▁at ▁age ▁ 3 – 4 . ▁A ▁verm il ion ▁rock fish ▁that ▁was ▁ ▁long ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁contain ▁ 2 8 2 , 0 0 0 ▁eggs . ▁By ▁this ▁measure ▁a ▁ ▁female ▁might ▁hold ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁eggs . ▁The ▁principal ▁re product ive ▁period ▁is ▁from ▁December ▁through ▁March . ▁ ▁As ▁with ▁all ▁other ▁rock fish , ▁fert il ization ▁is ▁internal ▁and ▁the ▁young ▁are ▁mobile . ▁The ▁free ▁sw imming ▁young ▁feed ▁primarily ▁upon ▁sh rim p – like ▁ ▁organ isms , ▁while ▁the ▁larger , ▁bottom – l iving ▁adult s ▁feed ▁almost ▁ ▁exclus ively ▁upon ▁fish es ▁( small er ▁kinds ▁of ▁rock fish ), ▁squ id ▁and ▁ ▁oct opus . ▁ ▁Fish ing ▁Because ▁a ▁good ▁rock fish ▁" hole " ▁often ▁will ▁yield ▁a ▁dozen ▁or ▁more ▁kinds ▁on ▁any ▁given ▁day , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁said ▁that ▁rock fish ▁fish ing ▁is ▁color ful , ▁interesting , ▁product ive , ▁and ▁myster ious . ▁Verm il ion ▁rock fish ▁usually ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁bag ▁of ▁" red " ▁rock fish ▁taken ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁holes . ▁The ▁same ▁rig , ▁b ait , ▁and ▁technique ▁used ▁for ▁b oc ac cio ▁works ▁for ▁verm il ion ▁rock fish . ▁Reb ait ing ▁can ▁be ▁reduced ▁by ▁using ▁a ▁t ough , ▁difficult - to - ste al ▁b ait , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁squ