Bottom fish closing!!??

Ouch! Guess it's surfing only at PC for me after this week.

I'm fairly new up here, and fish quotas don't exist in southern California... Is this a routine each year that is just coming early, or is this fairly unusual for bottom fish to close?

California has fish quotas.  They're set by the Pacific Fishery Management Council for all areas of the west coast, from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.  Oregon hasn't exceed quotas and been told to close a fishery in a long, long time.

It's my understanding that the PFMC may reduce Oregon's groundfish quota significantly for 2018.  That's unconfirmed, but from a reliable source.

It's possible we could see seasons established for all groundfish.  Something like our cabezon season.

So it says no retention of bottom species....so could you C&R in the bays for rf?  I generally let 99% of the fish go i catch anyways....sure would like to be able to C&R rf all winter long in Tillamook bay.....and does this apply to fishing from the jetties as well? Can you still target sp and just let everything else go?

Esoteric question here. What about surf perch? Not specifically mentioned but some of us like to do that off the beaches.

Can't target RF in bays or from jetties until January 1.  Surf perch and flatfish remain open.  Release all RF bycatch unharmed.

This is a species closure, not an area closure.

That sucks. Catching rf in 15ft of water with barbless jigs would have a 100% survival rate.  Bummer.  Gonna have to find something else to do all fall....couple hundred black rf in a morning is my favorite fishery. 

So it says no retention of bottom species....so could you C&R in the bays for rf?  I generally let 99% of the fish go i catch anyways....sure would like to be able to C&R rf all winter long in Tillamook bay.....and does this apply to fishing from the jetties as well? Can you still target sp and just let everything else go?

No, the rule says: "As of Monday morning (Sept. 18), anglers may no longer catch or retain lingcod, any species of rockfish, cabezon, greenling, or other bottomfish."

No C&R.  No exceptions for bays and jetties.  The fishery is closed.

There's a problem with the rockfish population.  Giving the resource a rest for three months isn't like the zombie apocalypse fell on us.  On the scale of great sacrifices, I don't think this even makes the list.  YMMV, of course.

The salmon are here, steelhead are on their way, and we can still catch sea-run cutthroat and flatfish and surf perch and all other (legal) marine species not specifically mentioned in the closure.

I find it curious that they use the terminology "Catch or retain" while still allowing fishing for perch and flatfish. There's nothing to guarantee I won't accidentally hook into a rockfish, greenling or ling while fishing for a flatty or perch. Granted the areas you would fish for either are not the same, but regardless.

That sucks. Catching rf in 15ft of water with barbless jigs would have a 100% survival rate.  Bummer.  Gonna have to find something else to do all fall....couple hundred black rf in a morning is my favorite fishery. 

I know a great sea run hole that is even kayak accessible (may gotta drag gravel a little) hit me up if I'm available I'll take you out.

I find it curious that they use the terminology "Catch or retain" while still allowing fishing for perch and flatfish. There's nothing to guarantee I won't accidentally hook into a rockfish, greenling or ling while fishing for a flatty or perch. Granted the areas you would fish for either are not the same, but regardless.

By-catch, Matt.  Accidentally hooked fish have to be released.  But having said that, I wouldn't want to try to convince a fish-checker I was fishing for flatfish or perch using a rockfish fly - or jig.

I know a great sea run hole that is even kayak accessible (may gotta drag gravel a little) hit me up if I'm available I'll take you out.

When my out-of-state family members leave, I might give you a call.  Sea-run have been the bane of me all year.

I wouldn't want to try to convince a fish-checker I was fishing for flatfish or perch using a rockfish fly - or jig.

The problem is we shouldn't have to.  It surprises me when I sometimes catch a RF at 30 FD in 60 fow using a coyote salmon spoon. Plenty of flounder are caught on jigs and I use it as a lure of choice since it targets larger ones.  It's frustrating to see language that leaves arbitrary decisions to interpretation.  The vast majority enforcement are reasonable people making reasonable assumptions.   Solid standards, albeit sometimes tough to write make things more of a black and white issue. If the goal is survival and protection, why not barb-less for all salt fishing to increase survival rates. Not an argument, just a thought.

 It's frustrating to see language that leaves arbitrary decisions to interpretation. 

Exactly right, but that's the ODFW way.

I was on the ODFW website 2 minutes ago and under news releases it said recreational bottomfish closed as of Monday after an excellent summer season.

No you didn't.  This was a cut and paste from the ODFW website:

"As of Monday morning (Sept. 18), anglers may no longer..."  The 18th is this coming Monday, not last Monday.

The initial press release was confusing.  In the initial sentence it used past tense "closed as of Monday" but the rest of the release made it clear that it closes on September 17th ad 11:59pm.  It has since been corrected.

The initial press release was confusing.  In the initial sentence it used past tense "closed as of Monday" but the rest of the release made it clear that it closes on September 17th ad 11:59pm.  It has since been corrected.

Can we blame this on all them damn Californian's coming up here and bringing there infected regulations? Kinda like them Washingtonian's coming down and spreading there lawfirm infestated regulations!!!
Need to go to law school for a masters degree followed by fish biology for a bachelors degree just to go recreational fishing. SHEESH!!!