NEWPORT, Ore. – The recreational offshore longleader gear fishery daily bag limit will increase to 15 fish per day beginning on Wednesday, March 1. The current bag limit is 10 fish per day.

ODFW staff worked with the Pacific Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service to allow this additional opportunity for anglers on healthy stocks. The increased bag limit may also help take some pressure off nearshore rockfish species.

The longleader gear fishery targets healthy midwater rockfish stocks such as yellowtail and widow rockfish. To participate in the longleader gear fishery, anglers must be outside of the 40-fathom regulatory line and have a minimum of 30 feet between their weight and the lowest hook with a non-compressible float above the hooks. This helps keep the gear away from yelloweye rockfish.

The 15-fish bag limit applies to 10 species of midwater rockfish only (yellowtail, widow, canary, redstripe, greenstriped, silvergray, chilipepper, blue, deacon and bocaccio rockfishes). Other bottomfish, including lingcod, are not allowed with longleader gear fishing.

More information including a gear schematic and frequently asked questions can be found at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/regulations/sport_fishing/docs/2023%20longleader.pdf