Northwest Fishing Reports

The saltwater board seems kind of slow right now. So I'm going to pose this real life "what if" question to you. What if yelloweye rockfish populations were in psudo-decent shape. Would you harvest them?

I've been rolling this around in my head because I'm going to Ketchikan in August to do some saltwater fishing out of a fishing lodge. And I've been wondering what I would do if I caught a yelloweye rockfish. I see the limit there for out-of-staters is one a day, two a season. So the stock probably isn't great. However, I've always wanted to eat one more yelloweye. I recall catching and eating them out of Neah Bay when I was a wee lad and they were really delicious. I'd like to think of myself as a conservation-minded, selective-harvest practicing king of guy though, and can you really consider yourself fish stock-friendly if you retain a fish that could be 100-years old? Of course if I caught one It'd probably be accidentally while I was halibut fishing in deep water so by the time it got to the surface it may be unsavable anyway, in which case throwing it back wouldn't make sense.

Anyway, I went on a tangent there about why I'm asking this. I'd basically like to read your thoughts on retaining yelloweyes, if their stocks weren't in ruins. Also, is it possible to not over-fish such a long-lived, solitary, slow-to-reproduce species? Is total stock destruction inevitable?

man thats a good topic but I don't feel like writing an essay!

the problem with rock fish is that they are such common bi catch and almost every rock fish caught below 60ft dies on its way up therefore there is not much you can do other than shut down all fishing deeper than 60ft. If you do happen to catch a yellow eye you will most likely have to keep it because of they very rarely venture into water less than 60ft.

i'm no expert, and i've only called the PNW home for a few years, but as sad as it sounds i really do think ALL rockfish will slowly disappear from washington inland waters. (not so much on the coast). It's simple population dynamics. to slow to grow, to many predators (that includes us). the fishing pressure is ONLY GONNA GET WORSE. and like lite line said, even if the season is closed completely, the by-catch hooking mortality is astounding. (i don't have numbers, but even if your real good and slow, i'd say one in three or four dies). better catch and release while you can, MAYBE our grandkids will be able to catch one too......