Rockfish, incidental catch

[static]

Fishing in area 20 and I know that fishing for rockfish is currently closed. We were fishing for winter springs, trying to stay close to the bottom 120' or more. and a few times when we actually hit the bottom with our downrigger balls we picked up Rockfish. Looking on the DFO site it says:

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/finid-eng.html

Rockfish
Rockfish are bass-like in appearance, with large mouths and eyes, spines on the head and gill plates, and prominent fins. Colour varies between species with shallow water rockfish generally having dark colours (green, brown or black) and deep water species usually orange or red. There are 37 species of rockfish known from British Columbia. Depending on the species, rockfish can range from 18 cm in length up to 120 cm. Keep what you catch and move to another area if you have reached your rockfish limit.

Unlike salmon, rockfish rarely survive after being caught.

So I'm thinking that these fish being pulled up from 120'-180' are not likely to survive. I know it's not legal to target them, but if you accidentally pick one up while trolling with a flasher and hoochie it seems wastefull to throw it back, when even the DFO site says "Keep what you catch and move to another area" and "rockfish rarely survive after being caught"

I don't want to do anything immoral or illegal, but would like a bit of clarification on the wording on the DFO site.

 

[Peahead]

Fishing in area 20 and I know that fishing for rockfish is currently closed. We were fishing for winter springs, trying to stay close to the bottom 120' or more. and a few times when we actually hit the bottom with our downrigger balls we picked up Rockfish. Looking on the DFO site it says:

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/finid-eng.html

Rockfish
Rockfish are bass-like in appearance, with large mouths and eyes, spines on the head and gill plates, and prominent fins. Colour varies between species with shallow water rockfish generally having dark colours (green, brown or black) and deep water species usually orange or red. There are 37 species of rockfish known from British Columbia. Depending on the species, rockfish can range from 18 cm in length up to 120 cm. Keep what you catch and move to another area if you have reached your rockfish limit.

Unlike salmon, rockfish rarely survive after being caught.

So I'm thinking that these fish being pulled up from 120'-180' are not likely to survive. I know it's not legal to target them, but if you accidentally pick one up while trolling with a flasher and hoochie it seems wastefull to throw it back, when even the DFO site says "Keep what you catch and move to another area" and "rockfish rarely survive after being caught"

I don't want to do anything immoral or illegal, but would like a bit of clarification on the wording on the DFO site.

Good on you for being concerned and inquiring about this. Here is my suggestion on what to do and what DFO is saying.

Yes it is certainly wasteful to "kill and release" ....or leave a fish to eventually die on the surface (even if an eagle does eventually gets fed ! )

If there is a non-retention reg for rockfish in an area you are fishing chinook but hooking rockfish then I'd suggest a move to another area or at the very least try to keep the chinook lines up a bit more off bottom . With the exception some rockfish like Black Rockfish most common deeper water rockfish species hang at bottom or very close to it. Winter chinook can still be caught above rockfish without dragging right on bottom.

Just because a rockfish " is going to die anyway" doesn't mean keeping it in a non-retention area ( or keeping one over limit) would ever be acceptable or legalized by DFO. There are devices you can get that will release a rockfish at depth to overcome "air bladder" issues but in a non-retention area, avoidence is by far the best practice IMO.

The quote you have provided from DFO : "Keep what you catch and move to another area " means exactly that, keep what you catch and then move but assumes you understand thats only if there is retention allowed in your area. DFO should have said "but only if there is a legal limit of 1 or more to retain". In your area of zero retention limit, you have 0 limit so DFO are suggesting to then "move to another area".

 

[Dogbreath]

This might be a place to start

[EiZFghwVOyI] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZFghwVOyI

 

[Bait&Sea]

http://www.reelfishingadventures.net/Extra Pages/theputembackfishrelease.html

Another version of a deepwater release tool

 

[Rockfish]

I don't want to do anything immoral or illegal, but would like a bit of clarification on the wording on the DFO site.

It is a 100% illegal to keep Rockfish this time of year during a closure and you absolutely must throw them back.

The basic issue is that DFO thinks that if they allowed us to keep dead or dying fish, some would keep any closed fish (in this case, shallow caught Rockfish that may live) and say they were dead or dying. Further, in the case of Rockfish they may think it would encourage us to fish structure for salmon where we would also catch more Rockfish. If memory serves I think they are closed for the breeding season.

Sea Bass/Black Rockfish may spend more time a little higher in the water column than some other Rockfish but we usually still catch them over and around reefs.

This time of year do not fish for salmon over reefs or close to shore and you will catch almost no Rockfish and fewer Lings. Lots of winter Chinook in the Sooke area on flat sandy, mud or gravel bottoms, far away from shore or deep structure. Stay far outside the Bluffs RCA as there are a lot of Rockfish on the broad reef off of it even outside the RCA no fishing zone..

