Species ID, and limits
 

I have been attempting to brush up on my Species/limits...

I swear the DFG website is like looking at Tax codes! And in this modern age they say no taking of yelloweye rock fish (color pic=GOOD), but they say no taking of Bronze spotted rockfish, with no pic I could find! And for a cowcod, there is a small black and white pic that looks like a 1920s encyclopedia picture! WTF?

And the species page is very condensed, with limits only sometimes mentioned...

Part of my interest is several people have told me different limits for same species...I am sure these change, but hard to keep updated when the authorities do not provide simple, clear information..

Anybody discovered a better way (websites, books, etc. )

Thanks
Cowboybill:reel:

Like you, I couldn't figure it out completely either. So when in doubt, I catch and release.

Most tackle shops carry the DFG regulations booklet. Which, I believe, has color photos/illustrations and limits of just about every rockfish you could catch locally.

Jason

I hear you. :)

I agree. The regulations are overly complicated and poorly explained. I think this DFG webpage is the most useful:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs5.asp
Note, that this site is for the southern management area only

And this one for "groundfish" (which doesn't include halibut. ?):
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/bfregs2010.asp

And here is a pdf with color pictures of most of the rockfish you should be concerned with (including the bronzespotted):
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/fishid2010.pdf

Seems to me, the only way you can get good pics of all the types of rockfish, from the DFG, is if you send away for the posterboard you see on the cattle boats. Lots of the pics on the DFG website leave much to the imagination. One thing that helps out is that they usually have a description of what is unique to each species. In some cases, the description is better than a pic when there is a lot of variation in looks of a specie (Lingcod coloration, Sheepshead looks from juvinile to adult etc.).

Great links in detail, thx.

Thanks!
 

I am just browsing this stuff now...

Thanks alot!

cowboybill:you_rock: