Rockfish and Lingcod Season Begins With Superb Fishing
MONTEREY – The groundfish season started in Monterey, Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay on April 1 with top-notch deep water rockfish fishing for the boats that went out.
During April, rockfishing is restricted to outside of the 50-fathom boundary (deeper than 300 feet) for slope rockfish, shelf rockfish and lingcod.
The Checkmate out of Chris’ Fishing Trips in Monterey returned from a day of deep water fishing on calm seas off Point Sur on April 1 with 400 horse mackerel, four lingcod and 190 rockfish, including limits of vermilion.
The surprise on the trip was the big horse mackerel, averaging 4 to 5 pounds, that anglers found fast action on, reported Chris Arcoleo of Chris’ Fishing Trips. The anglers hooked the rockfish, lingcod and mackerel on shrimp flies, tipped with squid strips, and bars.
On April 2, the Checkmate checked in with 200 rockfish and six lingcod for 20 anglers, according to Arcoleo.
The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay made their first deep water rockfishing adventure of the year on April 2. The boat returned to the harbor with 240 rockfish, three lingcod and one rock sole for 24 anglers. The anglers fished with an array of bars and jigs in the deepwater south of Pigeon Point.
“We experienced fantastic weather and fantastic fishing,” said Captain Wallace Klughers, “We are so glad to be back on the water and seeing lots of quality fish and happy faces.”
Regarding the new rockfish regulations, Sherri Ingles at the Half Moon Bay Sportfishing Center said, “At least we will get more fishing opportunity this year than last season. We only hope we see no problems with pressure on inshore rockfish.”
“It was great to see the Pillar Point launch ramp filled with boat trailers, boats and anglers this morning,” she emphasized.
In Bodega Bay, Rick Powers, Captain of the New Sea Angler, reported “phenomenal fishing” on the first two days of the season. The 22 anglers aboard the New Sea Angler landed 220 rockfish and 38 lingcod up to 24 pounds on April 1, while the 29 anglers aboard the boat brought in 290 rockfish and 25 lingcod to 19 pounds on April 2.
Anglers used shrimp flies, bars and other baits to bag the lingcod and rockfish. “Anglers caught heavy sacks of canary, vermilion and other big red rockfish, including vermilions in the 8- to 10-pound range. The weather was flat, glassy calm both days,” he stated.
The New Sea Angler has been fishing at the Rittenberg Bank, located approximately 31 miles off the Marin County coast and approximately 40 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge.
It is extremely important that anglers carefully review the new groundfish regulations before going fishing:
On March 27, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved changes to the 2024 groundfish season opening dates, fishing depths and bag limits, according to an announcement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
In 2023, most groundfish seasons offshore of California were cut due to exceeding federal catch limits on quillback rockfish, a now federally declared overfished species. The new changes provide additional fishing opportunities compared to 2023, but come with new requirements that anglers need to be aware of.
The new regulations are anticipated to be effective in early April.
The measures adopted by the Commission will work in combination with regulations for federal waters and serve to largely avoid quillback rockfish in their primary depth range between 20 fathoms (120 feet) and 50 fathoms (300 feet) off the coast of northern and central California.
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One key element of the new regulations is the availability of new waypoints that define a 20-fathom boundary line, which allows fishing to occur only shoreward of this line. Within several groundfish management areas (GMAs), a 20-fathom or 50-fathom ‘Inshore Fishery’ will take place during the 2024 season, allowing opportunities to retain nearshore, shelf and slope rockfish, lingcod, cabezon and greenling.
Alternatively, during months when there is an ‘offshore only fishery’, fishing for groundfish will only be allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line, and only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be retained. Take and possession of nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenling are prohibited during the offshore fishery.
Divers and shore-based anglers will continue to be exempt from boat-based season restrictions affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish, which allows for year-round diving and shore-based angling, in line with current regulations.
The Commission also approved a requirement that a descending device be carried aboard and available for immediate use on any vessel taking or possessing any species of federal groundfish. Descending devices are used to send fish back to the depth from which they were taken resulting in considerably higher survival rates for rockfish suffering barotrauma compared to being released at the water's surface.
Members of the public, along with representatives of recreational fishing organizations, have recently advocated for a descending device requirement in order to improve the survivorship of released fish.
Another key element of the new regulations is the division of the central GMA at 36º N. latitude (near Point Lopez). This split provides opportunities to anglers in areas south of 36º N. latitude which historically have little to no catch of quillback rockfish.
To protect vermilion rockfish, another species for which catches have exceeded allowable federal harvest limits in recent years, the sub-limit will be reduced to two fish within the Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenling complex 10-fish limit, in the Mendocino, San Francisco, central and southern GMAs. The vermilion rockfish 4-fish sub-limit will remain for the northern GMA.
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All recreational GMAs in California are scheduled for six months of all-depth or inshore fishing opportunities in 2024. A summary of the 2024 seasons for each GMA approved by the Commission is provided below.
Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco and Central GMA North of 36º N. Latitude:
Jan. 1- Mar. 31: Closed
Apr. 1 – Apr. 30: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
May 1 – Sept. 30: 20 fathoms inshore fishery
Oct. 1 – Oct. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
Nov. 1 – Nov. 30: 20 fathoms inshore only fishery
Dec. 1 – Dec. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
Central GMA South of 36º N. Latitude & Southern Management Area:
Jan. 1 – Mar. 31: Closed
Apr. 1 – June 30: All-depth fishery
July 1 – Sept. 30: 50 fathoms inshore fishery
Oct. 1 – Dec. 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
The 2024 groundfish seasons are expected to be reviewed and approved by the Office of Administrative Law and take effect in state waters in early April.
The Commission and California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff have worked diligently to expedite the adoption of state regulations to allow boat-based anglers to get on the water beginning in April. Until the 2024 regulations are approved, the 2023 regulations remain in effect.
Once the regulations become effective, CDFW’s Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations web page will be updated with 2024 regulations. Before fishing, anglers should refer to this web page for the season openings and other regulatory information.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Rockfish and Lingcod Season Begins With Superb Fishing
