Rockfish Setup?

Man they're only rock fish.  The first time I went rockfishing I broke my rod and ended up catching as many fish as my friend with a rod broken in half and 20 lb test line.

Use your ugly stick and whatever until you figure out what type of rock fishing you'll be doing then worry about a setup. The darn fish are cannabals and will swallow anything so pole sensitivity is not an issue.

Your not going to catch more fish with a braided line (unless you are fishing over a couple of hundred feet deep).
A sensitive pole and light line is only going to make it take longer to get the fish in, which would could be an occasional problem if you are being blown toward rocks with a fish on.

The only thing I would recommend is barbless hooks. I don't feel that I lose any fish because of this and it is so much easier to unhook the fish after you caught it. Which is a great thing in a kayak.

As for snagging, I carry finger nail clippers around my neck, but I don't snag that bad very often. What helps here is a fish sonar. It will tell you the depth and you can adjust your line before it gets caught on an edge.
Plus a little patience and paddling around will get a lot of snags loose. In fact, a friend of mine I took fishing got snagged and I told him to work it out, he ended up reeling up a large blue rockfish that was responsible for the hangup.

The rod I had was a med. action bass rod and I decided that would be too light.  Today I picked up a  7' med. action shakespeare sturdy stick on clearance for 20 bucks.  It is much stiffer than my old one.  I bought some 20 lb mono and spooled up my baitcaster.  I think this setup will work fine for a while.  Thanks for all the help guys!

Sounds like I'll have to spool up one of my reels with some spectra to try it out. I've always used mono & have no real stretch problems with it since most of my yak fishing is done in less than 80 ft, but I can see benefits to the spectra too.
I totally agree with the 20 pound test breakoff thing (although I sometimes use 25 on a heavier rod). 20lb seems to be the best compromise. I used to use soft 17lb and lings would constantly wrap me & snap it. This hasn't happened with the 20lb (I still get wrapped but now the line can take it). I use a 7' Ugly stik tiger or an old custom rod I scored in an antique shop, both with the 20lb on either daiwa or penn reels. Nothing fancy but they work well.
I like to use big scampis & 8' fishtraps for tossing near kelp, and 4-6oz bar jigs with single hooks for deeper jigging. Pretty standard stuff.
Counting the days to July 1st,
Sean Walker

It's not so much the sensitivity of spectra that I appreciate, but it's ability to cut through the water better due to it's thinner diameter.  That lets you use lighter terminal tackle, which tires you out less (jigging 6oz all day sux) and also allows you to keep fishing a while longer as the wind/drift increases.  Between more time on the water and lighter tackle (which tends to catch more fish) I believe it can increase one's catch modestly.  

Another neat thing about the stuff is that it floats.  So when you jig, you lift the rod, then lower it and there will be some line laying on the surface that gets pulled down as your jig sinks.  You can watch the line and lift your rod again when it suddenly sinks faster or slower.  Either you hit the bottom or a fish picked it up.

I also use a 7' MH and an Abu 6500 with Specta 30# and 24" of 25# mono leader.  Awesome setup.  Main bait is a 3.5 oz Megabait in sardine with a 4/0 siwash.  Super effective and easy to get back if you get snagged.

Main bait is a 3.5 oz Megabait in sardine with a 4/0 siwash.

         I found some gamakatsu siwash hooks that have the open loop at the top.  You just cut off the treble hooks and crimp on the siwash hooks right?

Travis-

Yes. Be easy on the eye, though. I've broken some and have heard others complain, too.

Exactly.   I use VMC hooks that are the same open eye style.  Same deal just less expensive.

Ive got two rigs for the up coming season.

7'6" Quantum Blue Runner inshore rod MH with an ABU6500C3 spooled with 20# berkely big game.  This is for fishing jigs to 2oz in less than 100ft.

I have a Ugly Stik Tiger BWC2201 teamed with a Penn jigmaster.  The Jigmaster has two spools.  One with 30# big game mono, the other with 50# Power Pro Spectra with 15# fluoro topshot.

MolBasser

What's a topshot?  Is it the same as a leader?  What knot would you use to tie to your main line?  
Rich

Yes topshot is a length of line tied to the spectra.  I have about  15 feet of fluoro over the spectra.

I use the albright.

MolBasser