La Jolla MLPA questions
 

Went to the Del Mar Fredhall show. As I walked through the fishing tackle area I saw the CA DFG booth. This was the best opportunity to ask away about the MLPA. I waited for my turn to speak with an agent. I've been confused about what the MLPA was about or what changed. The agent simply handed me a copy of "Guide to the Southern California Marine Protected Areas". She then opened it up and showed a section of the La Jolla Marine Conservation Area. It made me feel better and more understanding. It doesn't seem so bad. When I walked off I still wasnt confident that I can fish the area still. Well here is what she pointed out:

Boundary: This area is bounded by straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed except where noted:
32° 49.573' N. lat. 117° 19.000' W. long.;
32° 49.573' N. lat. 117° 20.528' W. long.; thence southward along the three nautical mile offshore boundary to
32° 47.945' N. lat. 117° 20.068' W. long.;
32° 47.945' N. lat. 117° 19.000' W. long.; and
32° 47.945' N. lat. 117° 19.000' W. long.


Permitted/Prohibited Uses: Take of all living marine resources is prohibited except the recreational take of pelagic finfish, including Pacific bonito, by hook-and-line only is allowed.


Take means pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to pursue, catch, capture, or kill.
Finfish, as defined for purposes of MPA regulations, are any species of bony fish or cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates and rays). Finfish do not include amphibians, invertebrates, plants or algae.
Pelagic finfish, as defined for purposes of MPA regulations, are a subset of finfish defined as: northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), barracudas (Sphyraena spp.), billfishes* (family Istiophoridae), dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), blue shark (Prionace glauca), salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), thresher sharks (Alopias spp.), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), tunas (family Scombridae), and yellowtail (Seriola lalandi). *Marlin is not allowed for commercial take.
Coastal pelagic species, as defined for purposes of MPA regulations, include the following: northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus) and market squid (Loligo opalescens).


So am I right about my interpretation? Can still fish in the MLPA area of La Jolla but can only take pelagic finfish as defined?

Those are the rules for the San Diego-Scripps and South La Jolla conservation areas only. That would be the area from Scripps Pier North, and the area beyond the South La Jolla reserve out to the 3 mile limit. Matlahuayl, the area South of the pier, and South La Jolla are reserves with no take permitted out to their Western most edges. Check them out here to see where they are by clicking on their names and then map.

http://dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/scmpas_list.asp

The rules are different for South La Jolla SMCA (pelagic finfish) and San Diego-Scripps Costal SMCA (coastal pelagic species). You can fish for YT in the area Ivan mentioned but no YT fishing north of the pier any more.