Rock Fish - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

dsafety · 03-16-2011, 06:58 PM

I am going to boldly display my ignorance here so please be gentle with your responses.

I just read Adi's post that showed a boat load of small red rock fish that he and a bunch of buddies recently caught. While I am certain that all of those fish made for a wonderful dinner, I am not sure about the wisdom of catching limits of rock fish these days.

Everything that I have read tells me that of all the fish populations in our region, only the rock fish population is less than robust. Am I misinformed?

Since rock fish are easy to catch and a popular target for the party boats, (where a large portion of the catch ends up in the trash), I have always felt that this was not what I should target when out on the water.

I have very little knowledge on this subject but would like to know the facts. Those who know, please weigh in.

If this fish population is healthy, I see some tasty fish tacos in my future. If not, maybe we should all use a little restraint and encourage others to do so as well.

Bob

old_rookie · 03-16-2011, 07:10 PM

My first thought when I saw that post was: "Shoot, there aren't going to be any left when I go out to fish."

Being on a yak, I'd be happy with 5.

RK · 03-16-2011, 07:28 PM

Bob
I think my popcorn is ready

Dan · 03-16-2011, 07:39 PM

I agree with you.

Local rockfish have been hammered for years and years. Super slow to grow, super easy to target, no real fight, tuff to release the dinks ---tasty as can be.... IMO DFG should tighten up the regs on groundfish.

I'm sure the opinions vary widely, but that's where I've arrived.

jfish · 03-16-2011, 11:54 PM

As far as the populations go..rockfish are fine..there are tons and tons of rockfish around..I have fished rockfish for a long time(never waste them though, way too delicious lol) Rock fish lay a ton of eggs per spawn so having the off season during their spawn as it is now is very beneficial because we are not taking pregnant fish.. this is why you rarely see fish with eggs in them when you clean them and this is why their population has steadily been increasing for the past years.

jorluivil · 03-17-2011, 03:28 AM

That's why I carry one of these.

IMO....there really is no point in keeping the little ones, they produce little to no meat(at least nothing thats worth cooking). I prefer to let them go to grow and fight another day. If you're fishing and targeting rockfish it should be mandatory to carry a venting tool.

http://www.ventafish.com/advantage.idc

Deamon · 03-17-2011, 06:32 AM

I've hammered a ton of cod over the years, local and offshore. Always by rod and reel. Fifteen fish limits and now 10 per person. This type of fishing would never dent that fishery. When I see all the rockcod fillets or whole fish (that NEVER look fresh) in every type of store everywhere, I can't help but think how many are caught/wasted by the commercial guys. We'd fish the best spots on the nine mile bank and know we were going to lose some weights and gangnions hanging up on all the lost commercial gear sitting on the bottom (for years and years) tangled in the rocks. We'd see tell tale signs of current gill nets (buoys and flags) and inevitably look for the buoy on the other end of their set, and say dammit, that's like 200 yards away. Set after set zigzagging around the nine. Indiscriminate killing by gill net or trawling for max profits and low prices is just wrong.

Pass me the popcorn.

Deamon · 03-17-2011, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorluivil

That's why I carry one of these.

IMO....there really is no point in keeping the little ones, they produce little to no meat(at least nothing thats worth cooking). I prefer to let them go to grow and fight another day. If you're fishing and targeting rockfish it should be mandatory to carry a venting tool.

http://www.ventafish.com/advantage.idc

I always wondered about the eyes that are bulging and ready to explode. That can't be a good thing when they're sent back down.

Iceman · 03-17-2011, 07:42 AM

Rockfish populations are closely monitored and seasonal closures ensure their survival. Thinning the herd only effects the average size, not the number of fish, as the habitat will only sustain so many fish. On the flip side, I don't like fish in my freezer any more. Keep 1, keep 10 it is your call.

Jimmyz123 · 03-17-2011, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsafety

I am going to boldly display my ignorance here so please be gentle with your responses.

I just read Adi's post that showed a boat load of small red rock fish that he and a bunch of buddies recently caught. While I am certain that all of those fish made for a wonderful dinner, I am not sure about the wisdom of catching limits of rock fish these days.

