How to Catch Bottomfish

by Charlie White

Overview

In a region where the salmon has always won top billing, anglers have often ignored the bottomfish. Yet its ready availability off the Pacific coast—and its merit as a fabulous table fish—suggests that now is the time to correct his oversight. Whether you’re casting for sole or flounder, halibut or lingcod, rock cod or perch, dangling a line using Charlie White’s guidance almost ensures a successful catch for kids, novices, and experts alike. Learn about the behaviour of different species, the best ways to catch them, and the ins and outs of equipment, natural baits, and artificial lures. This new edition of a classic fishing manual contains an up-to-date list of websites where you can find the latest regulations and catch limits for BC, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927527504
Publisher:	Heritage House Publishing Company, Limited
Publication date:	05/28/2013
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.37(d)

About the Author

Charlie White was an internationally known author, filmmaker, television personality, and fish-behaviour researcher. His books on salmon and marine life have sold more than 500,000 copies, putting him among the top authors on fishing. Charlie also developed a series of Undersea Gardens marine exhibits in the United States and Canada. In 1973, he began experimenting with a remote-controlled underwater television camera to study salmon strike behaviour. His underwater close-ups, in freeze frame and slow motion, revealed for the first time many fascinating new facts about how salmon and other species approach and strike various lures. Charlie White died in 2010.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

Chapter 1 Equipment 11

Choosing a Rod 11

Choosing a Reel 14

Line 18

Weights 23

Hooks 25

Swivels 27

Landing Nets and Gaffs 28

Fish Boxes 30

Rod Holders 31

Chapter 2 Bait 34

Natural Versus Artificial 34

Using Scent 35

Natural Bait 36

Pile Worms and Tubeworms 36

Keeping pile worms alive 37

Hooking pile worms 37

Clams 38

Mussels 38

Shrimp and Prawns 39

Ghost Shrimp 40

Shore Crabs 40

Limpets and Whelks 41

Herring 41

Chapter 3 Sole and Flounder 43

Catching Flatfish 44

Baiting the Hook 46

Flatfish Techniques 48

Depths for Finding Flatfish 49

Trolling for Flounder 50

Chapter 4 Halibut 51

Chapter 5 Rockfish 55

Chapter 6 Lingcod 60

Chapter 7 Red Snapper 62

Chapter 8 Fishing the Reefs for Bottomfish and Lingcod 65

Why Do It? 65

Fishing From Shore 71

Bottomfish: A Sure Thing 73

Lingcod Techniques 74

Fishing with Young People 79

Girling's Secrets 81

Bait 89

The Best Lure 94

How to Make Girling's Octopus Lure 96

Weights 100

Avoiding Dogfish 102

Using the Tides 103

Other Tips 104

Chapter 9 Perch 109

Choosing a Bait 110

Presenting the Bait 111

Chapter 10 Surf Perch 114

Chapter 11 Greenling 115

Chapter 12 Jigging With Artificial Lures 116

Chapter 13 How to Clean and Fillet Bottomfish 120

Fishing Diary 124

Obtaining Current Fishing Regulations 126