Out of nowhere, CDFW has decided to close commercial Dungeness and recreational traps! See the following:

CDFW Closes Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery and Restricts Recreational Crab Traps in the Central Management Area, Limits Commercial Fishing to inside 30-Fathoms in Northern Management Area to Protect Whales from Entanglement

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced changes to both commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries. Aerial and vessel surveys conducted in mid-March show humpback whale numbers are increasing as they return to forage off the coast of California, elevating entanglement risk. To minimize this risk for humpback whales, changes to the Dungeness crab fisheries, as detailed below, will be effective at 6:00 p.m. on April 8, 2024.

The commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border) will be closed, at which time the commercial take and possession of Dungeness crab from those waters is prohibited.

A 30-fathom depth constraint will be in effect for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the Oregon border). Traps used by the commercial fishery in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 will be prohibited in waters seaward of the 30-fathom contour as defined in Title 50 of the Federal Codes of Regulations, Part 660, Section 660.71. As a reminder all vessels must also carry onboard an electronic monitoring system capable of recording the vessel’s location while engaged in fishing activity.

A recreational crab trap prohibition is being implemented in Fishing Zones 3, 4 and 5 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Point Conception). CDFW reminds recreational crabbers that take of Dungeness crab by other methods (including hoop nets and crab snares) is allowed through the close of the season.

All open Fishing Zones remain under a Fleet Advisory for both the commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries. In addition, CDFW reminds all fishery participants to implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide, and to anticipate additional management measures in the coming weeks.

Under emergency regulations approved in early March, CDFW has also authorized commercial Dungeness crab vessels to retrieve an unlimited number of commercial Dungeness crab traps which are lost, damaged, abandoned or otherwise derelict in Fishing Zones 3 through 6 starting at 6:00 a.m. on April 15, 2024. CDFW requests that individuals operating under the emergency regulations regularly report retrieved gear to WhaleSafeFisheries@wildlife.ca.gov. Any vessel operating or transiting in an open Fishing Zone may not possess more than six traps belonging to another vessel, pursuant to Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 132.2(a)(2)(A).

CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place in mid-April 2024. For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/crab.

   Who'd a thunk? So, recreational traps and commercial, well, everything, is over at 6:00 PM on April 8. Notice that the CDFW is now allowing, well, encouraging, the retrieval of old pots that have been lost or otherwise abandoned. Thank you. Let's get the leftovers out and minimize the points against all crabbers. And save the whales. We can do both! I would have a bounty where, post season, any trap you find and bring back is worth $20 to the guy that lost it, or you get to keep it. That may come, but not for a while.  Another decision was made, too:

California Fish and Game Commission Adopts 2024 Groundfish Regulations

Yesterday, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) unanimously approved changes to the 2024 groundfish season opening dates, fishing depths and bag limits. 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. 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 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.

All recreational GMAs in California are scheduled for six months of all-depth or inshore fishing opportunity 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.

       So, you can fish for rockfish outside of the 50 fathom line starting Monday. You can fish for rockfish outside of the 50 fathom line soon, but not yet. See the following post. There may be as many as eight days during April that you actually can. That's allowing for El Nino "less wind in the spring" conditions. Normally it would be two days, maybe. But if it lines up with my day off those yellowtail and widows are screwed. Well, 20 to 30 of them will be. But, after a run through the Eddie Kim batter and a session in the hot oil, there almost couldn't be a higher calling. That fried fish (especially the stuff that's still twitching a bit) is so good. You know how to tell if it's bad for you? "Does it taste good?" Winner. IMHO, it's the highest form of approval. And I approve.

    It should come as no surprise that, as April approaches, so does the closure of commercial crab and recreational traps. It seems that there's a few humpbacks showing up, as they tend to do this time of year, and numbers are expected to grow as the year progresses. The CDFW staff's suggestion is to close commercial Dungeness and close recreational traps in our area. Many commercial fishermen have already started hauling gear ashore as the catching slows and whale time approaches. The watermen were expecting it. It's not official yet, but I think we'll see a decision by the end of the week with a closure a week to 10 days after. So, if you haven't used your traps yet this season, don't wait. 

   The crabbing inside the bay has been mostly slow or worse, but a few people are doing well. Last weekend a boat came back with 14 Dungeness after only two hours in the water. Today a boat had 24 Dungies in no more than three hours of crabbing inside the bay. It appears that there's a few around in the right spots, but those spots aren't being shared with me. Probably a good idea on their part. But there's a chance at doing well. just not a good one.

    Curly DiBella sent me a text this afternoon. Finally, a fishing report! And what a report:

   Curly writes, "Two today 73 inches and 50 inches the one that was 73 inches weighed 228 pounds that is Kevin Kraft the angler that muscle them in out by half Moon Bay bouy Missing you and the boys send my love" Thank you, Curly. Love sent. I looked at Coastside this evening and found that Mr. Kraft was with Tony on the Reel Estate and they caught this near the Farallones. There was only one caught, but it measured 73 by 50 inches which by math puts it at 228 pounds. Damn. The fish pulled line at 40 pounds of drag, and it did as lot of pulling. The Tanker City out of SF also caught one today. They never left, just the fishermen did, it seems. Nice work gentlemen. 

