Caspar rebar experiment 7-23

That is most poorly worded thing I have ever read.

By that amendment you could not use weights, and the dropshot technique would be banned.

You got it! I was pretty alarmed about the whole thing. Here are the areas they closed to bottom contact gear: name of the MPA, percentage of the EEZ, and square miles. I had forgotten which areas they closed so I looked it up.

Closed to all bottom contact gear of California
Anacapa Island SMCA 0.00% 9.6
Anacapa Island SMR 0.00% 15.3
Carrington Point 0.00% 12.7
Cordell Bank (within 50 fm isobath) 0.01% 26.4
Davidson Seamount 0.24% 775.5
Footprint 0.01% 26.9
Gull Island 0.01% 34.9
Harris Point 0.02% 50.1
Judith Rock 0.00% 4.6
Painted Cove 0.00% 1.8
Richardson Rock 0.02% 72.7
Santa Barbara 0.02% 56.8
Scorpion 0.01% 18.6
Skunk Point 0.00% 1.4
South Point 0.00% 15.0
Subtotal 0.35% 1122.3

Its not that bad.  The post is cross-pollinating many different concepts, to create even more confusion.  While the PFMC does regulate total catch of groundfish, states manage the recreational 1/2 of how its done.

EFH is Essential Fish Habitat and they are NOT anything like MPAs.  Most if not all EFH is open to sportfishing.  EFH is nothing more than a designation that highlights important habitat for PFMC managed species.  EFH of anchovie is the entire EEZ...most of whic is still open, none of which was closed for anchoves.

MPAs are Mare protected areas...aka reserves.  Some allow fishing others don't allow anything.

The prohibited gear is all COMMERCIAL gear.  Anyone out there sport trawling with rockhopper gear???  Comparing what Dave called "dinglebar" gear to real dingle bar gear is disingenous.  

If people are going to take us seriously, we need to stay focused AND make reasonable, well-founded arguments...this IMHO ain't one of them.  For that matter I'll go further and say I'm glad some areas are now closed to bottom tending gear because that $hit is bad news for the ocean.  There is no need to f-up the ocean floor to catch fish.  Fish can be brought to market in less destructive ways, and if it makes it more money at Safeway for the masses, so be it.  

The PFMC sets recreational regulations in federal waters and the State usually conforms to those regs in state waters. We just set 2007-2008 recreational regs at the PFMC. The Commission will adopt them soon.

The EFH ammendment to the FMP made new MPAs any way you look at it. They affect federal waters and they affect recreational fishing. This decision was just trumpeted across the AP wire a couple of days ago.

The gear types are not limited to commercial gear. Bottom contact gear means just that. Everything from an egg sinker to rockhopper gear.

I'm glad they banned trawling in much of the EEZ, too. I am concerned about the way it was done, and how it will potentially affect recreational fishing.

PFMC sets recreational regulations in federal waters and the State usually conforms to those regs in state waters.

Quotas and seasons yes, but not how.  DFG still sets the "how" for sporties.  The egg sinker example is simply is not true.  I sat through MANY groundfish FMP/EIR meetings and they all centered on commercial gear.  I love to fish for rockies as much as anyone, and I don't sweat this at ALL.

BTW-Some of the sites you listed are still open to fishing for things other than rockies BTW...Davidson is wide open for salmon or albies, same for Cordell.  They just don't want the substrated trwled to pieces or covered in abandon longlines.

Maybe my next post will be from DFG jail after they raid my house for contraband rebar I have to agree with Sean, there's got to be a bunch more on everyone's plate than this.  All want to do is impress everyone with my really big sinkers.

Wait till folks hear about my planned grenade and blasting cap fishing experiments.  I'm also thinking about rotenone.

As far as really-big-sinkers go, I'd like to try this experiment with a sinker release while trolling...

It just seems like a better idea than dumping elemnetal lead into the ocean.