Required to Abide by Boat Limits When Fishing on a Party Boat

January 21, 2016

Question: I was on a party boat a few months ago fishing for rockfish and lingcod. The captain/deckhand announced that we were on this boat limit system and I didn’t completely understand the regulations. I ended up with a bunch of small fish that someone else didn’t want just because they are using bait/flies that catch small fish and they sorted out all the bigger fish prior to telling the deckhand. Then they put all of these dinks into my bag and I was told I had a limit of tiny fish. Could I have opted out of it? (Tom)

 Answer: When fishing on the ocean, boat limits apply (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 195(e)). A boat limit for a species or species group is equal to the number of passengers aboard the vessel that are licensed or otherwise authorized to sport fish in ocean waters off California multiplied by the individual daily bag limit authorized for a species or species group. This means that each boat must stop fishing once they have the number of fish on board that collectively equal the number of licensed fishermen on the boat, multiplied by the individual limits. For example, on a boat with 20 licensed fishermen, if the bag limit is 10 fish per person, the boat cannot carry more than 200 fish regardless of who caught them. Each person cannot leave the boat with more than an individual bag limit. That’s why the captain told the deckhand to fill the remainder of the bags to limits with the extra fish caught by other anglers.

Although this is legal under California law, it may not seem satisfying for people expecting to catch and keep only those fish they catch themselves. Some fishermen are not as successful as others and are may be happy to accept fish others have taken, while others would rather only keep what they have caught. It’s a fine balance for the crew who are trying to keep everyone happy. Keep in mind though that you are not obligated to take the fish from the captain. If you don’t mind going in without your limit, the captain cannot order you to take fish. However, this should be discussed with the crew BEFORE fishing has started, if at all possible. If you have decided to only take the fish you have caught, and there is an extra limit of fish on the boat because everyone else who walked off had a limit, the captain may be in violation. You could also advise the skipper when you board the boat that you will not be accepting fish, so don’t count you in on the boat limit.

All I can recommend for next time is to check with the boat captain ahead of time to see what their practice is and if you may not be able to catch all of your own fish. If so, you may decide to check around for another boat and captain. Some boat captains want to be able to bring in the maximum amount of fish so that their catch report shows future passengers that they are successful at finding the fish. Other boat captains may have a different approach. Finding the landing/captain that matches your mindset is a better bet than finding out otherwise once you’ve already paid your fees and are on the boat. (573)

This is such a bullshit answer.

Well put Ben
  I put in my fish and some azzhat pot smoking deck hand who didn't graduate highschool and can't count drops a few more in and I'm the one that gets busted at the dock??!! 

This is why I kayak fish and not fish on boats.  I'm in it for the sport, not to just garner meat.  Lots of cheaper ways to do that. 

Well put Ben
  I put in my fish and some azzhat pot smoking deck hand who didn't graduate highschool and can't count drops a few more in and I'm the one that gets busted at the dock??!! 

This is why I kayak fish and not fish on boats.  I'm in it for the sport, not to just garner meat.  Lots of cheaper ways to do that.

Me too!

Answer seems pretty accurate and the recommendation at the end seems to sum it up pretty well.  Not sure why it's so BS.

Ski Pro, it's been a while since I've been on a party boat but as I recall, both the fisherman and the skipper gets a ticket if you're over limit.  The boat I was on was very on top of the fish count and on the ride home they logged every fish caught (# and species).  There wasn't alot of room for error and nobody was putting any extra fish into your bag unless you were shy of limits and they did it right in front of you so you know you got extra fish. 

I can't speak to the claims of pothead dropouts.....I don't really fish the boats out of Santa Cruz or monterrey  lol  

My experiences with crews out of Emeryville have all been nothing but top notch, friendly and professional. Alot if these guys go on to run their own boats and are all about customer service.  There's a few meat wagons out of hmb but id say service there has been pretty good. I think there's alot more times the deckies are commercial guys between seasons or boats. Lol, they can be hardcore sometimes and not the best people personalities.....but they can fish and you can glean alot from them. 

If you just don't like boat limits or like to complain about everything "party boat" then it's a personal issue.  I've stated my opinion on the matter a number of times so I'll just paraphrase, not everybody has the physical capability, financial means, fishing experience or desire to fish off a kayak or their own personal boat.....they need a ride too every now and then.

Sounds like the letter writer went in with one set of expectations and was confronted with the way things actually work while on the boat. Not sure how that is the boat captain's fault, it's just a novice cattle boat fisherman meeting the learning curve.

You don't have to like the cattle boats or boat limits, but I don't see how anybody did anything wrong here and I think Carrie Wilson nailed this answer while being pretty diplomatic about it. 

I misspoke.  Not a bullshit answer, I just don't agree with the law.  Sorry I wasn't clear on that and sorry if anyone takes offense to my opinion. 

I misspoke.  Not a bullshit answer, I just don't agree with the law.  Sorry I wasn't clear on that and sorry if anyone takes offense to my opinion. 

The whole cattle boat industry concept is a bit hard to swallow for me.  Boat limits really help them too, as Carrie pointed out in her answer.  Like agarcia points out, not everyone has the means or the ability to get out on their own one way or another and those folks need a ride too.  Ok, fine, but what about the boat limits?  The letter states some guy is targeting small fish, surreptitiously sequestering them on board, keeping the largest fish for himself and giving the dinks to distribute.  I can imagine some body fly fishing for 8" dink blues on a big school, keeping none of them, and distributing them to others as part of the boat limits, thereby shutting down fishing early for everyone else who was concentrating on fishing deeper or targeting lingcod.  And it benefits the boat captain and owner to encourage that very thing.  It doesn't sit well with me, but it is the way it is.

I kayak fish because I dislike gas fumes.  I have been out on six packs since I started kayak fishing and boy, I really hate it.  Its like when you go into a bar or restaurant where smoking is allowed after having gotten used to 15 years without it.  Its offensive and in your face.  Ugh.

Do duck blinds have the same limit requirement?

No...but that's not really an apples to apples comparison. 

I misspoke.  Not a bullshit answer, I just don't agree with the law.  Sorry I wasn't clear on that and sorry if anyone takes offense to my opinion.

No offense taken, I know party boats and boat limits touch a nerve with a lot of people.  I just try to consider the bigger picture when forming my opinions and it's often differrent from everybody elses. 

I favor boat limits for a few reasons.  1, there's always a few on board that get sick and never leave the cabin....and they typically are the benefactors of the extra fish.  After buying licenses, tackle and a boat ride it's not a bad consolation prize.  2, if people get cut off at 10 there's gonna be a ton more floaters from all the little fish that get "released" cause the angler is culling his 10.  3, it gets the boats off the water faster.....if they get limits of school fish and gophers they're not hammering the hardheads.  4. It's easier to enforce for dfg and boat operators.  Can you imagine the complaints when someone limits out in an hour and has to set his rod down for the next 6 hours.  Or what if he's not done and swtches to ling fishing and continues to catch rockfish? 

monterrey 

I've meant to tell you this for about 9 years now, but keep forgetting.
There is only 1 r in "Monterey" unless you're talking about Mexico.
Sincerely,
Grammar Police

monterrey 

I've meant to tell you this for about 9 years now, but keep forgetting.
There is only 1 r in "Monterey" unless you're talking about Mexico.
Sincerely,
Grammar Police

Haha....next time I make a crack about the pothead dropouts in sc and Monte I'll try to spell it right

Haha....next time I make a crack about the pothead dropouts in sc and Monte I'll try to spell it right

If someone is always wise-cracking, does that make them a wise cracker? Hehe...cracker!