Regs question

... That doesn't seem ethical right?

"Ethical" and "legal" are not always the same---if they were, a lot of lawyers would be a lot poorer.

She said NO, and that she knew I was targeting rock fish from her experience, and rock fish have a 2 hook restriction....it seemed kind of illogical me but I didn't want to argue. Just found it very strange.

Tickets are given by wardens at their discretion and knowledge of the law.  Anything beyond that is decided by the courts.

I'd be more inclined to agree with the warden that someone using a traditional two gangion setup in rockfish territory is targeting rockfish. If that person is truly targeting something else, then they are more than welcome to argue that in court, even if that results in a "guilty until proven innocent" sentimentality. 

What else would you be targeting?  The argument that you were targeting something else would not fly anywhere and doesn't even pass the straight faced test.  "Technically" does not get anyone a free pass and resorting to that line is usually an admission that the argument is lost.

I could be targeting sand dabs, I've caught a ton on shrimp flies. I don't think it's that far of a stretch at all.

yes its legal to fish with sabiki with rock fish gear on the boat.

after you have a rock fish you can only have 2 hooks so no sabiki unless its trimmed down to 2 hooks.

Well, technically, if you are targeting rockfish, you can only have 2 hook.  So even BEFORE you have a rockfish, if you are targeting them, you can only have 2 hooks.

-Allen

If you just have a sabiki in the water you are targeting bait fish with a plan to later target rockfish. Can't use a sabiki while you are fishing for rockfish or if you have them on board. You can use the sabiki the day before you start fishing for rockfish even if you have a plan to fish for rockfish the next day, hour or minute. What the plan is after you put the sabiki away doesn't count.

Plenty of people use a sabiki trimmed down to 2 hooks to target rockfish.  Anyways, you get the picture, you're limited to gear that is legal for the species you are targeting, whether you have any on board or not.

-Allen

She said NO, and that she knew I was targeting rock fish from her experience, and rock fish have a 2 hook restriction....it seemed kind of illogical me but I didn't want to argue. Just found it very strange.

Tickets are given by wardens at their discretion and knowledge of the law.  Anything beyond that is decided by the courts.

I'd be more inclined to agree with the warden that someone using a traditional two gangion setup in rockfish territory is targeting rockfish. If that person is truly targeting something else, then they are more than welcome to argue that in court, even if that results in a "guilty until proven innocent" sentimentality. 

What else would you be targeting?  The argument that you were targeting something else would not fly anywhere and doesn't even pass the straight faced test.  "Technically" does not get anyone a free pass and resorting to that line is usually an admission that the argument is lost.

I could be targeting sand dabs, I've caught a ton on shrimp flies. I don't think it's that far of a stretch at all.

Bottom line, ask yourself what you're really targeting and use gear appropriate/legal for that.  If you're doing the right thing, no need to "stretch".

-Allen

She said NO, and that she knew I was targeting rock fish from her experience, and rock fish have a 2 hook restriction....it seemed kind of illogical me but I didn't want to argue. Just found it very strange.

Tickets are given by wardens at their discretion and knowledge of the law.  Anything beyond that is decided by the courts.

I'd be more inclined to agree with the warden that someone using a traditional two gangion setup in rockfish territory is targeting rockfish. If that person is truly targeting something else, then they are more than welcome to argue that in court, even if that results in a "guilty until proven innocent" sentimentality. 

What else would you be targeting?  The argument that you were targeting something else would not fly anywhere and doesn't even pass the straight faced test.  "Technically" does not get anyone a free pass and resorting to that line is usually an admission that the argument is lost.

I could be targeting sand dabs, I've caught a ton on shrimp flies. I don't think it's that far of a stretch at all.

It's going to be really easy to tell which you are targeting since they inhabit such different habitat.  There isn't a gray area here.  I mean, you could be targeting octopus since those will hit a shrimp fly too, but nobody is going to buy that.

While Halibut fishing I've certainly seen some people using sabiki's with a swimbait on the end for the weight, AND catch a legal halibut!  I usually trim my sabiki's down to 3, but i'm not jigging up bait to go rockfishing.  They eat anything!