California Dept. of Fish and Game Regulations

5.80. Sturgeon.

(a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under special regulations.

(b) Daily bag limit: One.

(c) Size limit: No fish less than 46 inches total length or greater than 72 inches total length may be taken or possessed.

(d) Methods of take: The sturgeon must voluntarily take the bait or lure in its mouth. No sturgeon may be taken by trolling, snagging or by the use of firearms. Sturgeon may not be gaffed, nor shall any person use any type of firearm to assist in landing or killing any sturgeon.

(e) Special North Coast District Sturgeon Closure (Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Siskiyou cos.). It is unlawful to take any sturgeon in the North Coast District at any time.

27.56. Take General.

Except as otherwise provided, there are no closed season, closed hours or minimum size limits on fin fish in the Pacific Ocean including all saltwater bays except that in San Francisco Bay between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Carquinez Bridge and in saltwater tributaries to the bay within the area bounded by Interstate 80 and Highways 17, 101 and 37 fin fish may not be taken between one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise except from shore or piers.

27.65. Filleting of Fish on Vessels.

(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.

27.95. Sturgeon Closure.

Sturgeon may not be taken in the following described area between January 1 and March 15: That portion of San Francisco Bay included within the following boundaries: A direct line between Pt. Chauncy (National Marine Fisheries Laboratory) and Pt. Richmond, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and a direct line between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Bonita.

Ignorance is no excuse!

These are the Regulations for 2000, cut and pasted from the DFG's own site. One to pay special attention to is the fin fish closure under 27.56 Take General. Word is that the Coast Guard has recently started enforcing this rule after a small fishing boat was run over by a ferry boat. If you launch in Vallejo and plan on spending the night you must fish north of the Highway 37 bridge on the Napa River and also Sonoma Creek after sunset. I guess this will also apply to the Petaluma River. I know some of the fella's that fish the Delta and Suisun area are unaware of this.