DFO website frustrations

[Soup Knot Sea]

I was checking the Gulf Islands report page yesterday and there was some discussion about Lingcod and Rockfish being closed until May 1. I didn't realize this was the case so I checked the DFO website. Using the map function I pulled up the areas I generally fish (18 & 19), and then used the "Finfish Species & Limits Table". The "Open Times" column for Lingcod says "To be determined, see In Season Decisions Page". When you get to the "In season decisions page" there is no mention of Lingcod. Strange, it should be pretty clear what species are open for a licensed recreational fisherman to target. I called our regional office, and was assisted by a very friendly and helpful agent. We went through the same steps, and she too could not determine what the current regulations for Lingcod are. So she asked if she could call me back. She called back a half hour later, had checked with her superior, and "Because there is no mention of Lingcod on the In Season Decisions Page, they are closed". This shocks me. It should be so straight forward for the public to check regulations! A species is either open to be caught, or closed..... make the info easily accessible!

Now, maybe this is common knowledge to most and I'm the one who should know better? I RARELY target anything besides salmon or halibut (and I have not fished for anything other than those two species since last summer), and like most on here I know those regs inside and out.

What am I missing? Why is such a simple question so hard to answer through DFO's website?

 

[bones]

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/fintable-tableaupoisson-eng.html

Does this help at all?

 

[TheBigGuy]

The DFO website is a joke, it is like a maze. Finding the information you want is never simple. It is scattered all over the place. The Gulf Islands are one of the worst area to figure out whats legal because they have so many RCA and Sponge Reef closures scattered through different numbered areas. I found the Rockfish closure on the DFO site about a month ago. Looking now I can not find it. As you stated it simply says see "In Season Decisions Page" for the Gulf Islands..

 

[bones]

If you would like big guy I could send you the gpx files of the RCA's. You save them to a card. Insert card and import way points. Now there on your plotter when you go out.... Cross the line get a fine.

 

[bones]

Bottom of page, download the book.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/rca-acs/index-eng.html

 

[TheBigGuy]

Thanks for the offer Bones. I have fished the Islands for years so I'm ok with the RCA's. The new Sponge reef areas are just an added twist. It would seem far simpler to just make them all one big fishing and trapping exclusion area instead of a bunch of different regs.

 

[spring time]

Dfo website is very confusing ,but the rule of thumb for gulf islands and area29 that I use is open may first closed sept 30 been like that for years

 

[spring time]

One thing I wish they had was an easy way to download onto a sd card and program it into a plotter.

 

[bones]

Weird doesn't sound like you have the rca's figured out. Your complaining about them in the above post and complaining about how hard it is to find them.

 

[BearCove]

Bones,

Is that file for all RCA's coast wide?

I'd be interested if so

Cheers

 

[tains]

I wouldn't mind a copy of the gpx files. I've slowly started manually adding cords for the different rca's of the areas as I fish them. What a tedious pain in the a$$ way of doing it.

If you would like big guy I could send you the gpx files of the RCA's. You save them to a card. Insert card and import way points. Now there on your plotter when you go out.... Cross the line get a fine.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Weird doesn't sound like you have the rca's figured out. Your complaining about them in the above post and complaining about how hard it is to find them.

I'm not complaining about the RCA's bones. I have fished the areas for years, so I do have them figured out. I just think the way DFO does things on their website is super confusing to new fishers or people visiting trying to figure out our regs and get the proper info. It is very poorly designed IMO, and I don't think I'm the only one who thinks that. Thanks for the offer bones, much appreciated.

 

[bones]

Bones,

Is that file for all RCA's coast wide?

I'd be interested if so

Cheers

Not yet still working on it, lower mainland, gulf islands, nootka. It's a work in progress. Have a coffee every Sunday and copy paste a couple in. What area do you need? Could have a coffee this Sunday and copy paste more.

 

[bones]

this is what i have so far, i have a few not show as i was building a custom map in reef master and deleted them by accident

 

[bones]

I wouldn't mind a copy of the gpx files. I've slowly started manually adding cords for the different rca's of the areas as I fish them. What a tedious pain in the a$$ way of doing it.

pm me an email address and will test one out.

 

[bones]

you can also make them at home in google earth. its a simple copy paste. i should video a how to

 

[bones]

google earth

 

[bones]

One thing I wish they had was an easy way to download onto a sd card and program it into a plotter.

very easy spring time google earth and GPX file. if you can copy paste you can doit

 

[spring time]

Thanks will try to figure it out. I'm not that computer illiterate, maybe get the wife to do it while I do her chores or something