Oregon's "Longleader" Rig

Keta · February 03, 2018, 03:23:57 PM

Due to a perceived shortage of yelloweye rockfish Oregon fishermen have lost opportunity to harvest bottom fish in deep water. In an effort to harvest the abundant mid water rockfish (Widow and yellowtail rockfish) the ODFW has come up with a new fishery using a >30' leader between the weight and the bottom hook. Leader management will have to be figured out but we now have longer seasons.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/regulations/sport_fishing/docs/longleader_FAQ_2017.pdf

alantani · February 03, 2018, 03:57:45 PM

thanks for the explanation. i read the posts on ifish but had no idea what they were talking about.

Bryan Young · February 03, 2018, 04:26:07 PM

Wow, that's a little confusing.

Keta · February 03, 2018, 05:17:15 PM

Not really Bryan, the fish are suspended above hard bottom yelloweye habitat, ODFW is trying to reduce the incidental catch and giving us an opportunity to harvest plentiful ones. The bottom hooks have to be at least 30' from the weight and held up by a uncompressible float. I am making demo ones for the OCEAN booth at the SSS, it will be close to where you and Allen will be chained.

Bryan Young · February 03, 2018, 05:28:39 PM

Oh. I was talibding about the by-catch Q&As

Keta · February 03, 2018, 05:33:30 PM

Our regs are so confusing you have to fish with a lawyer.

El Pescador · February 03, 2018, 05:34:25 PM

AND........ WHO thought THIS was a GOOD idea?

??

Keta · February 03, 2018, 05:40:45 PM

Actually it is, in the past to harvest suspended rockfish we dropped to the bottom then quickly cranked up 30-40 feet. Our "threatened" yelloweye were so thick that you often hooked 2 or 3 before getting off the bottom. This will keep most yelloweye off the hooks. Managing the 30' dropper will be a issue.

Our yelloweye are far from "threatened" but I feel that with a fish that is 50-100 years old it is best to manage conservatively.

Swami805 · February 03, 2018, 06:48:17 PM

At least they're trying to find a way to allow fishing deeper water. In Cali they just close it.

Rivverrat · February 03, 2018, 06:54:48 PM

Quote from: Keta on February 03, 2018, 05:33:30 PM
Our regs are so confusing you have to fish with a lawyer.

& to think I get upset over our 3 rod limit... Jeff

Dominick · February 03, 2018, 06:56:34 PM

Good idea. Dominick

whalebreath · February 03, 2018, 08:25:56 PM

My condolences to anyone hooking a Widow Rockfish and then cooking/eating it-a mouthful of wet tissue paper would taste better.

Hardy Boy · February 06, 2018, 11:00:33 PM

Looks like we will see more yelloweye restrictions here in BC starting this year. Used to be my wife's favorite fish to eat. We are getting more halibut restrictions also this year.

Cheers:

Todd

Keta · February 06, 2018, 11:10:27 PM

Yelloweye are one of my favorite fish to eat too.

They reduced our halibut quota this year but are doing nothing about draggers incidental catch in their main spawning ground in the Bearing.

Maxed Out · February 07, 2018, 01:55:44 AM

Deep water in Washington state coastal zones are only open for bottom fishing on halibut days....4 days a year, and if a boat gets caught with illegal rockfish they can confiscate your vessel. Ironically the same fishing grounds grounds are tribally long-lined commercially 7 days a week for 6-7 months a year in an area that is permanently closed because it's prime yelloweye habitat.

Like Lee said, you need a Harvard law professor to translate the fishing regulations