Anderson Valley High School Marine Biology Class

April 15, 2015 by kenjones

Part of the class

Last century, mid-80s to be exact I, was living in the beautiful Mendocino County hamlet of Boonville. The town was small, the high school was small, and in such places it’s very easy to get involved in a mix of activities. Thus I found myself helping out at the school, coaching and helping assist a couple of teachers with projects. Since my son Mike was in the marine biology class, and since Linda Wallace the teacher knew of my love for fishing, she recruited me to be an “advisor” for the class.

Looking for plants and animals

It would turn out to be one of my favorite projects at the school. Monthly the students would “pike to the briney in our moshe” (that’s Boontling for travel to the ocean in our bus), specifically to the cove at Point Arena. The task was  to collect new specimens from the briney (the ocean) and put back into the briny the old creatures that had served their time in our aquariums. When the work was done we would have some time to fish from the Point Arena Pier and almost everyone, every trip, caught a few fish so it was a very pleasant time. When they returned to the school they would put the new denizens of Anderson Valley High School into their appropriate tanks and then begin to do a variety of odds and ends to help them better understand those same denizens.

Still lookin”

Look at what I found!

Interesting!

Lots of algae!

Time to go fishing!

Debbie and Ms. Wallace with a couple of striped seaperch

Debbie with a rockfish

James with a striped seaperch

James with a greenling

Back to school!

James checking out a rockfish

Eventually, at the end of the year, we would all make a trip to San Diego. On the way we would spend a night fishing on a barge out of San Pedro — the whole night. We then would sleepily finish our drive to San Diego where we stayed at the Crystal Pier Motel (where we could fish from the pier when we weren’t visiting attractions). We had a back scene’s tour of Sea World. We did the same at Scripps Aquarium. And, we traveled out on a sportfishing boat where at least a majority of the students, and myself, got seasick. Lots of fun! The story and pictures of that trip will come later.

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California Halibut

April 10, 2015 by kenjones

 

Halibut from the Ventura Pier

Order Pleuronectiformes — Lefteye Flounders — Family Bothidae

Species: Paralichthys californicus (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek word paralichthys (parallel fish) and californicus (Californian)—a California fish that lies parallel to the bottom.

Alternate Names: Halibut, flounder, hali, flattie (or flatty), chicken halibut, alabato, southern halibut, Monterey halibut, bastard halibut; fly swatter or postage stamp (small halibut); door mats (large halibut); extra large halibut, rarely seen on piers, are called barn doors. Called lenguado de California in Mexico.

KJ and California Halibut caught at the Balboa Pier in 2003

Identification: California halibut are in the left-eye flounder family, although nearly half of these fish are right-eyed. Halibut are noted for their sharp teeth, a large squarish shaped mouth, and a high arch in the lateral line above the pectoral fin. Their coloring is normally white or yellowish on the blind side and a muddy brown on the colored side. Often there is splotching or even white spots on the colored side, especially in smaller fish.

Left-eyed and right-eyed halibut from the Balboa Pier

Size: To 60 inches and 72 pounds; most caught off piers are under 20 inches. The California record fish weighed 58 lb 9 oz and was caught at Santa Rosa Island in 1999.

Halibut caught by Luis at the Santa Monica Pier

Range:  Cabo Falsa, southern Baja California and Gulf of California to Quillayute River, northern Washington.

Habitat: Shallow-water, sandy-shore areas, oceanfront, and in bays.

“Snookie” and two halibut taken from the Balboa Pier in 2003

Piers: Most common at oceanfront piers. Best bets: Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, Balboa Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Goleta Pier and Cayucos Pier. A few are caught each year at Monterey Bay piers such as Capitola and Seacliff. An increasing number since the ’90s have been caught at Pacifica and at San Francisco Bay piers such as Pier 7 in San Francisco and the Berkeley Pier. The Berkeley Pier probably ranks #1 among piers north of Point Conception and perhaps sees more large halibut than any other pier in the state.

Snookie, the “Queen of the Balboa Pier” and her mother Sunny, the original “Queen of the Pier” (Newport and Balboa Pier) — Halibut taken at the Balboa Pier in 1999.

Shoreline: An esteemed shore species from San Diego to San Francisco.

Boats: One of the favorite species for California boat anglers.

