Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes — Family Scorpaenidae

 Genus Scorpaena

California Scorpionfish

Species: Scorpaena guttata (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word scorpaena (scorpion, referring to the poison spines), and the Latin word guttata  (a form of small drops or spotting).

Alternate Names: Commonly called sculpin although also called scorpionfish, scorpion, little poker, rattlesnake and scorpene. Early records show stingfish and spinefish as favorite appellations. In Mexico they’re called escorpión Californiano.

Scorpionfish caught by KJ from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon in 2010

Identification: Typical rockfish shape, heavy-bodied and with strong head and fin spines. Their coloring is red (deeper water) to brown (more shallow water) with dark spotting over the body and fins. Fin spines are venomous and can cause a very painful, although not fatal, wound.

Size: To 17 inches, although most caught from piers are less than 12 inches long. The California record was for a fish weighing 3 lb 0 oz. It was caught at the Silver Strand Beach in 1997.

Scorpionfish from the Mole in 2010

Range: Uncle Sam Bank, central Baja California, and the Gulf of California, to Santa Cruz. They are uncommon north of Point Conception.

Scorpionfish from the Oceanside Pier in 2012

Habitat: Most abundant in shallow rocky environments such as rocky reefs, sewer pipes and wrecks; frequently found in caves and crevices. Some are also found on sand. Found from fairly shallow water down to 620 feet. May travel over 200 miles in annual spawning migrations (spring and early summer) that see them form large spawning aggregations on or near the bottom (at a variety of depths)

Scorpionfish missing a piece out of its tail — Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon in 2013

Piers: Although scorpionfish are most common around rocky areas and reef areas, I have seen them caught at almost every oceanfront pier in southern California. Best bets: Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon) and the Cabrillo Mole (Avalon).

Shoreline: Occasionally caught by shore anglers fishing rocky areas in southern California.

Scorpionfish caught by Kien at the Cabrillo Mole in 2011

Boats: A common catch by boaters in southern California, especially those fishing at Catalina and the Horseshoe kelp area of Los Angeles.

Bait and Tackle: Scorpions are carnivorous, ambush predators that are primarily nocturnal, feeding at night. Their main diet consists of small crabs, octopus, shrimp, and small fish. A high/low leader with size 4 hooks baited with squid or shrimp seems to work best although they also really like ghost shrimp. Still, I’ve caught them on cut anchovies, strips of mackerel, pile worms, and one on a live queenfish that seemed almost as large as the scorpionfish; they’re not too discriminating as far as food.  

Scorpionfish caught at the Oceanside Pier in 2013

Food Value:  An excellent eating, mild-flavored fish that is best fried (although they are a favorite fish for sushi and command top prices when fresh fish are available).

Scorpionfish caught by KJ from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon in 2014

Comments: Handle with extreme care. California scorpionfish are the most venomous member of the family found in California. If handled in a careless manner and a puncture wound does occur there will usually be pain (sometimes intense) and perhaps swelling that should subside after a few hours. If possible, soak the affected area in hot water as soon as practical (since the hot water alters the toxin and makes it less harmful). Multiple punctures may require doctor’s attention or even hospitalization. The worst story I ever heard of such multiple punctures concerned a middle-aged angler fishing from a boat near Catalina. This lady had caught upwards of a dozen scorpionfish that were dutifully deposited into her gunnysack. Unfortunately, many of the long spines were protruding from her bag when a heavy wave caused her to lose her footing and to fall, bottom-first, onto the bag. The result was butt-porcupine and a helicopter trip back to a hospital.

Ed Roberts of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and his son Daniel’s first scorpionfish. At the Belmont Pier Kid’s Derby in 2006.

Although studies showed a decline in population before 1980, they seem to have increased and today have a healthy population.

A nice scorpionfish caught at the Green Pleasure Pier in Catalina in 2002

A scorpionfish caught at the Hermosa Beach Pier by Mahigeer (Hashem) in 2006

Scorpionfish caught by Eugene Kim at the Cabrillo Mole in Catalina in 2010

A scorpionfish caught at the Goleta Pier by SteveO in 2003

Not the way I would hold a scorpionfish since even the small ones can inflict a painful sting

Scorpionfish caught at the Coronado Mini Piers in 2003 by OBPier.rat

16-inch scorpionfish from the Oceanside Pier in 2012

A baby Scorpionfish caught at the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon by Cole in 2010

You look’in at me? 

Coronado Ferry Landing Pier

I spotted this pier one day from the downtown side of San Diego Bay. I drove across the Coronado Bridge, was unable to find the pier and left it out of the first edition of Pier Fishing in California. Later, I found directions to the pier and could have kicked myself because it is so easy to reach. It sits behind a shopping complex and although completely hidden by the shops, it’s a short, easy walk from the corner of the street.

The only problem is that it can get a little crowded due to its fairly small size

A good name for this pier would be “Stingray Central.” I have rarely had a trip to the pier when I haven’t caught at least one round stingray, and I average more than two of the fish per trip. It doesn’t seem to matter what bait I am using on the bottom—bloodworms, ghost shrimp, squid or pieces of fish like mackerel—the small rays will find the bait.

Round Stingray

Environment. The pier is small (377 feet long) and although part of it is a boarding area for the ferry, the part that is open for angling yields quite a few fish. The bottom here is primarily sand and mud with several eel grass areas around the pier, especially on the inshore side of the pier. The pilings themselves are somewhat encrusted with fish attracting mussels. Because of the piers size, the water depth is fairly shallow but due to the grassy, bass-attracting areas, a trilogy of bass—sand bass, spotted bay bass and kelp bass—are taken. In fact, the bass are among the most common fish at the pier. I initially thought that the pier would yield less mackerel and bonito than piers near deeper water. But I was wrong! The water is plenty deep on the bay side, is often good for mackerel, and is at least fair for bonito during the years when they make an appearance.

It’s a beautiful pier and a nice shopping center

It’s a beautiful skyline from the pier

The overall mix of fish mirrors, for the most part, that of most piers located in southern California bays: jacksmelt, topsmelt, mackerel, and (some years) bonito on the top; bass, perch, croakers, scorpionfish, halibut, turbot, rays and sharks on the bottom. However, the waters in South San Diego Bay are noted for quite a few warm-water, Panamic Province species, fish more common to Baja south. Many bonefish and shortfin corvina have been landed at the pier, a banded guitarfish (Zapteryx exasperata) was caught in August of 2002, a big California butterfly ray (Gymnura marmorata) was landed in September of ’02, and a speckled midshipman (Porichthys myriaster) was taken in May of ’06. Of course the midshipman was perhaps not that unexpected given the number of Navy personnel in the area. A fish becoming more and more common are giant (black) sea bass. A baby of around 30 pounds was landed (and released) from the pier in May of 2009. Since then a number have been landed including much larger fish.

Fishing Tips.

Several different approaches can be tried here. One approach is to buy an umbrella drop net. Attach a few pieces of bread to the net, drop it down into the water, and catch yourself some small smelt or anchovies. Then, using the live bait, fish directly under the pier (or off the far left corner) on the bottom for halibut using a fish finder (sliding sinker) rigging. You might get lucky and get a hallie and though most are small, some larger fish are always a possibility.

Pescador5312 (Arvin) and a nice California Halibut

Another approach is to try for bass. The (eel grass) grassy areas, to the inside of the pier, often hold bass, primarily barred sand bass and spotted bay bass that will fall both for bait and artificials. Try near the landing dock, on the bay side of the pier, for bass (primarily kelp bass aka calico bass). Unfortunately, you will have to fight through the hoards of small, illegal bass (under 14″) to get a legal-size calico but they are there.

Spotted Bay Bass

Sand Bass

Typical under-sized Kelp Bass/Calico Bass

During the spring, try fishing in the grassy areas with bloodworms, mussels or ghost shrimp for blackperch, white seaperch, rubberlip perch and sargo. Fishing on the bottom or mid-depth, while using small hooks, size 6 or 8, and pieces of anchovy or mackerel, will sometimes also yield herring (queenfish) or tom cod (white croaker). Salema are also a frequent visitor.

At night this can be a good pier for sharks and rays. Casting out away from the pier and using mackerel or squid as bait, will often result in gray smoothhound sharks, bat rays, and shovelnose sharks (guitarfish). As mentioned, this pier, both day and night, also yields a LOT of stingrays. Although I caught one of the larger and less common diamond stingrays (Dasyatis dipterura) in a visit in July of 2007, the vast majority of stingrays will be the smaller-sized round stingrays (called stingers and teacup saucers by some of the PFIC regulars). Handle them with care but return them to the water. Nighttime is also the best time for Californuia Scorpionfish aka sculpin although you can also pick them up (very carefully) during the day.

California Scorpionfish

Bat Ray

Shovelnose Guitarfish

Nocturnal hours will also yield spotfin croaker, yellowfin croaker, sargo and an occasional China (black) croaker. For these, use a high/low rigging on the bottom and use bloodworms, mussels or ghost shrimp as your bait. Similar riggings and baits will also yield diamond turbot much of the year but remember to keep the hooks fairly small if these are your target.

Yellowfin Croaker

Another croaker, the shortfin corvina (Cynoscion parvipinnis), is (as mentioned) occasionally taken at the pier. Although recorded north to Huntington Beach, corvina are fairly rare to California waters preferring the warmer waters to the south in Baja. Recent studies seem to show that a population exists in south San Diego Bay. Most shortfins are taken at night, especially during the warmer-water summer months, and both baits and lures (including top-water plugs, Fish Traps, Big Hammers, and Berkley Gulp Minnows in pink or green—among others) are used to capture the toothy croakers.

SDFisherman and Pescador5312 show a nice mix of Pacific Mackerel, Shortfin Corvina, and Spotted Bay Bass that were caught at night

The shortfin corvina should not be confused with white seabass or corbina, two other croaker species found in these waters. Nor should they be confused with the orangemouth corvina, the large corvina once so common in the Salton Sea. Just to add to the confusion, don’t mix ‘em up with their other giant brethrens—totuava, red drum (channel bass), or black drum, all fellow members of the distinguished croaker clan. And, thinking in ways most strange, I wonder what a tartan of the croaker clan would look like?

Back to fishing. For mackerel or jacksmelt try a multi-hook bait rig. Cast out, let the line sink part way to the bottom and then start a slow but steady retrieve. If the mackerel are wary, simply put a size 4 or 2 hook on the end of your line and add a split-shot sinker or twist-on sinker three foot above the hook. Keep your bait 6-8 feet under the surface of the water (and you may find that you also need a bobber or float to do it). The key is to get the bait down to the mackerel that like to hang under the schools of smelt. The smelt will attack the bait and nibble it with their small mouths but then the mackerel will rudely barge in and grab it. When the mackerel are around you should have no problem catching a stringer of fish.

If Pacific bonito make a showing, artificial lures seem to offer your best chance for success. A plastic Cast-a-Bubble with a trailing feather (yellow and green are primo) about 3-4 feet behind often yields the best results. Barracuda will also sometimes also show up, generally in the late afternoon or evening hours, and again an artificial lure, a chrome jig like a Kastmaster or Krocodile, often proves best. Rich Reano, the webmaster for the Pier Fishing in California web site, and once a reporter for the pier, says he has even seen barracuda taken here on Salas iron jigs.

This is also a pier that seems to see a lot of California needlefish (Strongylura exilis), prey that are fun but difficult to catch. If you want to seek these, use live bait fished under a bobber or float, and cast just out from the pier. Use a size 6 hook and expect to lose at least a half-dozen baits for every needlefish that you hook. Some also suggest a strip of squid fished much like a lure; cast out and retrieve quickly.

Lures will, of course, also take several other species. Perch will sometimes hit a soft plastic grub, while spotted bay bass, barred sand bass and kelp bass will strike many different types of lures. Favorites include small 3-5 inch Scampis and Scroungers, Haddock Kreepy Krawlers and Berkley Power Sand Worms. Swim baits are also popular as well as more exotic combinations like swim baits with a rattle added, and Strike Lites—a lure designed to be used at night. One hint is to use freshwater jig heads that have smaller hook diameters since they are sharper. A good technique to try when using artificials around the pier is to drop the lure straight down alongside the pier. Let the current sweep it under the pier, wait a few seconds, and then begin your retrieve. Often the fish will hit it as the lure is descending to the bottom or when you begin the retrieve. Or, you can try a lift and fall technique since you are somewhat limited in the area you can fish. The key is to keep the lure around the structure of the pier, do not work the lure away from the pier.

A nice spotted bay bass

Both Fish Traps and Big Hammers have also proven effective on halibut with the waters inshore of the pier usually being more productive. Light tackle with fluorocarbon line (or leader) is, by the way, generally the preferred method at this pier. Water here is often crystal clear and the fish can be very wary of the heavier lines, especially during the middle of sunny days.

Spotted Bay Bass

E-Mail Messages — and a little history about Pier Fishing In California and pierfishing.com

Date: August 9, 1997, To: Ken Jones, From: Ritchie Reano, Subject: Reporter for Coronado Ferry Landing Pier

Howdy! Great site by the way and I do have your book. I fish the Coronado Ferry Landing Pier almost exclusively. Here’s my report.

All around great pier. Varied species. Small pier, no concession or bait stand, but the Ferry Landing has a number of nice places to eat. When the fish aren’t biting you can take a walk and shop along the shops in the Ferry Landing.

Halibut seems to be the prize catch at the pier and lately are being produced consistently, average of one keeper per day. Lively smelt is the bait of choice and among the piers in San Diego, Coronado seems to have the biggest smelt population. Smelts are being caught with dip nets or small baited hooks. I recently landed and kept a 23-inch halibut using a 6-inch smelt. Jigs are also catching the flatties. Natural color shad bodies or grubs seem to work the best. Halibut rigs consist of egg sinker and snap swivel, but lately the sliding leader technique described in your book is becoming popular.

Bonito have been seen splashing the waters around the pier. But it seems every time they run by, no one seems to have their Cast-a-Bubble rig ready. I’ve not seen one landed recently. Mackerel runs are fair to good. Squid strips and fresh mackerel cuts are the bait of choice, but when the macs are finicky, small smelt will entice them to hit.

Yellowfin croaker are scarce and fall mainly to ghost shrimp, with a few taken on small smelt. Sand bass are abundant using live smelt or mackerel cuts. Fishing on the shore side of the pier seems to be the best area to catch them.

Good-size guitarfish are also seen being caught on this pier with squid and mackerel slabs being the bait. Other notable catches… needlenose fish (which seem to be more of an annoyance) and flounder.

Thanks! And keep up the great work with the website.  Ritchie Reano

Date: August 31, 1997, To: Ken Jones, From: Ritchie Reano, Subject: Ferry Landing update

Hi Ken, Just got back from fishing today from the Ferry Landing Pier… Mackerel are visiting the pier in numbers. I’m seeing bucketful’s lately. Most anglers are using bait rigs sweetened with squid or mackerel. Best times seemed to be early morning or late afternoon. Smelt still cloud the waters with their abundance. Catching your own bait is a breeze.

Halibut are still hitting consistently. Most are caught on smelt. I landed a 23.5-inch halibut today using a 6-inch smelt on a sliding rig.  I was also talking to a father and son team and they caught a 30″ halibut about two weeks ago using smelt. In fact, the halibut was so strong that it yanked his pole into the water. Fortunately, the pole floated and a treble gaff was on hand…

Recently, a friend of mine hooked a 4-foot-wingspan ray but it came off while trying to net it. No sign of bonito. Thanks!  Ritchie Reano

Date: March 27, 1998, To: Ken Jones, From: Rich, Subject: Coronado Ferry Pier

 Hi Ken, I like the new website look. Have you ever considered getting a domain name? Like pierfishing.com?

Anyway, fishing is getting interesting at the Ferry Landing. During the recent grunion run, quite a few anglers were hooking up with some decent size rays. I only observed the catches during the day. The night fishing must have been even better. Another interesting catch was a nice sized barracuda, although a little short of legal. It was caught using a Salas iron jig fished on the surface. Live bait such as smelt are hard to come by at this time. Most of the smelt near the pier are much too big. Even if there’s not a lot of catching going on, it’s still a nice place to hang out on a weekend. There are shops and decent eateries only a short walk away. Take care!  Sincerely, Rich Reano

To: Rich, From: Ken Jones, Subject: Domain Name

Hi Rich, In answer to your question regarding a domain name, no I don’t know too much about it. What are the advantages?  Best, Ken

Ken, Your website name will be easier to remember. pierfishing.com (which by the way is available) is easier to remember than www.pacific.net/~kjcapfsh/ and looks more professional. Also, you would probably get more visits to your site. I am sure someone has tried typing in pierfishing.com to see if a website like that existed. I know I have. Sincerely, Rich

Date: December 28, 1999, To: PFIC Message Board, From: Rey, Subject: Re: Now you got my attention!

I have caught some big Needlefish at Coronado Ferry Landing. You can see them cruising near the surface from this pier. I usually don’t target them, but when I see them I use a cast and retrieve method using a long strip of squid on about 6-pound line. The faster I retrieve my bait, the better luck I get on strikes.

Date: April 15, 2000, To: PFIC Message Board, From: Mark Taylor, Subject: Coronado Ferry Landing report

Fished the landing this afternoon between about 4:30 – 8:00 pm, incoming tide. I’m kind of a beginner in these waters so I’m used to getting skunked, and today was no exception. Fished fresh sardines and frozen ‘chovies off the bottom. One good strike, but I didn’t set the hook in time. Tried some Fish Traps, plastic grubs and a Kroc for a while, but nothing.

There were about 10 of us on the pier and one guy fishing over near the floating ferry dock was pulling in bass after bass. Every time we looked over this dude was pulling another decent bass out of the water. I’m told he was using dines, live or dead I don’t know. He didn’t look real friendly so I didn’t ask. Two guys near me caught a too short butt, a nice keeper sand bass and what I think was a spotted bass. Same bait/rig as me.

One of these guys next to me must have caught a dozen small foot-long stingrays (or the same one 12 times; you have to wonder, they were identical in size) in an hour, until he decided to stop squandering his ghost shrimp and switch over to dines/chovies.

The rest of us did our best, but…that’s how it goes sometimes. I wonder if the place to fish on this particular pier is where that bass-o-matic guy was—over near the floating ferry dock, which forms a right angle with the fishing portion of the pier: Maybe the decent fish like to hang out in all that cover. Tight lines and good luck!

Date: June 30, 2002, To: PFIC Message Board, From: Rich Reano, Subject: Coronado Ferry Landing

Fished the Coronado Ferry Landing Pier for an hour from 2:30pm ~ 3:30pm hoping to catch a corvina. There were quite a bit of baitfish around but large ones were nowhere to be seen. No corvina but I did manage this spotted sand bass on a watermelon red/flake zipper worm.  Got him out of the water, snapped a picture and back into the water in less than 30 seconds.

Rich’s Spotted Bay Bass

 Date: August 13, 2002, To: PFIC Message Board, From: pEsCaDoR5312, Subject: In reply to strange people… raver fish…

I was at the pier with my brother one day (this is the Coronado Ferry Landing Pier which is probably visited by interested tourists and weirdos more often than other pier). Well, one night the last stop of the ferry hits and two girls got off of it. I noticed they were ravers by the way they were dressed. They noticed that we were using light sticks (mackerel) and one girl asks me what we used the light sticks for. I told her they’re for “raver fish, the light stick attracts them because they like to dance around it. That’s why they call it a raver fish. Then when they see the bait they hit it.” The girl looks at me in awe and says, “that’s F***ing amazing!” So I say “yup” and they leave. My brother and I laughed about it the whole night.

