Ken Jones - Writer & Pierfisherman |

Silver Surfperch

November 30, 2014 by kenjones

Species: Hyperprosopon ellipticum (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek root words hyper (above) and prosopon (face, from the upward direction of the face), and the Latin word ellipticum (elliptical, referring to the outline of the body). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae.

Alternate Names: Silver perch or surfperch. In Mexico called mojarra ovalada or perca.

Identification: Their coloring is silver with duskiness on the back and the tail is usually pink. They have no spots on the fins with the exception (generally) of a small orange spot on the anal fin. Often confused with walleye surfperch but the tips of the pelvic fins ARE NOT black and they do not have the large eyes like walleye surfperch.

Size: To 10.5 inches; those caught off piers are usually 6-8 inches.

Range: Rio San Vicente, northern Baja California to Schooner Cove, near Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Habitat: Shallow-water areas near both sand and rock. Common in both oceanfront areas and in bays.

Piers: Most common on central and northern California piers. Best bets: Pismo Beach Pier, Seacliff State Park Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Point Arena Pier, Commercial Street Dock (Eureka), and the Trinidad Pier.

Shoreline: One of the main fish for sandy shore anglers in central and northern California anglers.

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken by boaters.

Bait and Tackle: Silver surfperch can be caught similarly to walleye surfperch with the following modifications: silver surfperch are usually mid-depth to the top of the water so fish off the bottom; and silver surfperch are more likely to take a worm-baited hook than walleye surfperch.

Food Value: Fair, although most of the fish are too small to have much meat available.

Comments: Silver surfperch are very attractive perch that, in northern areas, seem to average much larger size than silver surfperch in the south. They are one of the main fish caught by pier anglers in central and northern California.

Blackperch

November 28, 2014 by kenjones

Blackperch from the Ferry Point Pier in Richmond

Species: Embiotoca jacksoni (Agassiz, 1853); from the Greek word embiotoca (bringing forth living young), and jacksoni (in honor of A. C. Jackson of San Francisco, who first noted that these perch give birth to living young and brought it to the attention of Alexander Agassiz who described the species). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Buttermouth perch, black surfperch, black seaperch or bay perch. Often called pogie by anglers in the Bay Area. In Mexico called mojarra negra or perca negra.

Blackperch from the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Identification: Typical perch shape. Although variable, their coloring is usually black or brown to reddish, and yellowish on the belly; scales often have blue flecking. Lips are orange or yellow and they have a “mustache” on the upper lip. Typically they have dark vertical bars on the side; a bluish-white line is often seen at the base of the anal fin. Easily identified by a large patch of enlarged scales between the pectoral and pelvic fins.

Size: To 15.4 inches; most caught from piers are under a foot. The California record fish weighed 2 Lbs 9 oz and was taken by Zachery Mitchell at Pacific Grove in 2011.

Blackperch caught by Minnowmagnet at the Berkeley Pier

Range: Punta Abreojos, central Baja California, and offshore Isla Gudalupe to Fort Bragg, Mendocino County.

Habitat: Most common in eelgrass beds of bays and rocky-shore areas; both in bays and along the coast. ]

Blackperch taken by madsteelhead from the Monterey Wharf #2

Piers: Common at most piers north to Bodega Bay. Generally caught at bay piers or inshore piling areas of oceanfront piers. Best bets: Imperial Beach Pier, Shelter Island Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Long Beach Finger Piers, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Venice Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Cabrillo Pier (jetty side), Malibu Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Morro Bay T-Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Capitola Wharf, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Candlestick Pier, Berkeley Pier, Ferry Point Pier, Paradise Beach Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, and Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: One of the main fish for rocky shore anglers in southern and central California.

Blackperch from the Capitola Wharf

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken by boaters unless fishing in bays.

Bait and Tackle: Prefers fresh mussels, bloodworms, pile worms, small pieces of shrimp or small rock crabs. Size 8 or 6 hooks fished on the bottom with a high/low leader seem to work best.

Blackperch taken by Thomas Orosco at the Berkeley Pier

Food Value: In the past this was considered a fairly good, mild-flavored fish. Today, because of our polluted waters, they are considered unfit to eat in some locales.

