Bocaccio
Bocaccio is a large, deep-dwelling rockfish found in British Columbia's Pacific waters — the only place in Canada where it occurs.
It's a species with a complicated history: once fished heavily as bycatch in the groundfish industry, it was listed as endangered in 2013 after collapsing to roughly 3. 5% of its unfished level.
A remarkable recruitment event has since driven a partial recovery, making it one of BC's most closely watched marine species.
Scientific Name: Sebastes paucispinis
Also known as Rock salmon, salmon grouper, rockcod, Pacific red snapper
- Large, elongated rockfish with a notably oversized mouth — the name comes from the Italian for 'big-mouthed,' and it shows.
- Reddish-brown to olive on the back, fading to pinkish or orange on the sides; juveniles show distinct dark blotches that fade with age.
- Weak head spines compared to other rockfish — nasal and parietal spines are usually absent, which helps separate it from similar species.
- Grows to around 36 inches and can exceed 21 lbs; fish over 50 years old have been recorded, making it one of the longer-lived rockfish species.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to BC's Pacific coast — Canada sits at the northern edge of its range, which extends from Baja California to the Gulf of Alaska.
- Found in marine waters off British Columbia, primarily in deeper offshore and nearshore rocky habitat; the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin population is a distinct group of conservation concern.
- Adults typically live between 150 and 1,000 feet down, over rocky reef structure and mixed bottom; juveniles use floating kelp mats and driftwood in shallower water.
- Depth range extends to nearly 1,600 feet, though most fish encountered by anglers are in the upper portion of that range.
Key Locations
- British Columbia's offshore Pacific waters — the only place bocaccio occur in Canada, primarily along the outer coast and in deeper inlets.
- The Georgia Basin (Strait of Georgia) population is a distinct group of particular conservation concern, separate from the broader BC coastal stock.
Specific Spots
- Rocky reef edges and drop-offs hold adults — bocaccio relate to hard structure the way freshwater bass relate to timber, using it as both cover and a feeding station.
- Juveniles concentrate around floating kelp mats and driftwood near the surface; targeting these aggregations is how younger fish are most often encountered.
- Deeper rocky slopes and canyon walls in the 200–600 foot range are where larger adults spend most of their time, making them a common deep-drop bycatch in the BC groundfish fishery.
Bocaccio FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Bocaccio?
Heavy metal jigs, knife-style or butterfly jigs in the 4–12 oz range, are the go-to for deep rockfish including bocaccio; work them with sharp lifts and controlled drops near rocky structure.
How do you catch Bocaccio?
Bocaccio in BC are most often encountered as bycatch by commercial groundfish vessels fishing deep rocky habitat. Recreational targeting is limited and subject to strict rules; when pursued, anglers fish heavy conventional gear from boats over deep rocky structure, using metal jigs or baitfish presentations dropped to...
What do Bocaccio eat?
Juveniles feed heavily on small crustaceans and zooplankton near the surface; as they grow, they shift almost entirely to smaller fish, anchovies, sardines, and other schooling baitfish, which is why deep-jigged metal jigs and large baitfish-profile lures draw strikes.
Where do Bocaccio live?
Native to BC's Pacific coast, Canada sits at the northern edge of its range, which extends from Baja California to the Gulf of Alaska.
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