Rockfish are intimidating looking fish, but they’re not strong fighters. Once you’ve hooked one, hoisting the heavy fish up takes a little time but it’s usually pretty easy. The key to getting this bottom-dweller into your net, or boat, is getting it to take your bait.
While rock fish are not the most finicky of feeders, using the right presentation and rig setup will greatly improve your catch rate. There are several pre-made rockfish rigs that can be purchased at any number of fishing tackle stores, or you can build your own. The most important thing is that you know what type of rigs work best for catching rockfish and what to look for.
The following are the most popular fishing rigs for catching rockfish. While this list is not all inclusive, these rockfish rigs have proven effective for anglers that target rockfish around the globe.
A surf fishing rig used to catch a large variety of fishing including stripers and redfish
Dropped vertically down the water column and used for still fishing
A versatile multi-hooked bottom fishing rig use for bottom fishing and surf fishing
A versatile rig for fishing natural or artificial bait from shallow to deep water