Everything that I have read tells me that of all the fish populations in our region, only the rock fish population is less than robust. Am I misinformed?

Since rock fish are easy to catch and a popular target for the party boats, (where a large portion of the catch ends up in the trash), I have always felt that this was not what I should target when out on the water.

I have very little knowledge on this subject but would like to know the facts. Those who know, please weigh in.

If this fish population is healthy, I see some tasty fish tacos in my future. If not, maybe we should all use a little restraint and encourage others to do so as well.

Bob

Alright I'll take the bait.

Rock fish are fun to catch and incredible to eat, that being said there are the regulations. A fisherman is ONLY suppose to take 10 fish, and that includes all rockfish, you could catch Vermilions, Tree fish, Starries, and such but you also need to know what you are catching. For example Bocaccio's you are only allowed 2 per angler, but they count toward your 10 fish total. If someone is going after Rockfish Get an up to date Regs book and know all the regs before you go out of carry them with you.

Also keep in mind that you are pulling these fish up from the deep so if you are catching small fish more than likely they will die. There are ways of dropping them back down to try and help them live, but you can also use them as bait so they are not wasted. Big lingcod can be caught this way.

It's very easy to go over your limit of fish if you're not careful, so I recommend that you keep a good count on them and know what you are catching so that you know if it's legal or not. There are some rockfish that are off limits completely.

Also if you are going to keep rockfish, bleed them and keep them cool. This will preserve the meat while you are on the water.

Does this help?

dos ballenas · 03-17-2011, 12:25 PM

Taken from science magazine:

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/327/5963/263.full.pdf

The Secret Lives of Ocean Fish

It’s easy to monitor the health of stocks of salmon because salmon spawn
in small, discrete, and accessible freshwater bodies. Tracking fish in the
ocean is a little tougher. But many scientists argue that ocean fish such as
cod segregate themselves into distinct environments, as salmon do—and
thrive or struggle for the same reasons.
For cod, population health depends on both human fishing and ecological
factors. The 6 billion or so kilograms of cod living off Newfoundland
and Labrador in Canada in the 1940s has dropped to hundreds of
thousands of kilograms today, partly due to overfishing, says George
Rose, a professor of fisheries conservation at Memorial University of
Newfoundland in St. John’s. “People thought little stocks [of cod] weren’t
important, and they got wiped out,” he says. When large stocks faltered
too, nothing could replace them.
But Rose’s research reveals tremendous variation in the way cod stocks
responded to the collapse. “Groups … very close geographically in fact
are subject to very different ecological conditions,” he says. As a result,
“even in the worst possible times, in the 1990s, we had a couple of groups
that were actually doing beautifully.”
Work in biocomplexity—the physical diversity of fish habitats—
explains why. To terrestrial animals (such as humans), oceans look
homogenous—cold, deep, and empty—says Larry Crowder, a marine biologist
at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. However, oceans have
currents, canyons, mountains, reefs, and forests of plants, which alter a
habitat from top to bottom. Submerged vegetation supports prey at the
expense of predators, given that prey can slip away in tangles of weeds. Fish
rely on submarine currents to transport eggs and larvae from nests to feeding
grounds. Climate change or fishing can alter habitats, and depending
on how a stock’s habitat responds, its population contracts or expands.
To thrive overall, species need to hedge themselves, by finding a balanced
array of habitats to supply more or fewer fish as need be. “I guess it’s
like an orchestra,” Rose says. “You have the horns playing for a bit, then the

strings come in.” –S.K.

Everything is cyclical. There are lots of opinions out there. I think we still don't really know much about most ocean fish. Just do what you feel is right for you.

chris138 · 03-17-2011, 02:29 PM

Yummy! These aren't real "game" fish though... So if you're just after meat for your freezer then get some. But double-dropperlooping mackerel heads in 200ft of water is never going to get you a trophy in La Jolla, or is it?

