Steelie Ben, Fished off the rocks in the 70's. First make sure you've got a long net. Back then we didn't have to look for fin clipped. Don't mess with the waves when you're on the rocks. Terminal gear was crazy. Starting on your mainline - put on a slider with a snap swivel attached. To this slider you'll add 4- 8 ounces of pyramid lead depending on the current. Next on the line (heading towards the end of your line)came a cork/styrofoam round 2 inch diameter bobber (brightly colored so you can see it in the water). Next comes a small bead and then tie a swivel on the end of your line. So far you're looking at rod tip, slider with weight, then the bobber between the weight and the swivel at the end of your line. That's correct, your weight and bobber are reversed from fishing in a lake. Next comes a mooching rig 4 - 5 feet long. Hook it into a herring and cast it out as far as you can. The weight heads to the bottom, feed out line until your bobber comes back up to the surface and keep an eye on it. Often times you'll see the fish give it a "swirl" before taking the bait. Don't know if they were just checking it out or slapping it with their tale. If the seagulls tried to get your bait, add a few split shot on the mooching line. Seagulls are not fun to land. I know it sounds like a crazy set up but we caught fish. Your line goes straight to the bottom and then the bobber brings the working end back up to the top. Add more weight if you're drifting. Once hooked, then the fun begins to time the net between the waves. The gaff hook we had in those days was an 8 foot dowel, like the one you hang clothes on in the closet. The one going down after the fish usually got wet. If you have a PFD, make sure the netter wears it. Hope this helps.
