New ocean fishing rules for 2017

[lokidog]

Most I don't have a problem with, reduced bottomfish limit and keeping a canary rockfish, but WHY THE FRIGGIN HECK ARE THEY REMOVING THE MINIMUM SIZE OF 22 INCHES FOR LINGCOD???      

IT WAS BAD ENOUGH WHEN THEY DROPPED FROM 24 TO 22, BUT THIS IS SO STUPID!!!  The mass difference is huge between a 22 and a 24 inch fish, but to keep an 18 incher or a 12 incher, this is just IDIOTIC!.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Just a wild guess, but maybe they figure if you keep a small one, you won't then get to keep a large breeder. 

[Wetwoodshunter]

You should ask the Westport charter association. They were the ones who lobbied for it. I guess they can limit the charter boats easier now 👍

[lokidog]

You should ask the Westport charter association. They were the ones who lobbied for it. I guess they can limit the charter boats easier now 👍

Yeah, big surprise, surprised they lost three rockfish in the limit change.

A 22 inch lingcod is a scrawny fish compared to a 24, and not worth keeping IMO. It was never hard to get a limit of 28" plus sized lings, the reason being the minimum size limit was oin place.  Kind of glad I don't fish out there any more, just another example of letting commercial interests ruin a fishery.

[JKEEN33]

Haven't seen the rule changes yet, but could not agree more. Even 22 has minimal meat on them.

[lokidog]

Changes in effect beginning March 11 for the 2017-18 fishing season include:

1.  Rockfish daily limit: Reduces the daily limit on rockfish to seven, from 10, in Marine Areas 1 (Ilwaco), 2 (Westport), 3 (La Push), and 4 (Neah Bay, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line).
2.  Canary rockfish daily limit: Anglers fishing in Marine Areas 1 and 2 can retain one canary rockfish as part of the seven rockfish daily limit.
3.  Bottomfish daily limit: Reduces the overall daily limit on bottomfish to nine, from 12, in Marine Areas 1 through 3 and Marine Area 4, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. Rockfish count toward an angler's overall bottomfish daily limit. Anglers will be able to retain two bottomfish, such as lingcod or cabezon, in addition to their daily limit of seven rockfish.
4.  Lingcod minimum size: Removes the 22-inch minimum size for lingcod in Marine Areas 1 through 3 and Marine Area 4, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line.
5.  Deepwater lingcod closure: Reduces the size of the deepwater lingcod closure in Marine Area 1 by moving the southern boundary five miles north (to 46° 28.00' N. Lat. from 46° 33.00' N. Lat.).

[Duckslayer89]

Most I don't have a problem with, reduced bottomfish limit and keeping a canary rockfish, but WHY THE FRIGGIN HECK ARE THEY REMOVING THE MINIMUM SIZE OF 22 INCHES FOR LINGCOD???      

IT WAS BAD ENOUGH WHEN THEY DROPPED FROM 24 TO 22, BUT THIS IS SO STUPID!!!  The mass difference is huge between a 22 and a 24 inch fish, but to keep an 18 incher or a 12 incher, this is just IDIOTIC!.

Trust me commercial guys are very concerned about the health of the ocean fisherys. Ling cod are a fish that have an extremely high mortality rate after being released back into the water from being caught. If you take one out, measure him 21.5 inches on your little scale flopping around then throw him back, chances are he'll die anyways.

[JimmyHoffa]

I thought I read not long ago that there was going to be a commercial season for bottomfish along the coast opened soon.  I was thinking it was going to be a trawl season, but had a tough time believing it would be allowed through the marine sanctuary. Anyways, that was the explanation I saw regarding why bottom fish (including surf perch) was closed last month.

[Wetwoodshunter]

Most I don't have a problem with, reduced bottomfish limit and keeping a canary rockfish, but WHY THE FRIGGIN HECK ARE THEY REMOVING THE MINIMUM SIZE OF 22 INCHES FOR LINGCOD???      

IT WAS BAD ENOUGH WHEN THEY DROPPED FROM 24 TO 22, BUT THIS IS SO STUPID!!!  The mass difference is huge between a 22 and a 24 inch fish, but to keep an 18 incher or a 12 incher, this is just IDIOTIC!.

Trust me commercial guys are very concerned about the health of the ocean fisherys. Ling cod are a fish that have an extremely high mortality rate after being released back into the water from being caught. If you take one out, measure him 21.5 inches on your little scale flopping around then throw him back, chances are he'll die anyways.

http://aquaticcommons.org/9803/1/mfr6034.pdf

Here is an article on lingcod mortality. I don't work for the state but I am a fisheries biologist, I had read this article recently. Lingcod have one of the highest survival rates of fish you can release. They don't have a swim bladder so are not as affected by barrow trauma. They practically only die if neglected on deck of bleeding out if hooked on the gills. The min size change was put in place to keep clients happy not for biological reasons. There is no reason YOU need to feel obligated to keep a small lingcod.

