Are sand dabs and rockfish legal bait?

Hey guys!
Last time I was fishing up at fort ross a guy suggested I use small rockfish as live bait for lingcod. I have used sand dabs in the past, I assume it's legal because there so plentiful and their regs are very loose. Rockfish on the other hand, I'm still not sure if that's legal.
Thanks guys!

It's legal to use rockfish but the one you use counts towards your RCG limit. Send it back down!!!

It's legal, and they count toward your limit.  Also be aware of fish with minimum size limits - it's illegal to use a greenling under 12".

This is a good topic relating to sporting ethics.  I could imagine someone using small rockfish all day, and they might think "well, no one saw me use/lose/mangle that last small rockfish, so no need to count it toward my limit."  Not cool in my book!

Good luck out there.   

not cool in my book either. well-spoken Eric

It's legal, and they count toward your limit.  Also be aware of fish with minimum size limits - it's illegal to use a greenling under 12".

This is a good topic relating to sporting ethics.  I could imagine someone using small rockfish all day, and they might think "well, no one saw me use/lose/mangle that last small rockfish, so no need to count it toward my limit."  Not cool in my book!

Good luck out there.   

This is a good point, I didn't think about it like that until now. Thanks and good luck to you too!

There are many ways to catch big lings without killing a rockfish in the process. Think BIG baits. I mean obscenely big.

But yes, it is legal...

For what it's worth, I would much rather eat a 24" lingcod than a 36". Much higher quality meat in my opinion.

But those big ones sure are fun to pull on...

Hitchhikers are accidental but no need to use what can be caught as food next year for bait. Giant swimbaits and monstrous jigs will do just fine for lings if one considers size an issue.

If I ever use a rockfish for bait (it's only been on a couple of occasions) I always take it home and it eat. They always taste better with ling tooth marks in them

It's not legal in CA anymore, but back when it was, I would rig a 7-8 inch kelp greenling as ling bait from the Humboldt Bay jetties.  Practically guaranteed hookups every time.  Those were fun times!  Kelp greenling are like candy to lingcod.

They were always included in my bag limit (only needed to use one or two as bait per trip), but I had little sympathy for sending those abundant little kelp greenling to their deaths via lingcod mauling.  To quote the alien bounty hunter from X-Files: "Everything dies." 

I get hookups of Ling almost every time I drop a little rockfish or sand dab down! I like to use them and rarely limit on rockfish anyway, if it looked like I would I would have counted it against my limit.

Horse mackerels are the new crack for lings! But yes, small rockfish will always bring up a ling. If I'm out bottom fishing, I don't even bother targeting rockfish anymore, unless I'm trying to catch a small one for bait. Three lings is more meat than a limit of rockfish already 

Live sand dabs work great and there is no shortage of them.

"Three lings is more meat than a limit of rockfish already"

True... But... Rockfish tacos...

Mmmmm.....

"Three lings is more meat than a limit of rockfish already"

True... But... Rockfish tacos...

Mmmmm.....

Depends on the size I've seen very large reds.