Save our fisheries Misidentifying species of Rockfish threatens to close our fisheries. Learn to identify these species.

Large mouth Pale strip along & large eye lateral line

Freckles on gill cover and throat area black rockfish quillback rockfish copper rockfish

Orange on a Gray lateral line Bright yellow eye Usually dark edges on fins gray background Reddish and mottled with gray

Slightly Anal fin slanted Rounded fins forked Juvenile RETURN TO DEPTH IN OCEAN tail RETURN TO DEPTH IN OCEAN canary rockfish vermillion rockfish yelloweye rockfish

Broad yellow stripe Skin flaps Profile slightly starting on dorsal fin on snout concave

Large mouth White spotting Large mouth & small teeth bocaccio rockfish CHINA rockfish cabezon

All Rockfish in Puget Sound must be returned to depth immediately.

Photos provided by Steve Axtell, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Save our rockfish - save our fisheries FISH CAN SURVIVE BAROTRAUMA There are many methods to descend a rockfish. Puget Sound AnglersPRACTICE recommends the THE Shelton FOLLOWING Fish Descender Amazingly, rockfish that look dead at the surface can or SFD. The SFD isTECHNIQUES effective and inexpensive. AND It allows “pop” back to life if quickly returned to a native depth you to continue fishing immediately after releasing a de- range. Because of this, rockfish that you must, or want scended rockfishSAVE when ROCKFISHused inline. For more LIKE information THIS! to, toss back should be quickly recompressed. visit www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html

Inverted barbless hook with weight

Inverted barbless hook with weight: Hook fish through Shelton Fish Descender www.sheltonproducts.com lower lip from inside to outside, to keep hook from puncturing an extruded stomach and to prevent line cuts Shelton Fish Descender: Hook sh through to eyes. You can also hook a fish through the membrane lower lip from inside to outside, to keep hook from on its upper lip from outside to inside, which some say Even fish with bulging eyes and protruding stomach can survive if puncThereturing arean manyextrude waysd sto ofma returningch and to p ar fisheven tot li ane depthcuts at which makes for easier release. In both cases, the weight must returned to depth quickly. Note: the organ protruding from the fish’s mouth is the stomach, not the swim bladder. to eyites can. You recompress.can also hoo Yourk a choicesh thro mayugh t dependhe memb onran thee size of the lead the fish into the water and be heavy enough to sink it on itfishs upp youer l usuallyip from catch,outside yourto in experienceside, which asso anme angler,say sea to the desired depth. Fish is released with a sharp jerk on makconditionses for easier andrelea cost.se. In both cases, the weight must the line. Caveats: Hook can puncture an extruded TOP FIVE REASONS TO lead the sh into the water and be heavy enough to sink it stomach. Once a fish reaches a depth at which it regains to the desired depth. Fish is released with a sharp jerk on SEND’EM DOWN muscle coordination, it may wrestle free prematurely. the line. Once a sh reaches a depth at which it regains Method works best with smaller fish. Why should you care about helping a released fish muscle coordination, it may wrestle free prematurely. return to depth? Problems: 1. Floating fish are a waste of the resource. • Misidentified Yelloweye and Canary rockfish reporting and inaccurate reporting in general can and have shutdown our 2. Some populations of prohibited species, such as coastal fishery. Misreporting can also reduce our fishing canary and yelloweye rockfish, may take decades to seasons the following year. rebuild. • Not reporting or under reporting will show weak stocks 3. High-grading is illegal and selects for smaller fish in and could affect our seasons as well. Please report accurately whenUpside-down asked by any crate, WDFW weighted representative! and attached to rope the gene pool. Solutions: 4. Venting fish may cause more harm than good. • KeepUpside-down this rockfishmilk identification crate, weighted sheet on your and boat attached to to a rope: Commercial fish descender 5. Re-descending fish can increase their chances of accuratelyCrate is identify dropped the over rockfish. the fish andShelton then, Fish with Descender the buoyant www.sheltonproducts.com fish survival. • Useinside, the Shelton lowered Fish to Descender a minimum tied depth to your of mainline 60 feet to and kept down send the rockfish back down to depth Sheltonwithin Fish 2 minutesDescender:. H(beook sh through Commercial fish descenders: There are a variety of practical, Catch-and-release practices work best when you carefuluntil not it can to puncture swim out the on rockfish its own. stomachlo Caveats:wer lip fifro mprotruding Ininsid roughe to out sid seas,e, to k fisheep hook from puncturing an extruded stomach and to prevent line cuts easy-to-use fish descenders on the market. The best one for can help with fish survival. Helping fish get back fromcan mouth) escape prematurely and the crateto eyes. mayYou ca bangn also ho againstok a sh th aro fish’sugh the membrane you may depend on the sizes and species you catch. For more down is good for the resource and the sport. • Descendedextended Rockfish eyes. Try can lowering live and thewill fishsaveon its downouruppe rresourceslip gentlyfrom ou t orside paintto inside, which some say while saving our fishing seasons! makes for easier release. In both cases, the weight must information, visit www.sheltonproducts.com and crate’s inside with a rubberized coatinglead the tosh in smoothto the water sharpand be he edges.avy enough to sink it • Report Accurately! Misidentifying Yelloweyeto the de sandired d Canaryepth. Fish is released with a sharp jerk on http://git-r-down.com. Rockfish will shut down our fisheries! the line. Caveats: Hook can puncture an extruded stomach. Once a sh reaches a depth at which it regains muscle coordination, it may wrestle free prematurely. VENTING: A sharp needle or steel cannula is used to puncture a fish’s inflated swim bladder. VENTING: A sharp needle or steel cannula is used to puncture a fish’s inflated swim bladder. The Department of Fish and Game does not encourage venting as it Thecan cause California serious Department of Fish and Game does not currently encourage venting as it can cause injury to fish and angler. You may accidentally puncture the wrong organserious and/or injury introduce to fish and angler. You may accidentally puncture the wrong organ and/or introduce VENT infection. Even when done properly, venting damages a fish’s swim bladder.infection. Even when done properly, venting damages a fish’s swim bladder. Brought to you by the Puget Sound Anglers Some of this information was a collaborative effort of California Sea Grant, www.pugetsoundanglers.org Oregon Sea Grant and University of Southern California Sea Grant.