northcoast_diver
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Here is a summary of the limits applicable to fish and invertibrates that may be taken while diving and spearfishing, for Sonoma County.
Prohibited areas of Sonoma County for taking of all species:
Gerstle Cove Reserve
Bodega Marine Life Refuge
Prohibited areas for taking of all marine aquatic plants and all
invertibrates (only fishes may be taken):
Del Mar Landing Ecological Reserve
Prohibited areas for taking of all marine aquatic plants and some invertibrates (the following may be taken: fishes, abalone,chiones, clams, cockles, crabs, ghost shrimp, mussels, native oysters, rock scallops, sea urchins, and worms):
Salt Point State Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Sonoma Coast State Beach
Other general limits:
Open season for shore-based anglers and divers: June thru December
2004, for the RCG complex -- Rockfish/Cabezon/Greenling:
Bocaccio -- 1 fish per person, included in the 10 fish aggregate RCG
limit, 10 inches or longer total length.
Kelp and Rock Greenlings -- 2 fish in combination per person,
included in the 10 fish aggregate RCG limit, 12 inches or longer
total length.
Cabezon -- 3 fish per person, included in the 10 fish aggregate RCG
limit, 15 inches or longer total length.
Calif Scorpionfish -- 5 fish per person, 10 inches or longer total
length.
Calif Sheephead -- 5 fish per person, 12 inches or longer total
length.
Ocean Whitefish -- 10 fish per person, no size limit.
Open season for shore-based anglers and divers: June thru October
(closed November & December) 2004:
Lingcod -- 1 fish per person, 30 inches or longer total length.
Open season open all year for shore-based anglers and divers:
All other rockfish -- 10 fish in any combination, included in the 10
fish aggregate RCG limit, no size limits.
Surfperch -- 5 fish in any combination of allowed species (family
Embiotocidae), 10.5 inches or larger for redtail surfperch, no size
limit for all other surfperch.
Sanddabs -- no size limits nor bag/possession limits
Leopard sharks -- 3 fish per person, 36 inches or longer total
length.
Sea Urchins -- 35 urchins per person.
Cancer Crabs (except Dungeness) -- 35 per person, 4 inches or
longer. (Dungenes is limited to Nov 6, 2004 thru June 30, 2005; 10
per person shordiving, 5.75 inches or longer shorediving.)
Rock Scallops -- 10 scallops per person.
Squid -- no limit.
Mussels -- 10 pound limit (in the shell).
Geoduck Clams -- 3 clams per person.
Kelp -- where not prohibited, 10 pounds, wet.
California Halibut -- limit 3 (north coast), 22 inches or longer
total length.
Pacific Halibut -- season is May 1 thru Sept 30, 2004; limit 1, 32
inches or longer total length.
No take allowed for the following:
Canary, Cowcod, and yelloweye Rockfish.
Speckled (Bay) Scallops.
Garibaldi.
White Shark.
Giant Black Sea Bass.
Gulf Grouper or Broomtail Grouper.
Moon Snails (may not be taken north of the Golden Gate Bridge).
Other rules:
You must keep your fishing license on your person or within 500
yards of the shoreline (in your vehicle).
You must stay shallower than 120 ft depth from August thru October
2004 for taking all fishes except sanddabs.
Abalone permit report cards are required for freediving after
abalone, scuba is not permitted, abs must be 7 inches or longer,
limit is 3 red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) per day, 3 total in
possession, 24 abalone per calendar year, and no other species of
abalone may be taken. You must have ab iron less than 36 inches and
a 7 inch gauge in possession. Abalone may not be taken from the
ocean south of the center of the mouth of the San Francisco Bay.
See the regs for more particular requirements on measurement, size
of ab iron, etc.
Trout, salmon, stripped bass or broadbill may not be taken while
skin or scuba diving.
The above list is not exhaustive. And since everyone is
human, I probably made some mistakes, too. Check the reg booklets yourself, before you go.
Prohibited areas of Sonoma County for taking of all species:
Gerstle Cove Reserve
Bodega Marine Life Refuge
Prohibited areas for taking of all marine aquatic plants and all
invertibrates (only fishes may be taken):
Del Mar Landing Ecological Reserve
Prohibited areas for taking of all marine aquatic plants and some invertibrates (the following may be taken: fishes, abalone,chiones, clams, cockles, crabs, ghost shrimp, mussels, native oysters, rock scallops, sea urchins, and worms):
Salt Point State Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Sonoma Coast State Beach
Other general limits:
Open season for shore-based anglers and divers: June thru December
2004, for the RCG complex -- Rockfish/Cabezon/Greenling:
Bocaccio -- 1 fish per person, included in the 10 fish aggregate RCG
limit, 10 inches or longer total length.
Kelp and Rock Greenlings -- 2 fish in combination per person,
included in the 10 fish aggregate RCG limit, 12 inches or longer
total length.
Cabezon -- 3 fish per person, included in the 10 fish aggregate RCG
limit, 15 inches or longer total length.
Calif Scorpionfish -- 5 fish per person, 10 inches or longer total
length.
Calif Sheephead -- 5 fish per person, 12 inches or longer total
length.
Ocean Whitefish -- 10 fish per person, no size limit.
Open season for shore-based anglers and divers: June thru October
(closed November & December) 2004:
Lingcod -- 1 fish per person, 30 inches or longer total length.
Open season open all year for shore-based anglers and divers:
All other rockfish -- 10 fish in any combination, included in the 10
fish aggregate RCG limit, no size limits.
Surfperch -- 5 fish in any combination of allowed species (family
Embiotocidae), 10.5 inches or larger for redtail surfperch, no size
limit for all other surfperch.
Sanddabs -- no size limits nor bag/possession limits
Leopard sharks -- 3 fish per person, 36 inches or longer total
length.
Sea Urchins -- 35 urchins per person.
Cancer Crabs (except Dungeness) -- 35 per person, 4 inches or
longer. (Dungenes is limited to Nov 6, 2004 thru June 30, 2005; 10
per person shordiving, 5.75 inches or longer shorediving.)
Rock Scallops -- 10 scallops per person.
Squid -- no limit.
Mussels -- 10 pound limit (in the shell).
Geoduck Clams -- 3 clams per person.
Kelp -- where not prohibited, 10 pounds, wet.
California Halibut -- limit 3 (north coast), 22 inches or longer
total length.
Pacific Halibut -- season is May 1 thru Sept 30, 2004; limit 1, 32
inches or longer total length.
No take allowed for the following:
Canary, Cowcod, and yelloweye Rockfish.
Speckled (Bay) Scallops.
Garibaldi.
White Shark.
Giant Black Sea Bass.
Gulf Grouper or Broomtail Grouper.
Moon Snails (may not be taken north of the Golden Gate Bridge).
Other rules:
You must keep your fishing license on your person or within 500
yards of the shoreline (in your vehicle).
You must stay shallower than 120 ft depth from August thru October
2004 for taking all fishes except sanddabs.
Abalone permit report cards are required for freediving after
abalone, scuba is not permitted, abs must be 7 inches or longer,
limit is 3 red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) per day, 3 total in
possession, 24 abalone per calendar year, and no other species of
abalone may be taken. You must have ab iron less than 36 inches and
a 7 inch gauge in possession. Abalone may not be taken from the
ocean south of the center of the mouth of the San Francisco Bay.
See the regs for more particular requirements on measurement, size
of ab iron, etc.
Trout, salmon, stripped bass or broadbill may not be taken while
skin or scuba diving.
The above list is not exhaustive. And since everyone is
human, I probably made some mistakes, too. Check the reg booklets yourself, before you go.
