ROCKFISH, BLUE
Blue Rockfish are in the class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes), order Scorpaeniformes (scorpionfishes and flatheads), Sebastidae family (rockfishes, rockcods, and thornyheads), and the Sebastinae subfamily. Blue Rockfish, and most other bony fishes, adjust their buoyancy with a swim bladder which they inflate with gases, mostly oxygen. These fish also utilize their lateral line organ, an neural line along each side of the head and body that detects pressure changes. This organ permits the fish to swim in schools as well as to detect predators. The maximum reported age for these fish is 44 years.
Blue Rockfish are a very deep bodied fish with large pectoral fins. They have blue-black or grey-blue body color with heavy mottling of dark grey or black. Two stripes run down and back from the eye, with vague striping on the forehead. They are lighter ventrally. Blue rockfish resemble black rockfish after capture and when viewed underwater. They are distinguished by having a more oval body shape than black rockfish, a smaller mouth, and being mottled, particularly over the head. Length ranges up to 55 to 60 cm, and weights up to 3.8 kg.
Crabs, shrimps, and live fish like anchovies and sardines are going to be top baits for catching Blue Rockfish. You can also use pile worms and squid. Fixed bait rigs are good when going after rockfish as well as greenlings and cabezon. When fishing you should use a single hook and a sliding egg sinker attached to the main line. A whole frozen anchovy is tied to the hook with elastic thread. All these fish can be captured with lures, but it does take some practice and more than a little resignation to the fact that, as with bait rigs in this habitat, you will lose tackle. Swimbaits are better for fishing because they seem natural. For equiment you should use a Shimano TDR 2703 or a Shakespeare BWS1100 Ugly Stick with either a Daiwa 2500 or 4000 (Regal S or Z series, or even the inexpensive J) with 10-12# monofilament, and this may be too light for some people.
Internationally
They occur from Sitka Strait in the north to Punta Santo Tomas in Baja, most commonly along Oregon and northern California (records of Blue Rockfish in the western Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea probably refer to the related dusky rockfish.) While they have been caught at depths of over 500 m, most live near to the surface, down to 90 m.