I missed most of the weekend here as friends invited me and my wife to the California Waterfowl Association's Gold Country Banquet in Auburn. We had a good time and won a few things, and Ron Johnson bid on and won a couple of nights camping at Lawson's Landing. Thanks for supporting a good cause, Ron. and we'll see you this summer. In other news...

Regulations for Recreational Groundfish Approved

On April 19, 2024, the California Office of Administrative Law approved the recreational groundfish fishing regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission on March 26, 2024; the regulations are now effective and complement regulations for these species in federal waters, which went into effect April 1, 2024.

• In the Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco, and Central – North of 36° N lat. groundfish management areas (GMAs), the regulations prescribe a season structure that is closed January 1 through March 31, open seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line for shelf rockfish, slope rockfish, and lingcod from April 1 through April 30, October 1 through October 31, and December 1 through December 31, and open shoreward of the 20-fathom boundary line from May 1 through September 30, and November 1 through November 30.
• In the Central – South of 36° N lat. and Southern GMAs, the regulations prescribe a season structure that is closed January 1 through March 31, open in all depths from April 1 through June 30, open shoreward of the 50-fathom boundary line from July 1 through September 30, and open seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line for shelf rockfish, slope rockfish, and lingcod from October 1 through December 31.
• The sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish will remain four fish in the Northern GMA and is reduced to two fish in the Mendocino, San Francisco, Central – North of 36° N lat., Central – South of 36° N lat., and Southern GMAs.
• The cowcod conservation areas off southern California were repealed and replaced with a series of eight smaller closed areas (groundfish exclusion areas).
• A descending device must be carried aboard and available for immediate use on any vessel taking or possessing any species of federal groundfish.

The approved regulatory language and other rulemaking documents are available on the Commission's website at https://fgc.ca.gov/Regulations/2024-New-and-Proposed#27.20.

Sincerely, 

Sherrie Fonbuena
Regulatory Analyst

   Finally. Yes, the State said you could fish in deep-enough federal waters, but now the rules are official. You've got a few more days for the deep, weather providing, and then nearshore is the game until October. Unless they close it early. Remember to research what a quillback looks like, so that you won't keep one and so that you can answer properly when asked, that you didn't release one either. Also, remember to get a proper descender and have it rigged and ready to go so that you may legally fish for rockfish.

    Since I seem to start so many of these with "So...", let me begin with; So, I got an email yesterday asking about the clutch. Are the crab still clutching? Well, here's the sad truth: I don't know, and nobody that I'm aware of tracks it. Better question: What is the clutch? Honestly, I'm not clear on it, but I'll pretend I know if you ask me to my face. Here's what I have heard: There's a time when they quit entering traps, generally in the early spring, and the theory is that they crab are either spawning or molting or both (it may require both. Can you imagine needing to shed your skin before having "relations?" Either way, or both, it seems that only the Dungeness that are healthy and well-fed enough can participate. It turns out that the crab inside Tomales Bay probably aren't healthy enough to participate. I hate to be the *blocker, but, sorry guys, sucks to be you. But, it seems to mean that success is possible inside Tomales Bay, if you consider success to include crab that aren't healthy enough to spawn or molt or both. And if you're good with that, well, I have a bay for you! A 13 foot Boston Whaler limited in the bay today with two guys aboard. The guys that live here and know things went to Ten Mile yesterday for five Dungeness and worked the outer bay today for five more. The guys with ten in a day inside the bay kind of win. So, if you want numbers now go in the bay. If you can wait, the outside will have some lovely large crab probably inside of a month. It gets best just before it closes (probably after, but who would know?).

   On a slightly different note, I heard that the rockfish weren't biting yesterday. Like, nope! That sucks when it's your one day to go. It has happened to me. On my day, no bites until 12:30 or so, then they bit like mad.  And now that frustration that I felt that day has added to my love for rockfish. 99 times out of 100 the rockfish will just give it up. But that one time preserves their "innocence", such as it is. Mostly they just bite and you can assume that, but rarely, occasionally, no.  Not to sexualize it, but that's kind of hot. The random no is what makes it so interesting! When they're a no they're a hard no. But the rest of the time those rockfish are like guaranteed dinner. And so good eating. Probably It's best for the species. It's always bad to be tasty, and those that know, know. Fresh rockcod in the fryer? I've had better, happier moments in my life, I'm sure, but I blank on them after a good fish fry.