     It is time to revise the MPAs and more areas are being suggested to close or otherwise restrict fishing access. I also received this email today in regards to it: " I couldn't help but think that you might be able to help get the word out about potential changes to our state's SMCA's and a lobby attempting to petition to change them into to no-take SMCA's or MPAs where fishing would be prohibited. 

The Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) has a solid writeup of what is at stake and has shared a video that they put together to help drive home the point. There is a petition at the end of this link to the BHA writeup and I would truly appreciate it if you could share it to help get signatures so that sport anglers are heard. If there is a petition to close fishing floating around then we need as many signatures as we can get to this petition in favor of maintaining public fishing access!

Thanks so much in advance!

Link here: 

https://www.backcountryhunters.org/sweeping_fishing_closures_threaten_conservation_in_california?utm_campaign=ca_bha_2024_q1_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=backcountryhunters#/396/thankyou

Kevin 

aka Catch N Cook California on YouTube" Thanks for the info Kevin. Everybody should check out the link. 

     On the last post, Harvest Time commented that without an offshore rockfish season, nobody would be out deep to find the bluefin, should they exist. It turns out that the bluefin are still out there, as a confirmed BFT was landed, I believe out of Half Moon Bay yesterday. The water outside ain't toasty but it's mostly warmer than the 53º water that we saw hundreds (thousands?) of bluefin feeding in around the full moon in October last year. Commercial crabbers had been saying they'd seen sign out deep all year, off and on, and incredibly, fishing advice from seasoned veterans turned out to be true. Who'da thunk? Please, Harvest Time, hurry and comment on salmon season to make it happen, too! 

   For crabbing here, the story is the same. Very slow. A gentleman yesterday said he tried outside for a while and caught nothing, then came inside the bay and worked hard, I think inside past Hog, for a grand total of 10 Dungeness. Compared to other reports I heard, well done, sir. I heard a rumor that the commercial guys were getting a few in super shallow off of Dillon Beach. The last few days you could see a hundred buoys bobbing near the surf. From the reports I heard from sport guys, no crab for them there, but it appears that there once were a few (or stories of a few).  

    Halibut have yet to start here but are starting to show in San Francisco Bay. Generally, that means we could see a few in six to eight weeks. Also generally, the bite should start near Inverness and work its way forward as the water warms. But, we are still in El Nino, and the rules aren't quite solid. The spring winds haven't hit yet, and may not, as El Nino springs are often wetter but less windy, here. El Nino can make halibut fishing awesome, or crappy, or average, so no prediction for this season from me, other than it will be one of those three things. 

    So, I guess that while I'm whining about salmon it would only be appropriate to whine about rockfish season. Or not. Or, maybe. How about, it depends on what you want? Here's the PFMC regs, which will soon become ours, after CDFW adopts them:

    April 1:-30 >50fms    This means the season is open deeper than the 50 fathom line as defined by a set of waypoints in the Federal Register

    May 1 -September 30 <20 fms This means the season is open shallower than the 20 fathom line as defined by a set of waypoints. Check with CDFW.

    October 1-31 >fms We discussed this.

    November 1-30 <20 fms Also discussed.

    December 1-31 >50 fms Just deep. If you can get there.

    So, these aren't official until the CDFW or CFGC make it so, but when they do, cool. Maybe don't go fishing on April 1 if the state regulations haven't changed yet. Chances ain't good for an offshore trip at any time in April, but who knows? I am old enough to remember some nice days in April before. Not a lot, but it can happen. If you have a deep water boat, be ready. Have deep water buddies ready, too. Those deep water fish taste better when they're shared.  And fried. Man, when they're still twitching when they go in the oil? I almost don't care about salmon. Almost. But the season should actually last for the whole season this year, as opposed to what happened last year. Avoid Quillback, however one does that. I think we have landed about two in the last 30 years, and I am probably exaggerating our catch (I'm a fisherman). So I really don't know how to catch less, I just do it. If I figure it out, I'll let you know. BUT, if you want to fish for rockfish you will have to have a descending device. The type is not specified, so anything descender goes, but if you're going deep you should probably have a SeaQualizer to attach to your downrigger. They work great. If you're in shallow water a Shelton's will work. Technically, a Sheltons Fish Descender qualifies you legally to fish any depth, and we will be selling the Shelton's, but if you are planning on going deep (during the short time you can, but damn, it is so good) get the SeaQualizer. I got one last year and used it each trip. It may not keep the fish from dying from barotrauma but it will keep you from getting a ticket and let the fish die where you won't see it. If you don't see it, it didn't happen, right? Right. Let the good times roll. And the fryer. 

   Also, almost forgot, everything I learned about these seasons I read about on Coastside Fishing Club. It costs a bit, I think $20 a year. $40? I'm not sure, and I don't care. Worth it. You're basically paying for server time and getting representation in committees as well. Plus they know things. I would not have landed a bluefin if I hadn't been reading their info.