Here in the Northwest, long casts far off the jetti are not always necessary. I'm not saying you won't catch fish that way, but there is a new technique becoming popular.
The fish that inhabit our jetties live close to or actually in the rocks. You need only cast a few feet in front of you or even dip your bait in the holes next to the rock you are standing on to tempt that Rockfish, Lingcod or Cabezon out of its lair. When these fish are hungry they can be incredibly aggressive and make lightning strikes out of the rocks to catch their prey. To keep them out of the rocks you need the right rod and tackle. That is where Jetti Craft can help you. Jetti Craft is the product of many years of experience through trial and error to find the most efficient means of keeping fish and tackle out of the rocks.
Helpful Tips
Jetties and rocky shores are intimidating and frustrating to any beginning angler. I have seen $30 of terminal tackle lost in an hour. I have seen people go through 2 spools of line in a day. But the worst thing to see is the person who comes out for 15 minutes, loses 2 rigs, packs up and leaves.
Success on the rocks takes patience, good footing and the right technique. Taking weed-less fishing techniques from bass fisherman has proven to be very successful. Texas rigged worms, flukes, soft plastic shrimp or anything else that you can rig that way is my preferred method. Weed-less skirted jigs are another effective way to reduce snags and have worked very well for me with a soft plastic crab trailer. When bait fishing you can use hooks with wire weed guards and pencil lead weights to reduce snags.
Rods can range in various lengths that are appropriate to the technique you are using. More important is the action of the rod. You must realize that these fish are very strong and if they make it back into the rocks your chances of getting it back out are slim. I recommend no less than Medium Heavy action.
The strength and type of line is very important also. I see a lot of people using 10-12# line and they do fine with the little Rockies but I see a lot of fish lost also. I use no less than 15# line. You must realize again that you are dealing with strong fish that live in rocks covered with barnacles, mussels, jagged edges and a bunch of other line shredding elements. On my main rod I use at least 20#.
There are so many lines to choose from, its almost worse than the cereal aisle at your favorite grocery store. You need a line with low stretch for turning a fish before it gets back into the rocks and superior abrasion resistance in case it does.
STAY AWAY FROM BRAID! The low stretch of braid is attractive but its abrasion resistance is nonexistent when dealing with this type of structure. Braid does have its place in the hunt for rock dwellers, just not when casting such short distances.
Mono = one, and a nick in mono can lead to an easy break. Think of a tear in a paper bag full of groceries. You are trying real hard to keep that tear from getting any bigger, but if you had 2 or more layers of bags, a tear in one wouldn't be as bad. That's why I prefer YO-ZURI fluorocarbon hybrid. It has low stretch and is a multi layered line. The multi layering provides superior strength even if the line is nicked. Plus it is one of the most translucent of lines.





The jig and crab trailer is a serious lure. The skirt gives a bigger profile to attract bigger fish and the crab is one of their favorite food sources.
You can see this weedless jig has taken many beatings from the rocks. Almost all the paint has been chipped off and there are deep gouges and scratches covering it.
Texas rigs are always productive. You can see the worm on top has taken a few bites.
Weights, Hooks and Lures
Rod and Line
Specifically Designed and Crafted Rods for North West Jetti Fishermen
Yo-Zuri Hybrid molecularly bonds fluorocarbon and nylon during an exclusive, patented extrusion process. The result is a denser line that is tougher, more sensitive and more resistant to cuts and nicks through the entire diameter of the line.
Other manufacturers would have you believe a thin coating of fluorocarbon on the outside of the line gives you the fluorocarbon advantage. This dated technology only serves to waterproof the nylon, and contributes very little to its strength or visibility.