Comments: Once a favorite spring fish for Bay Area pier fishermen; today there’s a perch closure during the spawning months.

Blackperch taken by KJ from the Seal Beach Pier

Grandson Adam and a blackperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay — 2018

Strange white-colored Blackperch from the Ventura Pier

A brightly colored blackperch from the Cabrillo Pier in San Pedro

Blackperch from the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon, Catalina Island

Blackperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay

Blackperch from the Stillwater Cove Pier at Pebble Beach

Gravid female blackperch from the Long Beach Finger Piers

Blackperch from the Cayucos Pier, 1997

Many thanks to Robert O’H for the help with the pictures.

Posted in Daily musings... · Tagged Berkeley Pier, Blackperch, cabrillo mole, California piers, Capitola Wharf, Elephant Rock Pier, Ferry Point Pier, Fort Point Pier, Green Pleasure Pier, Monterey Wharf #2, Pier Fishing in California, pierfishing, saltwater fish, saltwater fishing, Seal Beach Pier, Ventura Pier · Leave a comment

Reef Seaperch

November 28, 2014 by kenjones

Reef seaperch from Monterey Wharf $2

Species: Micrometrus aurora (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words mikros (small) and metr (having a womb), and the Latin word aurora (sunrise). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Reef surfperch. In Mexico called mojarra de arrecife or perca.

Identification: Typical perch shape with the longest dorsal fin spines slightly longer or same length as the soft rays. Silvery with blue, green. and black on back; yellow or yellow-orange stripe on sides from the pectoral fin almost to the causdal fin. Triangular, crescent-shaped black patch at base of pectoral fin and a large patch of black-tipped scales between the pectoral and anal fins.

Size: To 7.1 inches. Those caught off piers are generally 4-6 inches long.

Range: Punta Baja, central Baja California to Tomales Bay.

Habitat: Usually found in intertidal areas in water six feet or less. Generally found over surfgrass and red and green algae; primarily feeds on algae and small invertebrates.

Piers: A fairly rare species to most piers. I’ve only taken two, one from the Gaviota Pier (1996) and one from the Elephant Rock Pier in San Francisco Bay (2006).

Shoreline: An infrequent catch by shore anglers.

Boats: A small, inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: Occasionally taken on light tackle by anglers fishing for larger perch. Hook size number 8 and a small piece of bait, especially pile worm.

Food Value: Too small so throw ‘em back.

Comments: An attractive little perch that should be given the chance to frolic out their lives as nature intended.

Posted in Daily musings... · Tagged California piers, Monterey Wharf #2, Pier Fishing in California, pierfishing, Reef Seaperch, saltwater fish, saltwater fishing · Leave a comment

Rubberlip Seaperch

November 28, 2014 by kenjones

Rubberlip Seaperch from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier

Species: Rhacochilus toxotes (Agassiz, 1854); from the Greek words rhacochilus (rag lip) and toxotes (pertaining to the East Indian archer fish, because of a presumed resemblance). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Buttermouth perch, porgee, sprat, or liverlip. In the 19th century these were called sprat at Santa Cruz, and alfione at Soquel. Called mojarra labios de hule or perca labios de hule in Mexico.

Identification: Typical perch-shape with a deep and heavy body. Their coloring is brown or brassy with thick, usually white or pink lips.

Rubberlip seaperch from the Port San Luis Pier

Size: Rubberlip seaperch are the largest species of the surfperch/seaperch family; they reach 18.5 inches in length. Most caught from piers are less than 13 inches long. The California record fish weighed 5 lb 0 oz and was taken at Monterey Bay, Monterey Co. in June 2009. The previous record, a 4 lb 4 oz fish, was taken in 1995 at the Monterey Dunes.

Range: Cabo Thurloe, southern Baja California to Russian Gulch Beach, Mendocino County. Most commonly found in the Monterey Bay area.

