Rockfish closed.... figures I'd catch this!

[lokidog]

Weathergirl got a couple of short lings while soaking the shrimp pots, then I went out this afternoon with a neighbor to one of my lingcod holes.  I have caught very few rockfish in this spot so figured we were mostly safe.  We ended up landing 4 rockfish, none were bloated luckily.

And, had to let THIS ONE go!  Would have tasted nasty, but I think I would have gotten it mounted.  The state record is 10 pounds, this one was over 7 and maybe close to 9!  Too bad we had no scale along.

Here it is -- (note, I am not holding it out in front of me)

[ICEMAN]

  Wow!

[tlbradford]

Awesome.  At least you had a camera with you.   

[boneaddict]

Nice fish and picture. 

[littlemac]

Great catch, figures as you say, I guess that's why we call it fishin', you never know what you'll get.

[Smokepole]

Man, that thing is hawg for a rock fish, lokidog.  Makes my mouth water...

[JackOfAllTrades]

Amazing that the state record is only some ten pounds. In my youth, Dad and I caught them in deep water in southern puget sound well over twelve pounds. Huge filet's. I guess if we knew the record was smaller, we'd have submitted our catch for the books.

Pm sent LokiDog.

-Steve

[let.it.fly]

nice fish, it is kinda amazing that the records are so low. last year my fiance caught a 11  1/2 lb quil back. she through it back, come to find out the state record was 10lbs 8 oz or somthing like that. not sure the scale was right but it was atleast a ten lbs 'r.

[Dustin07]

Awesome.  At least you had a camera with you.   

exactly, that's an awesome fish, the picture will last longer than the meat. I'm not sure what the prime breeding age is on these guys, but he looks like nice big broodstock to me! good catch!

[Special T]

Big Pig! Next time bring a scale and a camera cause your going to catch lots of big ones now!

[C-Money]

Great looking fish!

[Rob]

Congrats!  That fish is probably 40-60 years old so its great that it made it back into the breeding stock.  Could always have a fiberglass mount made, they look better than skin mounts anyway.

[Dustin07]

Congrats!  That fish is probably 40-60 years old so its great that it made it back into the breeding stock.  Could always have a fiberglass mount made, they look better than skin mounts anyway.

and last longer 

[lokidog]

Thought of that, didn't think about getting a girth measurement.  Had it been legal to keep I probably would have released it knowing that it was probably as old or older than myself....  Plus, I ate a 20 incher last year the same day I caught it and it was still fishy.

[Rob]

I'll correct myself...

Thinking that is a copper rockfish, and if so they live 40+ years so that gal (probably a female) is most likely 20-30 years old...

It's the yelloweye that can live 115 + years.