As for rockfish, due to salmon being low more people are fishing on them. The stack assessment was down in 2017-2018 and all states had to make adjustments. More fishers + less quota = smaller bag limits. It is what it is, I'll still be fishing.

[JimmyHoffa]

http://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1046024/West-Coast-Trawl-Industry-Anticipates-Re-establishing-Rockfish-Market
This is what I had read earlier in the year.

[Wetwoodshunter]

That was a good read Jimmy. The stocks of yellowtail, widow and canary are all healthy but the driver in the sport fishery in WA, OR, CA is black rockfish. Black rockfish is the lions share of the sport catch and there are no commercial fisheries for it in WA.

The majority of the yellowtail, canary and widow poulation lives outside the 30fa line and is not harvestable by sport fishermen for a majority of the season. It would make sense to implement gear restrictions in the deep water for long leader gear (as Oregon has to avoid yellow eye) so you can have a larger bag limit due to catching more than nearshore rockfish species.

[plugger]

you can say the same thing about the 12" min on walleye. About the only thing you can do with one that size is floss with it. IDIOTIC!

[trophyelk6x6]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
February 16, 2017
Contact: Michele Culver, (360) 902-2182
WDFW announces changes to 2017 ocean bottomfish fishery
OLYMPIA – Anglers can expect changes to recreational bottomfish fisheries when ocean marine areas re-open March 11 to fishing for species such as lingcod and rockfish.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is making the changes to help ensure rockfish catches align with harvest limits adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The council is responsible for establishing conservation measures in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.
Changes in effect beginning March 11 for the 2017-18 fishing season include:
•   Rockfish daily limit: Reduces the daily limit on rockfish to seven, from 10, in Marine Areas 1 (Ilwaco), 2 (Westport), 3 (La Push), and 4 (Neah Bay, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line).
•   Canary rockfish daily limit: Anglers fishing in Marine Areas 1 and 2 can retain one canary rockfish as part of the seven rockfish daily limit.
•   Bottomfish daily limit: Reduces the overall daily limit on bottomfish to nine, from 12, in Marine Areas 1 through 3 and Marine Area 4, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. Rockfish count toward an angler's overall bottomfish daily limit. Anglers will be able to retain two bottomfish, such as lingcod or cabezon, in addition to their daily limit of seven rockfish.
•   Lingcod minimum size: Removes the 22-inch minimum size for lingcod in Marine Areas 1 through 3 and Marine Area 4, west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line.
•   Deepwater lingcod closure: Reduces the size of the deepwater lingcod closure in Marine Area 1 by moving the southern boundary five miles north (to 46° 28.00' N. Lat. from 46° 33.00' N. Lat.).
WDFW is implementing the changes to daily catch limits to help ensure the conservation objective for black rockfish is met, said Michele Culver, intergovernmental ocean policy manager for the department.
"The black rockfish population remains healthy in Washington's ocean waters," Culver said. "However, we've seen an increasing number of anglers fishing for rockfish in recent years, which means more fish are being harvested than what we had estimated."
Meanwhile, anglers fishing in Marine Areas 1 and 2 now will be able to retain one canary rockfish as part of the daily limit for rockfish. Retention of canary rockfish previously had been prohibited in these areas to protect the species.
"Fortunately, the population of canary rockfish has rebounded and is now sufficient to allow harvest in areas 1 and 2," said Culver. "Anglers are still prohibited from keeping canary rockfish in Marine Areas 3 and 4, but that may change in the future." 
In all four marine areas, anglers will now be able to retain lingcod regardless of fish size. Lingcod are abundant and removing the minimum size requirement is not expected to have any effect on the species' population, Culver said. The change also should benefit the yelloweye rockfish population, which is still rebuilding, by reducing encounters with the species while anglers are fishing for lingcod, she said.
Lastly, Culver said anglers should be aware that beginning July 1, they'll need to have a descending device onboard their fishing vessel in all marine areas, including the coast. Descending devices are used to release rockfish back to the depth of capture and significantly improve the survivability of fish that are released.  More information about these devices can be found on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/rockfish/mortality.html
 
Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.
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[trophyelk6x6]

You should ask the Westport charter association. They were the ones who lobbied for it. I guess they can limit the charter boats easier now 👍

Yeah, big surprise, surprised they lost three rockfish in the limit change.

A 22 inch lingcod is a scrawny fish compared to a 24, and not worth keeping IMO. It was never hard to get a limit of 28" plus sized lings, the reason being the minimum size limit was oin place.  Kind of glad I don't fish out there any more, just another example of letting commercial interests ruin a fishery.