New Subspecies Bag Limits for 2022

https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/recreational-bag-limits-reduced-for-some-rockfish-species-in-2022

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announces multiple changes to recreational rockfish sub-bag limits which are expected to take effect Jan. 6, 2022. The emergency regulations were adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in mid-December to align with federal regulations for these species. Changes to the sub-bag limits within the 10-fish daily Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit include:

    A decrease to the statewide sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) from five fish to four fish
    A new statewide sub-bag limit for quillback rockfish (S. maliger) of one fish
    A new statewide sub-bag limit for copper rockfish (S. caurinus) of one fish

https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/recreational-bag-limits-reduced-for-some-rockfish-species-in-2022

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announces multiple changes to recreational rockfish sub-bag limits which are expected to take effect Jan. 6, 2022. The emergency regulations were adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in mid-December to align with federal regulations for these species. Changes to the sub-bag limits within the 10-fish daily Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit include:

    A decrease to the statewide sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) from five fish to four fish
    A new statewide sub-bag limit for quillback rockfish (S. maliger) of one fish
    A new statewide sub-bag limit for copper rockfish (S. caurinus) of one fish

  to the black rockfish for not making the list!   

Copper? I thought copper and brown were the most common caught rockfish. Or maybe I’m confusing Copper with China?

Think you might mean gopher instead of copper?  I've only ever caught one copper, but cant count the times a gopher has pooped on me.

Think you might mean gopher instead of copper?

Agreed i think he means gopher. tons of those

Copper? I thought copper and brown were the most common caught rockfish. Or maybe I’m confusing Copper with China?

They are somewhat similar. The key for the copper ID is the last part of the lateral line is clear. They also tend to be brightly colored. For brown rockfish they have a distinctive dark mark on the gill plate and are dark colored overall. Gophers tend to be a shade of pink and brown. Also they are annoying, usually smallish but with a big mouth that can grab a big bait.

They probably should have made it one total instead of one copper and one quillback. Mostly only matters to us northern folk, where both are regularly encountered.

See my post earlier on this topic when the news first came out. We’re pretty fortunate to have any take at all on coppers and quillbacks.

This sucks. Don't RF much, but at deep reef the larger ones are either reds or coppers. The starries should have their own sub-limit of 10 - little effers are everywhere

Seems like copper vs gopher might be more challenging than vermillion vs canary or black vs blue from the days of yore…

Those ID pics do make them look really similar.  But geographically speaking I have only really caught Coppers north of the golden gate.  If your in Santa Cruz, or Monterey I'd bet that its a gopher without even looking at it. 

If you can't tell the difference between a copper and a brown, put down the jack and switch to beers or hop aboard a guided party boat and let them do the counting

the changes were kinda surprising to me too, though I'm glad they're protecting the fisheries, warts and all

I was actually caught off guard, didn't realize the daily bag and possession limit for RF was 10.  I don't think I've ever broken that -but had thought the possession was 2x the daily. 

Outstanding fish ID including side by side comp with lookalike on CDFW site done by Amadeo.... all I can say is: wow, WOW 
https://marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/

here is an example:

Coppers also have smooth chins, and are highly variable in coloration.  They get mistaken for other species all the time, especially gophers and canaries. 

thanks for posting this Al, I was just wondering about what RF changes were put into effect and Lo! here are a few