Bait and Tackle: Halibut are predatory hunters that will sometimes grab almost anything that moves. Still, they prefer other fish—anchovies, sardines, grunion, smelt, small brownbait (queenfish and white croaker), small perch (shinerperch and walleyes), Spanish and Pacific mackerel, Pacific butterfish (pompano), lizardfish and squid. If the fish will fit in their mouth they’ll go after it. Thus, by far, the best bait for California halibut is live bait, one of those fish mentioned previously. Whichever bait is used, the key is to keep it lively and keep it near the bottom. A sliding live bait leader works fine, especially with a small slip-on sinker added to get the bait near the bottom. Another approach is to use a Carolina rigging. Take an egg sinker (that has a hole through the middle of it) and run your line through the sinker. Next, tie a snap-swivel to the end of your line (after adding a couple of red beads above the snap-swivel to help attract fish and protect the knot from abrasion). Then attach a three to four foot leader with size 2 to 4 hooks to the snap. High/low leaders can also be used but are generally less effective unless the angler keeps his line in motion. Some regulars “drag” or “troll” for halibut: they put a long-shanked hook into a headless anchovy and then walk slowly along the edge of the pier pulling the line behind them. If the pier is crowded, they will cast out and retrieve slowly.  In either case, be alert for the soft mouthing of the halibut. Halibut will hit cut bait, including anchovies, mackerel, sardine and even squid; just be sure to keep the bait in motion. Halibut can also be caught on artificials. A variety of lures can also be used to take them, everything from soft plastics like Big Hammers and Scroungers, to shiny spoons like Krocadiles, and even crankbaits. Probably the most popular lure recently has been the Lucky Craft lures, expensive but good. In most cases though lures are less effective from a pier high off the water than when used by those fishing close to the water, i.e., in the surf. Halibut will often follow the lure almost to the surface before striking, so be prepared.

Halibut caught at the Berkeley Pier by Songslinger and James (calrat)

Food Value: Excellent! One of the best tasting fish in our waters. White, lean meat with a very low fat content. One of the best frying fish although considered good using almost any method of cooking.

Two fillets from each side.

Comments: Probably the most sought after fish for anglers on southern California piers. Unfortunately, most of the fish caught in the southland are illegal size and far too many people do not know, or do not care, how to handle them properly. The best way is to quickly reel in or handline in the fish without a net (if possible) and then practice C&R (catch-and-release) or CPR (catch-photograph-release) with as little handling of the fish as necessary. If you’re going to net the fish try to find a net with fine mesh. If you use the typical wide-mesh net the net will often tear up the tail of the halibut leading to infection (tail rot) and eventual death. If you have a fine-mesh net, then the best way to handle the halibut is to net it, bring it up, unhook it, place it back in the net, and lower it back down. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s worth it to preserve these fish and they can live to an age of at least 30 years. 

Halibut with “tail rot”

Do be careful of the sharp teeth of these fish! One guidebook jokingly tells the way to differentiate between small halibut and sole or sanddab: “stick your finger in its mouth. If your finger starts bleeding in a relatively short period of time (don’t keep it there for hours), you probably have a halibut.” DON’T DO THIS!

Halibut have teeth! Picture from Mike Spence (Santa)

A Plethora of Halibut Pictures

Robert (redfish) and a halibut from the Avila Pier

Julie, James, Kyoo and halibut from the Berkeley Pier

Gary Evans and a halibut from the Balboa Pier

Mel and three halibut (one’s hidden) from the Paradise Park Pier

Alabama, Chopper, and halibut from the Berkeley Pier

“Stan the Man” Low and halibut from the Candlestick Pier

Ted’s “Big One” from the Berkeley Pier

KJ and a small, illegal-size halibut caught at the Seal Beach Pier in 2015

Daniel’s fist keeper from the Redondo Beach Pier

Halibut from the Capitola Wharf

Mel and a halibut from the Paradise Park Pier

Mike Katz and a halibut from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara

Halibut from the Venice Pier

Halibut taken from the Fort Point Pier in 2010

Halibut caught by Herberto at the Newport Pier

Halibut caught at Pier 14 in San Francisco in 2009

A nice catch of halibut from the Paradise Park Pier

38-inch halibut taken at the Fort Point Pier

Halibut from the Ocean Beach Pier

Toejamb and a halibut from the Hermosa Beach Pier

“Stan the Man” Low and a halibut from the Point Pinole Pier

Halibut from the Malibu Pier

Halibut from the Capitola Wharf

California Halibut from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, 2016

