Hook To Fork

Rockfish season opens March 1, 2019 after the annual two-month closure in January and February. Many of you were stocking up the freezer in December before the closure, because we all know how tasty those flaky white fillets can be. While you were fishing, I was busy slaving away in the kitchen as the Executive Chef of La Jolla Country Club with a half dozen holiday parties per day. That still didn’t stop me from sneaking out to some of my favorite rocks so that I could put away a few vacuumed-sealed fillets of my own in the freezer until the season reopens. I’m going to talk about some of my favorite fishing techniques and share a couple of my favorite recipes to help you along with both catching success and improving your culinary skills.

Rockfishing can either be a lot of fun or very disappointing, depending on the rock you choose to fish. One thing is for certain – you will seldom drive home empty-handed if you put in the time. When I go rockfishing, I like to have a game plan because some of my spots are not always holding fish, so having numerous spots plugged into the GPS is necessary for success. Personally, I enjoy fishing in 200 feet or less. Going deeper will typically increase your success and the size tends to be bigger, but it also wipes out your arms reeling in fish from the new legal maximum depth of 450 feet. My go-to set up is a double dropper loop with 2/0 Owner bait hooks or 4/0 Owner Aki, 6- to 12-ounce weight (depending on the current), and Berkley Gulp. I like the Gulp Minnow

Grub in red or pink for the 2/0 Owner bait hook and the 6-inch Gulp Grub in nuclear chicken or white for the 4/0 Owner Aki hook. Be sure to make your dropper loops 6- to 12-inches long; this will increase your bites. I like to use a snap swivel on the bottom for your weight. This will limit line twists and makes it easy to change out your weight quickly if you need to scale up or down. I also never leave the harbor without picking up a half scoop of sardines and a couple bags of frozen squid. I like to have options, but you can almost guarantee that the Gulp will produce. Sometimes I like to use a squid strip on the bottom hook and a Gulp grub on the top hook; I call this “the buffet”. If one is getting bit better than the other, I will double up on that bait. Many times, the fish are

keyed in on live sardines, which on the right rock can produce bigger fish. I’ve learned that there is definitely a pecking order on a rockfish spot. The bigger fish eat first, so if you are catching a bunch of small ones, it’s time to move on to the next spot.

I’m affiliated with Okuma, so my favorite set up is the Komodo 463 (6:3 gear ratio) paired with their new 8-foot Heavy PCH Inshore Rod. I load it up with sixty-pound spectra (I like green) with about a six-foot top shot of 30# or 40# fluorocarbon. I prefer the higher gear ratio when fishing deep so that the line pick up is quicker and less fatiguing. I suggest spectra because monofilament has a lot of stretch and is much less sensitive than braid, which may cause you to miss bites. Fluorocarbon is a must in my opinion when fishing around rocks because it is much more abrasion-resistant than a monofilament top shot and will also increase your bite success. Having a rod with a lot of backbone is key, along with a sensitive tip so you can feel those deep bites. This also allows you to get those big fish up out of those rocks before they bury you and break you off. You can use a bigger reel if you prefer, but I personally like the sportiness of a 400-size reel with the comfort of a level wind for the shallow depths I like to fish.

Once you land your rockfish you have to take care of them. I personally bleed, gut and get them on ice right away. Taking the time to care for your fish will definitely improve the taste of the fish. There is nothing worse than filleting a fish that hasn’t been bled and gutted because you run into the chance of getting blood and bile juice (yellow nastiness) on the fillet. I personally believe that rinsing your fillets with fresh water is a no-no. I simply pat dry the fillet with a dry or semi-damp paper towel.

Rockfish fillets cook really fast, so you have to be careful not to overcook them. The best method in my opinion is to use a nice non-stick pan. Before you pan-sear the fillets, lightly salt, pepper and oil both sides of the fish. I use Kosher salt, cracked black pepper and either avocado or grape seed oil. Avocado and grape seed oil have a very high smoke point which is great for sautéing fish and other meats. Next, you will want to make sure that your pan is preheated; a hot pan is a must so that your fillets do not stick to the pan. I then lightly coat the pan with one of the oils mentioned above and then gently place the fillets down, searing the presentation side first for at least a minute before flipping them over to finish. After you flip the fillets, melt a cube of butter in the hot pan and use a spoon to baste the fish. After about another minute and a half, remove the pan from the heat and continue to baste the fillet with the warm butter for about 30 seconds. Set pan aside and let the fish rest for 2 minutes before serving. Your fillets should be crispy brown and perfectly cooked. I like to serve my rockfish with a spicy mango salsa and chipotle aioli.

If you have any questions you can DM Matt on Instagram @destroyer619.