FYI: Sport anglers may no longer retain cabezon in Oregon for duration of 2008

For immediate release                                                            Monday, Aug. 18, 2008
 
Sport anglers may no longer retain cabezon
NEWPORT, Ore. – Sport boat anglers may not retain cabezon beginning Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008. Fishing for other bottomfish – such as most rockfish species, lingcod and greenling – remains open.

Seven species of bottomfish, including cabezon caught by anglers in Oregon waters are managed under harvest caps – three imposed by the federal government and four imposed by the state. Cabezon harvest in Oregon is managed under a state-imposed cap, with harvest limited in recent years by ODFW because health of the stock is uncertain.

Landing data for the sport fishery indicates that the 2008 ocean boat harvest cap of 15.8 metric tons for cabezon has been met.

 “Cabezon have an excellent survival rate when released,” said Don Bodenmiller, project leader for marine recreational groundfish fisheries for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Unlike rockfish, cabezon do not have air bladders and therefore do not suffer from barotrauma—expansion or rupture of the air bladder when the fish are brought up from deep waters—that can cause stress, injury and sometimes death in rockfish.”

Sport boat anglers may continue to harvest other legal species, but may not retain cabezon in the saltwater boat sport fishery. Shore anglers, including shore-based divers, may still keep cabezon.
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Thanks for the update.

Hmm, not sure how this will effect the AOTY for cabezon. On the one hand you can no longer retain cabezon in Oregon, but rockfish is still open so you can still CnR them.

Brian 

Thanks for the update.

Hmm, not sure how this will effect the AOTY for cabezon. On the one hand you can no longer retain cabezon in Oregon, but rockfish is still open so you can still CnR them.

Brian 

Just take Cabbies off the AOTY list.  No one has one yet anyway.

-Allen

2. Photographic evidence of fish size (length) must be provided.... a photo of the fish against a measuring device, a photo of the fish against an object of known size along with measurement that is witnessed and verified by another person in the pool will suffice.

I see no reason why C&R can't be practiced.  We're going to incidentally catch them anyway.

Greg

6. No out off season, oversize or undersize (fish larger than the legal limit or smaller then the legal limit per species) may be entered. All local water rules must be followed.

-Allen

I actually agree that if Cabezon are closed they shouldn't be included for Oregon caught fish.  Is Washington still open for Cabezon?

Here's a question for you Allen... sturgeon.  They're basically open year round but only open for retention on certain days, seasons, etc..  For example, you can legally target sturgeon on the Columbia River on a Tuesday even when retention is only open from Thursday - Sunday.

I actually agree that if Cabezon are closed they shouldn't be included for Oregon caught fish.  Is Washington still open for Cabezon?

Yes.

Here's a question for you Allen... sturgeon.  They're basically open year round but only open for retention on certain days, seasons, etc..  For example, you can legally target sturgeon on the Columbia River on a Tuesday even when retention is only open from Thursday - Sunday.

What's the question?

-Allen

Sorry, the question.. if a sturgeon is caught on a say a Tuesday (when it's legal to target them, but not retain them) can it be counted towards AOTY? 

Sorry, the question.. if a sturgeon is caught on a say a Tuesday (when it's legal to target them, but not retain them) can it be counted towards AOTY? 

Didn't you come up with the rules?   

IMO .. no, don't count it.  I don't want to encourage someone to go out and do CNR for the purposes of this derby.  Go fish for something else on Tuesdays.

-Allen

6. No out off season, oversize or undersize (fish larger than the legal limit or smaller then the legal limit per species) may be entered. All local water rules must be followed.

I missed #6 (read to fast) and agree with it, not only for Cab's now, but all fish when a season is cut short.

Regarding sturgeon, the rule essentially precludes oversized sturgeon from being counted?  Would that be a correct statement?

6. No out off season, oversize or undersize (fish larger than the legal limit or smaller then the legal limit per species) may be entered. All local water rules must be followed.

I missed #6 (read to fast) and agree with it, not only for Cab's now, but all fish when a season is cut short.

Regarding sturgeon, the rule essentially precludes oversized sturgeon from being counted?  Would that be a correct statement?

Correct, no oversized sturgeon.

-Allen

IMO .. no, don't count it.  I don't want to encourage someone to go out and do CNR for the purposes of this derby.  Go fish for something else on Tuesdays.

-Allen

For what it's worth (approximately nothing) I agree with Allen.  I don't think it'd be ethical to stress out C&R'd fish even further by trying to get the money shot.  It might help if we just made a blanket rule that only legal size fish that are open for harvest may be recorded.

IMO .. no, don't count it.  I don't want to encourage someone to go out and do CNR for the purposes of this derby.  Go fish for something else on Tuesdays.

-Allen

For what it's worth (approximately nothing) I agree with Allen.  I don't think it'd be ethical to stress out C&R'd fish even further by trying to get the money shot.  It might help if we just made a blanket rule that only legal size fish that are open for harvest may be recorded.

I think that's what rule #6 was intended for.  I like your wording .. "only legal size fish that are open for harvest may be recorded".

-Allen