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SG 14 / Revised March 1987 Bottom off Oregon P. Heikkila

Many people who come to the Oregon Fishing for redtails in the surf requires a coast each year to fish for salmon miss a fairly heavy spinning or rod capable good bet by not also fishing for the less of casting 2- to 5-ounce sinkers. Use a two- •glamorous bottom fish. Bottom fishing has hook "fish-finder" rig baited with mussels, some real advantages. pile worms, clams, or shrimp (see the dia- There are numerous varieties of bottom gram of the fish-finder rig). fish; they're abundant; and they're very good The pile —largest of all surf- eating. In fact, some people prefer a fillet —has a dark vertical stripe on each of lingcod to one of salmon. side, while the striped seaperch has orange Although anglers catch bottom fish fre- and blue horizontal stripes on the head and Starry quently from boats that fish the nearshore body. These two are the most commonly flounder reefs, they also catch them readily by cast- caught surfperch in Oregon's bays. Both ing from rocky headlands and from jetties. fish prefer rocks or kelp pilings, where they A note on licenses and . An feed on the abundant marine life. license is required to take and land Fishing for pile perch and striped sea- marine fish. In addition, marine fish are perch requires a different technique from subject to daily catch limits. These may fishing for the redtail. Around pilings or Black rockfish change annually; be sure to familiarize your- from a dock, tie the hook (#4 or #6 bait Of the numerous species of rockfish found self with current regulations of the Oregon holder) directly to the end of an 8- to in Oregon waters, anglers most commonly Department of Fish and Wildlife. Catch 10-pound test monofilament line. Add one catch the black rockfish because it frequents limits and license requirements apply out- or two large split shot weights, 24 to 30 shallow, nearshore water around rocks, side 3 miles ;/ you plan to land the fish in inches above the hook. jetties, and kelp beds. It's also called sea Oregon. After baiting with mussels, clams, pile bass, black snapper, or rock cod. worms, or mudshrimp, lower your bait di- Black rockfish are popular because they Surfperch rectly alongside the pilings. Then watch your readily take artificial lures. At certain times, The six species of midwater surfperch are line closely—these fish have a light bite. particularly at night, they will take surface probably the fish most commonly caught Around rocks, a lighter version of the lures. off rocks and beaches and in bays. Of the fish-finder rig works well. Use as light a One of the most productive means of six, anglers commonly take three: the redtail sinker as possible. catching them is to cast lead-headed, feath- surfperch, the pile perch, and the striped ered, or plastic worm jigs over submerged seaperch. Flounder reefs or jetties. Retrieve the jigs in short hops over the rocks (see the diagrams of There are a number of species in Oregon lures and baits and of jigs and jigging). waters, but only two are important to the Spoons, plugs—sometimes, even large flies— angler, the starry flounder and the sand sole. Both are found in abundance in Ore- gon estuaries from late winter to midsum- mer. You can identify the sand sole by its Redtail sandlike skin and long, free rays on the surfperch forward part of the dorsal fin. The starry flounder has rough plates on its skin and black and orange stripes on its fins. To catch both fish, use a light fish-finder Black rockfish The redtail, which you can easily recog- rig baited with clams, shrimp, pile worms, nize by its pale reddish pelvic fin and tail, is mussels, or pieces of fish. Drift it over a most commonly found in the surf zone along sand or sand-mud bottom. open ocean beaches, although you may find The starry flounder is a favorite of Ore- it occasionally in bays around rocks and gon anglers because of its large size (up to 3 Paul Heikkila, Extension marine agent, Ore- pilings. feet) and its excellent flavor. gon State University.

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE have been used successfully to catch black "FISH-FINDER" RIG LURES & BAITS rockfish. Herring, live shiner perch, shrimp, and Main Line — pile worms are all natural baits used to take Bucktail Jig rockfish. Keep these baits moving slowly Leader over the bottom.

Greenling Anglers take three common species, also called sea trout or kelp cod. Greenling have small mouths, fleshy flaps on top of their heads, and long, connected dorsal fins. They're usually found around rocks or kelp, sometimes several miles up a bay. Plug Cut Herring

Leaders and dropper lines are 2- to 4-lb (0.9- to 1.8-kilogram) test lighter than main line Rock greenling

Use a light fish-finder rig, with small hooks (#4 or #6), baited with ghost shrimp, pile worms, mussels, clams, or bits of fish. Occasionally, small feathered jigs or wet JIGGING TECHNIQUE flies, worked slowly over the bottom, will Cast out jig and let it sink to bottom. Raise catch greenling. the rod tip 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 centi- meters), then drop back, allowing the jig to flutter back to bottom. Pick up slack Lingcod line as you go. Repeat. The most prized of all the fish that an- glers take from the rocks, a lingcod can give an exciting account of itself. Lingcod some- times weigh as much as 75 pounds. Lingcod have wide mouths, large teeth, and long, connected dorsal fins. They in- stout rods and 20- to 40-pound test line A good source of information is Field habit rocky areas and kelp beds. Unlike when lingcod fishing. Guide to Common Marine and Bay Fishes rockfish or surfperch, they do not form of Oregon (Oregon State University Exten- schools. Others sion/Sea Grant Program and Agricultural Lingcod are quite aggressive and will bite Experiment Station, Manual 4). For a sin- a wide variety of baits and lures. Jigs, large Although anglers most commonly take gle copy, send $1.25 plus 25

Lingcod

Use large hooks (5/0 or 6/0) and hook Extension Service, Oregon State University, Corvallis, O. E. Smith, director. This publication was them through the lips or behind the dorsal produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. fin. Cast, without any added weight, over Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties. the rocky reefs that lingcod frequent. As the small fish, hindered by the large hook, The Extension/Sea Grant program is supported in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric swims erratically toward the bottom, it's Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. tempting prey for a hungry lingcod. Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials— After a pickup, wait a few seconds for without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, or disability—as required by Title VI of the Civil the lingcod to swallow the bait before set- Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the ting the hook. Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Because of their large size and the rocky Employer. areas lingcod frequent, most anglers use