 

[russellclifton]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that if you are fishing in a RCA, it is closed to all fishing, including salmon. Or were you not fishing in a RCA ?

 

[cannibal chris]

There is a rockfish release clip(for lack of a better word) that you clip on their mouth and drop them down to the bottom and their air bladder deflates and then just give it a quick jig and they are released and swim away. Instead of just letting them float and die.

 

[Rockfish]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that if you are fishing in a RCA, it is closed to all fishing, including salmon. Or were you not fishing in a RCA ?

Where did I say anything about fishing in the RCA? It is closed to fishing at all times. I said to fish far outside of it, as in not even close to it to avoid Rockfish this time of year. You can catch a fair number of Rockfish outside of but adjacent to the Bluffs/Sooke Bay RCA and my point was to avoid those areas also.

 

[Rum Buddies]

the moral action would be to keep the rockfish and move to a new area - BUT that is also the illegal action. Moral actions and legal actions don't always line up.


Really the problem is we can't trust everybody to be honest, many people would just say they accidentally caught it and had to keep it, when really they wanted to catch it.

 

[banger17]

same moral vs legal dilemma could come into play when you are fishing a 77cm rule area - you catch an 81cm spring thats a bleeder and is for sure going to die... what do you do??

 

[StriperCheif]

try this .......... i have a dedicated rod and reel i use to release these guys. It feels great letting them go knowing they may survive. I have a large coast lock swivel attached to my line that i clip the device onto onto when i need it so its not banging around in the boat. Works great and after a few releases you'll be a pro. I only add a ball depending on the size. File the barb off tie a short piece of seine line or something onto the shank with a swivel or whatever. .

The picture is from here where I found the idea from, used it last year for the first times. http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/rockfish/mortality.html

 

[Peahead]

same moral vs legal dilemma could come into play when you are fishing a 77cm rule area - you catch an 81cm spring thats a bleeder and is for sure going to die... what do you do??

Well the moral answer to that problem would likely not be really what we'd want to hear but something that I believe will happen more in the future and that would be no retention for any salmon or even more stiff, a complete closure to fishing in those areas that are deemed to have stocks at risk present. I personally like to believe that a released bleeder Chinook over 77cm will have a good chance of survival ( and many apparently do)

 

[Rockfish]

same moral vs legal dilemma could come into play when you are fishing a 77cm rule area - you catch an 81cm spring thats a bleeder and is for sure going to die... what do you do??

That fish needs to go back even if it is bleeding. If it is a clipped or not clipped issue then it is usually decided beside the boat and the fish released. If it is an obvious bleeder that appears to be right close to the size limit for overall length or slot then it may come in to be measured and if it does not make it length wise, then released with the hope it survives. There are some fish that will survive bleeding, it depends on why they are bleeding from where and how much, but there are some I think may die once they eventually bleed out, especially if gill ripped. In that case I console myself with the fact that fish will still be part of the food chain and is going to end up one way or another as sea bird, eagle, seal, sea lion, ling, Halibut, dogfish, crab, prawn or shrimp food, perhaps even rarely orca food. Lets not forget that not all unclipped salmon are wild but rather unclipped hatchery fish but are released for the possibility they could be wild fish. Lets also not forget that in my opinion many salmon labeled as wild are in fact semi wild (mix genetics) or well established non wild runs (transplanted genetics) after130 years of heavy human interaction. In my view in many cases concerning the protection of pure wild fish especially in southern BC its too late, that ship has sailed. What is needed is funds for habitat restoration and Salmon enhancement to protect the salmon we have left, such as they are and put more in the ocean.


Lets put aside the moral issue for now and talk self interest. If it is a dying bleeder salmon a hair over slot and you get checked I would not want to have only the hope that DFO enforcement was in a generous mood and prepared to use their discretion to give you a warning. Worrying about that would just stress me out and ruin my fishing trip not to mention, if history is any indicator, all the venom that could rain down on you by some fellow anglers especially on forums like this. If it's me that fish is going back dying/dead bleeder a hair over slot or not. PS - a 81 cm fish is a lot more than a hair over 77cm's

 

[rendraW]

the moral action would be to keep the rockfish and move to a new area - BUT that is also the illegal action. Moral actions and legal actions don't always line up.


Really the problem is we can't trust everybody to be honest, many people would just say they accidentally caught it and had to keep it, when really they wanted to catch it.

How would that be moral? If you have a barbless hook and a downrigger or weight, you should be able to send the fish back down without killing it....just takes a bit of ingenuity. You seem to be advising people to poach. I'm sure that's not your intention, but people read through the lines. It sounds like you have done this before and intend to do it again. But you are one of the honest ones I'm sure.

Plus how would keeping a fish rather than putting it back be moral? if you put it back, it returns to the ecosystem, even if it is just to be eaten by a seal or crabs. Taking it just means its gone and its nutrients will at best be in the landfill and sewage system (or maybe the bones in your garden).