Halibut from the Cayucos Pier

40-inch halibut from the Fort Point Pier

KJ and a California Halibut caught at the Paradise Cove Pier in 2009

Halibut from the Oceanside Pier

The “light” side of the halibut — Songslinger and calrat at Berkeley Pier

Halibut from the Capitola Wharf

Songslinger and a halibut from the Gaviota Pier in 2003

Rock Hopper and his first Berkeley halibut

Rockin’ Robin and a Halibut from the Point Pinole Pier

Berkeley Pier, 2008 —It can be crowded when the halibut are running

Halibut taken at the Santa Cruz Wharf in 9997

Story from Western Outdoor News regarding a halibut from the Santa Monica Pier

Some large California halibut caught from piers

62 ¼ lbs. — Long Wharf (Santa Monica), August 17, 1917 —Source: Port of Los Angeles, A Phenomenon of the Railroad Era, Ernest Marquez, 1975

58 Lbs. 11 Oz — Santa Monica Pier, Darrell Barry, March 10, 2001—Source: Several including Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop, PFIC and Western Outdoor News, March 23, 2001

57 Lbs. 3 Oz. — Port Hueneme Pier, Joseph C, Groth, Sr., February 28, 1965—Source: Pasadena Independent, March 4, 1965

54 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, W. S. Keith & H. C. Carmichael, May 4, 1939—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 5, 1939

≈ 50 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Wharf, Unknown angler, January 4, 1940—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, January 5, 1940

49 ½ Lbs. — Seacliff Pier, Unknown angler, July 2, 1948—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 4, 1949

48 Lbs. — Long Wharf (Santa Monica), Charles A. Sheldrick, June 26, 1902—Source: Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1902

45 ¾ lbs. — Balboa Pier, Harry Campbell, May 20, 1927—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1927

45 ½ Lbs. — Redondo Beach Pier, Virginia Lively, June 24, 1975—Source: Long Beach Independent, July 2, 1975

45 Lbs. — Seacliff Pier (Aptos), Jack Elliott, July 1, 1946—Source: Santa Cruz sentinel, July 2, 1946

44 Lbs. — Newport Pier, R. O. Stull, July 29, 1931— Source: Santa Ana Register, July 29, 1931

44 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Seymore Wilson, June 1933—Source: Santa Ana Register, June 5, 1933

43 Lbs. — Capitola Wharf, Wilbur Boyea, May 14, 1934—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 16, 1934

41 lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, Hoyt Holdridge, March 1957—Source: San Bernardino County Sun, March 5, 1957

40 Lbs. — Seacliff Pier (Aptos), August 1942—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 6, 1942

40 Lbs. — Redondo Sportfishing Pier, August 2010—Source: Redondo Sportfishing

40 Lbs. — Monstad Pier (Redondo Beach), Dick Weddington, May 2, 1930—Source: Los Angeles Times, May 2, 1930

40 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, July 22, 1942—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 23, 1942

40 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Pleasure Pier, E. J. Owens, August 5, 1932—Source: Santa Cruz Evening News, August 5, 1932

≈ 40 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, September 2004—Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

39 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, July 1949—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 31, 1949

38 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, May 1953—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, May 6, 1953

38 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, August 1998—Source: Ocean Beach Pier Bait Shop

38 Lbs. — Newport Pier, May 2001—Source: PFIC

37 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf — Clarence Hegewood, July 22, 1942—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 23, 1942

37 Lbs. — Venice Pier, L. McIntyre, July 1927—Source: Los Angeles Time, July 31, 1927

37 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf, W. T. Maddex, August 26, 1908—Source: Los Angeles Herald, August 26, 1908

36 Lbs. — Monstad Pier (Redondo), Billy House, May 10, 1949— Source: Los Angeles Times, May 11, 1949

35 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier, F. A. Buchanan, May 1908—Source: Los Angeles Herald, May 31, 1908

35 Lbs. — Newport Pier, August 1940—Source: Santa Ana Register, August 2, 1940

35 Lbs. — Paradise Cove Pier (Malibu), William Cambier, January 1967—Source: Valley News, January 26, 1967

33 /12 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 3, August 24, 1910—Source: Santa Ana Register, August 25, 1910

33 Lbs. — Point Mugu Fish Camp Pier, W. J. Stuart, August 1935—Source: Oxnard Daily Courier, August 3, 1935

32 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, June 23, 1948—Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 24, 1948

30 Lbs. — Balboa Pier, Maybelle Davis, May 1934—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 21, 1934

30 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Earl Nelson, October 2, 1908—Source: Santa Ana Register, October 3, 1908

30 Lbs. — Port Hueneme Pier, January 2000—Source: PFIC

30 Lbs. — Redondo Pier No. 3, J. K. Richardson, February 17, 1916—Source: Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1916

30 Lbs. — Malibu Pier, Bill Segal, February 25, 1963—Source: Van Nuys Valley News, February 26, 1963

 

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Pacific Sanddab

April 9, 2015 by kenjones

Pacific Sanddab from Monterey Wharf #2

Order Pleuronectiformes — Lefteye Flounders — Family Bothidae

Species: Citharichthys sordidus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word citharichthys  (a fish that lies on its ribs or side) and the Latin word sordidus  (sordid or dull-colored). Listed as Orthopsetta sordida in Fish Bulletin #28.