*note* — raving is a style of dancing. A raver is one who likes to go to raves and dance to quasi-techno-style music. Many like to use light sticks in their hands while they are dancing to give a cool effect to their actions. I posted this story in no intentional offense toward any ravers on this board.

Don’t bother me… I’m fishin. <*)))>=<|  pEsCaDoR5312

Date: May 25, 2006, To: PFIC Message Board, From: Raider, Subject: Speckled midshipman

I just saw on Channel 7 News that a speckled midshipman was caught at the Coronado Ferry Landing Pier. They said that they usually live in deep water between Baja and Catalina. The fish looked to be about 7 inches long with huge teeth. Finals are done tomorrow, Ill be fishing all next week!!!

Speckled Midshipman

Date: March 28, 2008, To: PFIC Message Board, From: woody, Subject: Ferry Landing Pier

I used to fish it back in the 90′s. Empty then. I caught the biggest bat ray in my life, (140-lbs+!!!!), and biggest shovelnose, (53-lbs!!!). I used to catch…loads of them. Bay bass, corvina, butt’s, calicos, croakers, macks, bonies, barries, needlefish, grunion, lobster, and even a few juvi white sea bass!!!!  Don’t know how it is now; live in the Bay Area.

Try for butt’s at night on an incoming tide, on west end, cast live bait on slider, parallel to shore. Used to be about 1 legal to about 5 short, and FAST action!!!!

For the bats chuck squid on slider and 8/0 live bait hook as far as you can into the middle of the bay, (seems to be an oyster bed starting about 150 ft out), on an in or out tide to about an hour before or after, set your clicker and get ready, won’t be long, and you’ll catch a bunch!!!

Cast grubs near the dock, (ferry loading platform), bounce ‘em and get ready for explosive calico and spotted or sand bass action, (1 out of 3 are 15 inches +!!!) Dive there during the lobster season and find HUGE bugs!! Late summer brings short barracuda with a few just at 28 inches; gotta cast far, off the northwest corner with Kocs or live smelt. Summer brings the bonies and macks, about half of them average, 1/4 of them tiny, the other 1/4 pretty damn big.

Fall full moons find the white seabass cruising by the pilings at high tide; drop a brown bait to them, and, WHAM!!!!! Measure closly, most of these are just short. When winter gets there, get some mussels, ghost shrimp, or sand crabs and fish corvina and croakers on light line, a slider, size 8 or 6 bait hook. Yellowfin, spots, and white croaker are all here. Be ready for perch to though. Used to love this place, a favorite for both fish and solitude.

Date: April 9, 2008, To: PFIC Message Board, From: Aaron, Subject: Bonito

I don’t know if the boneheads are still there, but the Coronado Ferry Landing in San Diego was kicking out good numbers of bonito (to at least 5-6 lbs) about a week and a half ago. All the ones I saw were caught on small green plastic grubs rigged behind a 1–ounce chrome torpedo sinker.

Date: May 19, 2008, To: PFIC Message Board, From: aaron, Subject: Re: Anyone fish the Ferry Landing Pier lately/shortfin corvina?

I was talking to a very successful (2 halibut and 1 WSB) man there who said that if you fished live bait or a drop shot Fluke bass bait during a grunion run, you were “guaranteed to get corvina.” I’m going to see when the next run is, and will try to fish the Coronado Pier this weekend.

Date: November 24, 2009, To: PFIC Message Board, From: tunafshr93, Subject: Ferry Landing Pier

Fished Ferry Landing today from 9:00 to 1:00. The macks were plentiful in the morning caught 5 in 30 minutes. One of the regulars caught 20 of them. Mackerel started being scarce after 10:00 and after that they came by about every hour. Ended up catching seven total. Water really clear could see mackerel hitting bait and swimming around. Baitfish showed up about noon. 3 stingrays caught. A Guy caught a 13” spotted bay bass and a 23” Halibut both on the live smelt which were around 4”.

Pier Fishing In California Fish Reports

September 1997 — Ritchie Reano reports a mixed bag of fish. Halibut are the “prime time” fish and quite a few are being landed every day. Ritchie has had good luck on the flatties using live smelt (which are abundant) for bait but unfortunately most of the halibut are not legal size. Lots of legal size sand bass are being caught and the mackerel counts have bounced back up after dropping during the first part of the month. Ritchie also reports that there are a lot of bat rays and needlefish around; in fact, they’re becoming a nuisance to some fishermen. A run of sargo also seemed to be starting but it has apparently tapered off. Finally, Ritchie caught his first white seabass this month, an 18-inch sub legal size fish. But next time…

A Rock Wrasse taken from the pier

October 1997 — Ritchie Reano reports “fishing at the pier has been up and down during the month. Some days were dismal with no fish caught. Mackerel still make some good runs by the pier. When they do come by, usually early morning or late afternoon, they come in large numbers. Fish them with the usual bait rigs. A technique that I use is smallish size live smelt fished about 2 feet under a small bobber. In addition to mackerel, you can catch needlefish that provide an exciting aerial display when hooked. The halibut seem to have left the pier. Bass fishing is decent with the best catches at night. In talking with the night fisherman, the shark fishing seems to be quite good.

Rich Reano and a Gray Smoothhound Shark

January 1998 — Rich Reano reports “cold and rainy weather has discouraged all but the most diehard pier fisherman this month. Those braving the inclement weather are rewarded with consistent sand bass fishing. The most productive bait seems to be live bait such as smelt. Strips of mackerel or frozen anchovies also seem to work well. Persistent fisherman using live smelt can catch halibut. The keeper-sized halibut, though rare, are still swimming about the pier. Mackerel fishing is hit and miss. Use the basic rigs and baits to catch them when they are around.”

April 1998 — Rich Reano reports that things are getting interesting at this small but popular pier. Recently, during grunion runs, the fishing for decent sized rays has been good. In addition, he saw a nice sized barracuda caught by an angler using a Salas iron jig on the surface. Unfortunately live bait is hard to get, some smelt are still around the pier but most are too big to use for bait. Although Rich says fishing is still somewhat slow it is improving and with all the nearby shops and eateries it’s always a great place to hang out.

June 1998—Rich Reano reports that the halibut finally have started to show up at the pier. He’s seen three fish over 22 inches, two on live smelt and one on a Fish Trap. Mackerel still are sparse, but he’s heard of some decent croaker fishing at night by those using ghost shrimp. He mentioned that there are pelagic crabs swimming around the waters of the pier but so far they haven’t impacted the fishing

July 2002—Anchovie reports “Coronado Ferry Landing has lots of corvina being caught during the grunion runs and some legal barred bay bass” (sand bass). He also reported quite a few good-sized bat rays and shovelnose guitarfish.

June 2006—Miguel, at the Shelter Island Pier Bait & Tackle Shop, reports good numbers of corvina being taken at night on the Ferry Landing Pier by people using live bait or on lures. Best success has been on Berkley Gulp Minnows in pink or green. He says Berkley Gulp clams are producing croakers and sargo but says to cut a strip from the clam, don’t use the whole clam. He says ghost shrimp has been the other good bait for both croakers and sargo.

You see some big ships from the pier

Author’s Note No. 1. A typical scene for many years was to see an energetic young lady sitting on the rail, helping the kids, providing bait or fish to those without, or rescuing pigeons that fell into the water. She was the person I dubbed the “mom” at the pier. Her name was Shari and most days she’s would be out at the pier fishing. I watched her perform a variety of tasks during visits in 1998 and finally had to introduce myself and thank her for the help she provided the other anglers. Fishing is only part of the pier experience, the interaction and good will between the pier rats gives value to the pier and creates a family. Every pier needs a “mom” and luckily many do indeed have people like Shari, although few are as quite as lively. She was a nice person whose behavior and actions at the pier should be emulated by others.

By the way, shortly after meeting Shari and dubbing her the “pier mom,” she gave my card to a local reporter who soon called and then did a story on the pier—and Shari. Unfortunately she’s now gone and I haven’t been able to find out what happened to her.

Fishing Season Brings Anglers Of All Ages To The Pier

Shari Rose calls out “any minute now!” when the mackerel swoop by the Coronado pier.

And sure enough, the poles start bending and the silver, big-eyed mackerel are hoisted one after another out of the water, delighting the 25 or so anglers every evening. The fishing flurry is soon over. But wait about an hour, and “any minute now,” they’ll hit once again.

It’s fishing season on Coronado and anyone with a fishing pole, some squid, and a little time can catch a few. While mackerel are caught all year, they run best in the summer and have been thrilling anglers with big catches for the last two weeks…

Rose has been fishing off the Coronado pier almost every afternoon for nearly three years. In five days, Rose figures she caught 56 fish and has seen hundreds more reeled in by thrilled children, tourists, and pier regulars.

Part coach, part cheerleader, part game warden, Rose helps and encourages anyone who wants to catch a fish. She offers tips, cuts bait, unhooks fish, and measures any bass or halibut caught to make sure they’re legal keepers (22 inches for halibut, 12 inches for bass).

“It’s wonderful to watch the kids. When they pull one in, it’s more fun for me than  anything else,” says Rose.

Fishing on roller blades, teenager Luis Cruz caught 10 mackerel in two hours the day before. He comes on the weekends with his family to picnic at Tidelands Park and roller blades to the pier…

Ken Jones, author of Pier Fishing in California, rates the San Diego Bay as one of the best fishing spots in Southern California. The bay generally yields larger mackerel than the ocean piers in Imperial Beach and Ocean Beach. “Though it’s not big, the pier at Coronado is an excellent fishing pier,” according to Jones…

To Eat or Not Eat?

While many of the fishermen on the pier say they don’t eat what they catch, most of the fish caught in the bay pose no serious health risks, according to the San Diego County Environmental Health department.

Only people who eat the fish daily over a long period of time could have problems with toxins. Pregnant women, breast feeding women, and small children especially should eat any fish in moderation. Jones offers some pointers:

• The bay is reasonably clean, although there are some polluted spots on the bottom. For this reason, don’t eat croaker and other bottom feeders since they may eat in contaminated areas.

• Mackerel, bass, and halibut are generally safe because they regularly swim in and out of the bay.

• Clean fish thoroughly, making sure to completely remove the gut and thoroughly wash the fish.

• Bake fish on a rack so that the fat breaks down and drips into the pan. Toxins are stored in the fat.

• Eat fish from any waters in moderation.

Jones adds that “its always best to catch and release fish, since fish populations are so low. Enjoy the fresh air, and get closer to nature. That’s how I like to fish,” says Jones.

—Sean Caey, Coronado Eagle, August 5, 1998

Author’s Note No. 2.  Oh my, how times have changed. The following discussion details how ghost shrimp (crawfish) were caught in this area back in the 1880s.

“Crawfish-tramping” these days is a lost art. Crawfish were easily obtained by removing your shoes and tramping the mud for a space three or four feet in diameter, bringing them to the surface of the mud and thereby easily providing bait for two or three to fish all day. There were no tin cans or glass in the mud in those days. You would select a place in the mud where the crawfish blowholes abounded; the finest place was on the Coronado of the Bay, from the Coronado Ferry down to Spanish Bight, a long mud-flat beach. We could go over on the ferry and back for a dime, and get more crawfish in half an hour than at the foot of Broadway in two hours. Crawfish-tramping was probably learned from the large fish—large skate, shovel-nose sharks, stingrays, halibut and other flat fish—they would select a spot where there were crawfish and they would flip up and down and bring the crawfish up. At the really low tide you could frequently see the marks where they flipped. Young boys tramped for crawfish, and carried them in little cans covered with wet seaweed, to sell as bait. Crawfish were the best bait for large-mouth, grab-at-whole-bait kind…

—Don M. Stewart, 1966, Frontier Port: A Chapter in San Diego’s History (Discussing the fishing in San Diego Bay in the late 1800s)

The early Coronado Ferry Landing

History Note. Beginning in 1886 Coronado was connected by ferry to San Diego, a short boat ride that eliminated the need for the long journey across the “Strand” to Imperial Beach and the drive back up to San Diego. It was a no-brainer but eventually someone had a “better” idea—a bridge from San Diego to Coronado. When that bridge was completed in 1969 it seemed to mark the end to ferry service in the bay. The old landings location at Orange Avenue (several blocks away from today’s ferry landing) became part of Centennial Park and though a ticket booth from the old ferry system was installed as a remembrance of the earlier times, the ferry service seemed to be just one more affectionate reminder of the area’s past.

You can catch a ferry to downtown San Diego

The ferry boat Cabrillo

However, less than 20 years later, in 1987, a new shopping complex opened and a new ferry service was inaugurated. Luckily for anglers, the complex included fishing access at this pier, a pier that has become increasingly popular over the years.

When the complex and pier first opened the center was called the Old Ferry Landing to give it historical appeal  (although it was not on the location of the old ferry). Then, when the shopping center began to host a Farmers Market, the name was changed to the Ferry Landing Marketplace. Eventually that name too was changed, to today’s Coronado Ferry Landing. As for the pier itself, it is the lone public “fishing pier” in Coronado and receives heavy use.

Coronado Ferry Landing Pier Facts

Hours: Open 24 hours a day.

Facilities: Facilities are somewhat limited on the pier itself: a few benches, lights and bait-cutting platforms. Restrooms are located a short walk from the front of the pier in the shopping center (and are only open during the hours the shopping complex is open). Both free and metered parking is available on First Street and B Avenue (25 cents an hour with a two hour maximum, 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.). Free parking is available at the shopping complex but only for those patronizing the businesses. Bait and tackle is not available but food can be found in many of the shopping establishments.

Handicapped Facilities: Handicapped parking spaces and restrooms are located in the shopping complex.  The pier surface is wood and the railing is about 40 inches high.

Location: 33.654959222951774 N. Latitude, 118.004150390625 W. Longitude

How To Get There: From San Diego, take the Coronado Bay Bridge (Highway 75) to Coronado. Once over the bridge you are on Third Street. Simply follow it to B Avenue, turn right, and follow it to the front of The Old Ferry Landing — the intersection of First Street and B Avenue. The pier sits behind the shops in the complex.

Management: San Diego Unified Port District.

“While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.” Oops, whoa Nellie, stop, stop, stop the press, that’s the wrong vision! This vision was more pescatorial, one of big game fish being caught at the SoCal piers, fish such as yellowtail, shortfin corvina, bonefish and more exotic species rarely seen at the piers. The reports of great fishing and unusual species that began to show up in boat reports in the spring and summer of 2015 were amazing. Bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, dorado, wahoo, unbelievable numbers of yellowtail, marlin, spearfish and others were seemingly being caught throughout southern California’s offshore waters. Even half day boats and kayaks fishing fairly close to land were catching the big game species.

For the piers the main difference, at least into July and August, was the arrival of bonito, one of the hardest fighting fish in the sea, and the boneheads were being reported from San Diego up to Goleta. Every warm-water year sees some bonito but by the end of August yellowtail were also being reported at many piers. Then came reports of the aforementioned corvina and bonefish. September seemed like it might be an epic month, perhaps even rivaling the 1957 season when so many big game fish were caught from piers.

The result was an almost mandatory trip to southern California; a five-day trip to eight southland piers. But, it was a trip that would earn the nickname “Sauna Tour.”

Why that title? One initial hope for the trip was to escape the 100-104 degree weather that was taking place in Fresno. There’s nothing like a cool 75-degree day at the beach to alleviate the scorching valley heat. Hurricane Linda, sitting off of Baja, and the effects from that storm, would change the entire picture, both the weather and the fishing.

The temperature at the beach cities for the five-day trip was basically the same—92 to 98 degree heat along with very high humidity. It felt more like Mississippi or Louisiana than SoCal.  It was scorching in the sun and shirts were sweat soaked after a short time.

The hurricane also affected the fishing. A few days before the trip, powerful waves began to slam the SoCal beaches. In response, the huge numbers of baitfish that had been reported in inshore waters disappeared. Apparently they moved offshore and that meant the number of larger fish that fed on the baitfish also largely disappeared. The story was the same at every pier. “You should have been here last week. The bonito bite was fantastic but they all disappeared.” One bait shop reported they had been selling over 50 pounds of anchovies a day before the fish left, now they were selling about four pounds a day.

It is what it is, you have to take the bad with the good and there are rarely guarantees when it comes to fishing. The trip would yield some fish but nothing like anticipated. One bonito would be caught, but no more, and none of the more exotic species.

Day one, Wednesday, September 9, would see me pick up my fishing buddy, Mike Granat, in Clovis before starting the four hour drive from Fresno to Los Angeles. We would make a stop to pick up some “Goody Bags” for our next Kid’s Fishing Derby, and then make another short stop at Best Fishing Tackle on Rosecrans in Hawthorne to pick up some lug worms. From there it was a short trip down to Costa Mesa and our motel for the night. Upon arrival in Costa Mesa it was quickly evident how hot and sticky the weather would be.

But, since there was time for a few hours fishing before dinner, we headed out to the Newport Pier. I always tell Mike that if a pier is crowded the fish are in, if the pier is deserted, fishing is slow. Given the sparse number of anglers on the pier, it was obvious that the fishing might not be as hot as the weather—and that indeed was the case.

The dozen or so anglers at the end were fishing Sabiki bait rigs and catching a few fish, a few small fish. Their main catch was little 6-inch Pacific mackerel which make great bait for halibut (or yellowtail). However, our visit would be short and it was getting a little too late in the day to be catching live bait.

Nevertheless, high-low rigs were sent out baited with lug worms and cut mackerel. Soon after, a kelp bass (aka calico bass) in love with the lug worm decided to make a trip up to the top of the pier. But, instead of 14 inches, the legal length, it was only 11 inches long. It was returned to the briny and told to grow a few more inches. Not much was biting other than a few mackerel.

Kelp Bass aka Calico Bass, Checkerboard Bass and Police Cars

Eventually the 4:15-6 PM fishing yielded three mackerel and the one bass, all fairly small. The one good bite, two large mackerel grabbing the high/low hooks at the same time, were lost when one of the three sea lions patrolling the pier waters decided the mackerel were easy pickings. The bewhiskered beast grabbed the mackerel, broke the line, and showed who was boss.

Pacific Mackerel aka Chub Mackerel, Blue Mackerel and Greenbacks

At six we packed up and headed over to one of my favorite restaurants along the California coast. The Crab Cooker sits across the street from the pier and I’ve been going to the restaurant for over 40 years. I always make sure to get some chowder, eat too many of the hard bread sticks, and I usually get some shrimp and scallops. For once I was able to park right outside the front door (parking can be a problem) and we headed in. Soon after we were stuffed and heading back to the motel.

The Crab Cooker

Day 2, Thursday, September 10, was a planned reunion with Snookie and her gang at the Balboa Pier. Expectations were high. She had reported  catching bonito, yellowtail, barracuda, numerous halibut, and a variety of other fish the prior week (including seeing an angler land a bonefish).  It did seem a little improbable based upon what we had seen at Newport the prior night but you never know.

We arrived at 8 AM and decided to fish the end area until Snookie arrived. I asked a couple of anglers who were leaving the pier how the action was and they both replied the same thing, good mackerel action from 6 until about 7 and then the bite had shut down (the typical early morning mackerel bite). We were late and by the time we got to the end there weren’t too many anglers. That’s always a bad sign and sure enough those still fishing were lamenting the slow action. They were using Sabiki rigs but not getting many fish.

