Bottom Fishing Basics

Bottom Fishing Basics

by

David Y. Wei and Suzanne L. Clouthier

David’s late mother could never understand why most British Columbians treated bottom-dwelling fish species with such disdain. When she arrived here from China over sixty years ago, and for many years thereafter, commercial and sport fishers alike considered rockfish “rough” or, even worse, “trash” fish, and would often just give them away. Mrs. Wei could hardly believe her good fortune. She was more than happy to wow her family and dinner guests with a deep-fried rockfish, its crunchy-crisp skin rising through tangy, iridescent red sweet-and-sour sauce dotted with pineapple chunks. Another family favourite was whole rockfish steamed gently with ginger and scallions, served with a pungent garlic-and-black bean sauce.

Most saltwater anglers still prefer the exciting fight of salmon, but many have also discovered the culinary versatility of bottomfish, and are willing to devote more of their time on the water to catching them. Luckily, when you find bottomfish, they are relatively easy to catch using simple tackle and gear.

Rods, Reels, Line

Keep the kids busy catching tasty smaller species like rockfish, flounder, or kelp greenling by just dropping a baited hook and one- to six-ounce weight to the bottom from a pier, or by casting off a rock jetty. A seven- to eight-foot spinning rod, matched to a saltwater spinning reel with a 125- to 200-metre line capacity in 12- to 20-pound monofilament, will take care of fishing in shallower depths (to about 30 metres).

For serious deepwater drift-fishing to depths of 100 metres or more, consider purchasing a stout, heavy-duty 6.5- to 7.5-foot “halibut” rod matched to a fast-retrieve, level-wind, star-drag reel with a 200-metre line capacity of 50- to 100-pound test braided super line. The sturdy rod will handle heavy drift jigs and lead weights up to one kilogram in weight, and the reels have drags that can stand up to battle with a 100-kilogram “barn door” halibut.

Braided super line (Spiderwire Stealth, Tuff Line XP, or Gorilla Braid) is much more expensive than monofilament, but its high breaking-strength for such a thin diameter allows lures and baits to reach extreme depths with a minimum of drag. Super line also has very little stretch, which better telegraphs nibbles and bites and, more importantly, allows more solid hook-sets.

Tackle, Bait, Lures, Tactics

Smaller bottomfish in shallower water will take almost any natural bait. Use small chunks or strips of herring; pieces of shrimp, squid or octopus; or shellfish. Put your bait onto a size #1 or #2 single hook tied to 30 cm of 10- to 15-pound test monofilament leader. Using a banana sinker weight, attach this leader in turn to the end of your mainline. Just drop or cast your baited hook out, and let it sit on the bottom for a strike.

For bottom fishing from a pier or jetty, spin-cast a small lead drift jig (Buzz Bomb, Gibbs Minnow, Rip Tide Striker, or Deadly Dick), then retrieve it in the following “lift-drop” fashion: after casting the lure out, allow it to drop to the bottom; lift the rod tip slowly, then drop it quickly to allow the lure to flutter down; then wind in a few turns of line. Continue this lift-drop-wind until the lure is retrieved. A bonus to using drift lures in this way is always the possibility of attracting a salmon.

Many bottomfish are taken incidentally while trolling with downriggers close to the seabed for salmon. For moderately deep, level bottoms (down to about 50 metres), trolling is an easy way to stay close to the bottom without having to hold the rod. Best of all, when a bottom-dweller strikes to trigger the downrigger’s release clip, it allows for a spirited battle on a limber downrigger trolling rod.

Drift-fishing over either the contours of deepwater mounts or sand and gravel flats is the most productive and popular way to catch halibut, lingcod, Pacific yelloweye rockfish, and sablefish. To reach depths of 100 metres or more with a minimum of weight, fish the slack water around tidal changes, especially the last half hour of ebb into the first hour of flood, when you can often dead-drift (with no reversing, or “back trolling”) and still keep your lines almost vertical. Keeping lines vertical is the most important aspect of drift-fishing, as it will allow you to keep your lures within the critical three to five metres of the bottom with minimal snagging.

Tie a stainless steel, ball bearing “barrel-swivel” to your main braided line using a Palomar knot. Attach any lures to the barrel-swivel with about a metre of monofilament leader of slightly less breaking strength than your main line.

The simplest rig for deepwater bottom fishing is a cylindrical or elongated lead weight, or a lead-filled metal pipe “dink” jig (Delta Giant Skirt Jigs, Gibbs Mudrakers, and Halibut Spinnow). These simple lures weigh between 400 grams and one kilogram, and quickly reach the deepest bottoms. The jig is top-dressed with a giant plastic “squid” skirt over a large treble hook. Sweeten the hook with big chunks of herring, salmon belly or octopus, then stick your rod into the rod holder. A bit fussier is to rig a weighted spreader bar with either natural bait or a scent-impregnated silicone plastic “grub.” Let the rocking of the boat provide a gentle action while the bait leaves an attractive scent trail, and relax until the fish come to your lure.

For a great aerobic workout, and to feel the electric “take-no-prisoners” strike of a big bottom predator, lift-drop heavier, flutter-action drift jigs (Delta-Gibbs Minnow, Rip Tide Striker, Sumo 7X, or Zzinger) or dink jigs along the bottom: drop the lure to the bottom, wind it up a couple of turns, then repeatedly lift the rod tip slowly, and quickly drop it again until a fish hits.

Mrs. Wei would have been glad to see bottomfish finally attain the respect and attention they deserve. Get in on the fun of catching these tasty and willing-to-strike fish.

Rockfish Conservations Areas

Bottomfishes’ willingness to strike at almost any lure or bait has led to their severe decline in many parts of this province. Long-lived rockfish (who become sexually mature very late in their lives) are especially at risk, as they rarely survive being caught if their swim bladders expand out of their mouths. Lingcod and halibut are more likely than rockfish to survive catch-and-release, as long as they are not hooked badly; keep the smaller ones, but consider releasing the big breeder females (lingcod over 9 kg, and halibut over 25 kg). For conservation concerns, we implore every boater and angler to leave the area or stop fishing after catching a few bottomfish to eat.

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has established Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) along our coast where they hope depleted rockfish stocks will recover. In these areas there is no fishing allowed for any species of finfish. Be sure to carefully read the British Columbia Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide to note the locations of RCAs. As well, always check the FOC sport fishing website: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/SFG_e.htm for the latest updates on closures.

Licenses

Every angler fishing in British Columbia’s tidal waters must have a Tidal Waters Sport Fishing License. Licenses are available at most fishing tackle shops, marinas, and department stores, as well as from charter fishing operators. You can purchase a license online at: https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/nrls-sndpp/index-eng.cfm