Catch and Release Rockfish During Closure

Forgive the potentially silly question but are there regulations prohibiting me from targeting lingcod (and other rockfish), but catching and releasing, during the seasonal closure?  For whatever reason I found it tough to find a definitive answer about this.

Since there is incidental rockfish catch that gets released when going for species that are still open, I sort of assume that there can't really be? 

I'm trying to get my fiance more experienced with jigging from her yak before the season opens back up and I wouldn't mind enjoying some sport, but don't want to push the boundaries or do anything frowned upon.  I would be bending my barbs. 

Thanks,

You are talking about targeting lingcod (and/or rockfish) for catch-and-release during a closed season?

If so, the regulations are clear about not being able to TAKE them during the closed season.

TAKE is defined in the regulations as "Hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, crustaceans, or invertebrates or attempting to do so."

So you definitely can't do that.

Yeah no.  You can't do that.

If you're fishing from shore, you probably could do that. Rockfish closure is only for boat-based anglers.

I guess I did not really comprehend the definition of "TAKE", because to my mind and ears that means...take.  As in possess. 

It's also a bit murky to me since I incidentally catch and release a rockfish here and there when drifting for halibut when there's some structure nearby.   It's unavoidable to some degree. 

But makes sense, thanks for clarifying.  I figured closure meant closure, and yet I wondered why they weren't a little more explicit. 

If you're fishing from shore, you probably could do that. Rockfish closure is only for boat-based anglers.

Shore based is open all year round, as is spear.  If I catch a legal lingcod from shore, that sure ain't being released back into the ocean.  =)

I guess I did not really comprehend the definition of "TAKE", because to my mind and ears that means...take.  As in possess. 

It's also a bit murky to me since I incidentally catch and release a rockfish here and there when drifting for halibut when there's some structure nearby.   It's unavoidable to some degree. 

But makes sense, thanks for clarifying.  I figured closure meant closure, and yet I wondered why they weren't a little more explicit. 

If you're fishing from shore, you probably could do that. Rockfish closure is only for boat-based anglers.

Shore based is open all year round, as is spear.  If I catch a legal lingcod from shore, that sure ain't being released back into the ocean.  =)

Look up the definition of Take in the regs. Its not the same as incidental catch.

I guess I did not really comprehend the definition of "TAKE", because to my mind and ears that means...take.  As in possess. 

It depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is. 

Glad you asked the question.  "Take" in this regulatory context is different and much broader than the colloquial sense.