Alternate Names: Sanddab, soft flounder, sole, mottled sanddab, melgrim, pop tart, and Catalina sanddab. Called lenguado moteado in Mexico.

Identification: This is the largest of the sanddabs and a left-eyed flatfish. They have a small mouth, unmarked fins, and a pectoral fin on the eyed side that is shorter than the head. Their coloring is generally light brown with yellow and orange mottling.

Pacific Sanddabs taken by Ethan at the Fort Baker Pier

Size: To 16 inches and around two pounds; most caught from piers are under a foot in length.

Range: Cabo San Lucas, southern Baja California to Holiday Beach, Kodiak Island, western Gulf of Alaska.

Habitat: Shallow to deep water sandy; primarily found over sand.

Piers: Generally taken in deeper water. Best bets: Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Monterey Wharf #2, Seacliff State Beach Pier, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier and Fort Baker Pier.

Pacific Sanddabs from the Fort Baker Pier

Shoreline: An occasional catch from shore in San Francisco Bay.

Boats: An increasingly important species as the number of other California fish dwindle and regulations change. Common in some Central California areas during the wintertime months (when rockfish cannot be taken) are combination crab-sanddab trips. Anglers load up on sanddabs before crab pots are pulled that, hopefully, yield a mess of crabs.

Bait and Tackle: Pacific sanddab can be taken on light to medium tackle baited with small hooks, generally size 8 or 6. When sanddab are present, almost any type of outfit will work. Most anglers catch them on high/low leaders, but snag-line-type leaders made up with four to six small hooks can be deadly; at times every cast will produce four to six fish, the only limiting factor being the number of hooks (a limit of three in San Francisco Bay). The bait can be almost anything but strips of squid stay on the hook the best.

Food Value:  Excellent! Pacific sanddab are best prepared as a pan-fried or baked delicacy. The meat is delicious. When I used to work in the corporate world, I would sometimes go to the venerable Tadich Grill in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district (the Wall Street of the West) just so I could have their sanddab. The Tadich Grill is the oldest restaurant in San Francisco (it was opened in 1873), it’s devoted to fish, and the cooks know how to perfectly prepare sanddab since it’s one of their specialties. A plate covered with a pan-fried sanddab, a side plate of fresh green beans, and a glass of white wine; what more do you need?

Comments: Several times when fishing at the Pacifica Pier during the ’70s, I witnessed phenomenal catches of Pacific sanddabs. Generally this happened during the winter when the waves and wind looked like they would stop any fishing. As a rule, the fish would strike every hook and people would land two or more fish every cast. However, at times it would just be for a couple of hours at dawn, as soon as the sun was fully out, the sanddab would quit hitting. Since then, I’ve learned that these wintertime runs occur every few years (but especially in wet-winter years). In 1997, the sanddabs showed up toward the end of November at Pacifica. Soon there were reports of sanddabs at the Fort Baker Pier and Fort Point Pier, both located just inside the entrance to San Francisco Bay, and at the Muni Pier and Fort Mason Piers along the San Francisco waterfront. Next there were reports of sanddabs at the Paradise Beach Pier and the McNear Beach Pier, the latter just past the San Rafael Bridge in San Pablo Bay. The 6-12 inch fish seemed to blanket the bay bottom. The run lasted for over a month and thousands of eager little fish sacrificed their lives so that anglers would be able to enjoy some fresh fish for the holidays. Anglers were able to catch as many fish as they wished. The only limiting factor was the time they spent fishing, the number of hooks on their line, and the almost inevitable boredom; it was simply too easy! Unfortunately some anglers reported catches of hundreds of fish and the word EXCESS became slightly redundant. Why the fish were in the area has never been answered but if past records are an indicator it will happen again and again. Those that avoid an angler’s hook, or a commercial fisherman’s net, may live to about 13 years of age.

Pacific Sanddab caught  by metfoo at the Fort Point Pier

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Speckled Sanddab

April 9, 2015 by kenjones

Speckled Sanddab from the Avila Beach Pier

Order Pleuronectiformes — Lefteye Flounders — Family Bothidae

Species: Citharichthys stigmaeus (Jordan & Gilbert); from the Greek word citharichthys  (a fish that lies on its ribs or side) and the Latin word stigmaeus  (speckled).

Alternate Names: Sanddab, soft flounder and Catalina sanddab. Called lenguado pecoso in Mexico.

