Edmonds Pier - Guide to Bottomfishing
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:44 pm
Ok ive fished edmonds for awhile for bottomfish and ive decided to make a guide.
Rockfish - These are the most commonly fished for among edmonds they grow anywhere from 2-3 inches to 14-15 inches they taste great fried or steamed. The smaller ones make great bait for ling cod as i will explain later.
Bait Fishing Them - Ill start by telling you how to catch the smaller ones. you use a size 6 or 8 snelled hook with 3-4 inches of leader line attached to a swivel and a light bullet wait above the swivel. attach on some worms or shrimp and your good to go. throw it near the pilings anywhere from 3-4 feet below the surface or all the way to the bottom. to catch the bigger ones 10 inch or bigger get a really small hook small as you can. put a tiny piece of shrimp or worm and look for a school of perch and slowly lower your bait into it. you should be able to see the perch hit it if there is no perch nearby try to get a sculpin or anything small that moves other than another rock cod or ling cod make sure it is 2-3 inches minmum, dead baits like frozen herring work well and if you want to use shrimp for it works too just put a pretty big chunk of it on your hook.. once you have one take size 3-4 snelled or circle hook stick it through the back. Careful not to pierce the spine or you'll kill it. then rig up any way you like with a nice sized weight and 5-6 inches of leader. throw it near the rocks or at the bottom of a piling and you will be sure of hook up if its a good day you will get a bite within 1-30 mins. The second you have the rock cod on reel it up fairly fast as it will try to swim into the piling or rocks.
Jigging for them - My experience with jigging for rock cod are not as good as baiting i prefer baiting them buts that my preference. if you wish to jig for them use a lead jighead with a curly tail grub according to the size of the rock cod you want. bright colors have worked best for me. i only jig for them if i can see them. i have had luck with darts those ones that look like candlefish but not much only caught 2 or 3 but they were pretty large.
Flounders/Sole - In my opinion flounders taste horrible anyway you cook them. i advise that if you do eat them always fry them because if you dont the meats go soft. i use them as crab bait they work better than other than much other baits. just cut a couple of long slits on them.
Baiting for them - you would use the same setup as in catching the small rock cod. put a piece of shrimp or worm and slowly drag it or leave it on the bottom. berkley gulp bait sand flea crabs work good too on the bottom. ill share with you guys a story about 2 to 4 years ago during the summer there was a huge flounder swimming on the surface 10-15lbs if anyone remembers and a guy snagged it with a tiny white jig and brought it in somehow. was being yelled at by my uncle for not telling him. if anyone was there that was an amazing moment for edmonds flounder haha biggest one ive seen outta edmonds.
Jigging for them - theres no ways to jig for them unless you can see them which you rarely do. but if you do a small white grub will work well throw it behind them and keep reeling it in across there face. you either snag it or it takes the jig.
Cabezon - i would say this fish is decent for eating but more useful as ling cod bait. they are ugly as hell though you will lose your appetite once you see its blue meat. yes thats right BLUE!!! anyways it turns white when you cook it.
Baiting them - cabezons have not been what they used to be at edmonds. you could usually toss anything at the rocks and you would get one. i would throw shrimp and perch into the rocks with decent size hooks. i wouldnt get your hopes high of getting one though as i havent caught one since 07.
Jigging - I have never tried to jig nor caught one on a jig. if you have had any luck please tell me and i will add it into this guide.
Sculpins - they are also a bad tasting fish used as bait for rock cod and ling cod and crab. the smaller ones for rock cod. and the big ones ling cod and crab.
Baiting them - anything type of bait works dead, live, fish guts. for the smaller ones i would use fish guts or worms and shrimps. whats amazing is that you can use a smaller sculpin and catch a bigger one. for the bigger ones half a perch or anything works well on a size 2-4 hook. they have large mouths and can fit lots in so a big bait works as well. when handling one avoid the 2 spikes on the side of their heads as the hurt pretty bad when you get pricked. if you are saving them for crab bait or dead bait. remember to cut off the thorns to avoid being pricked the next time.
Jigging for them - curly tail grubs work the best off the bottom. bounce them up and down and one will strike and occasionally you can grab a rock cod off the bottom.
Greenlings - i dont think they are bottom fish but they taste goood to me and i usually catch them off the bottom. like cabezon they have been declining as well havent had 1 since 06 :bounce: they are in my opinion the best ling cod bait. they are very tasty fried or steamed.