The end of the Balboa Pier was relatively devoid of anglers

Mike had never caught a bonito and that was his main goal for the trip so he rigged up one of his red colored bonito balls (that he makes), attached one of his bright green feathers (that he gets from Africa), and started casting out. Lo and behold in about fifteen minutes he had a nice-sized bonito. The rest of the anglers casting for bonito, including yours truly, went fishless for bonito in Newport. What was interesting was the number of anglers who came over to check out his bonito gear, both the feather and the ball, and all seemed to think his was the best they had seen.

Mike Granat, his first bonito, and his “Granat Ball and Feather”

Pacific Bonito aka Boneheads, Flashers, Striped Tuna and (my favorite) Mr. Bojangles

I did catch a couple of nice little bass, one a kelp bass and the other a sand bass, but none of the bonehead bonito.

At about 9:30 I spotted Snookie and we headed inshore to fish with her. Unfortunately the weather had tuned hot, real hot. It would reach 98 degrees at the pier that day and we were sweating more than I thought possible.

Snookie

She said she had been at the pier Tuesday and sure enough the action had slowed. The waves had stirred up the water and the baitfish so prevalent the prior week were now largely missing. But, she went on a quest for some live bait. She had been using a variety of baitfish including small Pacific mackerel and Spanish mackerel but they just weren’t biting. She worked hard to fill the bait bucket and did manage some smelt but even the smelt weren’t cooperating (and I only got one).

Fishing was slow, in fact very slow. However, Snookie did manage to land one bonito. I on the other hand could not buy a bonito. I did though rig up a live bait rig and dropped a smelt into a depression between the pilings under the pier. The result was a flattie, a halibut that must have liked dining on smelt. As usual, it looked bigger in the water but upon bringing it to the pier it was obviously a sub-legal fish only about a guesstimated 17 inches long.

KJ and a sub-legal sized California Halibut

I also managed a smallish-sized shovelnose guitarfish while Mike caught a small yellowfin croaker but that was it. The fishing was as cold as the weather was hot. Snookie and her sister were using some kind of “cool” scarves but I think we were all red faced, sweating, uncomfortable, and getting dehydrated.

The Newport Pier sits just a short distance up the Newport Peninsula from Balboa

We fished until 12:15 and that was enough. We wanted to beat the traffic out of Orange County, Snookie needed to go to her choir practice, and everyone was beat. We had enjoyed the company but were obviously disappointed with the fishing.

We then headed south toward Oceanside but did make a short detour to Hogan’s Bait and Tackle in Dana Point. I wanted to pick up some bloodworms and managed to spend a few more bucks after seeing some things that I just couldn’t live without. It’s always good to visit that store and see its knowledgeable staff.

Back on the road, we were soon in Oceanside and checked into the motel. Mike was a little tired out from the heat and wanted to take a nap while I wanted to go fishing.  I decided to head down to the small pier in Oceanside Harbor. I usually manage to catch a few fish at the pier and this day would be much the same (although most were fairly small). I fished from 3:30 until 4:45 and managed 14 fish, 8 kelp bass (on bloodworms), 1 decent-sized spotfin croaker (on bloodworm), 1 salema, 3 smelt and a shinerperch. It wasn’t much to crow about but at least there was some action and I enjoyed the beautiful clouds while suffering through the heat.

The Oceanside Harbor Pier

Spotfin Croaker aka Golden Croaker and Roncador (the snorer)

The most interesting fish I saw was a garibaldi caught by an angler who was using bread to catch some smelt for bait. I didn’t know they liked bread.

There are almost always some birds at the pier

Dumbest move was by a girl in a kayak who decided to paddle over to a float full of sea lions. She actually paddled right up to the float and tried to pet a couple of the beasts. They bellowed at her and she seemed surprised that they might not enjoy her visit.

El Dumbo!

It was a beautiful sky that day

Next up was dinner and we headed over to the Joe’s Crab Shack that sits in the harbor. Burnt food, desultory service, and an unhappy Mr. Jones by the end of the meal.  

After dinner I walked down to Helgren’s Sportfishing to talk to some fishermen who had arrived on the Oceanside 95 Sportfisher while we were eating.  Boats had been pulling in yellowtail, bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna during an almost unheard of season of success. But the hurricane had affected their action too. The boat full of anglers had returned from the 1½ day trip with 4 fish, not exactly a crowd pleasing number. They were hoping the next day would be better.

After dinner Mike was ready for bed. I said we needed some fresh bait so headed down to the Oceanside Pier to catch some mackerel.  Anglers were catching mackerel using glow sticks and hi/lows baited with pieces of mackerel and I copied their rigs and bait. I fished from 8:30 to 10 PM and landed 15 Pacific mackerel and 1 sargo. We now had some fresh bait for the next day.

Day 3, Friday, September 11. Friday morning we planned to meet up with Ed Gonsalves who runs the Oceanside Pier Bait Shop and then do a little fishing. Ed suggested a spot midway out on the pier and his advice was good. Three hours of fishing yielded 13 Pacific Mackerel, (on cut mackerel) 10 Kelp Bass (on bloodworms), 1 Sand Bass (on a bloodworm) and 1 Topsmelt.

Mike at the “spot”

Ruby’s Restaurant sits at the end of the pier

Good sentiment!

The Oceanside Pier is one of my favorite piers

The Oceanside Pier Bait ShopA nice Shovelnose Guitarfish caught by “Bernie”

We had lunch with Ed ad his wife Pam and were soon headed to San Diego. The first stop in San Diego was at Squidco where I bought one more bag of bloodworms and would have gotten some ghost shrimp but they were out. We then checked into our motel. Mike was a little tired so decided on a nap before dinner. I, on the other hand, wanted to go fishing so headed over to the Ocean Beach Pier where action HAD been great. It was now slow. Nevertheless, fishing from 3-4:45 PM produced a plethora of fish: 7 Kelp Bass (most on blood worms), 4 Topsmelt, 2 Salema and 1 Rock Wrasse, the first I have caught at the pier.

You could see the Coronado Islands (Islas Coronados) off in the distance

The left corner of the pier

Out at the end

Salema aka Big Eye Bass and Lima Perch

Rock Wrasse aka Parrot Fish

Dinner was at the Kaiserhof Restaurant in Ocean Beach where we met up with my son Mike. It may be the best German restaurant in California and I’ve been going there for years. Once again they produced an excellent dinner.

I got a chance to visit with my son Mike for a few hours

Day 4, Saturday, September 12. Crystal Pier would be the destination Saturday morning. It had just yielded up a 40+ pound yellowtail a couple of weeks before our trip, had been producing some shortfin corvina, and might be our best chance for some good fish.

We arrived fairly early because we knew parking would be a problem (it always is) but we still had to park two blocks away from the pier. Upon arrival we only found one other angler (and he was a good one). We headed out to the end and settled in for some fishing (which was slow).

Although already hot and sticky, it was a beautiful morning

Mike getting ready

Looking shoreward

I decided to set up a heavy rig on the bottom baited with mackerel and shortly thereafter hooked something strong that headed out like a bat ray. I finally got it stopped and heading into the pier (where I worried about the pilings). Sure enough it was a bat ray that took more work than it should have to get it up onto the pier. The problem was the current moving inshore and pushing the net under the pier as soon as it got into the water. It took a while but finally the fish was netted and pulled up. Then we had a new problem getting it over the boards that stick out a couple of feet.  If I was a little younger I might have hopped over the railing and simply grabbed the net but those days are over. I finally swung the net over the railing and we were able to grab it and bring it in. It wasn’t a huge bat ray but it still was fun.

KJ and a Bat Ray (aka Stingray, Mud Marlin, Flapper, NASCAR and Sea Bird)

The only two other fish I caught was a round stingray and a small mackerel, which I baited up while trying for a shortfin corvina (with no success). Mike caught a Round Stingray.

Mike and his Round Stingray (aka Stinger and Stingaree)

Live bait was needed but I couldn’t even seem to get that. And, it meant I didn’t have the right bait when a school of firecracker-sized yellowtail showed up next to the pier. Five yellowtail were caught, all small ones, but still yellowtail.

One of the local experts, Angel Hernandez, did have the right bait and he caught two yellowtail. We had a long and interesting talk and I am waiting on some pictures he has taken of recent catches of shortfin corvina. He has also hooked several Giant Sea Bass including one that he said might go two hundred pounds.

A small yellowtail caught by Angel Hernandez at Crystal Pier

Of course I also wasn’t in the right spot. I had started out at the end when yellowtail were not being caught. I then moved into the shallows fishing for corvina but none would be caught that day. While I was at the front of the pier the yellowtail were visiting the back of the pier. So it goes.

The pier became a popular spot with people as the day continued 

We had to leave at 11:00 AM to attend my granddaughter’s soccer match but I think Crystal would have been the place to be for both yellowtail and corvina (if I just had a little more time). Unfortunately, I didn’t have the additional time.

Following the soccer match we had to head north, the destination being San Clemente. This time we checked into our motel, had an early dinner, and then headed down to Dana Harbor to fish from the small pier.

It turned out the harbor area by the pier was having a festival— the “Toshiba Tall Ships Festival,” and the shoreline and pier was filled with people. Thankfully most of the activities were finished by 5 PM and we were able to find a parking spot and some room to fish.

The Pilgrim

We fished from 6:40-9:10 PM and the visit yielded the usual bay species: 6 kelp bass, 2 sand Bass, 1 sculpin (California scorpionfish), 1 sargo and 1 good-sized spotfin croaker.

Spotfin Croaker

Day 5, Sunday, September 13. The last morning I would be fishing alone since Mike was visiting his daughter. I was at the pier at 7 AM and joined several other anglers out at the end of the pier who were pulling in some fish.

The early morning at the pier

Once again I tried for bonito and once again I had no success. However, smaller species were abundant. Three and a quarter hours of fishing produced 40 fish: 18 Pacific mackerel, 6 jacksmelt, 5 salema, 5 topsmelt, 3 kelp bass, 2 grunion and 1 sand bass.

Sand Bass aka Barred Sand Bass, Sugar Bass, Johnny Verde Bass and Grumpies (large fish)

Surfers and the train

The pier, the train, and no surfers

Looking shoreward

The San Clemente Pier and one of the prettiest settings for a pier

Unfortunately the sun and heat were once again brutal and I was covered with sweat when I left the pier. Once I picked up Mike the next stop would be back home in Fresno. Surprisingly when Mike and I arrived in Fresno/Clovis the weather had cooled slightly. In fact, it was actually cooler than it had been at the beach.

In summary, the trip was somewhat disappointing, both as to the heat and humidity and the lack of large, exotic species, i.e., yellowtail, shortfin corvina and bonefish. Realistically though, you still have to have some luck to catch those species. You have to be there at the right time with the right techniques. I think we had the techniques and bait covered but the timing was off. Everyone said you should have been here last week. Big tides had moved in and rattled the inshore waters, the baitfish seemed to mostly move offshore, and many of the larger species followed them. I think things were calming by Saturday/Sunday, and fishing would start to improve, but I had to return to Fresno (darn it). You only have so much time and money.

Nevertheless, the 23.75 hours spent fishing did yield a variety of fish: 50 Pacific Mackerel, 36 Kelp Bass, 14 Topsmelt, 8 Salema, 6 Jacksmelt, 5 Sand Bass., 2 Spotfin Croaker, 2 Sargo, 2 Grunion, 1 California Halibut, 1 Shovelnose Guitarfish, 1 Bat Ray, 1 Round Stingray, 1 Sculpin (California Scorpionfish), 1 Rock Wrasse, and 1 Shinerperch

SteveO and a bonito

Rita and Kyle with a finescale triggerfish

Rita and a yellowtail

The capture of a long hoped for species, the catch of an unusual “Baja” species, and some interesting nighttime activity, both fishing and lobster hooping, highlighted the 13^th annual PFIC-UPSAC Catalina Get Together. The long sought species was a yellowtail, the unusual species was a finescale triggerfish, and the nighttime excitement centered on runs of big mackerel and the capture of many, many lobsters.

As important if not of greater importance was the reunion with fellow PFIC board members and the first of what we hope is many “James Liu Memorial Fishing Derbies.”

Although the numbers of participants was relatively small, it exceeded our original 2002 numbers and the intimate gathering of (mostly) long-time friends was in some ways preferable to the larger crowds of some years. Attending this years event was yours truly (KJ), Dora, Warren, Amanda, and Elaine Liu, Mahigeer (Hashem), GordoGrande (Ross), SteveO (Steve), rita001 (Rita) and her son (man-child) Kyle, kelpangler (Eugene) and daughter Mina, Hans and Donna, redkorn (John), and a newly slimmed-down Burger (Jason). The Get Together would prove both exciting and frustrating (for some) but rarely dull.

The Catalina Express Landing in Long Beach

 Thursday, September 25 —

Thursday morning would see myself, Hashem, Steve and John arrive at the Long Beach Catalina Express Terminal in the dark and line up waiting for the 6:15 ferry that would take us to Catalina.

Ferries at the Catalina Express Landing

In one of his books, James Lee Burke wrote that the “sunrise was like a pink rose opening on the earth’s rim” and that perfectly described the sight that morning as we left the landing and Long Beach Harbor. As each petal opened we were greeted by a new sight and enjoyed a smooth sailing across the San Pedro Channel.

The Shoreline Village in Long Beach

One of the five “finger piers” located on the jetty protecting the Shoreline Village and marina

We followed a fishing boat out of the harbor

The Queen Mary

The view looking back at the harbor

Hashem and John on the ferry

Getting closer to Catalina Island and Avalon

Upon arrival at the Mole the group split up. Steve stayed at the Mole to try for some bonito. His hopes were high as several anglers had feet firmly planted at the Mole casting out for bonito, and a couple of the boneheads were already on the pier. The rest of us headed over to the Green Pleasure Pier (our typical Thursday venue).

The Green Pleasure Pier

Once reaching the Green Pleasure Pier it turned out another angler (John) had my favorite spot —the “skipper’s corner”— but luckily both end corners were open to fishing and space was available for all. Although we had hoped we might be able to check in early at the Hermosa Hotel, it turned out the hotel was full and our rooms would not be available until 2PM. So, bags were deposited on the pier’s deck, fishing equipment was broken out, and the fishing began.

As always, we immediately started to catch fish, the hit parade being led by smallish-sized, mostly 8-11-inch kelp bass (all of course returned to the water). Pretty much every cast would yield a fish unless bait-stealin’ fish like senorita stripped the bait off the hook and the numbers steadily rose. Some nice-sized opaleye were landed but surprisingly only one sheephead and no pelagics — Pacific mackerel,  jack mackerel or jacksmelt. We hoped to see a yellowtail but none visited the show while we were there.

Later in the afternoon, Hans and Donna arrived, and stopped at the pier, but that day was a non-fishing day for them.

A nice picture of Avalon and its harbor taken by Hans from the top of the hill — picture courtesy of Hans

But the rest of us continued to fish—Myself, Hashem, John (redkorn), our new friend John, and a lone heron perched up above the fray, one whose hideous screech was just a little rough on the ears.

Halfmoon from the Green Pleasure Pier

Opaleye from the Green Pleasure Pier

Female rock wrasse from the Green Pleasure Pier

Sheephead from the Green Pleasure Pier

 John, the guy who was at the “skipper’s corner” caught this Yellowtail after we left.

Thursday, September 25, Green Pleasure Pier: 8:20 AM – 3:20 PM — Fish caught: Kelp Bass, Rock Wrasse, Opaleye, Halfmoon, Sheephead, Garibaldi and Senorita

Finally, a little after 3 PM, we decided to head over to the hotel to check in and then headed back out to the Mole to give Steve some company.

The Casino

We were at the Mole by 4:30 and soon began to again catch fish. Surprisingly there were less opaleye than at the Green Pleasure Pier. There was also almost an entire absence of blacksmith, a small species that had seemed to saturate the water and grab almost every bait during the 2011 Get Together. However, the garibaldi had never seemed as numerous (both the brilliantly colored large adult garibaldi and the smaller blue-speckled juveniles). It was hard to keep the garibaldi from grabbing bait but all were carefully returned to the water. As usual a nice mix of fish was caught.

A young Garibaldi from the Mole that still has its blue spots

A Kelp (calico) Bass from the Mole

A male Rock Wrasse from the Mole

Dusk and the casino that sits across the watery inlet from the Mole

Thursday, September 25, Cabrillo Mole: 4:30-7:15 PM — Fish caught: Kelp Bass, Garibaldi, Halfmoon, Opaleye and Rock Wrasse

At 7:15, Hashem, Steve, John and myself headed to Antonio’s where we had our traditional opening night dinner (along with the peanuts). That night would see us return to our hotel rooms after dinner for some needed sleep since the next night would be the opener of the lobster season and Hashem and John planned to stay at the Mole the entire night.

 Friday, September 26 —

Sunrise at the Mole

Steve stayed in my spare bed that first night and the next morning we both were up at the crack of dawn to head out to the Mole for the early mornin’ bite. It was the stillness of the dawn, empty streets with only a few solitary workers preparing for the day, and the sound of gentle waves washing Avalon’s harbor. In ten minutes or so were at the Mole watching the sun emerge from the waters to the east and we were ready for some fish. Steve was casting for bonito within a few minutes of arrival (and got an early mornin’ fish). I was fishing by 6:45 and began to pull in the normal species from the Mole.

Steve and his early morning Bonito

Disappointing again was the lack of opaleye. Some were present but not in the numbers we had seen at the Green Pleasure Pier. So too was the lack of mackerel but we would stay at the Mole until 6 PM and the day produced another nice mix of fish.

KJ and Giant Kelpfish from the Mole

Spotted Kelpfish from the Mole

In the morning Burger showed up for some fishing and hooping and proceeded to wet a line. In the afternoon Dora and the Liu children arrived as well as Rita and Kyle (who is now about 6’3” and large).

The Liu’s — Warren, Elaine, Amanda and Dora — Picture courtesy of Rita

Kyle and Rita — Picture courtesy of Rita

They had driven down together from Sunnyvale and would head over to the hotel to check in. I can’t remember if Rita came back to fish the Mole that afternoon but we decided we would all meet at Antonio’s for dinner. John and Burger stayed at the Mole and watched the equipment while the rest of us enjoyed a good meal.

KJ and a Halfmoon from the Mole

Friday, September 26, Cabrillo Mole: 6:45 AM-6 PM — Fish caught: Kelp Bass, Garibaldi, Halfmoon, Rock Wrasse, Giant Kelpfish, Senorita, Blacksmith, Sheephead, Spotted Kelpfish and Blackperch

The highlight of the meal at Antonio’s was, by the way, a practice reading of “Who’s On First” the old Abbot and Costello routine (as performed by Warren and Kyle). It turned out Warren needed to learn the lines for an upcoming school production and Kyle was playing the part of Abbot.  Apparently they had already gone through the routine several times during the drive down from the Bay Area and did an excellent presentation. Of course Dora, Rita, Amanda and Elaine had already heard it several times and perhaps were not quite as enamored hearing it again. For Steve, Hashem, Hans, Donna and myself, it was refreshing entertainment.

The group at Antonio’s — Back Row: Rita, Hashem, Dora, Warren, Kyle; Front Row: Steve, Elaine, Amanda.

Warren and Kyle practicing “Who’s on First?”

Kyle, Rita, Hans and Donna

After dinner most of us headed back to the Mole. Hashem and Hans were ready for the lobster opener as were John and Burger. I was fishing and had two goals: (1) a moray eel and (2) a flying fish. I figured my best chance to catch a moray was to simply fish straight down between the lobster traps and set up a high/low rigging. The flying fish was an experiment. I figured since they are similar to jacksmelt they might hit a Sabiki rigged with bloodworms. To reach deeper water I cast out the rig under a large bobber and added a glow stick to hopefully attract the flying fish.  The high/low failed to attract a moray although it did yield a few decent-sized kelp bass. The Sabiki did not yield any flying fish but did finally attract a couple of good-sized mackerel and it seemed that once those two they were brought in to the Mole the school seemed to follow.

