Rockfish are often under appreciated or overlooked. With the right conditions and properly matched tackle, rockfish can be heaps of fun. This baccocio (14lbs) and vermillion (8lbs) were caught off Big Sur, California. When favorable conditions allow for a slower drift rate I prefer to fish large 7"-12" swimbaits on a 20lb calico bass setups. Fishing the swimbaits is a lot more involved than fishing with cut bait and the lighter setup allows for a challenging fight. It makes things a little more "skilly" and a lot more enjoyable. Both these fish were caught on a 4oz leadhead with a white 9" swimbaits. If I am fishing shallower water (50'-200') I prefer to fish a Calstar 900XL paired with a Trinidad 12 filled with 50lb braid.
