Rock Fishing in Newport Oregon

Here are some ideas on how to be successful when fishing for rock fish (aka “bottom fishing”).  First it is important to know that most rock fish swim near the rocks, not in them.  They are associated with the rocks because they use them for feeding on the bait that uses the rocks for protection.  Also the rocks cause eddies and calm spots in the current where the fish congregate.  Most fish conserve energy and will not fight current.

So when fishing around the reefs, pinnacles and rock piles, it is important to remember, do not fish on the bottom!  All rock fish are suspended above the rocks or come up off the bottom to grab a juicy bait when it is presented.  If you want to fish inside of the rocks, fine, but you will be spending a lot of time getting off the hang ups and waiting for the deck hand to set you up with new gear.

Another thing to remember is to always keep your bait moving.  Drop down until you touch the bottom and then reel up quickly a third of the way, stop and wait a moment and then reel up some more.  The fish are at all depts from the bottom to the top.  Check it all out and you will be much more successful.

And you normally do not need to “jig” your bait up and down.  The boat is moving up and down with the waves and drifting along too.  You add four to five feet of jigging on top of an eight foot swell and the poor fish can’t catch up with your bait.  Give them a chance to grab it.  And for you Steel head fishermen (I always love to give them a bad time because I Steelhead fish too), you DON’T NEED TO SET THE HOOK!  That action only scares the bee geebers out of us when we see you jerking the pole like that!  It’s like you don’t want the fish to have something to eat.  And you might even lose your balance and fall down and hurt your toto.  Just let the fish have the bait and they hook themselves

The 5 hour Rock fish trip is great for families with young children, ready to have a load of fun!