Since the flying fish weren’t cooperating and the lobster seekers wanted some fresh mackerel for lobster bait, I switched to fishing for mackerel on my ‘flying fish” rod.  The Sabiki was replaced with two size 2 hooks and the worms were replaced by pieces of mackerel. Soon the mac attack was on. The rigging (with a glow stick) would be cast out and soon a fish would hit and the glow stick would streak off across the dark water. Normally one fish would be hooked, occasionally two would join in the fun, and the fight would be on. Not exactly big game fishing but a lot of fun on the fairly light tackle I was using. A few other anglers saw the mackerel but most were busy hooping so not too many joined in the fun that night. I called it quits on the mackerel at 25 figuring that should be plenty of bait for the lobster traps that night

Hashem measuring a Lobster

You gotta love Lobster, right?

While this was going on, the lobster opener had proved to be a blast. People had their lobster hoops set up and ready to go in the water by 11:30 and people counted off the time: 20 minutes to go, 10 minutes to go, 2 minutes to go, and throw the hoops in the water boys! People were scrambling and soon hoops were being pulled in right and left and many had lobsters. The bugs were measured and though most were too small every once in a while a legal lobster would show up and it would be soon be headed to a bucket (often a bucket in the water). It was exciting and by the next morning Hahem had caught six legal lobsters, John had four, and Burger had two and I think Hans had one or two. I of course was still fishing for that eel.

Lobsters

Friday/Saturday, September 26/27, Cabrillo Mole: 10:30 PM – 2 AM — Fish caught: Pacific Mackerel and Kelp Bass

Saturday, September 27 —

In memory of our friend James Liu — and his presence was felt

James and a Bonito he caught at the Mole

Saturday morning was a time to prepare for the 1st Annual James Liu Memorial Derby and so that occupied my attention. Joining us with a surprise visit was GordoGrande/Ross Kestin who had been absent for a couple of years.  Greetings were made to all and then scoring sheets were handed out. Most of the anglers were bait fishing and most caught some fish—kelp bass, halfmoon, and garibaldi seemingly the most common. Steve and Eugene were using lures but the bonito and mackerel were absent so it looked like they might have a tough time.

Eugene and Mina

Eugene was casting at the left edge of the Mole while Mina was reeling in fish after fish on lugworms when Eugene hooked up something that seemed strong. Lo and behold it was a yellowtail and Eugene fought it expertly bringing it close to the pier. There was confusion for a moment when it appeared something was trailing the yellow and I immediately thought shark but instead it was two other yellowtail. People rushed to get a net but just before capture the hook pulled free and we would have to wait a little longer for our first yellowtail.

Rita, Kyle and a Finescale Triggerfish

Soon after, Rita hooked something big and we weren’t sure what it was until it got to the top of the water. Initial guesses were a large sheephead or even a small bat ray but no, it was a triggerfish and once Hashem netted it in his net Rita and joined me in the still fairly exclusive PFICCMT Club (Pier Fishing in California Cabrillo Mole Triggerfish Club).

Interesting teeth!

Not only are triggerfish fairly rare in California waters, they are fun to catch and delicious to eat. I did though tell Rita to have a sharp knife and a honing stone since filleting triggerfish tears up a blade. The fish was by far the largest that had been landed so far at the derby.

Hashem

Burger

Ross

Kyle

Elaine

Amanda and a Kelp Bass

Hans and a Halfmoon

Donna

Eugene and his “Bottle” rig

Mina

Hashem and Ross

Elaine, Amanda and Warren Liu

Nevertheless the derby continued and Hashem and Hans continued to pile up points on bass and halfmoon. Rita decided she needed to add on a few more points to her total so she next went out and rigged up an anchovy, cast it out, and hooked up to another yellowtail. This time a net was available and the fish was netted. It wasn’t a large yellowtail but IT WAS A YELLOWTAIL and the additional points would assure Rita the title in the derby. It was also cement her legacy as the first participant at a PFIC Catalina Get Together to land a yellowtail—from either the Mole or the Green Pleasure Pier. The triggerfish and yellowtail added the final excitement that was needed to make it a memorable day.

Rita and the Yellowtail from the Mole

Other participants continued to catch fish (including the hooking of a yellowtail by Hans), or at least most of them. Steve had opted out of fishing to help out Elaine while Eugene also, I think, did about as much socializing as fishing.

Steve and Eilaine

Food too was available from an early point in the derby after Dora arrived with a large batch of dough-wrapped hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and snicker doodles. Others brought brownies and NO ONE went hungry.

People by the food

As the derby drew to an end Ross went around selling raffle tickets and eventually enough tickets had been sold to make an interesting raffle and make a little money for UPSAC.

Steve, John, Hans, Eugene and Mina

Following the derby we had the awards presentation.

The group

The Liu Family — Warren, Elaine, Dora and Amanda

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 1st Place — Rita Magdamo

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 2nd Place — Hans Jones

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 3rd Place — Hashem Nahid

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: Junior Division Winner — Mina Kim

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 6-Year-Old Age Group Winner — Elaine Liu

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 10 Year-Old Age Group Winner — Mina Kim

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 12-Year-Old Age Group Winner — Amanda Liu

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 14-Year-Old Age Group Winner — Warren Liu

James Liu Memorial Fishing Derby: 17-Year-Old Age Group Winner — Kyle Pease

 Amidst the activity on the Mole was a plethora of on-water activities.

A cruise ship was anchored just out from the Mole.

Parasailing

Parasailing

Steve and the cruise ship

Next up was the raffle and just about everyone won something.

Dora Liu

Donna

Warren

Burger

Rita

John

Ross

P-Line Crew

Hashem

Next up was the group picture.

From left to right: John, Steve, KJ, Mina (front), Rita, Warren, Kyle, Amanda (front), Eugene, Dora, Elaine (front), Ross, Donna, Burger, Hans and Hashem

There was still a little time to fish before dinner! A nice variety of species was caught including some scorpionfish. I did try casting a live bait out hoping for a yellowtail, in fact two of them, both small halfmoons. One was promptly swallowed by a large sea lion and one was grabbed by a cormorant. That was the end of the live bait experiment.

KJ and a California Scorpionfish commonly called Sculpin

Scorpionfish

Unknown lady angler

Hans and one of the many garibaldi that were caught (and released)

Saturday, September 27, Cabrillo Mole: 2:55-4:25 PM — Fish caught: Kelp Bass, Opaleye, Halfmoon, Blacksmith, Garibaldi, Sheephead, Blackperch and Sculpin (Scorpionfish)

This pelican was one of the few birds we saw since Avalon has hired a falconer to keep the birds (pigeons and sea gulls) away.

Those who could leave the Mole (and their lobster nets) traveled to dinner at the Mi Casita restaurant where bodies were fueled, stories where shared, and people could prepare themselves for even more expected excitement during a nighttime visit to the Mole.

Hans, Donna, Amanda and Warren at Mi Casita

Warren, Rita and Dora (where’s Kyle?)

Elaine, Mina and Eugene

This night would see a repeat of the lobster excitement with the addition of a large group fishing for the mackerel (myself, Steve, Kyle, Rita, Warren, Hans and Donna among others). The mackerel cooperated and it was wild seeing glow sticks headed every which way back and forth across the water. Luckily the kelp was mostly absent this year so people could pull in the mackerel without losing fish, which is common most years.

A lobster in Rita’s net — picture courtesy of Rita

Hans and two lobsters — picture courtesy of Hans

I was still using two rods trying to catch that moray eel but again they ignored my bait. However, a number of different species did decide to hook onto my line including some rockfish and salema.

As for a moray eel, one of the slimy, detestable, ugly, hateful creatures did decide to join our group — on Rita’s line (even though I’ve been religiously seeking them out at the Mole for the past five years or so).  Luckily she’s one of my favorite people so I didn’t have to toss her over the railing. [Not that I would have tried since Rita is a head instructor at the Twin Dragon Kung Fu Academy. Sensei Rita has a brown belt in Kodakan Judo and experience in Shorinji Kempo and in all likelihood Mr. Jones would have joined the lobsters and other creatures in the water if I had tried to throw HER into the drink.]

Rita’s moray eel — picture courtesy of Rita

An up close and personal view of Rita’s moray eel — picture courtesy of Rita

One more view of Rita’s moray eel — picture courtesy of Rita — (Sigh!)

I also lost the largest fish (non-shark/ray) I had hooked from a pier in several years. The fish hit my high/low eel rigging and took off like it wasn’t going to stop. It headed straight out and then did a turn to the left before heading in and I was sure it would enter the area by the losbster nets and get tangled but it didn’t. Instead it came up in front of the Mole and just seemed to lie there in the lights from the Mole. It was a log barracuda, the kind you normally catch on a boat not on a pier and I honestly thought it was a 7-9 pound fish even though I know fish tend to look bigger when in the water.

Although I had yelled for a net, all the nets were in the water for the lobsters. Burger pulled his hoop net and came over but just before he arrived the fish seemed to get a second wind and took off parallel to the left of the Mole — and it didn’t want to stop. I guess I could have tightened down the drag but I’m not sure if that would have stopped it. It cut left around the corner and headed toward the deep channel while line rubbed against something. Net result — a loss of the fish. I took a break.

I blamed myself for not having a net ready to go. I preach the 7 R’s — Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance — and then I didn’t do it! I had originally planned to bring a net but at the last minute left it at home and I paid the consequences. I was surprised that the toothy ‘cuda hadn’t bit through the monofilament line and still don’t know how I had him hooked. It certainly fought better than most of the big barracuda I have caught in the past. It was a big fish but should have been landed.

Losing a nice-sized fish, no moray eel, and no flying fish — the karma was certainly against me this trip. I went back to the mackerel fishing but I was ready to stop and once I again reached 25 mackerel I called it a night and headed back to the motel room, all the while thinking about the fish I had lost.

Saturday, September 27, Cabrillo Mole: 7:30 – 11:45 PM — Fish caught: Kelp Bass, Pacific Mackerel, Halfmoon, Treefish, Grass Rockfish, Salema and Sculpin (Scorpionfish)

Sunday, September 28 —

Sunday morning saw one last trip out to the Mole before it was time to pack and head to the ferry. I was able to get a couple of hours of fishing in but fishing was relatively slow with only a few different species.

Sunday, September 28, Cabrillo Mole: 7-9 AM — Fish caught: Kelp Bass, Blacksmith and Sculpin (Scorpionfish)

After a shower and packing up and organizing all the various stuff (rods, reels, clothing, etc.) it was back to the Mole and waiting for the ferry. And, the wait was interesting.

You need a big lure for a big catch.

A cruise ship, boats and sailing

Ditto the above.

The yellow submarine

Avalon Harbor was getting just a tad bit crowded

The line for the ferry is on the Mole

Highlights, lowlights and simple thoughts.

•   It’s hard to explain the lack of bonito at this year’s derby. Coastal piers saw the best fishing for bonito since 2006/2007 due, it was assumed, to warm water conditions. However, only a few bonito were captured at Avalon even though anglers were casting a variety of feathers and lures most mornings and evenings. A drop in water temperature the week prior to the derby may have explained their absence.

•  There was also a decrease in the number of blacksmith, the small fish that seemed to cover the water in 2011 and make it almost impossible to get bait to other fish. A few were caught but only a few and most of these were small ones.

• There may have been a decrease in the number of sheephead since fewer were taken. However, they typically seem more numerous in the earlier months like April and fewer anglers had ghost shrimp (which have proven to be the top bait for the toothy beasts).

• The number of two species seemed higher than ever. Garibaldi were very numerous, both adult fish and juvenile fish and it was hard to keep them off the hooks. Kelp bass too were as numerous if not more numerous than normal. The Green Pleasure Pier saw an unlimited number of 8-11-inch fish with a few larger fish while the Mole saw a plethora of small 6-8-inch bass together with a few legal-size fish.

• I did not catch a new species this year so the number of species at the Cabrillo Mole and Green Pleasure Pier remained the same.

Cabrillo Mole — 31 species — Kelp Bass, Giant Kelpfish, Senorita, Striped Kelpfish, Rock Wrasse, Kelp Perch, Garibaldi, Blacksmith, Pacific Mackerel, Sheephead, Opaleye, Halfmoon, Jacksmelt, Treefish, Scorpionfish, Crevice Kelpfish, Bonito, Brown Rockfish, Kelp Rockfish, Rubberlip Seaperch, Mexican Scad, Olive Rockfish, Spotted Kelpfish, Ocean Whitefish, Salema, Jack Mackerel, Black Seaperch, Finescale Triggerfish, Pacific Sardine, Cabezon and Grass Rockfish. I’ve also caught a couple of lobsters.

Green Pleasure Pier — 19 species — Kelp Bass, Halfmoon, Rock Wrasse, Senorita, Shinerperch, Opaleye, Pacific Mackerel, Sheephead, Jack Mackerel, Blacksmith, Scorpionfish, Pacific Sardine, Garibaldi, Jacksmelt, Ocean Whitefish, Island Surfperch, Black Seaperch, Salema, Northern Anchovy. In addition, several lobsters, a spider crab and an octopus.

• As always it was great to see the various participants. In talking to Rita we discussed the costs involved and wondered if next trip we might check out the cost of renting a couple of homes. Some of the homes sleep as many as 8-10 people and sharing costs would reduce the overall expenses.

• The September meeting proved fruitful for the lobster and some bigger fish. Do we switch back to the traditional April (less expensive) Get Together or do we stick in the Fall or even go to a Summer gathering which would be easier for people with kids? We need to decide.

• Dat’s all folks!

I want to go back !!!

Garibaldi

Garibaldi — Species: Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word hypsypops  (high area below the eye) and the Latin word rubicunda (red). Alternate Names: Golden perch, ocean sunfish and ocean goldfish. In Mexico called jaqueta garibaldi. As for the name garibaldi, it apparently was a name bestowed upon the fish by California’s Italian commercial fishermen in the 1800s. Giuseppe Garibaldi was one of the main leaders in the unification movement to create an Italian nation and his followers were known as the “Redshirts” for the bright red shirts they wore. He was considered a hero to Italians throughout the world and apparently the fish, at least to some, were reminiscent of those red shirts. Identification: Garibaldi are easily distinguished by the brilliant golden-orange coloring on the whole body and are considered by many the prettiest fish in our coastal waters. They are perch-shaped but very deep-bodied with large fins. The young (up to about 6 inches in length) are reddish orange with bright blue spots.

Garibaldi — a young fish with blue spots

Size: To 14 inches (some books say 15 inches) but most pier-caught fish are under a foot in length. Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California to Monterey Bay. Uncommon north of Santa Barbara and rare north of Point Conception. Habitat: Generally found in shallow-water, rocky-shore areas although they have been encountered down to a depth of almost 100 feet. Fitch and Lavenberg, Tidepool and Nearshore Fishes of California, report that “A wide variety of food items has been found in garibaldi stomachs, including sponges, sea anemones, bryozoans, algae, worms, crustaceans, clams and mussels, snail eggs, and their own eggs.”  No wonder it is sometimes hard to keep them off a hook even though they’re illegal to keep.

Garibaldi — Kim and a small garibaldi from the Cabrillo Mole in 2003

Piers: Often hooked at southern California piers located near kelp beds or rocky reefs. Best bets: Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, and the three main piers on Catalina island—the Green Pleasure Pier and Cabrillo Mole at Avalon (where it’s hard not to hook them), and the Isthmus Pier at Two Harbors. Bait and Tackle: None—illegal to take. Food Value: None since you can’t keep them. Comments: Although pretty to look at, they are pugnacious, strong, and not the friendliest fish. They are extremely territorial and will defend fairly large areas. This is especially true during the spring-summer spawning season when males will build a nest and defend it against intruders, both fellow male garibaldi and other species (including humans). Apparently the cute little missy garibaldi are an exception and allowed to invade those spaces and deposit their eggs. It is illegal to keep these fish, but why? As related to me by a Fish and Game official, the campaign to make them illegal originated in Avalon. It seems that the glass bottom boats, a popular attraction at Avalon on Catalina Island, were worried that anglers (actually divers) were taking far too many of the beautifully colored fish and that it was bad for their business (since garibaldi are one of the most viewable fish from the boats). They got a law passed making it illegal to keep them in Avalon waters and soon after the question came up as to why not make it illegal throughout the state. Eventually the statewide law making them illegal was indeed passed by the legislature. Today, most anglers return the fish to the water if they’re mistakenly hooked. However, a number are also speared illegally. It seems colorful fish are required at the wedding dinner tables of some Pacific Islanders and garibaldi are a favorite. Once again long-time cultural tradition clashes with today’s rules. Garibaldi are one of California’s two official “state fish.” Garibaldi are the “saltwater” or marine fish while golden trout are the “freshwater” fish. Garibaldi are illegal to keep in California.

Kelp Bass  — Small, average size kelp bass from Cabrillo Mole

Kelp Bass — Species: Paralabrax clathratus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words para (near) and labrax (a European bass), and the Latin clathratus  (latticed, referring to the coloring on the back). Alternate Names: Commonly called calico bass; also rock bass, bull bass, checkerboard bass, kelp salmon, lockee cod, cabrilla, bucket mouth (a large bass) and dinner bass. Weird name—police car, a name probably invented by an angler who watched too many episodes of Cops. Called cabrilla sargacera in Mexico. Identification: Typical bass shape. Kelp bass have a single dorsal fin notched between the sections, and the third and fourth spines are of about equal length and taller than the soft-rayed section. Their coloring is brownish or olive on the back, brownish white blotches on the uppersides, tinged with yellow on the underside, and yellow fins.

Kelp Bass — DompfaPops and a kelp bass from the Cabrillo Mole in 2008

Size: Length is to 28.5 inches and weight to 14.5 pounds. Most caught from piers are less than 12 inches in length. The California record fish weighed 14 lb 7 oz and was taken near San Clemente Island in 1958. Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California to the Columbia River, Washington. Uncommonly seen north of Monterey Bay. Habitat: Rocky areas or around kelp, from surface down to 130 feet, but common from 8 to 70 feet. Milton Love, our favorite über-marine biologist, says “kelp bass actually should be called stuff bass, because what they really like is, well, stuff. And they don’t care what the stuff is. Sewer pipes, old tires, oil platforms, chunks of sunken streetcars, it doesn’t really matter. If a kelp bass can stare at it, sort of cuddle up to it and the stuff doesn’t turn around and eat it, that’s all that counts.”

A bass from the Mole in 2015. She’s not going to kiss it, that’s for sure!

Piers: Oceanfront piers with artificial reefs or extensive summer kelp see the most kelp bass. Best bets: Embarcadero Marina Park Pier, Shelter Island Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon), Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), Goleta Pier and Gaviota Pier. Bait and Tackle: As with their brethren bass, they are opportunistic feeders grabbing just about anything that looks palatable. They’re also carnivores subsisting mainly on small fish—anchovies, smelt, sardines, perch, queenfish—as well as squid, octopus, crabs, shrimp and worms. Most kelp bass that are caught off piers are caught while anglers are fishing on the bottom for other species. Typical gear is a high/low leader with number 4-2 hooks. Best bait is live bait—anchovies or smelt—followed by strip bait, such as anchovy, mackerel or squid. Live bloodworms, fresh mussels and ghost shrimp will also attract the calicos, as will well-presented artificial lures.

