Rockfish Record?

[Latimeria]

Funny, that huge rockfish I caught on 12/31/24 has left many people unsure of the species.  I was accused of it being a Bronze Spotted by some Commercial fishermen and even a Scripps Biologist, so I took the pictures down.  I had it narrowed down to a Green Blotched or Pink rockfish, but it really looked like an overgrown Green Spotted in a weird sort of way and I started to lean on that. 

I started to be pretty sure it was a Green Blotched but then everyone else started to make me question which species it really was.  I reached out to Ben Cantrell and some other ID experts, and they were 4/4 saying it was most likely a Green Blotched (without having the specimen in front of them).  My Scripps buddy then reached out to a Rockfish Expert, Dr John Hyde, who has named a few species including the Sunset Rockfish and he could only confirm it WASN'T a Bronze Spotted, but probably a Green Blotched (or at least in that specific genus).  That at least got the Commercial and Scripps guys off my back since they all respected his opinion apparently over mine.

I rolled the dice and took it into DFG to meet with their specialist, John Ugoretz from the NOAA office in La Jolla.  I would either have a state record Green Spotted (they have no record category for a Green Blotched and won't create one for this).  The specialist inspecting the fish called in another expert to help him identify since it was a large for its species and certain tell-tale identification spots on it were obscured.  After 30 minutes of inspection, John took pictures of some of the tell-tale areas and said he'll send this to some of his colleagues to help with the consensus.  I gave him the paperwork, so he'll either sign as a new state record Green Spotted or shred the papers and tell me "Really Nice Rockfish!".  Lol

I looked up the IGFA ATWR and it wasn't a record Green Blotched, but t would have been a record Green Spotted, so pretty impressive on either account.  I've never had so much trouble over one stinking fish before, but now I at least feel like an expert on these stupid Green Spotted/Blotched rockfish!  LOL

Oh well, if anything it will be in my own personal record book.  I'm hoping to hear the final outcome today.

[jrodda]

What makes everyone think greenspot? I would have never thought that. I figured a quick look at the gill raker would have confirmed or denied greenblotch and you would have a record of that or a pink.

Sounds like fun to meet up with some fish nerds though. Rockfish are ridiculous.

[Latimeria]

Because it's the only opening for a state record. Since there is no categories for Green Blotched or Pink Rockfish, they just had to make sure it wasn't a Greenspotted.  Unfortunately, I had to freeze the rockfish as I wasn't expecting such a quick response from DFG to bring the fish down so a look at the gill rakers/arches were frozen in time (I did check prior).  Last time it took weeks before they had me come down. It already spent 9 days in the cooler so I didn't want to keep buying ice.

I think people always secretly want to see a record go down, but I had a feeling it was a GB or Pink.  I was just being hopeful since rockfish start becoming ambiguous when they get bigger.

[Latimeria]

CA DFG are no longer adding species to their record list like they were in the past.  Reason being is so people don't start targeting hard to distinguish species... at least that's what they told me.

[Latimeria]

HOLY sh!t!!!!!!  The DFG just got back to me and said Dr Milton Love of UCSB confirmed it is a Greenspotted Rockfish and a new State record!  Holy crap!

[jrodda]

Congratulations!!! Another one in the state book for you.

I'm a terrible rockfish nerd for saying greenblotch this whole time, I meant greenspot every time I said greenblotch. Though it is more than an ugly enough individual to pass for a pink.

I should have forwarded it to Milton Love earlier, he was on my podcast last year! He was a very quick email response last I was in contact. Cool that he identified it, he is THE rockfish man.


That's pretty BS that they won't add any more rockfish species. They have a category for Sunsets which is inarguably the least distinguishable rockfish, considering it practically takes a gene test to tell apart from a vermilion. They can't handle IDing a f@cking pink?

[Latimeria]

I don't see a Sunset category, only a Vermillion.  I'm not sure when they altered the record categories and rules.

[Tim524]

A cool Certificate and story to add to the wall of Fame !!

Congrats on another Record fish !!!

Still waiting for the Museum/ You-See-Em to open

[KogaHead]

Sad you had to go thru all the bullsh!t. Congrats the squeeze was worth the juice.

[Chris]

Crazy how they have pretty strict rockfish regs but need 10 experts to ID one.

Nice fish Tom!

[Latimeria]

Crazy how they have pretty strict rockfish regs but need 10 experts to ID one.

Nice fish Tom!

Thanks Chris.  I could tell it was different when I pulled it over the rail, but it just looked old and wrinkly for a fish.  lol