2016 NOAA USA Recreational Fishing Statistics (saltwater)

striped bass

According to this year's NOAA Fisheries' Fisheries of the United States report, U.S. recreational saltwater anglers caught an estimated 371.6 million fish in 2016.

The total catch includes fish kept and fish released (discarded) on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).

The harvest (fish kept or released dead) was estimated at 144.6 million fish weighing 181.6 million pounds.

2016 Top Saltwater Fish Species by Pounds Harvested

Striped bass: 20 million pounds - 1.6 million fish
Dolphinfish 11 million pounds - 1.2 million fish
Bluefish 10 million pounds - 4.6 million fish
Yellowfin tuna 9 million pounds - 0.3 million fish
Sharks 3 million pounds - 0.2 million fish

Saltwater anglers took approximately 63.1 million fishing trips, according to the report.

Fisheries of the United States is an annual yearbook of U.S. fisheries statistics.

For more information, visit:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/fisheries-united-states-2016-report


source: NOAA Fisheries

2016 Puget Sound Recreational Spot Shrimp Season

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently announced that recreational spot shrimp fishing in Puget Sound will open Saturday, May 14, 2016.

Shellfish managers are delaying the popular shrimp fishery until May 14 due to the extremely low tides that are expected during the first week in May.

Low tides will render many boat ramps around Puget Sound unusable for several hours and create poor shrimping conditions, according to WDFW.

Traditionally, the first Saturday in May marks the start of the season throughout Puget Sound.

For the latest information on sport shrimp seasons, visit WDFW’s website at wdfw.wa.gov.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Washington State Record Opah

A new state record for opah caught off the Washington coast was set recently, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The record-setting fish weighed 35.67 pounds and measured 37-7/8 inches.

Watson caught the large-eyed, orange-red colored opah in September while fishing 45 miles offshore of Westport.

Watson shared the fish with the charter crew, family and friends. "It was not like any fish I’ve tasted, but it was really good," said Watson. "Every bit of it went to good use."

Opah are the only fish found to be warm blooded throughout their bodies, a discovery first reported in the journal Science in May.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2013 Pacific Halibut Regulations

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the agency will be implementing new regulations for Pacific halibut. The measures are in response to recommendations from the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The final rule to implement the management measures has published in the Federal Register.

The halibut season opens for commercial fishers from California to Alaska on Saturday, March 23, and closes November 7, 2013.

For Area 2C (Southeast Alaska), charter anglers will continue to observe a “reverse slot limit” for the 2013 season. The “reverse slot limit” rule limits the size of retained halibut to less than or equal to 45 inches or greater than or equal to 68 inches in length for charter anglers. A one-fish per day, per person bag limit for charter anglers, which has been in effect for Southeast Alaska since 2009, remains in effect through the 2013 season.

For Area 3A (Central Alaska), charter anglers will operate under the same measures as last year, with a 2 fish of any size per person daily bag limit.

The 2013 guideline harvest levels for Area 2C and Area 3A published in the final rule will be revised in a forthcoming Federal Register notice.

Unguided halibut fishers in Alaska will observe a daily bag limit of 2 fish of any size per person per day.

Charter and commercial halibut fishers in Area 2A (Washington, Oregon, California) will adhere to the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for 2013.

Under the Halibut Act, members of the IPHC—a joint U.S. and Canadian body—adopted recommended management measures for the 2013 Pacific halibut fishery at the Commission’s annual meeting in January. The recommendations were formulated through the combined efforts of harvesters, processors, Commission staff, and the Commission.

NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region continues to develop a Catch Sharing Plan for Areas 2C and 3A, which was developed through the North Pacific Fishery Management Council with robust public input. According to NOAA, the plan is intended to establish a clear allocation between the commercial and charter sectors. The Catch Sharing Plan is expected to be in place for the 2014 season.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Pacific Northwest Saltwater Fishing

Pacific Salmon

Arguably one the best fishing destinations in the world, the Pacific Northwest is world renowned for its saltwater fishing. Anglers fish from ports in Alaska, B.C. Canada, Washington, and Oregon, and northern California.

Salmon, trout, and char are highly sought after in the Pacific Northwest. Anglers catch Chinook, silver, pink, sockeye and chum salmon as well as arctic charr, steelhead, and other species.

In Alaska and other northern areas, Pacific halibut are a top attraction for bottom anglers, with fish over 50 pounds commonly caught. Other bottom fish include lingcod and dozens of species of rockfish.

Although much of the fishing in the region occurs in cold, rainy weather the area is known for its comfortable, seaworthy charter boats and head boats. Onshore, anglers that visit the Pacific Northwest will find a wide range of fishing lodges and other accommodations.

2011 Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund Annual Report

NOAA Fisheries has released its 2011 Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund Report to Congress.

Under the PCSRF, NOAA supports tribal and state projects throughout the the Pacific Coast region; Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, and Alaska.

The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) was established by Congress in FY 2000 to protect, restore, and conserve Pacific salmon and steelhead populations and their habitats.

source: NOAA press release

How To Catch Grunion

Grunion are caught by hand at night along beaches in southern California. Grunion leave the water at night to spawn on beaches during the spring and summer months.

These unique events occur for four consecutive nights, beginning on the nights of the full and new moons. Spawning occurs after high tides and continues for several hours.

Most spawning runs occur from March through August, with activity usually peaking from late March to early June.

The California Department of Fish and Game publishes a schedule of predicted spawning runs for California grunion. For more information about California grunion fishing, see:

www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/grunionschedule.asp and www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/grunion.asp

Fishermen should review fishing regulations before planning a fishing trip.

Source: California Department of Fish and Game

PFMC Announces West Coast Salmon Fishing Options

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) laid out its three options for west coast salmon fishing seasons on Thursday 11 March. The three options would allow at least limited recreational fishing, and two of the three options would allow minimal commercial fishing off the California coast. Oregon and Washington fared better, with recommendations for them for receiving much more fishing opportunity in both the recreational and commercial fisheries. Like California, much of the Oregon ocean salmon fishery was closed down in both 2008 and 2009 to protect damaged California Central Valley fall chinook runs from complete collapse.

The Pacific Council’s 12 March press release can be found at: www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/0309press_release_FINAL.pdf

source: Fishlink Sublegals