Big Yelloweye

[Hardy Boy]

This is the last year we will be able to retain yellow eye in my area (still lots around but that's a different story). Was out for a jig yesterday and this one bit. Still open and its my wife's favorite so in the pot it went. Pulled the scale to 18 lbs, not huge but decent as you don't see many over 20 lbs any more. Picked up a decent ling and a couple small halibut as well. This was the first time I used the extra narrow 114H, it was a dream to fish with.

[foakes]

Nice one, Todd —

Looks like a great day, weather wise also.

Best,

Fred

[thorhammer]

Great work!

John

[Dominick]

Nice.  Dominick

[jurelometer]

Nice yelloweye!   They are pretty rare down here in California.

Your post inspired me to read up a bit.   It seems that the yelloweye is one of the more  challenging species for fisheries management.   Don't want to get into the politics of it either,  but the available science is interesting: https://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr_yelloweye_rockfish_0809_e.pdf

Call me crazy,  but I love the lowly black rockfish.  A great fly rod/light tackle fish,  and quite tasty too.   I presume that these are plentiful around Port Hardy. 

-J

[Darin Crofton]

Awesome, nice one!

[Gfish]

NICE Rockfish dude! Bout how deep was she? I say she, cause the bio. article said the larger ones were females.
Interesting read J.
Kinda fun to try'n figure out what those bio's. are talkin bout. What do you think a mortality of somethin like "0.02"means? a percent, like 2%?

[humboldtdan]

Nice fish.  Your observations are interesting i.e., you don't see the big ones around anymore (spawners) but there are a lot around so should be able to harvest.  This is not atypical of a population undergoing a decline i.e., big spawning fish are disappearing.  Seems like maybe management is on the right track with this one...

[Hardy Boy]

Gfish: I have my best luck on YE from 250 to 300 feet. I have caught them as shallow as 80 feet and well over 400 feet but that 250 to 280 around here is the sweet spot.

Cheers:

Todd

[Islandgypsy]

That's a dandy,Todd. Agree with your wife..best eating fish in the N. Pacific..delicious!  Shame we can't retain these anymore during fishing trips to Canada, but they are a target species for the commercial fleet.
Has there been any discussion about letting any sportfishing buying into the quota, similar to what I heard was happening for larger halibut on Vancouver Is. this year? Appreciate your view...Greg.

[Benni3]

Great catch man

[scrinch]

Nice fish, nice reel, Todd. Congratulations!

[Maxed Out]

 Those fish put up a heck of a fight for the first few minutes.

We have millions of yelloweye off Washington coast, but it's permanently closed for some unknown reason. Sad to hear of your closure. It seems to be the trend these days

[Ron Jones]

The Yellow Eye in Washington is ALMOST as stupid as the Hood Canal.
Bottom fishing closed due to low dissolved Oxygen. Wait a minute, O2 and populations are fine. Well then, we'll keep the fishery closed to ensure a "reserve population," whatever that means. Oh, that's right, it means the millionaires that live on the Canal think fishing is wrong and don't want to see the low dollar fishing boats out their back window.
Ron

[Keta]

Did your Seaquilizers get there yet Todd?

In my opinion we do not have a problem with yelloweye, we have a problem with data on yelloweye.  Having said that I will also say we need to manage a fish that does not reproduce until they are around 10 years old and can get to be over 100 years old conservatively.