For 2022, the new sub-bag limit for copper rockfish is one fish, for quillback rockfish it is one fish, and for vermilion rockfish it is four fish. New stock assessments conducted in 2021 for quillback and copper rockfish suggest severe population declines for these two species. Also, unsustainably high catches of vermilion rockfish have occurred each year since 2015. For these reasons, new regulations were needed to implement reduced sport bag limits for these three species in 2022. You should always check the latest regulations before heading out on a trip.
Rockfish species have a wide range of body colors and can easily be mistaken for each other. Knowing what you are catching is important when figuring out how many of each species to keep. There are a few handy tricks to tell them apart and CDFW has a number of identification aids found on its Fish Identification page, including a new flyer specifically to help with quillback rockfish identification: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Fish-ID
For example, does the fish have either a) irregular yellow blotches along the body, b) black on the last one-third of the body, or c) a distinctive yellow band on the lateral line? Check out our new Quillback-China-Black and Yellow Rockfish Identification flyer to find out which fish has what!
Can you use your new identification skills to figure out which species of rockfish is in this photo?
Photo by CDFW Environmental Scientist Ed Roberts
Rockfish species have a wide range of body colors and can easily be mistaken for each other. Knowing what you are catching is important when figuring out how many of each species to keep. There are a few handy tricks to tell them apart and CDFW has a number of identification aids found on its Fish Identification page, including a new flyer specifically to help with quillback rockfish identification: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Fish-ID
For example, does the fish have either a) irregular yellow blotches along the body, b) black on the last one-third of the body, or c) a distinctive yellow band on the lateral line? Check out our new Quillback-China-Black and Yellow Rockfish Identification flyer to find out which fish has what!
Can you use your new identification skills to figure out which species of rockfish is in this photo?
Photo by CDFW Environmental Scientist Ed Roberts
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