In my experience the last couple weeks, there are nice bottom-dwellers to be had working the iron on the edge of the bullkelp near the 3/4. Blue and white 6x as well as blue or chrome megabaits have been producing nice fish... all of which we let go. Fishing jigs in shallower water really increases your chances of successful releases of shorts, and the larger bait weeds out the dinkers who will happily slurp down a squid head. As you probably know, fishing in this depth contour also puts you in the target hunting zone for yellows whites and flatties. You can get two or three nice cod and have a chance at the donkey, or target those scumsuckers and kill 15 shorties...

bus kid · 03-17-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmyz123

Alright I'll take the bait.

Rock fish are fun to catch and incredible to eat, that being said there are the regulations. A fisherman is ONLY suppose to take 10 fish, and that includes all rockfish, you could catch Vermilions, Tree fish, Starries, and such but you also need to know what you are catching. For example Bocaccio's you are only allowed 2 per angler, but they count toward your 10 fish total. If someone is going after Rockfish Get an up to date Regs book and know all the regs before you go out of carry them with you.

Also keep in mind that you are pulling these fish up from the deep so if you are catching small fish more than likely they will die. There are ways of dropping them back down to try and help them live, but you can also use them as bait so they are not wasted. Big lingcod can be caught this way.

It's very easy to go over your limit of fish if you're not careful, so I recommend that you keep a good count on them and know what you are catching so that you know if it's legal or not. There are some rockfish that are off limits completely.

Also if you are going to keep rockfish, bleed them and keep them cool. This will preserve the meat while you are on the water.

Does this help?

no you forgot the coordinates.

Lets_Fish · 03-20-2011, 06:49 PM

I was checking out some articles on BD forums and came across this link on "How to bring that Rockfish down".

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/release.pdf

As for venting, DFG does not encourage it.

03-16-2011, 06:58 PM	#1
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	Rock Fish I am going to boldly display my ignorance here so please be gentle with your responses. I just read Adi's post that showed a boat load of small red rock fish that he and a bunch of buddies recently caught. While I am certain that all of those fish made for a wonderful dinner, I am not sure about the wisdom of catching limits of rock fish these days. Everything that I have read tells me that of all the fish populations in our region, only the rock fish population is less than robust. Am I misinformed? Since rock fish are easy to catch and a popular target for the party boats, (where a large portion of the catch ends up in the trash), I have always felt that this was not what I should target when out on the water. I have very little knowledge on this subject but would like to know the facts. Those who know, please weigh in. If this fish population is healthy, I see some tasty fish tacos in my future. If not, maybe we should all use a little restraint and encourage others to do so as well. Bob Last edited by dsafety; 03-16-2011 at 08:57 PM.

03-16-2011, 07:28 PM	#3
RK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 736	bob Bob I think my popcorn is ready

03-17-2011, 07:42 AM	#9
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,943	Rockfish populations are closely monitored and seasonal closures ensure their survival. Thinning the herd only effects the average size, not the number of fish, as the habitat will only sustain so many fish. On the flip side, I don't like fish in my freezer any more. Keep 1, keep 10 it is your call. __________________

