Posted by info on March 05, 2004 at 10:00:39:
In Reply to: Ling Cod posted by Gean on March 05, 2004 at 09:45:03:
24 inches now, changing to 30 inches as or April 1.
There are also periodic season closures on lingcod, when they may not be taken at all.
I beleive there was a closure at the end of last year, and in SoCal through Feb. of this year.
28.27. Lingcod.
(a) Open season and areas: See Section 27.82 [and sub-section 27.60(b)]. Lingcod may not be taken or possessed by a person by hook and line fishing or by spear fishing during a northern, central or southern rockfish and lingcod closure unless provided for under Section 27.82(c).
(b) Limit: Two.
(c) Minimum size: Twenty-four inches total length.
(d) Method of take: Not more than two hooks and one line. For purposes of this section, a hook is a single hook, or double or treble hook with multiple points connected to a common shank.
(e) Fishery closure: When the department determines, based on the best available
scientific information, that an annual harvest limit [optimum yield (OY) or harvest
guideline] established in regulation by the National Marine Fisheries Service for
lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, or a sub-group of rockfish, and/or California scorpionfish, in
the California recreational fishery has been exceeded or is projected to be exceeded
prior to the end of the year, the department may close the recreational fishery for
lingcod, rockfish, a sub-group of rockfish, and/or California scorpionfish in all or part of
the Northern, Central, or Southern Rockfish and Lingcod Management areas [see
Section 27.82 (a)], depending on the level of lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, a sub-group
of rockfish, and/or California scorpionfish catch in each area, for the balance of the
calendar year.
(f) Notice of closure: The department shall give the public and the National Marine
Fisheries Service no less than 10 days notice of any fishery closure implemented
pursuant to this section via a department news release.