Legal to Sport Fish From Commercial Salmon Troller?

May 31, 2010

Question: An acquaintance of mine runs a commercial salmon fishing troller and offers to take people out sport fishing for salmon during the closed periods for commercial salmon fishing? Is this legal? (L. Andre)

Answer: It depends on where you are talking about fishing. According to Lt. Dennis McKiver, the answer is generally “no” – you cannot sport salmon fish from a salmon-permitted vessel. There are two exceptions, though.

One exception is for commercially permitted vessels that are also licensed as commercial passenger fishing vessels (a CPFV or party boat). Sport fishing on these vessels is allowed only on days when salmon are not also being taken for commercial purposes. To fish for salmon commercially and for sport from the same vessel on the same day would be a violation of the law.

The other exception is for sport fishing in the Klamath Management Zone (as designated by the federal Pacific Fisheries Management Council), as long as the commercial salmon season is closed (Fish and Game Code, section 8232.5) and you are fishing at least 24 hours after the cutoff time to land commercial salmon for the season.