KJ and a kelp (calico) bass from the Cabrillo Mole in 2010

Food Value:If you are lucky enough to land a keeper-size fish you will have a good meal. Kelp bass have a mild-flavored meat suitable to almost any kind of cooking. They can be used as fillets, baked whole, or cut into smaller pieces for deep-frying. Comments: One of the favorite sport fish of southern California anglers but not really a leading species on piers. However, the number of small, immature, and illegal bass found at times around the Green Pleasure Pier at Avalon is almost unbelievable. An interesting discussion took place one week on the Pier Fishing in California Message Board. The question was asked as to which fish was a better fighter—kelp bass or largemouth bass? With one exception, those anglers who have caught both species gave the nod to the kelp bass. The lone dissenting vote did not rule in favor of largemouth bass. He simply said that calicos (kelp bass) fight differently in open water than they do around kelp. He felt around cover they fight incredibly strong, in the open water they fought somewhat less, likening it to the fight of a smallmouth bass which he still thought was superior to that of a largemouth.

Blacksmith

Blacksmith — Species: Chromis punctipinnis (Cooper, 1863); from the Greek word chromis (a croaker) and the Latin words punctipinnis  (spot fin). Alternate Names: Blue perch, kelp perch, rock bass and black perch. In Mexico called castañeta herrera. Identification: Perch-shaped but not so deep—compressed and somewhat elongate. Their dorsal fin is long and undivided. Their coloring is dark blue or black on the back, grayish blue on sides, yellow tones in fins; they have black spots on the posterior half of the body. Size: Length to 12 inches; most caught off piers are 6-10 inches. Range: Punta San Pablo, central Baja California, to Monterey Bay. Common in southern California. Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky-shore areas and in kelp beds; young and adults aggregate according to size. Surface to 150 feet deep although may travel down to 300 feet. Piers: Generally found only at southern California piers, and then only those located close to extensive kelp or reefs (although I have seen a few blacksmith landed at Monterey Wharf #2). Best bets: Oceanside Harbor Pier, Green Pleasure Pier and Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, and sometimes in late summer, Gaviota Pier. Bait and Tackle: Size 6 to 8 hooks fished on the bottom to mid-depth. Best bait are live bloodworms, lug worms, live crabs, fresh mussels or small pieces of shrimp. Food Value:  Too small to have much meat. Comments: Really only common at a few piers although I have seen them caught at many piers. It is reported that young blacksmith seek out cleaning fish, usually juvenile pileperch or senorita, and place themselves in positions where the cleaning fish are almost forced to remove external parasites from them. During these actions, the blacksmith may be head up, head down, on their side or even upside down. If the cleaner tries to leave, blacksmiths follow and prevent escape. Talk about bad manners.

California Sheephead

Sheephead — Species: Pimelometopon pulchrum (Ayres, 1854); from the Latin pulcher (for beautiful) and pimelometopon (meaning fat forehead). And, this may have been changed to Semicossphus pulcher. Alternate Names: Sheepie, goat, billygoats (large fish), red fish, snaggle tooth, humpy, and fathead. Early day names included California redfish. In Mexico called vieja californiana.

A female sheephead beginning to transform into a male

Identification: Easily identified by color. Adult females uniform brownish-red to rose; male with black head, red band in middle, and black in posterior portion of body; chin white on both sexes. Males have a large, fleshy lump on their forehead, which increases in size with age. Stout, protruding canine-like teeth in front of mouth; somewhat bucktoothed. Size: Length to 3 feet, and weight to 36.25 pounds although the majority of fish taken from piers are 9-14 inches in length. The California record fish weighed 30 lb 8 oz, and was taken at Newport Beach, Orange Co. in 2009. (A 29-pound sheepie was 32-inches long and 53 years old.) The largest sheephead I’ve seen reported from a pier was a 29.7-pound sheephead taken from the Redondo Sportfishing Pier in February 2008.

A young female sheephead from the Cabrillo Mole

Range: Cabo San Lucas, southern Baja California, and the Gulf of California to Monterey Bay. Common in southern California but considered uncommon north of Point Conception. An isolated population is found near the warm water discharge at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant near Avila Beach and Port San Luis. Habitat: Surface to 180 feet deep, along rocky bottoms and in kelp beds.

Rita and a sheephead from the Cabrillo Mole in 2012

Piers: By far the two best piers are those located at Avalon—the Green Pleasure Pier and the Cabrillo Mole. Sheephead are an expected catch at those piers.  Coastal piers that are located near rocks or kelp beds will see a few sheephead most years but they are always an unexpected treat. Best bets: Shelter Island Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Santa Monica Pier and Paradise Cove Pier. 

KJ and a sheephead from the Cabrillo Mole in 2012

Bait and Tackle: Medium sized tackle, hooks size 4-2/0, and a variety of baits—shrimp, ghost shrimp, bloodworms, fresh mussels, cut squid—will attract sheephead if they’re around the pier.

Corki and a small, itsy bitsy, baby sheephead from the Cabrillo Mole

Food Value: Good. Sometimes used as a lobster substitute in salads and other recipes.

KJ and a sheephead taken from the Isthmus Pier in 2012

Comments: Feeds on such delicacies as sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, snails, squid, lobsters, shrimp and crabs. It uses its canine-like teeth to pry food from rocks, which it then crushes with tooth-plates in the rear of the mouth. Can live to over 50 years and is a protogynous hermaphrodite starting life as a female and then turning into a male when about one foot in length and 4 to 5 years in age (although some appear to stay females up to fifteen years of age and some even refuse to change). Why, dear reader, do most of these fish start life as females and then turn into males? The process, by the way, seems to take less than a year. Apparently it is much more effective than that practiced by the medical establishment in California and is, I am sure, much less expensive.

Rock Wrasse (male, note bar following pectoral fin)

Rock Wrasse — Species: Halichoeres semicinctus (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek words hal (belonging to the sea) and choer (like a pig); and the Latin words semi  (half) and cinct  (banded, in reference to the color). Alternate Names: Wrasse, iodine fish and Parrot Fish. Called señorita piedrera in Mexico. Identification: Similar in shape and sometimes confused with senorita; rock wrasse have a long and slender body (but considerably deeper than a senorita) and a small mouth with protruding teeth. Their coloring is generally greenish brown with dusky vertical bars; males have a dark blue bar behind the pectoral fin. Lacks the large black spot at the base of the tail fin found in senorita. Size: Up to 15 inches although most caught from piers are less than 12 inches long. A 12-inch male weighed 1 pound and was 7 years old.

Rock Wrasse (female, no bar following pectoral fin)

Range: Isla Guadalupe, central Baja California and the Gulf of California to Diablo Cove, San Luis Obispo County. Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky-shore areas, preferring areas with small patches of coarse sand. Main foods are amphipods, small crabs, dove shells, and slipper shells. Piers:  Common at only a few piers due to their rock-loving affinity. Best bets: Green Pleasure Pier at Avalon (where they are common), Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, and occasionally at inner bay piers such as the Shelter Island Pier and the Oceanside Harbor Pier. Bait and Tackle: By far, the best bait is fresh mussels or sea worms, although they will bite on shrimp or small crabs. Tackle should be a size 6 or 4 hook and a light leader. Rock wrasse like to grab bait and immediately head back to their hole under a rock so be ready with a quick response. Food Value: The verdict isn’t in. Some say they’re good, some say not so good.

Rock Wrasse (unusual color phase)

Comments: This little fish invokes an interesting vocabulary and a somewhat epicene and unconventional sex life. These wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, which means in simple terms that they start their lives as females and become males when they reach a length of about one foot. Some sources say all rock wrasses go through this BIG, BIG change, some sources say as little as 5%. Whatever the percent, it must be a traumatic experience. They are also diurnal (another interesting word) meaning they sleep at night. Most seem to bury themselves in sand with only their head sticking out. Reports say they go to bed at twenty minutes before sunset and reappear twenty minutes before sunrise. Since I’ve never witnessed any of these critters wearing a watch, or even a tiny clock, I’m not too sure how they manage this twenty-minute routine? Perhaps the moon acts as the zeitgeber, the environmental cue triggering their strange nap-time behavior? By the way, they are not the only local fish that are hermaphrodites, California sheephead undergo a similar feat at about the same size.

Señorita

Señorita — Species: Oxyjulis californica (Gunther, 1861); from the Greek words oxy  (sharp, for sharp nosed fish) and julis (an old world genus of wrasses), and californica (from California, the location of the first fish studied). Alternate Names: Kelp fish, kelp wrasse, butterfish and iodine fish. Called pescery by 19th century fishermen. Also called Señorita in Mexico. Identification: Señorita have a very long and slender body (one guide book says they’re cigar-shaped), a small mouth and protruding buckteeth. Their coloring is reddish orange above and yellow below with brown and bluish streaks on the side of the head; they have a large black or dark brown crescent-shaped spot at the base of the caudal fin (tail). Size: To 10 inches although most caught from piers are 6-8 inches. Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, to Salt Point, Sonoma County. Considered uncommon north of Santa Cruz. Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky-shore areas, and near kelp beds; usually found in small to dense schools. Senorita are carnivores that feed on small animals and the animals can be located on plants, other animals, in the water or on the bottom. They will pick parasites from other fish and are apparently sought out by a diverse group that includes bat rays, giant (black) sea bass, kelp bass garibaldi, halfmoon, opaleye and mola. It’s reported many fish will maintain awkward positions while being “cleaned” and that garibaldi actually hold their gill slits open for removal of parasites in the gill chamber. Considering that the “ectoparasites” removed includes bacteria, copepods, and isopods, it’s easy to see why the larger fish would be willing to maintain a weird position or two. Piers: I have only seen these caught on a few piers but where present they are the proverbial “bait stealers” for the most part. However, they can be caught at almost any southern California pier located near rocks, reefs or kelp beds. Best bets: Oceanside Harbor Pier, Green Pleasure Pier at Avalon (where they are far too common), Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Gaviota Pier in the fall, and Monterey Wharf No. 2 (where they also are sometimes far too common). Bait and Tackle: Winner of the MNBS (Most Notorious Bait Stealer) Award. Señorita will try to grab (steal) almost any bait that is in their immediate vicinity. If you want to catch them use a small hook, size 6 or 8, and a small piece of mussel, shrimp or worm. Drop your bait to the bottom and then move it up in short increments until you find the school, or perhaps more accurately, until they find your bait—and they will. Food Value: Really too small to eat since a 9-inch señorita only weighs about three ounces. Nevertheless, some people claim to find their “different” flavor delicious and they eat them, others say they have a slight iodine taste. One angler who likes to catch and eat señorita reported that the meat was soft and flakey and tasted a lot like sheephead. Comments: As discussed in Fishes, An Introduction to Ichthyology, by Peter Moyle and Joseph Cech, señorita apparently are sometimes involved, in a complex manner, in helping to restore kelp beds: “Occasionally a severe storm will destroy a kelp forest, and regeneration may be prevented by the grazing of fishes or sea urchins on new kelp plants. Regeneration can occur, however, if rapidly growing green algae colonize the area first, providing the new kelp plants with shelter from grazing fishes (Harris et al. 1984). One of these grazers is the señorita, which is actually after a small bryozoan that encrusts the blades of plants. In order to eat the bryozoans, the señorita has to take bites from the blades; this can seriously weaken the plant if it is small, but has little effect when the plant is large. There is, however, another invertebrate, a herbivorous isopod, than can become so abundant it can destroy mature kelp plants. The señorita is the main predator on this isopod and keeps its populations small, maintaining the kelp beds in the process (Bernstein and Jung 1979).“ Señorita are attractive little fish that seem best suited for saltwater aquariums, or simply to be left alone since they seem to do quite a bit of good. Problem is they won’t leave bait alone. It is reported that they bury themselves at night in the sand with just their heads sticking out. Since they’re typically found in fairly large congregations, their nesting area must look a little strange. Perhaps like some sort of a weird colored, underwater asparagus patch. 

Ocean Whitefish — Caught by Adam (Baitfish) at the Catalina Get Together in 2011

Ocean Whitefish — Species: Caulolatilus princeps (Jenyns, 1840); from the Greek words caulo (stem) and latilus (probably a similar fish) and the Latin word princeps (leader).  Alternate Names: Blanquillo, blanka. In Mexico called pez blanco, blanquillo fino or pierna. Identification:  Elongate with a small mouth; distinguished by the very long single dorsal fin; long base of anal fin originates about middle of body; caudal peduncle rounded and slender. Brown to yellowish back, paler below; yellow or yellowish green edging on fins; blue stripe near edge of dorsal and anal fins. Size: To 40-inches, although most caught by anglers are less than 8 pounds in weight and most caught from piers are only 12-15 inches long. The California record fish weighed 13 lb 12 oz and was taken at Cortes Bank in 1988. Range: Reported from Peru, including Galapagos Islands and Gulf of California, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia; rare north of Monterey.

Hashem Nahid proved in 2006 that a kissing an ocean whitefish was a BAD idea!

Habitat: Mostly offshore rocky reefs and banks. Also found around kelp beds; shallow water in summer, deeper in winter. Typically feeds on crabs, shrimp, octopuses, squid and small fish. Piers: Although occasionally seen at southern California piers near deep water or kelp, they are only common at two piers, the Cabrillo Mole and Green Pleasure Pier, both in Avalon. Bait and Tackle: Usually caught on the bottom though reported to typically feed four to six feet off the bottom. Top bait seems to be fresh squid cut into strips about 4 inches long and half an inch wide. It’s reported that a reverse dropper loop—with the hook on the bottom and the sinker hanging from a dropper loop a couple of feet up the line—can be deadly. Other good baits include ghost shrimp, market shrimp, mussels, worms and small live bait. Light to medium tackle and a size 4 or 2 hook is all that is needed for most of the pier-caught fish. Deeper water fish require stronger tackle. Food Value: A very good, mild flavored flesh that can be prepared many ways Comments: Care should be taken when handling these fish because they have very sharp serrated edges on their gill plate covers. Their small mouths make them hard to lip latch so use a wet towel to grab and cradle their body. Due to the excellent fighting nature of these fish they are sometimes called the “poor man’s yellowtail.”

Giant Kelpfish (brown coloring)

Giant Kelpfish — Species: Heterostichus rostratus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words heter  (different) and ost (extra bone), and the Latin word rostratus  (beaked or hooked). Alternate Names: Kelpfish, eel, iodine fish, butterfish, and kelp blenny. Called sargacero gigante in Mexico. Identification: The body is long and compressed. The dorsal fin is very long and continuous with many more spines than soft rays. The caudal fin is deeply forked (rounded in spotted kelpfish and striped kelpfish). Their coloring varies from light brown to green to purple depending on the habitat; typically those in kelp are usually kelp-colored, those in eelgrass bright green with brilliant silvery stripes.  Apparently these fish can change colors rapidly, at least juvenile fish, with browns and greens seeming to be the preferred colors. Adult females also have the ability to change from red to brown to green, however, it takes them a little longer than the kids. Alas, the adult males seem to have forgotten how to perform this party-pleasing trick. Size: To 24 inches long; most caught off piers are 10 to 14 inches. Range: Cabo San Lucas, southern Baja California to British Columbia.

Giant Kelpfish (yellow coloring)

Habitat: Shallow-water areas near rocks or kelp. Piers: Found at piers that have a heavy growth of kelp or seaweed. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Cabrillo Pier, Green Pleasure Pier and Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, and Gaviota Pier. Bait and Tackle: Light to medium tackle and small, size 8 to 6 hooks. The best bet is to tie the hooks directly onto the line. Preferred baits appear to be small crabs, pieces of shrimp, live bloodworms or pile worms, and fresh mussels (although I have caught some on small pieces of abalone). Food Value:  Reported to be fair eating although with an unusual flavor. I’ve never tried them myself but would expect them to be good fried. The flesh assumes the external color of the fish. 

Giant Kelpfish (red coloring)

Comments: Although generally considered uncommon north of Point Conception, I have caught a number of these pretty fish while fishing inshore at the Berkeley Pier. The fish were caught right in among the shoreline rocks and the usual bait was small pieces of pile worm. Two related species, striped kelpfish and crevice kelpfish are also common at Bay Area piers; both though have rounded tails and their coloring is different from giant kelpfish.

 Striped Kelpfish

Striped Kelpfish —  Species: Gibbonsai metzi (Hubbs, 1927); from Gibbonsai (William P. Gibbons, an early naturalist from Alameda), and metzi (Charles W. Metz, a student of ichthyology once interested in kelpfish). Alternate Names: Striped kelp-fish, seaweed kelpfish, weed klipfish. Called sargacero or sargacero rayado in Mexico. Identification: Reddish to light brown, usually with darker stripes or darker mottling on sides (color often matches nearby seaweed). Tail rounded (distinguishes them from a giant kelpfish); pectoral fin is short, not reaching the front of the anal fin.Size: To 9 1/2 inches long; most caught off piers are 5-8 inches. Range: Punta Rompiente, central Baja California to Maquinna Point, Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Habitat: Shallow-water areas near rocks or kelp. Piers: Found at piers that have a heavy growth of kelp or seaweed. Best bets: I’ve taken them at the Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), the Paradise Cove Pier (Malibu), Coast Guard Pier (Monterey) and the Princeton Harbor Pier. I’ve also taken them at several Bay Area piers including Agua Vista (in San Francisco), Berkeley Pier (East Bay), and Elephant Rock (North Bay). At the first two they were inshore by the rocks, at the latter the pier sits on a rock. Bait and Tackle: Light to medium tackle and small, size 8 to 6 hooks. Preferred baits appear to be pieces of worm, blood or pile, while small pieces of shrimp and mussels will also entice them. Food Value: Too small, let ‘em go.  Comments: A pretty little fish that likes to hang by the rocks, dart out to grab the bait, and then head back to the rocks.

Spotted Kelpfish

Spotted Kelpfish — Species:Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper, 1864);from Gibbonsai (William P. Gibbons, an early naturalist from Alameda), and the Latin word elegans (elegant or handsome).  Alternate Names: Called Sargacero or Sargacero manchado in Mexico. Identification:Typical kelpfish shape—pointed snout, tiny mouth, rounded caudal fin, and long dorsal fin. Color varies widely; green to brown or tan or reddish—often blotched or streaked. 1-3 (often 2) ocelli on back. Soft rays more widely spaced toward rear of dorsal fin. Scales that extend well onto the caudal fin distinguish it from other kelpfish. Size: To 6.2-inches long; most caught from piers are around 4-5 inches. Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, including Isla Guadalupe, to Piedras Blancas Point, central California. Habitat: Shallow-water areas near rocks or kelp. Typically feeds on benthic crustaceans, small mollusks and worms, but also eats fair quantities of algae. Found from subtidal rocky areas to 56 m depth, usually in seaweed. Female lays white eggs in seaweed; male guards egg mass. Piers: Embarcadero Marina Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Cabrillo Mole in Catalina, Redondo Spotfishing Pier, Malibu Pier, and Monterey Coast Guard Pier. Bait and Tackle: Light tackle and small hooks. Preferred baits appear to be sea worms—pile worms and bloodworms, pieces of shrimp, and fresh mussels. Food Value: Too small to be used for food. Comments: A small fish that is rarely caught due to their small mouth. However, they are sometimes an incidental catch by perch anglers using small hooks.

