Quillback Rockfish
Sebastes maliger
FR Sébaste quillback · ES Rocote quillback
Also known as: Rock CodBrown BomberOrange-spotted RockfishRocote quillbackSébaste quillback
Reef/KelpBoat
Reef
Score
—
Prime time
Year-round; daylight structure fishing
Depth
0–90m
Platform
Boat
Season
JanMarJunSepDec
Peak May–AugGood Apr–Sep
Depth range
0–90mDeep
Best fishing techniques
Jigging80%
Bottom Fishing / Ledgering65%
Preferred seabed
RockMixed
Findr bio
Handle with care – those tall black-and-yellow mottled quills carry venom, but drop bait near rocky ledges and I bite eager once hooked.
How to catch
Favourite hangouts
Rocky shoreWreck reefDeep water
Recommended baits
Fish baitsSoft plastics
Diet
ZooplanktonKrillShrimpSmall fishCrab
Effective techniques
JiggingBottom Fishing
Gear
Best times
Day
My dorsal spines are deeply notched quills striped with dark saddles – sharp enough that I'm named for them, not my looks.
Field notes
Where to find them
Pacific NW/Alaska to California — high-relief rocky reef, drop-offs
Where they hang out
Moderate to deep, 20-90m+, rarely bays/eelgrass
Prime time
Year-round; daylight structure fishing
Tide game
Moderate
What they're into
Squid strips, shrimp jigs fished deep on rock structure
Temperature vibe
Cold-water species, favors deeper stable temperatures
Fave weather
Calm seas needed to hold position over deep structure
Fun fact about me
Tall spiny dorsal fin — unmistakable silhouette on the sounder or the rocks.
Dinner material?
6/10Edible, nothing special
Play by the rules
Strict size/bag limits — slow-growing, long-lived speciesState fisheries agency (e.g. CDFW, WDFW)
Looking after them
Near Threatened