Regulations - let's follow them!

yes, during super hot all day long bites, some boaters will go rockfishing first then go salmon fishing.

Is it true that, if you have a Salmon on board, that even if you switch to one rod for rockfish, you still need to fish barbless?

Yes, if you are in possession of a salmon you need to fish barbless hooks. If you're trolling you can stick with barbless, but if you're bait/drift fishing you need to use barbless circles. 

One opton is to return the fish to shore and go back to barbed hooks, but that's always extra work.

I've always thought that this reg sucks.  This pretty much says that if you were to fish with barbed hooks, they are presuming you caught the salmon with barbed hooks.  Kinda smells like "guilty until proven innocent" if you ask me.

-Allen

So the lesson is to catch the salmon last?

Yup...and you must catch the salmon in water shallower than the regional depth limits if you have RF onboard (so shallower than 120ft in North & Mendo; 180ft in SF; 240ft in Central).

So the lesson is to catch the salmon last?

Yup...and you must catch the salmon in water shallower than the regional depth limits if you have RF onboard (so shallower than 120ft in North & Mendo; 180ft in SF; 240ft in Central).

That is where it starts to get crazy... at the end of the day, you must always be fishing in a manner and place that are legal for the fish in your possession, period.  If you catch a salmon first, and then decide to rockfish, you need to due so in a manner compliant with salmon regs... and in a place it would be legal to catch a salmon.  The opposite is equally true... if you have rockfish on board and switch to salmon, you have to fish in an area where it would also be legal to take rockfish. 

Sashimi and release ....

Speaking of regulations, so lately I've been hooking on to many Lings of the size 22"-25". It seems like every other Ling is barely legal, around 22.00" to 22.5". I end up throwing these back because I keep hearing of the old shrinkage rule. Is there any truth to this? Say if the Game Warden checks my game clip and I have a Ling on there that was for sure 22.00" when first landed, should I be shaking in my wet suit if it somehow shrinks to 21.75"? I tend to only keep 23" and above just to be safe. Not sure if I'm paranoid or not.

So the lesson is to catch the salmon last?

Or just always fish barbless.  I've fished barbless all summer!

Speaking of regulations, so lately I've been hooking on to many Lings of the size 22"-25". It seems like every other Ling is barely legal, around 22.00" to 22.5". I end up throwing these back because I keep hearing of the old shrinkage rule. Is there any truth to this? Say if the Game Warden checks my game clip and I have a Ling on there that was for sure 22.00" when first landed, should I be shaking in my wet suit if it somehow shrinks to 21.75"? I tend to only keep 23" and above just to be safe. Not sure if I'm paranoid or not.

Fish shrink for sure usually about a 1/2" or so a few hours after they are dead. If the warden checks your shrunken 22" ling and it's not legal you are screwed. Toss the 22's back unless your real desperate and feeling lucky. Cutting the collar/ smashing the head may help but it will look fishy.

Speaking of regulations, so lately I've been hooking on to many Lings of the size 22"-25". It seems like every other Ling is barely legal, around 22.00" to 22.5". I end up throwing these back because I keep hearing of the old shrinkage rule. Is there any truth to this? Say if the Game Warden checks my game clip and I have a Ling on there that was for sure 22.00" when first landed, should I be shaking in my wet suit if it somehow shrinks to 21.75"? I tend to only keep 23" and above just to be safe. Not sure if I'm paranoid or not.

Fish shrink for sure usually about a 1/2" or so a few hours after they are dead. If the warden checks your shrunken 22" ling and it's not legal you are screwed. Toss the 22's back unless your real desperate and feeling lucky. Cutting the collar/ smashing the head may help but it will look fishy.

Actually somebody last weekend got ticketed for having a ling that when they measured it, it was over 22" but when DFG measured it, it was 1/8" short.  Make sure you measure twice and if it's even close, throw it back.  Put your time in and you'll catch a bigger one..Promise

Great informative thread!!! Keep it coming lots of info here!!!

Shrinkage is real! Haha
You're no being paranoid Her...most RF & lings will shrink a little as they dry out. Especiall if they're exposed to sun. So you have to keep them wet & cool inside a burlap sack or cooler. Continually dunking the burlap in water helps. I've noticed a big difference in quality of meat too.
So yeah, you should consider the shrinkage factor before keeping a borderline ling (borderling? Haha). Especially if it's early in your day and the fish will be on the stringer for another 4+ hours.

Shrinkage is real! Haha
You're no being paranoid Her...most RF & lings will shrink a little as they dry out. Especiall if they're exposed to sun. So you have to keep them wet & cool inside a burlap sack or cooler. Continually dunking the burlap in water helps. I've noticed a big difference in quality of meat too.
So yeah, you should consider the shrinkage factor before keeping a borderline ling (borderling? Haha). Especially if it's early in your day and the fish will be on the stringer for another 4+ hours.

Thanks Pat! I mostly knew shrinkage was true haha. But yeah, I'd rather throw the borderLings back.