03-17-2011, 12:25 PM	#11
dos ballenas Vampyroteuthis infernalis Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 585	Taken from science magazine: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/327/5963/263.full.pdf The Secret Lives of Ocean Fish It’s easy to monitor the health of stocks of salmon because salmon spawn in small, discrete, and accessible freshwater bodies. Tracking fish in the ocean is a little tougher. But many scientists argue that ocean fish such as cod segregate themselves into distinct environments, as salmon do—and thrive or struggle for the same reasons. For cod, population health depends on both human fishing and ecological factors. The 6 billion or so kilograms of cod living off Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada in the 1940s has dropped to hundreds of thousands of kilograms today, partly due to overfishing, says George Rose, a professor of fisheries conservation at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s. “People thought little stocks [of cod] weren’t important, and they got wiped out,” he says. When large stocks faltered too, nothing could replace them. But Rose’s research reveals tremendous variation in the way cod stocks responded to the collapse. “Groups … very close geographically in fact are subject to very different ecological conditions,” he says. As a result, “even in the worst possible times, in the 1990s, we had a couple of groups that were actually doing beautifully.” Work in biocomplexity—the physical diversity of fish habitats— explains why. To terrestrial animals (such as humans), oceans look homogenous—cold, deep, and empty—says Larry Crowder, a marine biologist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. However, oceans have currents, canyons, mountains, reefs, and forests of plants, which alter a habitat from top to bottom. Submerged vegetation supports prey at the expense of predators, given that prey can slip away in tangles of weeds. Fish rely on submarine currents to transport eggs and larvae from nests to feeding grounds. Climate change or fishing can alter habitats, and depending on how a stock’s habitat responds, its population contracts or expands. To thrive overall, species need to hedge themselves, by finding a balanced array of habitats to supply more or fewer fish as need be. “I guess it’s like an orchestra,” Rose says. “You have the horns playing for a bit, then the strings come in.” –S.K. Everything is cyclical. There are lots of opinions out there. I think we still don't really know much about most ocean fish. Just do what you feel is right for you. __________________ ____________________________________________ Last edited by dos ballenas; 03-17-2011 at 01:21 PM.

03-16-2011, 07:10 PM	#2
old_rookie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Santee Posts: 904	My first thought when I saw that post was: "Shoot, there aren't going to be any left when I go out to fish." Being on a yak, I'd be happy with 5.

03-16-2011, 07:39 PM	#4
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	I agree with you. Local rockfish have been hammered for years and years. Super slow to grow, super easy to target, no real fight, tuff to release the dinks ---tasty as can be.... IMO DFG should tighten up the regs on groundfish. I'm sure the opinions vary widely, but that's where I've arrived.

03-16-2011, 11:54 PM	#5
jfish Junior Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 3	As far as the populations go..rockfish are fine..there are tons and tons of rockfish around..I have fished rockfish for a long time(never waste them though, way too delicious lol) Rock fish lay a ton of eggs per spawn so having the off season during their spawn as it is now is very beneficial because we are not taking pregnant fish.. this is why you rarely see fish with eggs in them when you clean them and this is why their population has steadily been increasing for the past years.

03-17-2011, 06:32 AM	#7
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	I've hammered a ton of cod over the years, local and offshore. Always by rod and reel. Fifteen fish limits and now 10 per person. This type of fishing would never dent that fishery. When I see all the rockcod fillets or whole fish (that NEVER look fresh) in every type of store everywhere, I can't help but think how many are caught/wasted by the commercial guys. We'd fish the best spots on the nine mile bank and know we were going to lose some weights and gangnions hanging up on all the lost commercial gear sitting on the bottom (for years and years) tangled in the rocks. We'd see tell tale signs of current gill nets (buoys and flags) and inevitably look for the buoy on the other end of their set, and say dammit, that's like 200 yards away. Set after set zigzagging around the nine. Indiscriminate killing by gill net or trawling for max profits and low prices is just wrong. Pass me the popcorn.

03-17-2011, 02:29 PM	#12
chris138 donkey roper Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pacific Beach Posts: 968	Yummy! These aren't real "game" fish though... So if you're just after meat for your freezer then get some. But double-dropperlooping mackerel heads in 200ft of water is never going to get you a trophy in La Jolla, or is it? In my experience the last couple weeks, there are nice bottom-dwellers to be had working the iron on the edge of the bullkelp near the 3/4. Blue and white 6x as well as blue or chrome megabaits have been producing nice fish... all of which we let go. Fishing jigs in shallower water really increases your chances of successful releases of shorts, and the larger bait weeds out the dinkers who will happily slurp down a squid head. As you probably know, fishing in this depth contour also puts you in the target hunting zone for yellows whites and flatties. You can get two or three nice cod and have a chance at the donkey, or target those scumsuckers and kill 15 shorties...

03-20-2011, 06:49 PM	#14
Lets_Fish Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Wildomar, CA. Posts: 294	I was checking out some articles on BD forums and came across this link on "How to bring that Rockfish down". http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/release.pdf As for venting, DFG does not encourage it.