California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 1 - Fish and Game Commission-Department of Fish and Game › Subdivision 1 - Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles › Chapter 4 - Ocean Fishing › Article 1 - Ocean and San Francisco Bay District Fin Fish-Minimum Size Limits, Bag and Possession Limits and Seasons › Fin Fish-Minimum Size Limits, Bag and Possession Limits and Seasons › Section 27.65 - Filleting of Fish on Vessels

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(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:
(1) Kelp bass, barred sand bass, and spotted
						sand bass: All fillets shall be a minimum of seven and one half inches in
						length. Each fillet shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of
						skin.
(2) Barracuda: Fillets must
						be a minimum of 17 inches in length. Each fillet shall bear intact a one-inch
						square patch of silver skin.
(3)
						Lingcod. Lingcod fillets must be a minimum of 14 inches in length. Each fillet
						shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of skin. The minimum size and minimum
						fillet size for lingcod may be changed during the year or in-season by the
						department under the authority of subsection
						27.20(e). See
						subsection
						27.20(f) for
						additional information.
(4) White
						sea bass: Fillets must be a minimum of 19 inches in length. Each fillet shall
						bear intact a one-inch square patch of silver skin.
(5) Pacific bonito: No more than 10 fillets
						of any length may be possessed. All bonito fillets possessed shall be
						considered a part of the allowable undersized tolerance of five bonito per day
						less than 24 inches fork length or weighing less than five pounds as provided
						in Section
						28.32 of these regulations. All
						fillets shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of skin.
(6) California halibut taken from or
						possessed aboard a vessel south of Point Arena (Mendocino County): Fillets must
						be a minimum of 16 and three-quarter inches in length and shall bear the entire
						skin intact. A fillet from a California halibut (flesh from one entire side of
						the fish with the entire skin intact) may not be cut in half fillets. However,
						a fillet may be cut lengthwise in a straight line along the midline of the
						fillet where the fillet was attached to the vertebra (backbone) of the fish
						only if the two pieces of a fillet remain joined along their midline for a
						length of at least two inches at one end of the fillet.
(7) Yellowtail: Fillets must be a minimum of
						17 inches in length, except not more than 10 fillets may be less than 17
						inches. Each fillet shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of
						skin.
(8) Rockfish: Fillets must
						have the entire skin attached. The minimum size and minimum fillet size for
						rockfish may be changed during the year or in-season by the department under
						the authority of subsection
						27.20(e). See
						subsection
						27.20(f) for
						additional information.
(9)
						California scorpionfish (commonly termed "sculpin"): Fillets must be a minimum
						of 5 inches. Each fillet shall bear intact a one-inch square patch of skin. The
						minimum size and minimum fillet size for California scorpionfish may be changed
						during the year or in-season by the department under the authority of
						subsection
						27.20(e). See
						subsection
						27.20(f) for
						additional information.
(10) Ocean
						whitefish: Fillets must be a minimum of 6 and one half inches in length and
						shall bear the entire skin intact.
(11) For all species of tuna filleted on any
						boat or brought ashore as fillets south of a line running due west true from
						Point Conception, Santa Barbara County (34° 27' N. lat.) each fish must be
						individually bagged as follows:
(A) The bag
						must be marked with the species' common name.
(B) The fish must be cut into six pieces with
						all skin attached. These pieces are the four loins, the collar removed as one
						piece with both pectoral fins attached and intact, and the belly fillet cut to
						include the vent and with both pelvic fins attached and
						intact.
(12) California
						sheephead: Fillets must be a minimum of 6 and three-quarter inches in length
						and shall bear the entire skin intact.
(13) 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.