Baiting them - i have had the most luck on a size 6 snelled hook with a medium sized piece of shrimp on it. a funny story of mine i had just caught a nice 14 inch greenlings to eat and tried to keep it alive. but when it died suddenly i wondered why. but i found out when i was gutting it that it had the shrimp stuck in its gill. well the best spot to try for these is at the far end of the pier right in between the 2 pilings.
Jigging them - i have never tried jigging for them so i would not know how tell me if you guys know anyway to jig for them and i will add that to this guide.
Dogfish - a type of shark that grows fairly large as big as a ling but not as vicious. i have not tried one because i have been told they taste because of a defense mechanism where they urinate through their skin. people have told me to soak them in lemon juice for 3, 2 hour periods but thats too much of a hassle for me.
Baiting them - herring works the best whole herring that is with the head cut off. on a size 3-4 hook. try using a wire leader because these guys have teeth. i dont catch many at edmonds and if i do average size is 15-20 inches. they mostly come out at night at edmonds.
Jigging for them - i dont jig for them and if you do tell me how and i will add it to this guide.
Ratfish - The goggly eyed whip tailed fish of the bottom. its looks like an alien with its big eyes. i like to poke at the eyes when i catch one because it feels weird. avoid the tails as they can cut you pretty deep. they have cut clean through my 20lb test once. i have never eaten one as i have been told they are poisonous.
Baiting them - dead baits work the best for these shrimp, frozen herring and fish guts. I catch them usually when i go for rock cod. if you see one leave your bait on the bottom and it will eventually come back and take it.
Jigging them - i dont jig for them but i do snag them with jigs if i see one and throw it into the break water they like to rip your baits in half with their buck teeth so i dont like them.
Ling Cod - DUN DUN DUN!!! the 2nd biggest fish to catch in edmonds other than chinook salmon. and the best tasting bottomfish next to rock cod. with a 26 inch minimum its huge. taking baits up to 14 inches long its the king of bottom fish.
Baiting them - if you are willing get yourself a strong rod 7-8 feet medium to large reel. 15lb abrasion resistant line and steel wire leader is a minimum as they have sharp teeth like a chum but not as large but many and are like nails. i would wear gloves when trying to remove a hook from their mouths i have had experience that if you dont bye bye finger or a deep teeth wound it will be like a line of red dots squirting blood out. first things first a average size keeper ling is 6-7 pounds that can take maybe an 6-8 inch rock cod, greenling, flounder, or sculpin. hook
Rockfish - These are the most commonly fished for among edmonds they grow anywhere from 2-3 inches to 14-15 inches they taste great fried or steamed. The smaller ones make great bait for ling cod as i will explain later.
Bait Fishing Them - Ill start by telling you how to catch the smaller ones. you use a size 6 or 8 snelled hook with 3-4 inches of leader line attached to a swivel and a light bullet wait above the swivel. attach on some worms or shrimp and your good to go. throw it near the pilings anywhere from 3-4 feet below the surface or all the way to the bottom. to catch the bigger ones 10 inch or bigger get a really small hook small as you can. put a tiny piece of shrimp or worm and look for a school of perch and slowly lower your bait into it. you should be able to see the perch hit it if there is no perch nearby try to get a sculpin or anything small that moves other than another rock cod or ling cod make sure it is 2-3 inches minmum, dead baits like frozen herring work well and if you want to use shrimp for it works too just put a pretty big chunk of it on your hook.. once you have one take size 3-4 snelled or circle hook stick it through the back. Careful not to pierce the spine or you'll kill it. then rig up any way you like with a nice sized weight and 5-6 inches of leader. throw it near the rocks or at the bottom of a piling and you will be sure of hook up if its a good day you will get a bite within 1-30 mins. The second you have the rock cod on reel it up fairly fast as it will try to swim into the piling or rocks.
Jigging for them - My experience with jigging for rock cod are not as good as baiting i prefer baiting them buts that my preference. if you wish to jig for them use a lead jighead with a curly tail grub according to the size of the rock cod you want. bright colors have worked best for me. i only jig for them if i can see them. i have had luck with darts those ones that look like candlefish but not much only caught 2 or 3 but they were pretty large.
Flounders/Sole - In my opinion flounders taste horrible anyway you cook them. i advise that if you do eat them always fry them because if you dont the meats go soft. i use them as crab bait they work better than other than much other baits. just cut a couple of long slits on them.
