Headed to Newport; need help!

[SquidHC]

I'm headed out to see my family in Newport next week. Going to be there for a week and would love to do some rock-fish fishing. However, I haven't done it outside of a deep-sea charter boat. I don't have a boat, so I'm obviously limited. Any suggestions on the what/when/where/how so that I can go have fun? Thanks a million!

 

[steelhead1]

Fishing has been declining (for me and my buds anyway) for the past few years around Newport(actually, any area that is easily accessible to the hoards,hint hint).But there are a few fish around to be had. A good place to start might be south jetty at Yaquina bay. Sand shrimp or curly tail jigs can produce cabazon,greenling,bass,lingcod and sculpin of several varieties. A better bet May be droppin some crab pots, dungees are in fairly thick right now. There are some threads on this forum explaining some commonly used riggings,but feel free to ask for more specific info!

 

[SquidHC]

Thanks for the info! I checked out more info on Yaquina bay and am feeling confident enough to give it a try. Two questions though. Can I drop crab pots off of the jetty? Is running a 6 1/2' single piece medium action bass rod with 12# line and 10# flouro leader going to cut it or should I get some heavier line on there? I think the pose is good up to 18#.

 

[osmosis]

you can manage with 12 and 10, but remember you must horse the jetty fish. You give them a chance to get in the rocks and it's game over.

Walk out the south jetty until you make it to the surf line on the S side of the jetty, fish from there out as far as you are comfortable walking.

Small bass jigs, small spinners, and a little lead plus a 2 #4 hooks with a little muscle or clam meat works well.

You can't toss the pots from the jetty itself, think of the geometry involved. You will get the pot stuck on an edge. There are some sweet castable folding traps that oyu use from your regular fishing rod that work great off the jetty

a $70 charter boat trip is much more likely to send you home with fish (black or blue rocks and lings), but not perch.

 

[fishtales]

Not to be a pest but be sure to check the regs and any reg changes. Rock fish limits have changed though out this year. Also, if you go down on the rocks at the jetty be sure to take only what is needed. I have lot stuff just beciase it falls out of a tackle box.