ODFW release – Beginning September 6, 2022 (for boat-based anglers): Marine bag limit reduced to 4-fish per angler; China and copper rockfish, and cabezon are prohibited. Many anglers have been very successful this year bottomfish fishing. Fishing for bottomfish started in January and really picked up early in June. Anglers have enjoyed an increase in ocean friendly days this year as well as higher catch rates of fish per trip compared to the last couple of years. In order to avoid exceeding the annual Oregon recreational harvest guideline for many nearshore fish species, a bag limit reduction is necessary along with going to no retention for China and copper rockfish, and cabezon. Catches from the shore contributes a very small amount of mortality, so no changes are taking place for shore anglers. The longleader fishery remains open for mid-water rockfish species. Anglers participating in this fishery can continue to harvest 10 rockfish. For the 10-fish bag limit to apply, anglers must fish seaward of the 40-fathom regulatory line, use longleader gear only, and are limited to the 10 species of rockfish allowed. No other rockfish, flatfish, or lingcod may be kept during a longleader trip. This trip can be combined with a salmon or albacore trip. Though beginning September 1, anglers can no longer fish for longleader fish and Pacific halibut on the same trip. Use of a descending device to release rockfish is required when fishing deeper than 30 fathoms, and recommended at any depth for fish that are not able to submerge on their own. Yelloweye and quillback rockfish remain prohibited. If you would like to brush up on ways of identifying the different species of rockfish, please see our two only quizzes: Yelloweye Rockfish or Not? and Bottomfish Species ID Quiz. For additional information please see the ODFW Sport Bottomfish webpage or a quick one-page guide on What Can I Keep.
