Puget Sound Rock Fish Survey

[RB]

Just received this from WDFW has anybody done a survey like this? Will start on it in a bit.

 
You’re invited! Want to be a part of rockfish management in Washington state? Help Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) rockfish researchers evaluate anglers’ understanding of rockfish biology and ecology! Your participation will help to inform future outreach efforts and the management of rockfish in Puget Sound.

Populations of many Puget Sound rockfish species have declined dramatically over the last several decades, resulting in broad-scale changes to bottomfish fishing regulations. For three species, these declines resulted in listing under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2010. Since that time, state, regional, and federal managers have worked to expand public awareness about rockfish biology and ecology, fishing regulation changes, and actions that people can take to help rockfish recovery. These managers are now asking for your help to evaluate whether these outreach efforts are reaching the target audience and achieving their goal of increasing overall awareness of rockfish biology and management.

This online survey is expected to take about 20-30 minutes to complete. Questions will cover rockfish biology, Puget Sound fishing regulations, and rockfish identification. You will also be asked to share details such as your level of fishing experience and involvement in any marine-related interest groups, as well as a series of optional demographic questions. The survey is completely anonymous – project staff will not have the ability to link your name with responses to any question. Please note that you must be 18 years or older to complete the survey.

Feel free to share this survey with other licensed anglers you know who interact with rockfishes in Puget Sound – we want to hear from as much of the angling public as possible! Direct survey link: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6838589/Rockfish-Survey

Thank you in advance for your participation in this survey!

[storyteller]

I went ahead and  completed it.   I dont think they will ever  let  us  fish  for  the tasty  ones  again  anyway.   I remember going  up in the San Juans  in  the  90's and come home with a boat full  of  quillbacks.

I understand that they live a long  time, prior  to the  last couple of years, I never caught quillback on downriggers on  possession bar.  Now it  is crazy but WDFW says  there aren't enough fish.

What is weird, look up definition  of  bottomfish,  you can fish  for sculpins  everywhere just have to throw  back  all the  "rockfish", I had  a discussion with  the  WDFW on the  phone,  not changin their  opinion  about  anything.

[Stein]

Finished it, I'm sure I failed much of the ID as I only know the fish I want to keep or happened to learn while diving.

[KP-Skagit]

Pretty classic WDFW survey, testing your knowledge of regulations for like 8 marine areas. All I can do to keep the regs straight in the two I fish and both are no retention for rockfish. Guess it will show I am poorly educated and they will funnel some money into outreach.

[Jake Dogfish]

Completed the survey.
I suggest going to the fish ID section of the wdfw pamphlet.  I think we need to get as much stuff right as possible even though they purposely make it difficult.  This survey will only be used against us.  Notice they don’t ask us what we think of the non retention regulations and depth restrictions.
Having to carry a descender device to fish for sanddabs in shallow water is particularly annoying while float tubing. Only so much pocket space. 

[fishngamereaper]

Wouldn't fill it out .
No good ever comes from a wdfw survey.
They make decisions based on non science and our input matters not...

[Bronson]

Not sure when they did their last "study" but in some areas when fishing for lingcod, I can't keep the rockfish off the gear.  Some are getting big too.  In at least parts of the sound I see no reason why there cant be one retained.  I go through 5-10 rockfish or more before I get a ling.

[Stein]

They are certainly thick in many areas.  The hammer solution seems to be non-optimal, hard to argue the situation is the same in 5 and 7 as it is in 11, 8-2, etc.  Even in 9 I catch several to each ling.

[duckmen1]

I have always been for helping the department out but there actions are showing a negative side toward fisherman and hunters and I am not wasting my time with serveys against hunters and fisherman. We fill out the servey as a positive saying we see good numbers of rockfish. Then they will close all salmon fishing for accidental catch of a bullhead while salmon fishing.

[birddogdad]

yea got it... i see an "F" for the quiz section for survey participants that ultimately drives some stupid fish identification certification prior to wetting a line in MA 5-13 (like the goose thing for columbia).. ugg

[Kola16]

The fish checkers don't even know rockfish identification. I pulled in a bunch of widow rockfish one time and told the checker. The checker was like, "Really, we never get those around here." Keep in mind that one of the most popular fishing spots from this launch is loaded with widow rockfish and it is the most predominant rockfish there. Right before yelloweye imagine that I showed the checker the fish and the checker tried to tell me that the rockfish were yellowtail. I then pulled out an actual yellowtail rockfish and the checker was perplexed

[Stein]

I don't think the goal is to actually recover the fish, it's more like a check box of stuff that fits neatly on a powerpoint.  Outreach, survey, education, hand out pamphlets, enforcement, budget item stuff.  If you write your goals well, you can neatly substitute action for accomplishment.

Nothing cute eats them, so they get some surveys and handouts.

[Kola16]

I don't think the goal is to actually recover the fish, it's more like a check box of stuff that fits neatly on a powerpoint.  Outreach, survey, education, hand out pamphlets, enforcement, budget item stuff.  If you write your goals well, you can neatly substitute action for accomplishment.

Nothing cute eats them, so they get some surveys and handouts.

Seals will eat rockfish and lingcod. If you're implying that they aren't cute though, then I agree with you