Petersburg anglers now required to carry rockfish release devices

All vessels sport fishing in marine waters of Southeast Alaska must now carry and use rockfish release devices when releasing rockfish, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's May 20 fishing report for the Petersburg area.

The requirement applies to all marine sport fishing activity, not just trips targeting rockfish. Anglers must have a functional deepwater release device readily available and use it to return all unharvested rockfish to the depth of capture or to at least 100 feet, whichever is shallower.

Jeff Rice, area management biologist for the department, included the mandate in his weekly fishing report covering conditions and regulations for multiple species in the Petersburg area. King salmon fishing is already underway in the Wrangell Narrows and Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area, having begun May 15.

The rockfish release device mandate comes alongside existing regulations that restrict when and how many rockfish anglers may keep. Demersal shelf rockfish, including yelloweye, quillback, tiger, China, canary, copper, and rosethorn species, remain open to Alaska residents with a bag limit of one per day, two in possession, and no annual limit. Nonresidents face a much narrower window: they may retain demersal shelf rockfish only from July 1 through August 25, with a bag limit of one per day, one in possession, and an annual limit of one fish.

Nonresidents must immediately record any retained demersal shelf rockfish on the back of their sport fishing license or on a nontransferable harvest record, noting the species, date, and location. Slope rockfish and pelagic rockfish remain open to both residents and nonresidents with a bag limit of one per day and two in possession.

The department has published a species identification guide to help anglers distinguish between rockfish types. Yelloweye rockfish are characterized by a bright golden yellow eye and can reach up to 36 inches. Canary rockfish show three orange stripes on their head and a light lateral line, growing up to 30 inches. Black rockfish are blue-black with a white belly and can grow up to 25 inches.

Rougheye rockfish typically have a dark splotch on their gill plate and rough spines under the eye; they are usually caught at depths greater than 400 feet and grow up to 38 inches. Shortraker rockfish have short gill rakers, no splotch on the gill plate, are usually caught at depths greater than 400 feet, and can grow up to 43 inches.

The release device requirement affects anglers who may encounter rockfish incidentally while fishing for other species. King salmon fishing began May 15 in the Wrangell Narrows and Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area, where Alaska hatchery-produced king salmon are returning. Rice reported that king salmon have been caught in the saltwater portion of the terminal harvest area, though none have been reported in the freshwater portion at Blind Slough. Harvest typically peaks around the third week in June.