 

   Doryon Dye went fishing with Gage this morning, and together they did 100% better than Gage did alone last week. Was it Doryon, or was it the water warming up a bit more and getting the fish more active? Probably both. A few halibut are biting, not as well as the bite in San Francisco Bay, but a few. It will only get better. 

   Crabbing should also be getting better because it can't get much slower now. There's a few Dungeness getting caught but only a few. The clutch should be ending and a lot of beautiful, empty crab should be arriving soon. They maybe won't be full of meat but, damn, they'll look pretty. Put 'em on top of your bucket. 

    I've been fishing here for quite a while. I believe that was 1978 that I was first sent to "work" on the family party boat. My memories from then mostly involved catching fish and puking, probably not in that order (it wasn't. I puked a lot). As I eventually became aware of the world around me, the blurry world I could barely see through the tears I shed while vomiting, occasionally there was a large, green boat. The New Sea Angler was a part of my world, and has been since. A boat full of fishermen was never what I wanted to appear next to me, especially when I was catching. I'm having to delete a lot of foul language that is passing through my brain as I type this. But, having the New Sea Angler show up on your bite was an indicator that you were in the right spot. Honestly, the NSA arriving was the mark of authenticity to your finding a good bite. 

    I hated it. I don't need authentication. I 'm here to catch fish. I don't want to dodge party boats filled with shmucks. I just wanna fish. But....

   It appears that, like many figures from my youth, Rick Powers wants to retire, and his retirement is partly based on the value of his boat. So, here's the listing. Rick, if you're reading, you're the man. You've been pushing strong for a season for all salmon fishermen. A rising tide lifts all boats, eh. I just want to say thanks. Thanks for your lobbying, and thanks for you. Even when I was direct competition with you, you made me search out new places to fish, and I found a couple. I read somewhere that restrictions breed innovation, and I can't disagree. Thanks for the insight, and I'm sorry for the folks that follow that won't have your inspiration (or anti-inspiration) to follow. I know that all of the jackasses that followed you around were a pain, but now that seems like you're retiring, acknowledge the flattery that those followers espoused. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness". Oscar Wilde, or someone like him, said that or something similar. Good on you, Rick. You have earned it. I was never happy when you showed up on the bite I found (it happened, more than once. I think twice) but I always figured that it was a compliment. 

    Rick, in a post on a website that doesn't exist now, posted that he'd lost a bluefin while trolling outside of Cordell in 2015. I went out there, and we caught a 95 pound blueifin. I can't comment on the rest of Rick's reports, but the one that I found actionable, worked. Look at this report in October, 2015, (the 15th). Thanks for the bluefin, Rick. May your retirement be awesome, but also interrupted by momentary periods that you wish that you were still fishing. For the rest of us fishermen's sake. Just saying. If I'm wishing for something I want to included.

  UPDATE: I heard Mr. Powers was just testing the market. He ain't done yet. The way the regulations are, well, he's a better and more stubborn man than I. 

     Well, at least there was one fish report last week. So far this week the only other halibut report besides Gage's was one hookup and almost immediate unintended release. So, there's at least one halibut out there. I'm confident that it was something good because bat rays don't come unhooked by themselves. Other than that, there's a few surfperch and a few jacksmelt, unless you go out deep for rockfish on the rare right day. Another right day might appear before the end of the month, but if not, May will bring an opening of the shallows for rockfish. Not the good for filling the fishbox shallows, but the fun fishing shallows. In two weeks, let the fun begin!

     For those looking for more information about the boat sinking in Tomales Bay on Saturday, sorry, they weren't from Lawson's Landing (for once). I have no information other than what I read online, but in my opinion, seven people in a 14 foot boat seems like the boat may have been overloaded. If they had seven limits of clams and the gear to get those clams, that's a lot more weight in an already overloaded boat in windy conditions. So, while I don't know what happened, I have an idea. Please be sensible out there. If you think that what you're doing may be sketchy, stop doing it.