27.60. Limit.

(a) General. No more than 20 fin fish in combination of all species with not more than 10 of any one species, may be taken or possessed by any one person except as otherwise provided. (See Sections 27.70 through 28.62 for minimum size limits and poundage restrictions for certain species.)

(b) Within the overall bag limit of 20 fish, the following special limits apply: Rockfish (rockcod)—10 fish, all of which may be of the same species, except as provided for bocaccio in Section 28.55 which is three, cowcod in Section 28.55 which is one per person, and two per boat, and canary rockfish in Section 28.55 which is three; lingcod—two fish; salmon—two fish, except as provided in Section 27.80; trout, excluding steelhead (see Section 27.70), taken from ocean and bays—three fish; white seabass—three fish, except as provided in Section 28.35; sturgeon—one fish; striped bass—two fish; California halibut—five fish, except as provided in Section 28.15; Pacific halibut—one fish; giant (black) sea bass—zero fish, except as provided in Section 28.10; broadbill swordfish—two fish; marlin—one fish; garibaldi—zero fish; gulf grouper—zero fish; broomtail grouper—zero fish; leopard shark—three fish; blue shark—two fish; thresher shark—two fish; shortfin mako shark—two fish; soupfin shark—one fish; sixgill shark—one fish; sevengill shark—one fish; white shark—zero fish.

27.65. Filleting of Fish on Vessels.

(a) Definition of Fillet: For the purpose of this section a fillet is the flesh from one side of a fish extending from the head to the tail which has been removed from the body (head, tail and backbone) in a single continuous piece.

(b) Fish That May be Filleted: No person shall fillet on any boat or bring ashore as fillets any fish, except in accordance with the following requirements:

(3) Lingcod: Lingcod fillets must be a minimum of 18 inches in length. Each fillet shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of skin.

(8) Rockfish: Fillets must have the entire skin attached.   Brown-skinned rockfish: Fillets shall be a minimum of six and one-half inches in length.   Boccacio fillets must be a minimum of 5 inches in length.

(10) All other species except those listed in subsection (c) of this section: Each fillet shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of skin. The fillets may be of any size.

(c) Fish that May Not be Filleted: No person shall fillet on any boat or bring ashore as fillets the following fish: cabezon, kelp and rock greenlings, California halibut north of Point Arena (Mendocino County), and any species of flatfish, other than California halibut, including Pacific and Greenland halibut, tonguefish, sole, turbot, flounder, sanddab, and salmon, striped bass and sturgeon.

28.27. Lingcod.

(a) Open Season and Area: Open all year except lingcod may not be taken or possessed by a person aboard a vessel, or by spear fishing during the months of January and February in ocean waters south of 36⁰00' north latitude at Lopez Point, Monterey County, and during the months of March and April in ocean waters from Lopez Point, Monterey County, north to 40⁰10' north latitude at Cape Mendocino, Humboldt County.

(b) Limit: Two.

(c) Minimum size: twenty-six inches total length.

(d) Method of take: Not more than 3 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.

28.28. Cabezon.

(a) Limit: Ten.

(b) Minimum size: Fourteen inches total length.

28.55. Rockfish (Sebastes).

(a) Open season: All year, except that rockfish, including bocaccio, cowcod, and canary rockfish, may not be taken or possessed by a person aboard a vessel, or by spear fishing during the months of January and February in ocean waters south of 36⁰00' N. lat. at Lopez Point, Monterey County, and during the months of March and April in ocean waters from Lopez Point, Monterey County, north to 40⁰10' N. lat. at Cape Mendocino, Humboldt County.

(b) Limit: Ten in any combination of species, except that only three fish may be bocaccio, three may be canary rockfish, and one fish may be cowcod except that two cowcod per boat may be possessed aboard a vessel operating pursuant to authority of Fish and Game Code sections 7920-7925 inclusive.

(c) Size limit: None, except no bocaccio may be taken or possessed that is less than 10 inches in total length.

(d) Method of take: Not more than 3 hooks and one line. For purposes of this section a hook is a single hook, or a double or treble hook with multiple points connected to a common shank.

Fin Fish--Gear Restrictions

28.65. General.

Except as provided in this article, fin fish may be taken only on hook and line or by hand. Any number of hooks and lines may be used in all ocean waters and bays except:

(a) San Francisco and San Pablo bays between the Golden Gate Bridge and the west Carquinez Bridge, where only one line with not more than three hooks may be used.

(b) On public piers, no person shall use more than two rods and lines, two hand lines, or two nets, traps or other appliances used to take crabs.

(c) When rockfish (genus Sebastes) or lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) are aboard or in possession, where only one line with not more than three hooks may be used pursuant to Section 28.55 or Section 28.27 respectively.

(d) No gaff hook shall be used to take or assist in landing any fin fish shorter than the minimum size limit. For the purpose of this section a gaff hook is any hook with or without a handle used to assist in landing fish or to take fish in such a manner that the fish does not take the hook voluntarily in its mouth. No person shall take fin fish from any boat or other floating device in ocean waters without having a landing net in possession or available for immediate use to assist in landing undersize fish of species having minimum size limits; the opening of any such landing net shall be not less than eighteen inches in diameter.