Greetings Anglers!

This is the FISHING DATE REQUEST FORM for the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) North-Central Chapter, which is run by the Morgan Lab at Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML) in Bodega Bay, California. We fish at Bodega Marine Reserve and Stewart's Point Marine Reserve.

2020 DATES:
MONDAY AUGUST 2 through Saturday AUGUST 7
and MONDAY AUGUST 24 through Saturday AUGUST 29

PROGRAM INFO:
We lead fishing trips each summer/fall to collect data for fisheries management and the monitoring of California Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through catch and release fishing surveys. MPAs are a critical management tool for protecting marine resources because they provide a refuge where fish can become more abundant and larger, which then helps to support nearby populations as reproduction increases and fish migrate out of reserves. Our program seeks to bring together scientists, sport fishers, and commercial fishing crews to work together to evaluate the marine reserves in our area using catch-and-release sampling by hook-and-line fishing. We have a Scientific Collecting Permit, allowing us to fish inside MPAs and at nearby references areas to evaluate the response of different groundfish species to MPAs. Our aim is to keep everybody safe and to have fun while we collect useful data that will help us keep fisheries healthy for generations to come!

REQUESTING FISHING DATES:
When the trip dates are finalized, we will notify the mailing list and provide the date and time when we will begin accepting sign-ups for fishing days. At that date and time, we will send a reminder email with a link to a form allowing you to request specific fishing days. We will begin filling trips on a first-come-first-serve basis. Unless we cannot fill a spot, we will give a max of 2 spots per angler per year, not counting alternates. If you sign-up as an alternate, we may contact you to fill a spot on short notice if another angler is forced to cancel. You may request as many dates as you like, but you do not actually have a spot reserved until we email you back with a confirmation.

CANCELLATIONS:
Please notify us ASAP if you must cancel so that we can find an alternate. It is very important that we fill all of our angler positions so that our fishing data is of the highest quality possible and remains comparable to the data collected by the 5 other research groups using the same methods from San Diego to Humboldt.

PLEASE CANCEL IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR OR EXPERIENCE ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 DURING THE 14 DAYS PRIOR TO THE CRUISE. Your safety is our priority. COVID-19 symptoms and risk factors are listed on the CDC website.

Weather conditions may force us to cancel fishing days. We will reschedule those days and give priority sign-ups to those who were supposed to fish on the cancelled date.

REQUIREMENTS:
- WEAR A FACE COVERING AT ALL TIMES.
- SIGN A STANDARD LIABILITY WAIVER THAT INCLUDES PROVISIONS FOR THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.  
- HAVE THEIR TEMPERATURES TAKEN WITH AN INFRARED THERMOMETER PRIOR TO BOARDING THE VESSEL.  
- Volunteer anglers should have a fair amount of experience fishing in the marine environment
- AT LEAST 16 YEARS OF AGE
- All participants must be able to spend extended periods of time (e.g., 12+ hours per day) on a recreational fishing boat, in potentially rough waters.
- NO INDIVIDUAL TAKE (catch and release only) on these cruises, in accordance with our CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife scientific collecting permits.



LOGISTICS:
-Meet at 6 am at Sport Fishing Dock in Bodega Harbor (1500 Bay Flat Rd. Bodega Bay, CA 94923)
-Return late afternoon/early evening (3-6 pm). However, departure & return times are slightly variable and dependent upon conditions.
-Bring a lunch, water bottle, and snacks.
-Bring layered attire, prepared for both cold and hot weather.
-Wear boots or other waterproof footwear and waterproof outerwear. The decks will be washed regularly and there is a good chance of splashing!

If you have a friend who would like to participate with you, they must fill this form separately--feel free to forward this form to any other interested individuals!

Your place on a trip is not guaranteed until you have received a confirmation email from our volunteer coordinator. Please wait for this email from our volunteer coordinator for details on your confirmed trips.  If you have any questions about this process, please email bmlmorganlab@gmail.com.

Thank you, and we look forward to a great season of CCFRP sampling at Bodega Bay!

Sadie Small
Lead Scientist
CCFRP at Bodega Marine Laboratory