Habitat: Shallow-water rocky areas, kelp beds and bays. Scientists report that rubberlips primarily feed at night on thin-shelled invertebrates. Are the perch able to spot the tasty morsels with their super-keen eyesight? No, rubberlips appear to use their sensitive lips (remember, some fish have taste buds on their lips) to detect their nightly dinner.

Rubberlip seaperch from the Morro Bay North T-Pier

Piers: A primarily southern and central California perch, common at bay and oceanfront piers, at least those located near rocky areas, reefs or kelp beds. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Monterey Wharf No. 2, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf, San Francisco Municipal Pier and Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: A favorite catch by rocky shore anglers in southern and central California.

Boats: An inshore species sometimes taken by boaters fishing in bays, especially San Francisco Bay.

Rubberlip seaperch from the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Bait and Tackle: Rubberlip seaperch are usually taken on a high/low leader and size 6 or 4 hooks baited with fresh mussels, live sea worms, or small pieces of shrimp. Those with the proper know how use plastic grubs (usually root beer or oil colored) and they are the ones who often bag the largest fish. Small 1/12 or 1/8 oz. chrome, chrome with blue, or chrome with green Krocodiles have also proven to be very effective.

Picture below — rubberlip seaperch from the Capitola Wharf (1997)

Food Value: Since they are one of the largest perch, specimens often contain quite a bit of meat. Although their flesh has a mild taste, most gourmets rate it only fair in taste. They are at their best during the non-spawning season and generally are pan-fried in butter.

Picture below — Minnow Magnet and a rubberlip seaperch caught at Monterey

Comments: One of my favorite quotes comes from Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast by Milton Love (director of the UCSB Love Lab). In regard to rubberlip perch he says: “What is really cool about these fish is their ability to separate small invertebrates from all the mung they suck in, without having a tongue to help. (Surprise! Fish don’t have tongues. The structure that looks like a one is actually a support for their gill arches.) Ths trick is equivalent to your putting a bunch of miniature marshmallows, broken glass, fingernail clippings and cubic zirconiums in your mouth, then separating and swallowing only the marshmallows, all without using your tongue or fingernails. Good trick, yes?” This helps explain why the big perch are so difficult to hook. Oh, and if you haven’t yet bought Mr. Love’s book, do it now.

Rubberlip seaperch (and Ken Jones) from the Gaviota Pier

A nice perch from the Belmont Pier, 1998

Rubberlip Seaperch, San Francisco Municipal Pier, 1999

Posted in Daily musings... · Tagged California piers, Elephant Rock Pier, Gaviota Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, North T-Pier in Morro Bay, Pier Fishing in California, pierfishing, Port San Luis Pier, Rubberlip Seaperch, saltwater fish, saltwater fishing · Leave a comment

Kelp Perch

November 28, 2014 by kenjones

Species: Brachyistius frenatus (Gill, 1862); from the Greek words brachys (short) and istion (sail), and the Latin word frenatus (bridled). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Brown seaperch, brown perch and kelp seaperch. In Mexico called mojarra sargacera or perca.

Identification: Typical perch shape. Kelp perch have a compressed body, long pointed snout, long dorsal fin spines and coloring that is generally golden-brown to reddish above and tan below. There is usually a pale stripe on the upper side and sometimes blue spotting.

Size: To 8 1/2 inches (.3 pounds) but most caught from piers are around 6 inches in length.

Range: Bahia Tortugas, central Baja California to near Sitka, southeastern Alska.

Habitat: Typically seen around offshore kelp beds but will move in around piers which have a heavy growth of kelp. Usually a kelp-canopy, dwelling species that likes to pick small invertebrates off of plants.

Kelp perch from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon

Piers: Seen in late summer at piers with heavy kelp. Best bets: Cabrillo Mole in Avalon, Paradise Cove Pier, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier and the Spud Point Marina Pier (Bodega Bay).

Shoreline: Occasionally taken by shore anglers in central California.

Boats: A small, inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: Use light tackle with small number 8 or 6 hooks and a small piece of bloodworm, shrimp or mussel.

Food Value: Too small so throw ‘em back.

Comments: A “cleaner fish” that often picks ectoparasites off the bodies of larger fish.

Many thanks to Robert O’H for the help with the pictures.