The California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS) is the method for estimating total marine recreational fin fish catch and effort in California. The CRFS is a coordinated sampling survey designed to gather catch and effort data from anglers in all modes of marine recreational finfish fishing. This program incorporates and updates the comprehensive sampling methodologies of the former Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Ocean Salmon Project.
Goal And Objectives
The primary goal of the CRFS is to produce in a timely manner, marine recreational, fishery-based data needed
to sustainably manage California’s marine recreational fishery resources. This goal is realized by the survey of
California’s marine recreational fisheries using the following standards and criteria:
- Sampling period – monthly
- Reporting time unit – preliminary estimates within one month of the end of the sampling period
- Geographic unit – six districts split on county lines, as described below
- Fishing area – within all marine waters (differentiating between inside and outside 3 miles and inside
bays) - Modes – all fishing modes: PR, PC, MM, and
BB - Species – creel information collected on all finfish species
- Data elements include, but are not limited to:
- Date and time of sample
- Port / landing
- Fishing location – point (latitude/longitude); if not available, by one nautical mile blocks
- Bottom depth
- Fishing method/gear (including spear)
- Number of anglers
- Type and number of fish kept and discarded
- Fish size
- For CPFVs only, marine mammal interaction information – presence/absence and number of
interactions - Precision – for catch estimates, strive for proportional standard errors that are ≤ 0.20 (20%).
The secondary goal for the CRFS is to maintain a minimum 20% sampling of PRs and CPFVs targeting salmon
at primary sites during the salmon season to collect coded wire tags. Produce the biweekly catch-effort estimates
by species, fishery, and PFMC major port area needed to meet the biological and recovery goals for west coast
salmon populations.
Description of Sampling Methodology
Effort and catch information is collected for the four major recreational fishery modes in California:
- Private and Rental boats (PR)
- CPFV (PC)
- Man Made Structures (MM)
- Beach and Banks (BB)
Methods Applicable to All Modes
The sampling methodology for all modes includes the following:
- California is divided into six survey, or Districts, areas using county lines with two exceptions as
described below. Districts have two naming conventions, a number and a CRFS name. They may be used
interchangeably:- District 6 or REDWOOD: Del Norte and Humboldt counties
- District 5 or WINE: Mendocino and Sonoma counties
- District 4 or BAY: San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay counties plus Marin and San Mateo County
- District 3 or CENTRAL: Santa Cruz County south through San Luis Obispo County
- District 2 or CHANNEL: Santa Barbara and Ventura counties
- District 1 or SOUTH: Los Angeles County south through San Diego County.
- Estimates of catch and effort are made monthly for each survey area for non-salmon species and
biweekly by PFMC major port area for salmon. Estimates are made for each mode and will include
estimates for private access and night fisheries. Each estimate of catch, effort, or catch rate(that is, CPUE:
catch per unit effort) are accompanied by an estimated variance for the estimate. - A California angler license database (ALD) is maintained and a telephone survey conducted to estimate
effort for all modes. These effort estimates will include both public and private access and day and night
fishing. They are used for either production estimates or for comparison to the CRFS production on-site
effort estimates (for more details, see Private Access and Night PR Survey section).
Districts
Redwood (District 6)
This district is comprised of Del Norte and Humboldt counties. The Redwood District has approximately
150 miles of coastline. Coastal habitat ranges from rocky headlands to sandy beaches. In the Redwood
District, the CRFS samples 31 beach and bank sites, sixteen boat launch sites, seventeen man-made
structures, and three active party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites, with (as of 2020) 22
boats active in the fishery.
Wine (District 5)
This district is comprised of Mendocino County and the Shelter Cove section of Humboldt County. The
Wine District has approximately 140 miles of coastline. Coastal habitat ranges from rocky headlands to
sandy beaches. In the Wine District, the CRFS samples fourteen beach and bank sites, seven boat launch
sites, three man made structures, and two active party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites,
with (as of 2020) 13 boats active in the fishery.This district is comprised of Del Norte and Humboldt counties. The Redwood District has approximately
150 miles of coastline. Coastal habitat ranges from rocky headlands to sandy beaches. In the Redwood
District, the CRFS samples 31 beach and bank sites, sixteen boat launch sites, seventeen man-made
structures, and three active party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites, with (as of 2020) 22
boats active in the fishery.
Bay Area (District 4)
This district is comprised of San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and
the San Francisco Bay portion of Sonoma and Solano counties. The Bay District has approximately 123
miles of Pacific Ocean coastline and 230 miles of SF Bay coastline. Coastal habitat in this District ranges
from sandy ocean beaches to sandstone/rocky headlands to the ecologically diverse San Francisco Bay. In
the Bay District, the CRFS samples 127 beach and bank sites, 26 boat launch sites, 51 man made
structures, and seven active party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites, with (as of 2011)
over 66 boats active in the fishery.
Central (District 3)
This district is comprised of Santa Cruz, Monterey,and San Luis Obispo counties. Coastal habitat ranges
from sandy beaches to rocky/sandstone headlands.The Central District has approximately 225 miles of
coastline. In the Central District, CRFS samples 39 beach and bank sites, eleven boat launch sites, sixteen
man-made structures,and six active party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites, with (as of
2011), with 19 boats active in the fishery.
Channel (District 2)
This district is comprised of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, including the islands of Anacapa, Santa
Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel. The Channel District has approximately 140 miles of coastline. Coastal
habitat ranges from sandy beaches to sandstone headlands. In the Channel District, the CRFS samples 26
beach and bank sites, thirteen man-made structures, three boat ramps and two boat hoists, and four active
party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites, with (as of 2011) 23 boats participating in the
fishery.
South (District 1)
This district is comprised of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, including the islands of Santa
Barbara, San Nicholas, Santa Catalina, and San Clemente. The South District has approximately 190 miles
of coastline. Coastal habitat ranges from sandy beaches to sandstone headlands. In the South District, the
CRFS samples 46 beach and bank sites, 36 public launch ramps, 39 man-made structures, and 17 active
party/charter (commercial passenger fishing vessel) sites, with (as of 2011) over 160 CPFVs participating
in the fishery.
Sample Modes
- Bench Bank
- Man Made
- Private Rental
- Party/Charter
CRFS Survey Design and Plans
The CRFS survey design, plans, and goals are found in the following links. The documentation provided is
detailed and to understand all elements of CRFS, the whole unaltered plan should be viewed. This is done to
avoid any paraphrasing and/or incorrect summarization conclusions.
- CRFS Design 2006 Update
- CRFS Plan
- CRFS Review
CRFS Related Links
- California Marine Sport Fishery Regulations
- California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS) Sample Data
- Recreational Fisheries Information Network (RecFIN)
- California Marine Fish Identification Reference
External Links
- PSMFC
- RecFIN
- CRFS Data
- CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
- Marine Region CDFW
- California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS)
- Recreational Surveys