Opaleye

Opaleye — Species:  Girella nigricans (Ayres, 1860); from the French word girelle (a derivative of julis, an old word used to denote a number of small wrasse in Europe), the Latin word nigr  (dark) and the Greek word ikanos  (becoming, in reference to its pleasing appearance). Alternate Names: Blue-eye perch, green perch, opaleye perch, bluefish, blue bass, greenfish, Jack Benny, Catalina perch, button-back, button-eye, and button bass. Called chopa verde in Mexico. Identification: Opaleye are perch-shaped but heavier bodied. Their coloring is usually dark olive green, usually with two light spots at the base of the dorsal fin; occasionally pale green while some almost all white fish have been observed. Eyes are distinctive: large and an opalescent, blue-green color.

Amanda Liu and an opaleye from the Cabrillo Mole in 2013

Size: To 25.4 inches and 13 1/2 pounds (a 10-11 year old fish speared off south Laguna); most caught from piers are less than 14 inches. The California record fish weighed 6 lb 4 oz and was taken near Los Flores Creek in 1956.  Range: Cabo San Lucas, southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Otter Rock, Oregon. Uncommon north of Point Conception. Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky areas and kelp beds. Piers: Can be caught from almost any pier in southern or central California located near rocks, reefs, or kelp, but they’re uncommon north of Cayucos and rare north of Monterey. Best bets: Shelter Island Pier, Ocean Beach Pier (inshore), Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Cabrillo Pier (jetty side), the Green Pleasure Pier and Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Redondo Sportfishing Pier, and the Paradise Cove Pier. Most of the fish caught at most of these piers are fairly small opaleye. The exceptions are the two piers in Avalon that almost always have good-sized fish available for opaleye-seekers.

KJ and an opaleye from the Cabrillo Mole in 2007

Bait and Tackle: Some anglers specialize in opaleye, and many of them swear that moss or frozen peas are the best bait. I’ve caught them on both, but I’ve actually caught more on ghost shrimp, fresh mussels, pile worms, bloodworm, and small rock crabs. I also managed to hook a few opaleye using garden snails during an experiment testing different baits at Catalina in 2005. Food Value:  A good eating fish that is generally fried. Comments: Primarily herbivores (vegetarians), opaleye eat a variety of plants including feather boa kelp, giant kelp, sea lettuce and coralline algae. Evidently they also grab organisms attached to seaweed as they’re making their rounds, tasty little items like tube worms and red crabs. Opaleye are a favorite of many anglers; they’re hard to hook but once hooked put up a very good fight for their size. The crystal-clear waters at Avalon present quite a challenge for the sagacious, line-shy opaleye. Big schools of 2-4 pound fish hang around the Green Pleasure Pier and the Cabrillo Mole but can be very hard to catch. Use 2-4 pound fluorocarbon line and you might get them! Of course the 1,794 ropes, tangled lines, pilings and yellow submarines that surround and hang under the GPP might also get your line. At the Mole it’s the long fronds and blades of the giant kelp that sway (tidally) in or out near the railing. If the opaleye are allowed to encircle the kelp it’s pretty much over. As soon as they are hooked apply pressure and try to keep them coming toward you while having a person ready with a net. You need to use light line but can also pay the consequences if you’re unwilling to apply enough pressure.

Halfmoon 

Halfmoon —  Species: Medialuna californiensis (Steindachner, 1876); from the Spanish word medialuna (halfmoon, referring to the shape of the tail) and californiensis  (California, where first found). Alternate Names: Catalina blue perch, island mackerel, blooper, blue wizard, blue perch or blue bass. In early days sometimes called medialuna. In Mexico called chopa medialuna. Identification: Halfmoon are perch-shaped but heavier bodied; they’re similar in many ways to opaleye. Their coloring is normally bluish-black above, bluish-gray on sides, and light blue below. Their tail is shaped like a half-moon. Size: A 19-inch fish weighed 4 pounds 12.5 ounces. Range: Gulf of California to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Habitat: Halfmoon are found in shallow-water, rocky areas and kelp beds. They’re often in small loose schools in the mid-water area and, at times, mixed in with schools with pileperch.

Halfmoon taken at the Mole by Jimbojack in 2007

Piers: Common at southern and central California piers that are located near rocks, reefs or kelp. They’re common as far north as Cayucos but occasionally taken as far north as Santa Cruz. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, the Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon), Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Hermosa Beach Pier, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Gaviota Pier, and the Paradise Cove Pier. Bait and Tackle: Halfmoon will take almost any bait but they prefer fresh mussels, shrimp, or small crabs. When schools are present, a small strip of squid will often work, and you will lose far less bait. Halfmoon caught from boats seem to be less picky and will often hit pieces of anchovy, sardine, or sqiuid.  Food Value:  A good eating, mild-flavored fish. Comments:  Halfmoons are good fighters, very similar to opaleye and the larger perch. They will eat almost anything in their environment including red, green, and brown algae, sponges, bits of seaweed, green moss, shrimp, mussels, squid, and fish. Apparently they have a hard time deciding whether to be vegans or meat-eaters and that may explain their scrappy and perhaps irritable nature.

Black Seaperch or Blackperch

Black Seaperch — 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. 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 off piers are under a foot.The California record fish weighed 1 lb 11 oz and was taken from San Carlos Beach in 2006. 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. 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.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. 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.

Pile Perch — Robert Gardner and a Pile Perch from the Cabrillo Mole in 2013

Pile Perch — Species: Damalichthys vacca (Girard, 1855); from the Greek root words racos (ragged) and cheilos (lips) and the Latin word vacca  (like a cow). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Splittail perch, forktail perch, dusky perch, white perch, silver perch, piler perch, and porgy. In Mexico called mojarra muellera or perca. Identification: Pile perch are distinguished by the black spot on the cheek, the very deeply forked tail, and the very tall, first soft rays on the dorsal fin that are about twice the height of the last spines. Color is dark brassy-brown, fading to silver on sides and belly; often has yellow pelvic fins. Pile perch have one dusky, vertical bar across the side at about the high point of the soft dorsal. The posterior position of the bar and the deeply forked caudal fin (tail) distinguish it from sargo. Size: To 17 1/4 inches; most caught from piers are 10-14 inches. The California record fish weighed 1 lb 15 oz and was taken at Long Beach in 2007. Range: Isla Guadalupe (and possibly Bahia Playa Maria), central Baja California to southern British Columbia. Unverified report to Port Wrangell, Alaska. Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky-areas, and around piers and docks, both oceanfront and in bays. Typically they are a bottom dwelling species, called “benthic grazing carnivores” by some. Others classify them as “commuter” fish that move between different habitats in search of prey. All agree they are primarily day feeders seeking out large, hard-shelled invertebrates that they are able to crush with their well developed, fused pharyngeal tooth plates. Since other perch do not share this ability, some scientists feel pile perch should be placed in a separate genus—Danalichthys. Foods include crabs, brittle stars, sand dollars, barnacles, bean clams, (whole) mussels, limpets, dove shells, California cones, Norris top shells, and chitons. Piers: Pile perch are taken at virtually every pier in California but the largest numbers are taken at Bay Area piers. Best bets: Santa Monica Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Berkeley Pier, Point Pinole Pier and McNear Beach Pier. Bait and Tackle: Pile perch can be exasperatingly difficult to catch. The large perch will often be seen placidly swimming in clear view around the mussel-covered pilings while refusing to partake of the offerings of the gods up above—anglers whose mojo is evidently on empty. Damalichthys vacca do seem a little easier to catch when in their dense schools are a’spawning. Perhaps their pea-sized brains are distracted and normal caution takes a back seat to other thoughts? The most common setup is to use a high/low leader with number 6 or 4 hooks, light line, and a light sinker. Best bait in southern California seems to be fresh mussels, rock crabs or bloodworms. In the Bay Area, grass shrimp, rock crabs, pile worms or fresh mussels are best. In Humboldt Bay, frozen tube worms or crab backs are most commonly used. Usually pile perch are nestled up next to the pilings; fish accordingly. Check out the shoreline by the pier at low tide and grab some local live bait—small crabs, mussels, worms, snails or clams; these will usually make the best bait. Food Value: Although large sized and yielding some usable meat, the flesh is only fair in taste. Comments: Many years ago, at Newport Pier, I watched an old-timer show one way to catch the perch. Pile perch were doing their typical trick d’tease: big fish showing a leg but refusing to bite. The old-timer tried out a trick of his own. He took out a mass of recently pried loose mussels, at least a dozen in the clump, and in and around this mussel-mass he wound a leader that had several number 8 hooks attached. Then he attached the leader to a handline and carefully dropped it down next to the pilings. This new mini-piling soon attracted the fish and he was able to catch several of the large pile perch. Sporting? I’m not sure, but it sure was effective. Since then, I’ve seen variations of this technique at both the Santa Monica Pier and at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara and heard stories of its use at the Goleta Pier.  

Kelp Perch

 Kelp Perch — 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 Alaska. 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. 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). 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.

California Barracuda — SteveO and a barracuda from the Cabrillo Mole in 2009

California Barracuda — Species: Sphyraena argentea (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word sphyraena (an ancient name meaning hammer fish) and the Latin word argenteum  (silvery). Alternate Names: Pacific barracuda, barry, gar, fire hose, stove pipe, skinny, scooter, scoot, snake, slime, slimestick, pencil (small fish), barelycuda (small or short fish), or log (big fish). In Mexico called barracuda plateada. Identification: Barracudas are long and slender with a sharp-pointed head and a mouth full of very sharp fang-like teeth. They have two widely separated dorsal fins. They have a distinct look from most other fish, although the young look a little like lizardfish. Size: Reported to 5 feet but recorded to 4 feet and 18 pounds; most caught from piers are under 30 inches.  Almost all large barracuda are females. The California record fish weighed 15 lb 15 oz and was caught near San Onofre in 1957. Range: Cabo San Lucas, southern Baja California, and the Gulf of California to Kodiak Island, Gulf of Alaska. Uncommon north of Morro Bay. Habitat: Pelagic, but young are often found inshore and in bays. Piers: Only common at piers north to Point Conception although fish will sometimes be caught as far north as Pismo Beach and Avila in the late summer and fall months. Best Bets: Shelter Island Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Cabrillo Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach Pier, Venice Pier and Burton Chace Park Dock.

Adam (Baitfish) and a barracuda from the Mole in 2003

Bait and Tackle: Live anchovies, when available, are by far the best bait. If using live anchovies, try a size 4 hook and a sliding leader or use a float/bobber to keep the leader at mid-depth. Small smelt can also be used for live bait although they are not as good as anchovies. Gold spoons—Krocodiles and Kastmasters—as well as Rebel Fast Tracks, have proven to be reliable artificial lures for the scooters. Food Value: Keeper size fish are good to excellent eating. Barracuda will tend to soften quickly if left in the hot sun so clean soon after capture and then keep the fillets in a cooler.

Robert Gardner (Redfish) and a barracuda from the Cabrillo Mole in 2009 

Comments: Although barracuda today are considered somewhat of a bonus fish by most pier fisherman, there was a time, in the not too distant past, when they were common to piers; however, the numbers that frequent piers seem to decrease each year. When I first moved from Newport Beach to San Diego, I was surprised at the number of barracuda caught from piers inside San Diego Bay and Mission Bay. Since then I have come to learn that bays are often the best areas for the young barracuda—small fish up to around two feet in length. In those days it was sometimes common to catch a fish on nearly every cast using a live anchovy or a small lure, especially gold or silver spoons. Today these small fish are illegal and it is best to simply not fish for them; hooks, in particular the treble hooks common to spoons, will tear up the mouths of the under-sized fish. Strange but true, the only time I ever caught a fish with my line OUT of the water was when I was fishing for barracuda one day near the Dana Marina in Mission Bay. A friend and I had rented a rowboat early one morning, and then proceeded to tie gold spoons onto our lines before heading out to the small bait barge in the cove. I left my pole at the back of the boat with the spoon dangling at least 8-10 inches away from the water. Imagine my surprise when a small barracuda jumped out of the water and grabbed the lure as we were rowing out to our spot. And yes, I did land the fish. It happened in August of 1964 on a trip where I caught 21 barracuda among others. The “out of water” fish was the highlight.

Pacific (Chub) Mackerel 

Pacific Mackerel — Species: Scomber japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782); from the Greek word scombros (an ancient name for the common mackerel of Europe) and japoniocus (of Japan). Given the name Pneumatophorus japonicus diego in the early Fish Bulletin #28. Alternate Names: Greenback, green mackerel, green racer, greenies (or candy bar greenies—small mackerel), blue mackerel, striped mackerel, zebra mackerel, right mackerel, chub mackerel, cornfed, frog, tiny tuna, mac, big mac, or mac trash. 19th century fishermen called these tinker mackerel, little mackerel or Easter mackerel. My goodness, what a plethora of diverse names. Called macarela del Pacífico in Mexico. Identification: Typical mackerel shape with am elongated body tapering at both ends; identified by the long space between the dorsal fins, 25 to 30 black to dark green bars and spots across the back, and irregular spots on the sides. Size: To 25 inches and 6 pounds. Most caught off piers are less than 18 inches. The California record fish weighed 2 lb 8 oz and was taken at Los Angeles in 1995. Range: Gulf of California (some sources say Bahia Banderas) to southeastern Kamchatka, western Gulf of Alaska. Also Panama to Chile and Islas Galápagos. Habitat: Pelagic, feeding mainly on euphausids (small, shrimp-like crustaceans, i.e., krill, usually 1/8 onch to less than an inch), squid, and young fish. Found from the surface down to about 100 feet.

Robert Gardner and a Pacific mackerel from the Cabrillo Mole in 2010

Piers: Common at most piers in California north to and including those in Monterey Bay (at more northern piers in late summer or fall). Best bets: Imperial Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach Pier, Malibu Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier and Monterey Wharf #2. Generally uncommon at piers north of Monterey Bay although recent years have seen them enter San Francisco Bay. In 2009 they were taken at many Bay Area piers including most along the San Francisco waterfront and several in the East Bay. Bait and Tackle: Caught on a wide range of baits and artificial lures. A very simple method is also the most common; it is especially useful when fishing from a pier that sits down near the water. Simply attach a size 4-2 hook to the end of the line, put a small split-shot sinker a couple of feet above the hook, and use a small strip of squid, 2-3 inches long, or a bloody strip of mackerel, as the bait. The rigging can be used as is, or used in conjunction with a small float so that the bait stays a few feet under the surface of the water. If available, live anchovies are also excellent bait. When a school of mackerel is in one of their ravenous moods, a Sabiki/Lucky Lura-type bait rig can be deadly and will often produce a fish on every hook (which can lead to tangles and loss of the rig). The most fun can be had with a light outfit and a small artificial lure—a light bonito-type jig or even a cast-a-bubble with a bucktail fly. Generally the bait, whether live bait or cut bait, should be kept moving. A technique that often works is to cast out a high/low leader baited with cut anchovy or piece of mackerel, let it sink toward the bottom, then immediately begin a medium speed retrieve; mackerel will often hit it on the way up, usually just before it gets to the surface. At times, when a school is really hungry, the mackerel will hit on anything and everything (although I think pieces of mackerel are the best bait) and this leads to the common term: “mac attack.” It’s an appropriate title. Food Value: Mackerel are a fairly strong flavored fish, a fact that stops some people from eating them. Too often they wind up being used as bait, as fertilizer, or being thrown away. At the same time many people find them delicious. Typically the difference is due to the way they are handled and cooked. Being a fairly oily fish, the flesh can quickly deteroriate and soften. Put them on ice after capture, keep them cold, and use within a couple of days, and you will be starting with a much more palatable type of flesh. In addition, you can remove the darker (muscle) flesh from the side of the fish (the lighter the flesh the more mild). Lastly, if you want to reduce the strong flavor, cook utilizing methods that remove oil from the flesh—broiling and bar-b-que being best.  If you have a smoker they can also be made into tasty jerky. It’s recorded that in England there has been a special dispensation in existence since the seventeenth century that allows mackerel to be sold on Sunday. Thus the quickly spoiling fish are not wasted. It simply affirms the necessity of keeping them cold and eating them while fresh. The flip side is that some groups prefer the strong flavors. They know that using spices that complement the flesh produces a tasty and favorable piece of fish. Still, mackerel may not be the fish for those raised on the mild tasting, white-fleshed fish used for fish and chips (cod, halibut, rock cod, etc.). Comments: Mackerel numbers seem to go in cycles; for years they will be fairly uncommon and then there will be years when they will be at nearly every southern California pier. Recent years have seen huge catches. Unfortunately many of these mackerel go to waste. I have seen people who loaded buckets (or gunnysacks) with mackerel day after day at their favorite piers. I sincerely hope they used them. Pacific mackerel are pretty little fish and terrific fighters for their size. Seafood, A Connoiseur’s Guide and Cookbook by Alan Davidson, comments on the “attractive and flashy appearance of mackerel,” noting that the “French name maquereau also means ‘pimp’” and that “in the past mackerel was a term for dandy in England.”

Pacific Bonito

Pacific Bonito — Species: Sarda chiliensis (Cuvier, 1832); from the Greek word sarda  (an ancient name for a European species of bonito) and chiliensis (in reference to Chile, South America, where the species was first recognized). Alternate Names: Most commonly called bonehead but also given the names bone, boner, bonefish, flasher, Laguna tuna, magneto, bongo, striped tuna and little tuna. One of my favorites —from the PFIC Message Board—Mr. Bojangles. Called bonito del Pacífico oriental in Mexico. Identification: Tuna-shaped, elongated and pointed at both ends; a series of 6 to 8 finlets that follow the second dorsal fin and anal fin. Coloring dark blue above with greenish reflections and a metallic luster shading into silver below; several dark oblique lines on the back. Size: To 40 inches; most caught from piers are less than 24 inches. The California record fish weighed 22 lb 3 oz and was caught in Malibu Cove in 1978. 

James Liu and a bonito from the Cabrillo Mole in 2009

Range: Southern Baja Californa and Gulf of California to Copper River in Alaska. Also found in subtropical eastern Pacific, Peru to Chile, and off Japan. Primarily feeds on fish, occasionally on squid. As a general rule they’re only found north during El Nino, warm water conditions (and I witnessed several large bonito, all over ten pounds, being caught off of Elk in Mendocino County during the El Nino year of 1983). Habitat: Pelagic, although enters bays, especially those with warm water outlets. Piers: Common at most southland piers, both those in bays and those at oceanfront spots. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Stearns Wharf and Goleta Pier. Rarely seen at piers north of Point Conception excepting during warm-water years.

SteveO and a bonito from the Mole in 2014

Bait and Tackle: Taken on a variety of baits and lures. The best bait is live anchovies fished on a sliding leader or with a cast-a-bubble. The best lure is a bonito feather affixed to either a cast-a-bubble, a Styrofoam float or a golf ball—the bubble/float/golf ball causes commotion on the surface which attracts the bonito and keeps the lure near the top. Food Value:  Bonito are good flavored but require cleaning soon after capture. If bleed quickly, or even better if filleted and then put on ice, the flesh can be quite tasty. If allowed to warm up in a gunnysack on the nice hot surface of a pier the flesh can be almost inedible (which is true with many fish). However, parts of the flesh are dark colored—bloody—and strong flavored. Cut out those parts of the flesh unless you desire them for smoking. Typically the best cooking methods are broiling or bar-b-cuing the meat, although smoked bonito and pickled bonito are also good. When I was young and lived in San Diego, I would often go out on the half-day boats to catch some bonito. A couple of the cooks on the boats would cook up some of the fresh-caught fish. A favorite method was to cut thin slices of meat from the head of the bonito (up behind the eyes) and then lightly cook the slices on a grill using just a little butter. Flavored with soy sauce, it was delicious.

