In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:
Question: Is it legal to dive for scallops at night? I have found in the regulations where it says that clams may not be taken at night but I cannot find regulations that apply to scallops. Can you help? (George B., Newport Beach)
Answer: Yes, you may dive for scallops at night. The restriction on digging for clams at night does not apply in this situation. The regulations you are looking for are covered under the General Invertebrate provisions in the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 29.05, which states in part, "Except as otherwise provided in this article there are no closed hours for any invertebrate."
Q: I am a license agent and last year just two days before the waterfowl season opened, a longtime customer of 25 years came into my store to purchase his license. He had experienced a fire in his home the previous summer and had lost some possessions, including his hunting license evidence. I explained that DFG doesn’t accept declarations any more, and I couldn’t sell him a license. I know he had taken the hunter safety course in the past, and hunted since he was a teenager. What would have been the best course of action for the hunter and a license agent in this situation? What can other longtime experienced hunters do if they find themselves in a similar unfortunate situation? When will DFG accept declarations again? (Kevin Jeffs, Jeffs Sporting Goods, San Gabriel)
A: It is unlikely that declarations will be accepted again. However, according to DFG Sport Fishing/Waterfowl/Upland Game Program Analyst Glenn Underwood, there may be something we can do for hunters in this situation. If he applied for waterfowl or big game drawings in the past, we may have his information in our drawing database. The hunter should contact DFG’s License and Revenue Branch at (916) 928-5805 and explain what happened. If they can find proof that he had a hunting license in the past, they can update his hunter education status in the database and he will be able to again purchase a hunting license.
Q: My uncle recently passed away and left me in charge of his estate. One of the items he left is a full size Cheetah/ Leopard taxidermy. Is it legal for me to sell it? If not what do you recommend that I do with it? (Michael C., Modesto)
Q: When fishing in a reservoir, can I use live minnows purchased from a bait shop? (Roger L.)
A: While moving live fish and/or placing live fish into a different body of water from where they originated is usually illegal in California (CCR, Title 14, section 1.63 and FGC section 6400), there is an exception. Depending upon which district you are fishing, certain species are allowed to be purchased and used as bait, while other species may only be allowed as bait if captured on the specific water you are fishing. Live bait regulations are found starting with Title 14 Section 4.00 of the California Code of Regulations. You should review sections 4.10-4.30 for specific information regarding the species that may be used in your district.
Q: I know that you can use as many rods and hooks as you want outside the Golden Gate, but can I use multiple rods to catch striped bass and halibut from the shore? I already know that only one rod can be used for salmon, rockfish and lingcod. I have heard if you have a striped bass or a halibut in possession, then only one rod can be used. Is this true? (Eddie H.)
A: Outside of the Golden Gate, if you are fishing from shore for halibut and striped bass, you can use as many rods and hooks as you want. If you were to catch a species like salmon or rockfish, however, you would have to release it, as only one line may be used for these species.
If you have a question you would like to see answered in this column, e-mail it to CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.
Image of scallops courtesy of DFG Marine Biologist Derek Stein via California Department of Fish and Game
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