2025 Rockfish Regs are Up

Here's the link https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary

Looks like halibut fishing until May 1 for Central North homeys unless you can get to a deep spot

Thanks for sharing.  Cabezon changed to no minimum size limit.

Thanks for sharing.  Cabezon changed to no minimum size limit.

That’s some positive news and greenling!

As I read it you cannot retain lingcod, vermillion or canary when fishing nearshore. Someone please tell me I'm wrong:

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Groundfish-Summary#sf

JP, that's not how I'm reading it. For the purposes of the regs, "Nearshore" is a category of rockfish species. Note the column on the right which includes lingcod still has20 fathom and inshore take allowed  May-Sep and Nov.

No more size limit on Cabezon and greenlings is the only change I see from last year regs.

JP, that's not how I'm reading it. For the purposes of the regs, "Nearshore" is a category of rockfish species. Note the column on the right which includes lingcod still has20 fathom and inshore take allowed  May-Sep and Nov.

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't read it carefully enough.

Thanks for posting Gopher!

Thanks for sharing.  Cabezon changed to no minimum size limit.

That’s some positive news and greenling!

Heard some time back that greenlings are popular with the ling lings, so a little 6- or 7-incher is gonna look a lot like bait.

As far as the cabezons, is there anyone else or is it just me who thinks they aren't as tasty as a nice rockfish?? It's always fun and cool to battle one and catch something a little different, but something about the taste of a cab is too like earthy or mineraly for me. I dunno. May be user error on the cooking technique.

I think cabs are very tasty!  however they are somewhat bony, and I personally wouldn't want one smaller than 15".  Their numbers seem low to me as well, so not sure why the change to remove their size limit.

I think cabs are very tasty!  however they are somewhat bony, and I personally wouldn't want one smaller than 15".  Their numbers seem low to me as well, so not sure why the change to remove their size limit.

Same!  One of my favorites, actually.  I tend to bread and fry, usually beer battered.  Sometimes panko breaded or grilled/griddled for tacos, always good that way!

Agree with sizing also, smaller ones wouldn't yield much meat.  I catch one every third trip or so to my normal spot.

Thanks for sharing this!

Was the Monterey Bay area limited to 120ft during nearshore season in 2023 or 2024? Because I thought that region was allowed to fish deeper than the other regions to the north.

They removed the cab/greenling size limit to make the filleting-at-sea regs consistent across the RCG complex after the PFMC stock assessments were strong.

I am super excited for the removal of the cab size limit as I often catch slightly undersized cabs when I am poke polling for monkey faced eels. I have gotten greenlings too. With the removal of this size limit I don't have to bring measuring devices with me, one less thing I need to worry about!
Fried whole both of these fish are super good!

I think cabs are very tasty!  however they are somewhat bony, and I personally wouldn't want one smaller than 15".  Their numbers seem low to me as well, so not sure why the change to remove their size limit.

Same!  One of my favorites, actually.  I tend to bread and fry, usually beer battered.  Sometimes panko breaded or grilled/griddled for tacos, always good that way!

Agree with sizing also, smaller ones wouldn't yield much meat.  I catch one every third trip or so to my normal spot.