Rita and a bonito from the Cabrillo Mole in 2009

Comments: Many people feel that bonito are among the strongest fighting fish, pound for pound, in the sea. Sometimes during the cold-water, winter months the Redondo Sportfishing Pier in King Harbor is the best place in the state to catch bonito. Sometimes? The nearby power plant used to allow its hot water to flow into the harbor every winter, an event that usually would attract bonito and anglers. Today it’s a sometimes thing. When on, the warm water is discharged via the famous “bubble” that sits a short distance out from the pier.

California Yellowtail — Yellowtail reach a good sioze, this 48.5-pound beauty was caught by Tony Troncale at the Crystal Pier in San Diego

California Yellowtail — Species: Seriola dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1833); from the Italian word seriola (for amberjack) and dorsalis (the long dorsal fin). Some sources now use Seriola lalandi. Alternate Names: Yellowtail, amberjack, white salmon, amber fish, forktail, tails, rats (little fish), firecracker  (small fish), mossback (large fish) and cavasina. In Mexico typically called esmedregal or medregal de rabo amarillo. Identification: Typical jack shape with metallic blue to green above, a brassy horizontal band along the sides from eye to tail; silvery below; some fish are olive-brown to brown. Fins and tail are yellowish Size: To 80 pounds and over 5 feet long. Most caught off piers are less than 10 pounds. The California record fish weighed 63 lb 1 oz and was caught at Santa Barbara Island in 2000. Range: Circumglobal in warmer waters and some temperate waters. In the eastern Pacific from Chile to northern British Columbia. Unverified reports from Gulf of Alaska off Kodiak Island and Cordova. Uncommon north of Point Conceptin. Habitat: Usually found around offshore islands, rocky reefs, or kelp beds. Primarily feeds on squid and fish.

Rita Magdamo caught this firecracker-size yellowtail at the 2014 James Liu Derby

Piers: Most southern California piers located near reefs or kelp will see a few yellowtail caught during the year.  However, they are always a bonus fish and rarely caught in large numbers off of piers. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, and the Cabrillo Mole at Avalon.

A yellowtail taken from the Green Pleasure Pier in 2014

Bait and Tackle: If an angler wants to try for yellowtail he should have heavy enough tackle to insure a fair chance of landing the fish. Yellowtail like to head for rocks or kelp as soon as they’re hooked so line should test 20-30 pounds, hooks should be small (size 6 or 4) but strong, and the angler must make sure the fish is played out before it nears the pier and the pilings. Although lures work well on boats, almost all of the pier-caught yellowtail are taken on live bait—especially on small jack mackerel, Pacific mackerel or Pacific sardines. Food Value: A fairly good tasting fish that is usually broiled or bar-b-cued. Comments: One of the favorite southern California sport fish but much more common out in deeper water.

Jack Mackerel

Jack Mackerel — Species: Trachurus symmetricus (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek words trachus (rough) and oura (tail), and the Latin word symmetria (symmetrical or regularly shaped). A member of the jack family Carangidae. Alternate Names: Spanish mackerel, Spaniard, horse mackerel, mackerel jack, saurel, agii and jackfish. Called horse mackerel and scad by 19th century fishermen. In Mexico called charrito or charitto chicharo. Identification: Typical jack shape although slim. The second dorsal fin and the anal fin extend almost to the caudal fin. On the side, along the lateral line, there is a ridge extending almost the entire length of the fish. Their coloring is iridescent green above, sometimes with a bluish luster, often mottled with lighter and darker shades; silvery on the belly. Size: To 32 inches; most caught off piers are less than 14 inches. The California record fish weighed 5 lb 8 oz and was taken at Huntington Beach in 1988. Range: Gulf of California to the Pacific Ocean south of the Aleutian Islands and in the Gulf of Alaska. Habitat: Pelagic in nature, preferring moderately deep water although ranges from the surface down to 150 feet. Often found in schools with Pacific mackerel and sardines. Primarily feeds on large copepods, euphausids, pteropods, squid and small fish. Piers: Most common to southern California and the central coast. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier and Hermosa Beach Pier. Some years will see large schools of these fish at the Central Coast piers—Avila, Port San Luis, Monterey Wharf #2, Seacliff State Beach Pier and the Santa Cruz Wharf. I have also had reports of good catches of jack mackerel at the “B” Street Pier in Crescent City, which is just a short distance south of the Oregon border. The fish in Crescent City seem to show up from late August to September and typically are good-sized fish, 22-28 inches long, the kind that are more commonly taken out in deep water by anglers trolling for salmon. Bait and Tackle: Usually caught near the top of the water; often found in mixed schools with Pacific mackerel (and sometimes Pacific sardines). When present, jack mackerel can be caught on a variety of tackle and baits. Light to medium tackle, a size 6 or 4 hook, and a live anchovy (especially small pinhead anchovies), can be deadly. Many are also caught on small lures, every thing from small bonito jigs, to Scampis, to small feathers. Often times bait rigs can also produce a lot of fish: simply tie several shiny size 8 hooks to your line. In central California, Sabiki/Lucky Lura-type bait leaders are the most common rigging. Many times a cast, followed by a slow retrieve, will see the jack mackerel follow the bait nearly to the surface and then strike just before the line leaves the water. Best months are usually July through September. Food Value:Fair food value but somewhat oily. The common name was changed from horse mackerel to jack mackerel by the DF&G in 1947 in order to increase the consumer appeal of the fish. In other words, it was done to (hopefully) help the fish canning companies make a little more money. Companies that had seen the sardines disappear along with cans of sardines and profits! Comments: Small jack mackerel are favorite baits for white seabass and yellowtail. A close relative and very similar looking fish, the Mexican scad, is occasionally seen in California; the scad have an orange or reddish stripe on the side. The one and only one I have caught was at the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon.

Salema

 Salema — Species: Xenistius californiensis (Steindachner, 1876); from xenitius (strange sail, in allusion to the dorsal fin) and californiensis (in reference to California as a geographic area). Alternate Names: Bass, big eye, big eye bass, striped bass and lima perch. In Mexico called salema, pajarillo or ojotón. Identification: This pretty little fish resembles a striped bass in shape and is even striped, but both color and range is different. Salema have a bass-like body, very large eyes, and 6-8 orange-brown horizontal stripes on the side. Their coloring is iridescent blue-green above, and silvery below; tail fins orange-brown. They will often also make a grunting noise when removed from the water. They are sometimes mistaken for small striped bass. Size:Up to 12 inches but most caught off piers are only 6-8 inches long. Range: Found from Peru to Monterey Bay but reportedly most common south of Dana Point. My records however show they are most commonly caught from piers between Oceanside and Santa Monica. They are uncommon north of Point Dume and rare north of Santa Barbara. Habitat: Shallow-water rocky areas and in kelp beds. Salema are usually found in schools and though primarily nocturnal feeders they also forage (and bite) during the day. The young often school with juvenile sargo and black croaker. Piers: Best bets: Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach Pier, and the Henry Chace Park Pier. I have also taken quite a few from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon but only during nighttime hours. In addition, I have seen a number taken from the Port Hueneme Pier and Ventura Pier—both supposedly in areas where salema are considered uncommon. Bait and Tackle: These fish will take most small baits on a size 6 or 8 hook, including small pinhead anchovies. Most, however, are caught on mussels, bloodworms, or a small strip of anchovy or mackerel. Fish around the pilings and fish from just off the bottom to mid-depth. Food Value: Salema are a mild-flavored fish, best suited for pan-frying. Comments: Although this is a small fish, its relative scarcity and attractive appearance make it a worthwhile catch (and they give a good, rugged little battle when caught on ultra-light tackle). I’ve always thought they would make a beautiful saltwater aquarium fish.I’m not sure where the name derives but there is a small fishing village on the coast of Portugal named Salema. Although once considered part of the “last undiscovered tourist frontier,” those days apparently are over (at least according to the esteemed travel expert Rick Steves). It’s been discovered. In 2006 Practical Fishkeeping Magazine reported: “Men hallucinate after eating fish. Two men have suffered terrifying visual and auditory hallucinations after eating a popular local seafish in Mediterranean restaurants… the men started seeing and hearing things after contracting a rare form of hallucinogenic poisoning from the Salema fish they were dining on… The effects of eating ichthyoallyeinotoxic fishes, such as certain mullet, goatfish, tangs, damsels and rabbitfish, are believed to be similar to LSD, and may include vivid and terrifying auditory and visual hallucinations. This has given rise to the collective common name for ichthyoallyeinotoxic fishes of ‘dream fish’. The poisoning can start to cause vivid hallucinations within minutes of eating a poisonous fish and may last for days, often with no other effects. There is no antidote… Indoles, with similar chemical effects to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) are believed to be responsible and may be consumed when the fish eat algae or phytoplankton containing the chemicals. All of the species effected by ichthyoallyeinotoxism are algal grazers. Others have claimed that different species of ichthyoallyeinotoxic fishes, such as Kyphosus fuseus, contain much more potent hallucinogens, such as dimethyltryptamine or DMT, which is considered to be one of the world’s most mind-bending hallucinogenic chemicals… Sarpa salpa, the fish consumed by the men was a member of the Sparidae family and is commonly known as the Salema porgy… According to the paper, Sarpa salpa was consumed as a recreational drug in the Med during the Roman Empire.” So there you have it, the salema in California were not the culprit in this strange episode of hallucinogenic poisoning even though California, especially the Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco would seem a natural place for such an occurrence.

Kelp Rockfish

Kelp Rockfish — Species: Sebastes atrovirens (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek word sebastes (magnificent), and the Latin word atrovirens  (black and green). Alternate Names: Confused with gopher rockfish, grass rockfish, and brown rockfish. Commonly called sugar bass, sometimes called dumb bass or grass bass. Called garupa or green rockfish in the Monterey Bay fishery of the 1880s. A favorite but still slightly weird name, one probably invented by some Internet addicted angler, is oogly googly. Called rocote de sargaso or rocote sargacero in Mexico. Identification: Typical bass-like shape. Their coloring is olive-brown to gray-brown with brown mottling; whitish or pinkish white below. Just to confuse anglers, a few kelpies also show up with reddish coloring (don’t know why). Although often mistaken for grass rockfish, they are easily differentiated during cleaning—the kelp rockfish has long and slender gill rakers on its first gill arch while the grass rockfish has very short and blunt gill rakers. Although not really a stuck up fish, they do have a definitive up-turned profile. Size: To 16 3/4 inches; most caught from piers are less than 12 inches long. Range: From Bahia San Carlos and San Benito Island, central Baja Californa (some sources say Punta San Pablo), to Albion, Mendocino County. Most commonly found from central California south. Habitat: Commonly found in kelp forests, ranging from the canopy down to the bottom where they feed on a variety of prey including small fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. During the day they will often rest in the kelp, drifting motionless within the blades of kelp (including hanging upside down). At night they come to life seeking out whatever food is near their home. Younger fish are often in intertidal areas although adults can range down to a 190-foot depth (but most common from 20-80). Kelpies are one of the most common rockfish in shallow-water rocky areas. They are also one more resident species that rarely moves more than ten feet away fom its home in an entire year. Although sharing territory with other shallow-water rockfish sich as blue, gopher, black-and-yellow, and olive rockfishes, they are apparently kept out of the bottom areas by the more aggressive (and territorial) gopher and black-and-yellow rockfishes. Piers: Kelp rockfish are primarily found at piers that have a good summertime growth of kelp around the pier. Best bets: Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Paradise Cove Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier (along the pipe-reef), Gaviota Pier, Port San Luis Pier, Cayucos Pier, San Simeon Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Monterey Wharf No. 2, and Santa Cruz Wharf. Juvenile fish are common at the Morro Bay T-Piers, Pillar Point Harbor Pier and the San Francisco Muni Pier. Bait and Tackle: Use a high/low leader, number 6 or 4 hooks, and pile worms, small pieces of shrimp, or small strips of squid. Food Value: An excellent eating, mild-flavored fish that is best fried. Italian fishermen of the 19th century considered this to be one of the best tasting of all the rockfish. Comments: Kelp rockfish are reported to live 25 years of age although few are older than 20. Most females are first mature (and reproductive) at about 6 inches and 3 years of age, most are mature by 7 inches and 3.5 years, all are mature by 9 inches and 6 years of age (although one study found initial maturity and reproduction not starting until 8.7 inches and 5 years of age).

Brown Rockfish

Brown Rockfish — Species: Sebastes auriculatus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word sebastes (magnificent) and the Latin word auriculatus  (eared, referring to the large spot on the gill cover). Alternate Names:  Chocolate bass is a common name as is bolina (from Bolinas Bay where they were first caught in large numbers). Sand bass, sugar bass, brown bass, cinnamon bass, brown bomber, brown rock cod, ground owl, and garrupa (grouper) are other colloquial names. Called cha menuke and chairo menuke by the Japanese; rocote moreno in Mexico. On PFIC these fish are simply designated SBRF or sbrf in deference to the appellation first applied by “pierhead” (actual name Boyd Grant, the Yoda-like Pier Master and patient teacher of youthful, local padawans on the path to “Pier Rat” enlightenment).  He recorded the daily catch at Goleta Pier from 2002-2003 and found that nearly 30% of the fish caught from the pier’s pipe-reef were small brown rockfish. If it was a “larger” small brown rockfish it became SBRF, if it was a “smaller” small brown rockfish it became sbrf. To this day most regulars on the site know what the acronyms mean and use them in their reports. Identification: Typical rockfish shape. Their coloring is light brown with darker brown mottling. A very prominent dark brown spot on the opercle (gill cover) most easily identifies brown rockfish. Sometimes confused with copper rockfish but the coppers do not have the dark spot on the opercle and are lighter colored. Up in the northern waters of Puget Sound hybridization between brownies, quillbacks and coppers can really confuse identification.Size: To 22.4 inches; most caught from piers are less than 12 inches long. The California record fish weighed 6 lb 15 oz and was caught at the Colorado Reef, north of Princeton Harbor, San Mateo Co. in 2008. Range: Bahia San Hipolito, central Baja California, to Prince William Sound, northern Gulf of Alaska. A wide-ranging rockfish that I have caught as far south as the Cabrillo Mole at Avalon and as far north as Pier 57 on the Seattle waterfront. Habitat:  Shallow subtidal areas and in bays. In shallow waters they prefer rocky areas and kelp beds; in bays they are often found around structure (especially the younger fish) although some are also found in beds of eelgrass. Adults in deeper waters tend to hang down near the rocky bottoms. San Francisco Bay is considered an important habitat for juvenile brown rockfish. Apparently all of the brownies in S.F. Bay are five years of age or younger, after that age they move offshore into deeper waters. Adults can range down to 444 feet but are only common to about 400 feet. Most are caught in waters shallower than 175 feet. Apparently they are residential, rarely moving more than a couple of miles from home (although sometimes into deeper water during the winter). Their diet includes a variety of invertebrates, especially crabs and shrimp, and they will rarely pass up the opportunity to gulp down an available, smaller fish. Piers: Most commonly caught from piers north of Monterey Bay although the pipe-reef at the Goleta Pier yields a steady number of fish throughout the year. Small brown rockfish are one of the most common fish caught at Bay Area piers. Best bets: Cabrillo Mole (Avalon) Goleta Pier, Port San Luis Pier, Morro Bay T-Piers, Piller Point Harbor Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Port View Park Pier, Berkeley Pier, Paradise Beach Pier, Angel Island Pier, Elephant Rock Pier and the Fort Baker Pier. Many brownies are also caught from the piers and docks that line the Eureka waterfront, especially the Commercial Street Dock. Bait and Tackle: Small brown rockfish are commonly caught under and around the pilings of Bay Area Piers. Small hooks, size 6 or 8, baited with a small piece of pile worm is by far the best bait although strips of squid and even cut bait will take some fish. Food Value: An excellent eating, mild-flavored fish that is best fried. Comments: Brownies can live to 34 years in age although few reach 25 years, a relatively short life for members of the rockfish family. A few fish mature and reproduce at 7.4 inches and 3 years of age, most mature between 9.4-12.1 inches and 4-5 years, all are mature by 14.8 inches and 10 years of age. These fish can be a lot of fun for youngsters to catch but most caught from piers are really too small to keep. According to the California Fish and Game “the brown rockfish has been identified as a species vulnerable to severe localized depletions in other areas; in Washington state, the Puget Sound stock of brown rockfish was recommended for listing as a threatened species in 1999.”

Grass Rockfish 

Grass Rockfish — Species:  Sebastes rastrelliger (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words sebastes (magnificent) and rastrelliger  (a rake, in reference to the stubby gill rakers). Alternate Names: Often called a variation of bass—grass bass, rock bass, pepper bass, sugar bass, and in the north, kelp bass. Also called rock cod, green garrupa, green rockfish, kelp rockfish, schmo, and green bomber. Called garrupa (grouper) by early day Portugese fishermen; scomoda (Italian for inconvenient or hard to catch) and gopher by Monterey fishermen; grass rockfish by San Francisco fishermen. Called rocote de olivo in Mexico. Identification: Typical bass-like shape although they have the chunkiest body shape of the shallow-water rockfish. They are a dark colored fish—dark green or olive above; mottled green, black or gray on side; whitish below; fins dark. There is also a rare light-colored variation in pigmentation that is yellowish-orange. Although often mistaken for kelp rockfish, these “husky boys” are easily differentiated during cleaning—the grass rockfish has very short and blunt gill rakers on its first gill arch. The gill rakers are nearly as wide as they are long. Size: Length to 22 inches; generally between 8 and 16 inches for those caught from piers. The California record fish weighed 5 lb 6 oz; it was caught at Trinidad in 2006.

A Grass Rockfish caught by Ken Jones at the Cabrillo Mole in 2015

Range: Bahia Playa Maria, central Baja California, to Westport, Washington. Habitat: A shallow water rockfish, found from intertidal depths to about 150 feet. Most are found in shallow-water rocky areas, especially where there is vegetation. Grassies are common to kelp beds and reefs where they often hide in the crevices. In comparison to other rockfish, their shallow water habitat most closely mimics that of the black-and-yellow rockfish. While juvenile grassies are diurnal (daytime) feeders, adult fish are nocturnal (nighttime) feeders that primarily feed near the bottom. Key prey includes crabs, shrimp, snails, isopods and small fish including perch.Piers: Although one of the most common shallow-water rockfish in California, relatively few are taken from piers south of Point Conception (although I have taken several from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon). Needed ingredients are a rocky bottom or substantial kelp near the pier. However, juveniles are often taken from piers located in bays during the summer months. Best bets for juvenile fish include the Morro Bay T-Piers, Pillar Point Harbor Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Berkeley Pier and Citizen’s Dock (Crescent City). Most years see a few adult fish taken from the Goleta Pier (near the the pipe-reef) and Gaviota Pier. Higher numbers of adults are taken from the Port San Luis Pier, Morro Bay South T-Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf (in the wells at the end), Point Arena Pier (perhaps the best), Trinidad Pier and Citizen’s Dock (Crescent City). Grass rockfish are fairly common around the Point Arena Pier from June until October; fish inshore or cast straight out on the left side of the pier to the nearby reefs. Generally considered the most important rockfish for rock and jetty fishermen. Bait and Tackle: Medium to light gear is sufficient for these fish. A high/low leader equipped with size 4 or 2 hooks is common tackle. Fish on or near the bottom and be prepared for a strike at any time. Best baits appear to be shrimp, mussel, pile worms or tube worms. Food Value: An excellent eating, mild-flavored fish that is best fried. Italian fishermen of the 19th century considered this to be the best tasting of all the rockfish and apparently that opinion is still held by many. At $4.85 per pound, grass rockfish received the highest prices paid to California commercial fishermen for rockfish in 1998. There was a distinct difference in price between the shallow water rockfish kept and sold as live fish versus the deepwater species but that doesn’t detract from the grass rockfish ranking of #1. Treefish were #2 at $4.66 per pound, olive rockfish and bronzebacked rockfish tied for #3 at $3.74, gopher rockfish were #5 at $2.78, China rockfish #6 at $2.72, black-and-yellow #7 at $2.41, quillback rockfish #8 at $1.79, brown rockfish #9 at $1.61, and kelp rockfish #10 at 1.57.  Rosethorn rockfish were down at the bottom of the 31 species listed at only $.38. Comments:Grass rockfish are relatively short-lived rockfish only reaching an age of about 23 years. In southern California, some females are reproductive by 8.6 inches and 2 years of age, the majority are reproductive by 9.4 inches and 4 years, all are reproductive by 11 inches and five years. Those in central California north take longer to mature. 