Baiting for them - you would use the same setup as in catching the small rock cod. put a piece of shrimp or worm and slowly drag it or leave it on the bottom. berkley gulp bait sand flea crabs work good too on the bottom. ill share with you guys a story about 2 to 4 years ago during the summer there was a huge flounder swimming on the surface 10-15lbs if anyone remembers and a guy snagged it with a tiny white jig and brought it in somehow. was being yelled at by my uncle for not telling him. if anyone was there that was an amazing moment for edmonds flounder haha biggest one ive seen outta edmonds.
Jigging for them - theres no ways to jig for them unless you can see them which you rarely do. but if you do a small white grub will work well throw it behind them and keep reeling it in across there face. you either snag it or it takes the jig.
Cabezon - i would say this fish is decent for eating but more useful as ling cod bait. they are ugly as hell though you will lose your appetite once you see its blue meat. yes thats right BLUE!!! anyways it turns white when you cook it.
Baiting them - cabezons have not been what they used to be at edmonds. you could usually toss anything at the rocks and you would get one. i would throw shrimp and perch into the rocks with decent size hooks. i wouldnt get your hopes high of getting one though as i havent caught one since 07.
Jigging - I have never tried to jig nor caught one on a jig. if you have had any luck please tell me and i will add it into this guide.
Sculpins - they are also a bad tasting fish used as bait for rock cod and ling cod and crab. the smaller ones for rock cod. and the big ones ling cod and crab.
Baiting them - anything type of bait works dead, live, fish guts. for the smaller ones i would use fish guts or worms and shrimps. whats amazing is that you can use a smaller sculpin and catch a bigger one. for the bigger ones half a perch or anything works well on a size 2-4 hook. they have large mouths and can fit lots in so a big bait works as well. when handling one avoid the 2 spikes on the side of their heads as the hurt pretty bad when you get pricked. if you are saving them for crab bait or dead bait. remember to cut off the thorns to avoid being pricked the next time.
Jigging for them - curly tail grubs work the best off the bottom. bounce them up and down and one will strike and occasionally you can grab a rock cod off the bottom.
Greenlings - i dont think they are bottom fish but they taste goood to me and i usually catch them off the bottom. like cabezon they have been declining as well havent had 1 since 06 :bounce: they are in my opinion the best ling cod bait. they are very tasty fried or steamed.
Baiting them - i have had the most luck on a size 6 snelled hook with a medium sized piece of shrimp on it. a funny story of mine i had just caught a nice 14 inch greenlings to eat and tried to keep it alive. but when it died suddenly i wondered why. but i found out when i was gutting it that it had the shrimp stuck in its gill. well the best spot to try for these is at the far end of the pier right in between the 2 pilings.
Jigging them - i have never tried jigging for them so i would not know how tell me if you guys know anyway to jig for them and i will add that to this guide.
Dogfish - a type of shark that grows fairly large as big as a ling but not as vicious. i have not tried one because i have been told they taste because of a defense mechanism where they urinate through their skin. people have told me to soak them in lemon juice for 3, 2 hour periods but thats too much of a hassle for me.
Baiting them - herring works the best whole herring that is with the head cut off. on a size 3-4 hook. try using a wire leader because these guys have teeth. i dont catch many at edmonds and if i do average size is 15-20 inches. they mostly come out at night at edmonds.
Jigging for them - i dont jig for them and if you do tell me how and i will add it to this guide.
Ratfish - The goggly eyed whip tailed fish of the bottom. its looks like an alien with its big eyes. i like to poke at the eyes when i catch one because it feels weird. avoid the tails as they can cut you pretty deep. they have cut clean through my 20lb test once. i have never eaten one as i have been told they are poisonous.
Baiting them - dead baits work the best for these shrimp, frozen herring and fish guts. I catch them usually when i go for rock cod. if you see one leave your bait on the bottom and it will eventually come back and take it.
Jigging them - i dont jig for them but i do snag them with jigs if i see one and throw it into the break water they like to rip your baits in half with their buck teeth so i dont like them.
Ling Cod - DUN DUN DUN!!! the 2nd biggest fish to catch in edmonds other than chinook salmon. and the best tasting bottomfish next to rock cod. with a 26 inch minimum its huge. taking baits up to 14 inches long its the king of bottom fish.
Baiting them - if you are willing get yourself a strong rod 7-8 feet medium to large reel. 15lb abrasion resistant line and steel wire leader is a minimum as they have sharp teeth like a chum but not as large but many and are like nails. i would wear gloves when trying to remove a hook from their mouths i have had experience that if you dont bye bye finger or a deep teeth wound it will be like a line of red dots squirting blood out. first things first a average size keeper ling is 6-7 pounds that can take maybe an 6-8 inch rock cod, greenling, flounder, or sculpin. hook
