Great weekend on the ocean fishing

[backwoods_boy]

Had a great weekend and came home with a crap ton of fish.

[backwoods_boy]

here is a few more from our trip.

[PlateauNDN]

looks like you had a blast.

[CP]

Umm, did I miss something?

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

July 24, 2012

Contact: Heather Reed, (360) 249-1202

Recreational bottomfishing
will close off north coast

OLYMPIA - Ocean waters off the north coast of Washington will close to recreational bottomfishing after midnight Thursday (July 26) to protect yelloweye rockfish, a species federally recognized as overfished.

The closure, announced today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), affects sport fishing for rockfish, lingcod, Pacific cod, and all other bottomfish in Marine Area 3 off La Push and the portion of Marine Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line off Neah Bay.

Heather Reed, a WDFW fish biologist, said the closure is necessary to avoid exceeding quotas on yelloweye rockfish established under a federal stock-rebuilding plan. While it is illegal to retain yelloweye, Reed said anglers sometimes intercept the species while fishing for other bottomfish.

"Anglers took most of the quota as bycatch during the popular north coast halibut openings in May," Reed said. "That didn’t leave us any margin for bottomfish seasons off the north coast for the rest of the year."

Seasons for most bottomfish species are generally open year-round.

Reed noted that the early closure applies only to Marine Area 3 and the coastal portion of Marine Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line where the federal quota and rebuilding plan are in place.

[backwoods_boy]

It opened back up on Friday morning.  They didnt even close it for 24 hours.  We spoke with two tribals and a game warden and it was opened back up friday.

[backwoods_boy]

July 26, 2012
Contact: Heather Reed, (360) 249-1202

North coast bottomfish fishery
will remain open through Labor Day

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today that the recreational bottomfish fishery off the north coast of Washington will remain open through Labor Day, postponing a closure previously set for Friday (July 27).

A new regulation approved today will allow sport fishing for rockfish, lingcod, Pacific cod and other bottomfish to remain open through midnight Sept. 3 in Marine Area 3 and the western portion of Marine Area 4 off La Push and Neah Bay.

“This is good news, not only for anglers but also the coastal communities whose economies rely on these fisheries,” said Heather Reed, a WDFW fish biologist. “We know that a month of fishing means a lot to people on the north coast.”

The bottomfish season is open year-round, with the exception of lingcod which is closed during the winter month.

Reed said the previous closure date, announced earlier this week, was designed to avoid exceeding yelloweye rockfish quotas established under a federal stock-rebuilding plan. While it is illegal to retain yelloweye, federally designated as an “overfished” species, anglers sometimes intercept the species unintentionally while fishing for other bottomfish.

“Anglers took most of the quota as bycatch during the popular north coast halibut openings in May,” Reed said. “That didn’t leave us any margin for bottomfish seasons off the north coast for the rest of the year.”

Since then, however, the department has learned that the June yelloweye catch was lower than expected, and that yelloweye catch reserved for coastal research projects will be lower than originally anticipated.

“This new information gives us some flexibility to minimize the impacts to our coastal communities and allow our recreational bottomfish fishery to remain open through Labor Day,” Reed said. “We still have to close the fishery early, but not as early as we had thought.”

Reed said the department plans to look for ways to address high yelloweye harvest rates in the early season to avoid the need for early bottomfish closures in future years.

 
 

[CP]

It opened back up on Friday morning.  They didnt even close it for 24 hours.  We spoke with two tribals and a game warden and it was opened back up friday.

I wonder how many rockfish were saved by that brilliant move.
 

[backwoods_boy]

Yeah it was pretty funny... On my way out there I got a call that they closed it and by the time I was on the dock they said its open again.....   I got my limit and a full freezer so i was happy.
 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Good catch!

[firefighter4607]

Looks like a fun time! I hope I can catch something this year when we are out crabbing.

[Bigluke1981]

Looks like a great weekend, congrats on the catch!!!

[rasbo]

they did add that you have to wear hunters orange to fish now though I see...

[backwoods_boy]

ha ha yup.  its easier for my fishing partners to see me when i go overboard. 

[mrmoskillz]

Nice haul!  How can something so ugly taste so good lol

[backwoods_boy]

i dont know i agree.  I try and relate it to some of the girls i dated in college ha ha ha j/k.