SC wharf on friday 8-1-08

fished all day for halibut with live bait with no strikes. after a rest on the beach I went back out to the the kelp around steamers for some easy dinner and nailed a 23" flattie with a glow scampi jig while potholing for RF. I decided to try for more in the sandy holes between the kelp and threw out my halibut rig and set it in the rod holder while i kept jigging. 10 minutes later I had a huge hit and set the hook into that massive grass. i came out to about 24"! kept at this for another hour and caught a few more rockfish but no more 'buts. where are they???

Nice job! The unexpected fish are always the most fun!

Nice, but remember, when you use two rods and accidently catch a rockfish, you must let it go.  Rockfish have a 1 rod 2 hook restriction.  Even though you are targeting halibut with two rods, you were actually in violation by keeping the rockfish when you were using two rods and using two rods after keeping the rockfish.  DFG will definitely ticket you for using two rods when you have a rockfish in your possession.

Wow nice rockfish,

As for the 2 rod/rockfish thing, of all the regs I have stuck in my head I didn't know about that one, I knew about the 2 hooks, but never thought about the 1 rod. 

thanks

Nice fish. Two 'buts and a huge grassie will make for some excellent meals!
Thanks for the report!
PK

thanks for the info on the regs, i was wondering about the use of two rods for a while but the slander of the DFG is so hard to decipher.

Nice work, fishloomis.  Is that a Pro Explorer you're running in?

 

sure is, it's a recent addition, and I'm a newb to the sport. I love it so far and it's already got a ton of rigging.

WTG Chris!! glad to see you o the board!

Solsrf and I were out there this am early with live bait, only 1 short flattie for me, and a few RF over at it's.  i came in early, and he paddled down towards oneil's.  Dude for a 'newbie' you sure can catch fish.  it was NOT easy out there today!

Allen

Nice, but remember, when you use two rods and accidently catch a rockfish, you must let it go.  Rockfish have a 1 rod 2 hook restriction.  Even though you are targeting halibut with two rods, you were actually in violation by keeping the rockfish when you were using two rods and using two rods after keeping the rockfish.  DFG will definitely ticket you for using two rods when you have a rockfish in your possession.

If you stop using the second rod after keeping the first rockfish, you are cool. at least that is what the SC DFG dudes told me one day.

J

Nice, but remember, when you use two rods and accidently catch a rockfish, you must let it go.  Rockfish have a 1 rod 2 hook restriction.  Even though you are targeting halibut with two rods, you were actually in violation by keeping the rockfish when you were using two rods and using two rods after keeping the rockfish.  DFG will definitely ticket you for using two rods when you have a rockfish in your possession.

If you stop using the second rod after keeping the first rockfish, you are cool. at least that is what the SC DFG dudes told me one day.

J

That's what I thoght too....

If you stop using the second rod after keeping the first rockfish, you are cool. at least that is what the SC DFG dudes told me one day.

J

This is what I initially thought as well, but according to the DFG dudes I spoke to out near Bean Hollow, they stated clearly that if you hook a rockfish using multiple rods, it must be released as there is a one rod restriction.  The regs do state one rod/2 hooks once a rockfish/ling is onboard or in posession.  I also emailed Ed Roberts from the DFG a while back and he also agreed that if you catch a rockfish using multiple rods, it is not a legal fish to keep.  Just be warned that the DFG could potentially cite you for it.  But in this case, it was obvious that he kept using two rods after he landed the rockfish.  I'm definitely not trying to flame anyone.  I just don't want to see anyone get a ticket for not knowing or not understanding.  The true problem lies within the DFG agents who think differently.

As far as the two rod thing goes, why? Why cant you use two rods?(because it's in the regualtions is not a real answer) I'm not going to go out there a break the rules because i think they are silly but what is the point. They don't want you to reach your limit as fast? But then again could you imagine targeting rock fish with two rods, that could be a handful.