rockfish from the beach?

[anthonylane222]

what do i use for bait , what kind of rig?

[Steve Coleman]

circle hook fishfinder rig fresh bunker is best
use the search function in the delmarva forum and all will become clear

[brianbutler10]

depending on when, the eel bite might be on as well....

[cobia_slayer]

this is a simple but efective rig

[jeepcreep]

many ways to skin this cat...

Steve Coleman's advice will point you to some great threads.

this year, seems like determination, and patience is catching most of the fish.

[longcaster]

Ain't none of y'all put bait on them rigs yet. None of them will catch, snagging don't count. To top it off there is no bait down here 'cept frozen scrimps

[junkmansj]

Try small whole squid or just the heads if thats all you got, for casting you might have to tie it on with elastic thread. can you get chowder clams? use them whole

[longcaster]

I got a freezer ful of bunker and mullet, from this fall. I knew this time of year was comming

[AirDown]

The simple FF rig works great but I have found that a hand tied double drop rig made of 80lb leader and 6/0-8/0 hooks works much, much better. Also I find it a whole lot eaiser to cast from the beach.

[HiSeas]

There's plenty of bunker around. Whalebone has had bunker as well as cobs. Fishin' Fever has had a steady supply, and generally TI's has it on hand as well. TW's sometimes runs out because they do more business, but they'll have it in next day. On the days when weather prevents the boats from getting out there's no shortage of eels, squid and frozen cut-bait.

[HiSeas]

The bad news is that there's nothing around to eat it. ;-)

[Intrepid 24]

Originally Posted by cobia_slayer

this is a simple but efective rig

The only adjustment that I would make is downsizing to 50lb mono leader.
And after hooking your chunk, break a toothpic in half and slide it thru, reducing the chance of the hook pullin out of the bait.
Also, some feel that a small float 6" from the hook keeps the crabs off.

[Fishbreath]

Fresh bait is best, bunker is the bait of choice as that is what they're feeding on there. If you can, you may try an eel and work it real slow.

[biggestsquid]

I can attest to a few stripers sliding down Hatteras Island. Had a 43" on Tuesday afternoon, on bunker. Although they are scattered along the beach there are signs, in the way of fish, that some bass are moving towards the point. I would fish Pea Island and the tri-city (Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo) beaches this week.
Cheers,
Squid
If I can figure out how to resize the pic I will post it.

[Nealze]

AirDown, can you elaborate more about that Double Drop Down Rig? Maybe a picture or diagram?