Features: These fish are dark blue or black with a light belly. In fact, they are closely related to blue rockfish, which are similar in appearance. The easiest way to identify a deacon rockfish is by the lower jaw that extends forward creating a significant underbite. 

Habitat: Like all rockfish, these fish use rocky reefs as habitat, but commonly suspend well up off the bottom. They are common down to 300 feet or more.

Technique: They readily take both bait and lures. Deacon rockfish have smaller mouths than the black rockfish and are more likely to take smaller jigs and shrimp flies

Header photo by Scott Groth