Identification: Speckled sanddab are in the left-eye flounder family, have a distinct caudal fin, and scales covering the body. Their coloring is brown or tan with black spots throughout the pigmented side.

Speckled Sanddab from the Santa Cruz Wharf

Size: To 6.7 inches; most caught on piers are 4-5 inches.

Range: Gulf of California to Montague Island, Prince William Sound, Gulf of Alaska.

Habitat: Shallow-water areas; primarily over sand or mud.

Piers: Common at many California piers, primarily those north of Los Angeles; especially common at Central California piers. (I’ve taken them from 26 piers in California with Balboa being the southernmost pier and the Trinidad Pier north of Eureka being the most northern.) Best bets: Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Gaviota Pier, Avila Beach Pier, Port San Luis Pier, Cayucos Pier, San Simeon Pier, Monterey Wharf #2, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, and the San Francisco Municipal Pier.

Shoreline: Rarely caught from shore.

Boats: Rarely taken from boats due to their small size.

Bait and Tackle: Very small hooks fished on the bottom with strips of squid, pieces of fish, or small pieces of worm will attract these fish.

Food Value: Generally too small to eat. Toss ‘em back—gently.

Comments: As a rule, these are too small to try to catch. At times, however, schools will move in and they will be hard to keep off your hook. One such occurrence happened to me on a visit to the Santa Cruz Wharf when both these fish and small octopus seemed to cover the bottom. Every cast yielded a sanddab or an octopus—or both. I finally had to move to another spot to try to catch more desirable species. Apparently, speckled sanddabs were the most numerous of 104 different kinds of fish taken in a 5-year study of Santa Monica Bay. I’m not surprised, I have taken them from 26 different California piers—from the Balboa Pier in the south to the Trinidad Pier just north of Eureka in the north. Included were every single oceanfront pier between Malibu and Pacifica. I’ve even taken them from the Mukilteo State Park Pier in Washington. It appears they only live to about 3 ½ years of age.

 Speckled Sanddab from the San Simeon Pier

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Longfin Sanddab

April 9, 2015 by kenjones

 

 

Order Pleuronectiformes — Lefteye Flounders—Family Bothidae

Species: Citharichthys xanthostigma (Gilbert, 1890); from the Greek word citharichthys (a fish that lies on its ribs or side) and xanthostigma  (yellow colored with a pointed bone—referring to the long fins).

Alternate Names: Sanddab, soft flounder, Catalina sanddab. Called lenguado alón in Mexico.

Identification: Sanddabs are in the left-eye flounder family. Longfin sanddab have very long pectoral rays—longer than the head. Their coloring is brown with a black pectoral fin.

Size: To 10 inches; most caught off piers are under 8 inches.

Range: Costa Rica to Monterey Bay.

Habitat: Found from shallow to deeper water, primarily over sand.

Piers: Usually found in deeper water. Best bets: Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier and the Port Hueneme Pier.

Shoreline: Rarely caught from shore.

Boats: A small sanddab sometimes taken from boats

Food Value:  Limited because of their small size.

Bait and Tackle: Use light tackle and fish on the bottom with small size 8 hooks. Longfin sanddab will hit most baits but prefer small strips of squid, pieces of anchovy, or worms.

Comments:  Longfin sanddab are a small species that is infrequently taken. However, at times schools will appear near a pier and a considerable number will be taken in a short time.

Species: Citharichthys xanthostigma (Gilbert, 1890); from the Greek word citharichthys (a fish that lies on its ribs or side) and xanthostigma  (yellow colored with a pointed bone—referring to the long fins).

Alternate Names: Sanddab, soft flounder, Catalina sanddab. Called lenguado alón in Mexico.

Identification: Sanddabs are in the left-eye flounder family. Longfin sanddab have very long pectoral rays—longer than the head. Their coloring is brown with a black pectoral fin.

Size: To 10 inches; most caught from piers are under 8 inches.

Range: Costa Rica to Monterey Bay.

Habitat: Found from shallow to deeper water, primarily over sand.

Piers: Usually found in deeper water. Best bets: Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier and Redondo Sportfishing Pier.

Shoreline: Rarely caught from shore.

Boats: A small sanddab sometimes taken from boats

Food Value:  Limited because of their small size.

Bait and Tackle: Use light tackle and fish on the bottom with small size 8 hooks. Longfin sanddab will hit most baits but prefer small strips of squid, pieces of anchovy, or worms.

Comments:  Longfin sanddab are a small species that is infrequently taken. However, at times schools will appear near a pier and a considerable number will be taken in a short time.

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