The new state record Sanddab has been set! WOOHOO!

What a joke

Personally, I'm going to set my sights on catching the largest Candlefish of all time. I have perfected my plankton ties in size 100, so nothing is going to stop me now! I'm just thankful that the WDFW has given me the opportunity to get my name in the record books.

I like it......

The way WDFW handles fisheries in the State, Sanddab fishing could be the future of fishing....

The future until it gets overfished. But that will be out grandkids problem.

When are the sanddab hatcheries scheduled to start up?

Would it be indelicate to ask the depth where he hooked and retained that bottomfish?

It would. So, we need to find out!

To be clear, my question was the product of the News Release reading in part that " We were mooching deep, looking for salmon."

Surprised they made a big deal about this. I don't think our state records are very accurate. World record Brown Bullhead Catfish is 7#+. Our state record is 11#.

"I had a fun day and a fun career , and if I had any advice for anglers (besides , it would be to get out there and fish often," said Everitt. "You never know what you might catch."

He must have been riding an elephant during this interview.

In reading the regs, fishing FOR bottom fish is prohibited beyond certain depths. While not clear, I bet that the descender rule is when fishing FOR them. Now, if like Bob, you are fishing FOR salmon and catch one it becomes incidental and the only bottom fish rules that would apply are open season and limit.

I doubt too many prosecutors or judges would look kindly on prosecuting somebody who accidentally caught something if what they did afterwards was legal.

Back in the late 1970's I for a brief period held the State Record for a Copper Rockfish caught in the San Juan's. The state sent me a master angler's patch which I sewed on a green short sleeve uniform type shirt, which I use to wear while doing seminars with Fred Vader Werff when we owned Sebastes jigs which we started in 1977.

I never even thought about the official looking patch when Fred and I would go catch several rockfish, to be shown in an ice chest at a seminar. We fished out of the Armini Ramp in west Seattle and would go directly to where the seminar was being held, so I wore the shirt fishing.

It was very interesting how the crowd at the ramp began to dissipate as I walked down the ramp to our boat.

There must have been some guilty conscious folks that drifted away as I came down the ramp, never thinkingt that they must have thought I was a state employee , possibly an LE.

When I realized what was happening, I transferred the patch to a red flannel shirt.

Not having anything to do with flounder, but I thought it was a good story.

How many Sanddabs actually get weighed though? I can't say I've caught a bigger one exactly but it doesn't look as big as some that I've seen. Pictures can be deceiving I guess.

My buddy's son lives for flounders and I'll have to put him to task now

I should have been more clear in expressing my concern which is not tied to descenders.

If one is fishing for salmon in Puget Sound in waters deeper than 120 feet you are legal but what is the requirement if in that endeavor you accidentally hook an otherwise legal bottomfish? Can you legally retain said bottomfish?

I would think you could retain it if the gear you were using and your fishing method obviously targeted salmon. If it is legal to retain.

On the other hand, if it is a requirement that all Bum**ck Rockfish in water over 120 must be released by use of a descender then you better have a descender.

We do need some real thought in the regulations that deal with the reasonable "what ifs?".

If a person legally retains a fish then moves into an area closed to retention of that fish and pulls ashore to clam they are in violation. I personally think that is ridiculous but it is the regulation (see statewide general rules) and is apparently drafted to make LE's life easier. Another example is legally retaining crab in one area then as returning to port move into another area closed to crabbing and stopping to fish or clam or even harvest seaweed. In violation.

With those examples it is easy to see that being able to legally retain a bottomfish hooked in waters deeper than 120 feet while targeting salmon would be ripe for abuse.

Again, I am not accusing anyone of an illegal act but by saying he was "mooching deep for salmon" he piqued my curiosity as to what the law actually requires under that specific circumstance.

The law says descender must be on board my float tube and rigged for immeadate use when fishing for perch or sandab.

I don't see anything about being required to use it.

Yet anybody can legally retain endangered PS Chinook just as long as they are in Ak or Canadian waters???

Yay!

Glancing through the records, I know I've caught bigger staghorns, ratfish, and hake in my youth prowling the piers in 80's. Maybe a few others and there's no record for tom cod or Pollock so the participation level for wdfw kudos must not be a high priority a for most. Basically the dept is showing they're desperate for good fishing pr or why else would they announce somebody catching a 1 pound flounder...

There is that little (apparent to us) flaw. Absent that requirement if you released a rockfish without using the descender aboard your vessel and the fish was unable to descend could you be cited for wastage?

Or is a co-manager.......

I would think so.
However it is legal to fish with bait and catch and release ESA listed fish all day.
In fresh water we have a special rule to protect our planter trouts.
Go figure.

Nobody ever said managers had to be logical. Embrace the craziness. They do.

Thanks, that explains it all in a couple short sentences.

I don't doubt that the state, in its perpetual state of confusion and misplaced priorities might present the argument that he was indeed targeting oversized sanddabs and prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law, thereby getting rid of 1 more pesky sportsmen.

I like to think the state was throwing this newly-retired employee (after 30-something years!) some tongue-in-cheek glory for his service. I'm sure everyone involved thinks it is pretty funny and a feat not to be taken seriously. If you can't laugh at it then sucks to be you. Now where can I buy some size 100 plankton hooks for my vise?

Orvis sells em'. $29.99 for a 5 pack. Barbless of course. You'll need to run em' on Rio flouro 40x tippet ($64.99 per 5 yards) and then get the special Abel monocle in order to see enough to tie em' on ($299.99). Remember, a candlefish is much too valuable to catch only once, so please Cn'R.