Trolling Swim Baits?

[A-a-Ron]

That is a good theory. Certain well known reefs and rock piles get lots of traffic in the first week of May.

Regarding the new fish moving in, I remember reading an old report from silver blue charters, that he thought the bigger fish moved off into deeper water as the summer went on, returning to the shallower reefs late summer/early fall.

Yep, that’s why I fill the freezer in May and hit it hard again when Chinook opens over there in August. I’ve found June/July to be a bit slower as well generally.

 

[Rain City]

I think I might have figured out this ling cod fishing thing. The wife and I went out at the crack of noon and caught these two in less than two hours fishing with just one rod.

We lost one sized between these two first thing because I didn’t have the net ready and knocked it off beside the boat trying to gaff it.

We also had some hits that didn’t stick and released one undersized. 74 cm and 96 cm; no scale on board but I’m thinking high teens at least.

View attachment 117293

What a beeeeauty!

 

[Srthomas75]

74 cm and 96 cm; no scale on board but I’m thinking high teens at least.

May 16th I caught a 96cm that was 22lb and a 87cm that was 15lb.

 

[Squire]

What a beeeeauty!

Thanks man. I really appreciate you sharing your method of trolling with the spreader bar. You have been a valued contributor to this site and I also have an open offer to take you out fishing on my turf when you beat this thing. Maybe you could teach me more tricks?

Today was a bit of a trial with currents strong enough to make it hard to get near the bottom and made me change to a 24 oz. ball weight, then lots of **** in the water made me move locations.

Then I realized the Shimano Tekota A 600 reel I just spooled with 65 lb braid wasn’t properly calibrated for line size so the line counter was useless. I switched to my Cabelas reel with a line counter that gets pretty close and things started to happen. First real contact with bottom resulted in the nice keeper I lost beside the boat then the action was pretty consistent. I had the one downrigger ready with the descender but didnt even catch a rockfish.

All this is under two hours with the wife and one rod. I can just imagine how efficient this type of fishing would be with multiple rods and experienced fishers on board.

 

[Squire]

May 16th I caught a 96cm that was 22lb and a 87cm that was 15lb.

I tend to be conservative in my estimates to avoid getting called out but it was definitely a stout specimen

 

[A-a-Ron]

I tend to be conservative in my estimates to avoid getting called out but it was definitely a stout specimen

Yeah man if that fish is sitting beside a 74cm (10lb approx), then that big one is a solid low 20’s.

 

[Rain City]

Yeah man if that fish is sitting beside a 74cm (10lb approx), then that big one is a solid low 20’s.

All day