I would fish this under a large Styrofoam bobber.  Most times you wouldn't even hook the ling, so when you got hit you had to gently reel them in as they hitch-hiked on the bait and have a gaff or net at the ready.

Sorry for my laziness. Is it only two hooks for rockfish? I also thought someone posted that the hooks could only be 5 inches apart as well. If so... does that mean if you use a double hook set up for a live bait.. no more hooks on the line?
Alex

Sorry for my laziness. Is it only two hooks for rockfish? I also thought someone posted that the hooks could only be 5 inches apart as well. If so... does that mean if you use a double hook set up for a live bait.. no more hooks on the line?
Alex

I believe the 5" thing is for Salmon. Yes, those hooks count as your two.

I fish for rock fish with a big hammer on the bottom and a shrimp fly on a dropper loop 4 feet above. When I get a small rockfish I want to use for bait I remove the shrimp fly and put a swivel and big snap on the dropper loop. I make a hole through the roof of the fishes mouth and through it's nose with the hook of the big hammer and Leadhead. Then I pin the fish onto the big snap through the hole in his nose. This way I can use a stinger hook in its body and I'm still only using two  hooks.

They often grab the fish up through the belly missing the tail so I put The stinger hook about two thirds down the body. If they aren't stuck on the stinger they often let go when they get close to the surface So I net them as far below the surface as I physically can.

Hope this helps.

OOppss. Sorry. Can a sabiki bait rig be deployed if a rockfish pole is out?

Lazy Alex.