Treefish

Treefish — Species: Sebastes serriceps (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words sebastes (magnificent), and serriceps (formed from two Latin words meaning saw head) in reference to the large head spines. Alternate Names: Convict fish, lipstick bass, lipstick fish, barber pole and garrupa.  Called rocote presidiario in Mexico. Identification: Body short and compressed with thick spines on the head. Easily identified by the yellowish to olive (sometimes dark olive) coloring with five to six vertical black bars on the side, pink lips and two blackish bands radiate from the eye. The young have white-edged fins. Size: To 16 inches. Most caught from piers are under a foot in length. The California record fish weighed 4 lb 3 oz and was caught at Malibu in 2003. Range: From Isla Cedros, central Baja California, to San Francisco; common in southern California but rare north of Santa Barbara. Habitat: Although seen down to 100 feet in depth, they are primarily a shallow-water rockfish that likes to spend its time in caves and crevices, rocky areas, and kelp. Treefish are primarily night and twilight predators that seek out bethnic invertebrates such as shrimp, spider crabsand cancer crabs. However they will also grab small fish when they have the chance. A residential, homebody species that rarely strays far from home. Trees are also highly territorial, competing with fellow treefish and nearshore rockfish (black-and-yellows, grass, and gophers) for food and shelter habitat. Piers: Due to habitat only found at a few piers. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Cabrillo Mole (Avalon)—the best, Hermosa Beach Pier and Goleta Pier. Bait and Tackle: Will take a variety of baits including worms, fresh mussels, ghost shrimp, squid and anchovies. They will hit most bait fished on most riggings. However, a high/low leader utilizing number 4 hooks appears to work best. Food Value: An excellent eating, mild-flavored fish that is best fried. Treefish received the second highest price paid to California commercial fishermen for rockfish in 1998 at $4.66 per pound. Comments: Treefish live to 23 years of age but what’s with the Helena Rubinstein lips? Milton Love says these fish are territorial and the pink/red lips may warn off other fish. Sounds reasonable to me.

California Scorpionfish

California Scorpionfish — Species: Scorpaena guttata (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word scorpaena (scorpion, referring to the poison spines), and the Latin word guttata  (a form of small drops or spotting). Alternate Names: Commonly called sculpin although also called scorpionfish, scorpion, little poker, rattlesnake and scorpene. Early records show stingfish and spinefish as favorite appellations. In Mexico they’re called escorpión Californiano. Identification: Typical rockfish shape, heavy-bodied and with strong head and fin spines. Their coloring is red (deeper water) to brown (more shallow water) with dark spotting over the body and fins. Fin spines are venomous and can cause a very painful, although not fatal, wound. Size: To 17 inches, although most caught from piers are less than 12 inches long. The California record was for a fish weighing 3 lb 0 oz. It was caught at the Silver Strand Beach in 1997. Range: Uncle Sam Bank, central Baja California, and the Gulf of California, to Santa Cruz. They are uncommon north of Point Conception.

KJ and a scorpionfish from the Cabrillo Mole in 2010

Habitat: Most abundant in shallow rocky environments such as rocky reefs, sewer pipes and wrecks; frequently found in caves and crevices. Some are also found on sand. Found from fairly shallow water down to 620 feet. May travel over 200 miles in annual spawning migrations (spring and early summer) that see them form large spawning aggregations on or near the bottom (at a variety of depths). Piers: Although scorpionfish are most common around rocky areas and reef areas, I have seen them caught at almost every oceanfront pier in southern California. Best bets: Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon) and the Cabrillo Mole (Avalon). Bait and Tackle: Scorpions are carnivorous, ambush predators that are primarily nocturnal, feeding at night. Their main diet consists of small crabs, octopus, shrimp, and small fish. A high/low leader with size 4 hooks baited with squid or shrimp seems to work best although they also really like ghost shrimp. Still, I’ve caught them on cut anchovies, strips of mackerel, pile worms, and one on a live queenfish that seemed almost as large as the scorpionfish; they’re not too discriminating as far as food.  Food Value:An excellent eating, mild-flavored fish that is best fried (although they are a favorite fish for sushi and command top prices when fresh fish are available). Comments: Handle with extreme care. California scorpionfish are the most venomous member of the family found in California. If handled in a careless manner and a puncture wound does occur there will usually be pain (sometimes intense) and perhaps swelling that should subside after a few hours. If possible, soak the affected area in hot water as soon as practical (since the hot water alters the toxin and makes it less harmful). Multiple punctures may require doctor’s attention or even hospitalization. The worst story I ever heard of such multiple punctures concerned a middle-aged angler fishing from a boat near Catalina. This lady had caught upwards of a dozen scorpionfish that were dutifully deposited into her gunnysack. Unfortunately, many of the long spines were protruding from her bag when a heavy wave caused her to lose her footing and to fall, bottom-first, onto the bag. The result was butt-porcupine and a helicopter trip back to a hospital. Although studies showed a decline in population before 1980, they seem to have increased and today have a healthy population.   

Cabezon — KJ and a cabezon caught from the Cabrillo Mole in 2012

Cabezon — Species: Scorpaenichthys marmoratus (Ayres, 1854); from the Greek words scorpaena (a related species) and ichthys  (fish), and the Latin word marmoratus  (marbled). Alternate Names: Commonly called bullhead; also marbled sculpin, cab, cabby, bull cod, blue cod, giant sculpin, giant marbled sculpin, scorpion, marble sculpin, salpa and scaleless sculpin. Called scorpion or biggy-head by 19th century Italian fishermen. Identification:  Cabezon have a very large head with a broad bony support from the eye across the cheek, no scales, a cirrus (fleshy flap) on the midline of the snout, and a pair of longer cirrus just behind the eyes. The coloring is brown, bronze, reddish, or greenish above, whitish or turquoise green below, with dark and light mottling on the side. The lining of the mouth is a translucent turquoise green. The color may correlate to their sex with 90% or greater red-colored cabezon being males, 90% or greater green-colored cabezon being females. The mouth is broad with many small teeth. Size: To 39 inches and 25 pounds; most caught from piers are less than two feet. The California record cabezon was a fish weighing 23 lb 4 oz; it was taken near Los Angeles in 1958. The cabezon is the largest member of the cottid (sculpin) family. Range: Punta Abreojos, central Baja California, to Samsing Cove, near Sitka in southeastern Alaska. Habitat: Typically found in shallow-water rocky areas, from intertidal pools to jetties, kelp beds and rocky reefs, any area with dense algal growth. Older fish tend to move to deeper water, as deep as 250 feet. Typically inhabits the tops of rocky ledges as contrasted with rockfish and lingcod that prefer the sheer faces of ledges. Cabezon like to sit and it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s in a hole, on the reef, or on vegetation, they sit versus actively swimming—until they see food. Piers:Cabezon are one of the premier fish for northern California pier anglers with lesser numbers taken from southern and central California piers. Best bets: Cabrillo Pier, Goleta Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Santa Cruz Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Point Arena Pier, Trinidad Pier and Citizens Dock (Crescent City). Bait and Tackle: Although most of the cabezon caught from piers will be fairly small fish less than two feet in length, most years also see some larger fish in the 8-12 pound category. Because of this, you should use at least medium sized tackle; line testing at least 15 pound breaking strength and hooks around 2/0 in size. The best baits are small crabs and fresh mussels but cabezon will bite almost anything that looks like food. Their normal diet includes crabs, small lobsters, abalone, squid, octopus, small fish and fish eggs. Although they often reach good size, they can be frustrating to catch. Cabezon will often tap or mouth bait and spit it out; patience and a feel for when to set the hook is required. Also remember that cabezon like to congregate around “cabezon” holes; if you catch one, there will often be more around. Food Value: Excellent mild-flavored meat that can be prepared in almost any manner; many feel it is best fried. Although few fish are better eating, anglers should not eat the roe (eggs) of cabezon—the eggs are poisonous and can make a person violently ill. Don’t worry if the flesh is blue colored, this is a common occurrence and the flesh will turn white when cooked. Comments: A “lie-in-wait” predator. Their coloring lets them blend in with the surroundings where they lie motionless. When food passes by they use their large, powerful pectoral fins and tails to lunge after the prey engulfing it in their large mouths. In Spanish cabezon means big headed or stubborn and it well describes both their looks and temperment. Cabezon can live to about 20 years of age and I imagine an old cabezon would be a real grouch.

Finescale Triggerfish — KJ and a triggerfish caught from the Cabrillo Mole in 2010

Finescale Triggerfish — Species: Balistes polylepis (Steindachner, 1876); Balistes comes from the Latin word ballista (a device that shoots arrows—referring to the trigger-like spine) and the Greek word polylepis (many scales). Alternate Name: Triggerfish. In Mexico called cochi, puerco coche, cochito or pez puerco. Identification: The body is very compressed; they have a small mouth containing strong, protruding teeth (8 in each jaw); 3 strong, sharp spines are located in the first dorsal fin with 26-28 rays in the second dorsal; small gill slits are located in front of the pectoral fin. The skin is thick with large, rectilinear, plate-like scales. The coloring is brownish with blue speckles on head. Size: To 32 inches and perhaps as much as 16 pounds. Range: San Antonio, Chile, to Metlakatla, (southeastern) Alaska) but considered rare north of Baja California. Habitat: Generally found on the bottom, nearshore near rocky reefs, but they can range down to 1,680 feet deep. Some have arrived north during the El Niño years and it’s speculated that there are at least three established groups near Redondo Beach, Santa Monica and Catalina. They feed on a variety of bethnic-invertebrates such as snails, sponges, sea urchins, shrimp, and crabs as well as the occasional or fish and are most active during the day. Piers: Reported from the Redondo Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, and Cabrillo Mole in Avalon. Bait and Tackle: Will take most bait including squid, market shrimp, and ghost shrimp. Food Value: Excellent, all-white fillets that can be cooked many ways. The only problem is that the skin is like leather so you need a good, sharp fillet knife.

Rita Magdamo and son Kyle with a triggerfish she caught during the 2014 James Liu Derby

Comments: Considered a fairly rare species in California although just enough fish are caught to keep it interesting. I’ve caught three triggerfish —one in Maui, one while fishing out of Rancho Buena Vista in Baja California, and one from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon.

Swell Shark caught by Thomas during the 2012 Catalina Get Together

Swell Shark — Species: Cephaloscyllium ventriosum (Garman, 1880); from the Greek words cephalo  (with a head) and scyllium  (like a dog or monster) and the Latin ventr  (referring to the belly).  Alternate Names: Catshark, puffer shark and balloon shark. Called tiburón inflado, pejegato globo or gato hinchado in Mexico. Identification: Swell sharks have a broad flat head with a rounded snout, and sharp, pointed little teeth. Their first dorsal is back of the middle of body and directly above pelvic fins; second dorsal above anal fin. Their skin is rough and appears flabby while coloring is yellowish-brown to creamy, with black or brownish spots and saddles; sometimes with white spots. When caught, the swell shark may inflate its belly with air or water until its circumference nearly triples in size. However, young swell sharks are not able to duplicate this neat little trick. So see, sometimes it pays to be an adult. Size: To a little over three feet in length. Range:  Acapulco, Mexico and the Gulf of California to Monterey Bay; most common in southern California.

Habitat:  Usually found near kelp beds or rocky areas that contain some kelp; likes to spend the daytime hours holed up in crevices or caves. A nocturnal feeder, they emerge at night to search for food—mainly small fish. But they seem a little lazy. Although sometimes they suck other fish into their mouth (as would a normal feeding fish), some reportedly simply open their mouths and wait for the smaller fish to swim in. It’s called yawning and perhaps explains why swell sharks have less than an athletic looking body (afterall, how much energy can be expanded in yawning for your food?). The next question becomes how often do you think bait is going to swim into their mouths, especially dead bait? Perhaps this is one reason that they are not more commonly caught. Piers: Rarely a common species although good numbers are reported from the Avila Pier, Port San Luis Pier, and the Cayucos Pier. Best Bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon), Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Hermosa Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Avila Pier, Port San Luis Pier and Cayucos Pier. Bait and Tackle: Most swell sharks that are caught from piers are around two feet in length, so medium tackle with a size 2 to 2/0 hook should work fine. Small fish, crabs, and shrimp, seem to be the best bait. Food Value: It is reported that eating a swell shark is not so swell! The flesh is slightly toxic and causes stomach cramps and nausea as well as acting as a cheap aperient (result: diarrhea) and emetic (result: vomiting). Unless you’re really into the masochistic routine I would avoid puffer stew. Nevertheless, I can see all those sadistic little eyes lighting up. Wouldn’t it be cute to give Henry some puffer steaks for his dinner? Let’s see how long it is before he heads to the head. Of course there’s always the story that’s told in the fascinating book Cod, by Mark Kurlansky. He mentions the unusual methods used by a people (Icelanders) seemingly on the verge of starvation: “They ate what the island produced, which was mainly every conceivable part of a cod-fish and a lamb. They roasted cod skin and kept cod bones until they had decomposed enough to be soft and edible. They also ate roasted sheeps’ heads, particularly praising the eyeballs. Another specialty was hákarl, the flesh of a huge Greenland shark, hunted for the commercial value of its liver oil. The flesh, which contains cyanic acid, a lethal poison, was rendered edible by leaving it buried in the groud until it rotted.” Apparently æstur hákarl (Icelandic for fermented shark) with its ammonia-rich smell and taste is still enjoyed by some of the locals. Leaving aside this strange diet, and the question of how they discovered these enriching techniques, it makes you kind of wonder if a swell shark could be made edible by burying it in the ground for a few weeks. Anyone want to give rotted swell shark a try? Perhaps the “Iron Chefs” could do a show using æstur hákarl as the featured ingredient? Comments: An unpleasant and mistaken belief in some areas, especially the central coast, is that returning a swell shark to the ocean after capture ruins the fishing. It’s a rather stupid idea, and wrong, yet you’ll often find misshapen dying or dead swell sharks littering the piers. Since you don’t want to eat swellies (see above), and since they DO NOT hurt the fishing, please return them to the water.  Of course that may not be as easy as it sounds! A puffed up shark returned to the water may simply float away to be attacked by… whatever. Best is to net them and bring them to the top of the pier as quickly as possible. Then, as carefully as possible (since they do have sharp teeth), remove the hook. Try to then keep their mouth shut while returning them to the net and lowering them back down to the water. If successful, they will have gulped as little air as possible and still be able to swim away.   

Horn Shark

 Horn Shark — Species: Heterodontus francisci (Girard, 1855); from the Greek hetero (different) and odont (tooth) and the Latin francisci (referring to San Francisco). (They have a small pointed tooth at the front of their jaw and a blunt tooth at the rear.)  Alternate Names: Bullhead Shark, Port Jackson shark, horned shark, hornback shark. Called tiburón cabeza de toro, tiburón cornudo or tiburón puerco in Mexico. Identification: Horn sharks are spotted sharks with a somewhat pig-like snout. They have a strong spine at the front of each dorsal fin (which accounts for their name) and an anal fin. Their coloring is tan to dark brown or grayish with black spots above, pale yellowish below. Size: Reported to 48 inches, but the largest verified was just over 38 inches long and 22 pounds. Most hornies caught from piers are under 30 inches in length. Range: Found from the Gulf of California to San Francisco. Habitat: Prefers rocky areas although also found near sandy areas that contain kelp. They are nocturnal, bottom-feeding foragers who prefer to spend their daylight hours resting on the bottom or in caves and crevices. At night they head out in their search for food—primarily squids, urchins, crustaceans, anemones and mollusks—but rarely are they found more than six feet from the bottom.

 Kyle Pease and a horn shark caught during the 2015 James Liu Derby

Piers: Most are caught at southern California piers but a few are caught as far north as the pier at Cayucos. Generally found near piers that are close to reefs or kelp. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, San Clemente Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Green Pleasure Pier (Avalon), Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Santa Monica Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Gaviota Pier and Goleta Pier.  Bait and Tackle: Crabs, shrimp, squid and small fish are prime baits but hornies appear to take almost any natural bait. Most horn sharks taken by pier anglers are fairly small fish so light-to-medium tackle equipped with size 2 to 2/0 hooks will suffice.

Food Value:  Reported to be quite tasty, similar to most other sharks. Comments: An interesting little shark. Small horn sharks are frequently sold in aquarium shops where they command top prices. They are generally harmless but anglers should be careful of the dorsal spines and be aware that agitated fish may try to bite careless handlers. Horn sharks are in the Class Chondrichthyes and Subclass Elasmobranchii (as are all sharks and rays) but in the Superorder Galea, which only includes some of the sharks found at California piers. Many of the sharks found at piers are in the Superorder Squalea, which includes sharks as well as guitarfish and rays. Thus some of the sharks are more closely related to rays than to other sharks.

Bat Ray — Rita and a bat ray from the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon Harbor in 2011

Bat Ray — Species: Myliobatis californica (Gill, 1865); from the Greek words myl (a tooth or molar), io (an arrow or poison), batis (a skate or ray) and the Latin word Californica  (referring to location). Apparently called aetobatus californica at one time in California: CA Fish Bulletin #28.  Alternate Names: Stingray, stingaree, bat sting ray, sea ray, eagle ray, batfish, big black, sea bird, flapper, rat tailed stingray, NASCAR, mud marlin (my favorite), and monkey face ray. Called raya murciélago or tecolote in Mexico. Identification:  Bat rays have a very heavy raised head and a dorsal fin at the base of a long whiplike tail with a stinger just behind it. Their coloring is blackish or blackish brown above and white below. Beware of the stinger. Size: Reported to reach nearly six feet across and over 200 pounds. Most bat rays caught from piers are less than fifty pounds but many in excess of a hundred pounds are caught every year. A 240-pound bat ray was reported from Newport Bay in 1957. I received a note on the Pier Fishing in California Message Board of a 246-pound fish with an 8.5-foot-wing span that was reputedly taken from the Newport Pier in the ’80s. However, the width sounds too wide leaving the weight also in doubt. I’ve seen pictures of a 176-pound bat ray taken from the Newport Pier and a 175-pound bat ray that was caught at the Aliso Beach Pier in (I believe) 1990. Another fish, this one weighing 203 pounds and measuring 54 ½ inches wide was measured and weighed on a certified scale. It was caught at the Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara on April 24, 2004. The fish struck a live smelt bait and was landed after a fight lasting one hour and twenty minutes. The fish was hooked and fought by James Elledge, and gaffed by Ron Maxell. With the help of bait shop owner Ray Angel (how appropriate) the fish was carried over to the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company to their certified scales. PFIC representative Boyd Grant was soon on the scene to witness and photograph the huge fish…one of the largest bat rays ever caught on a California pier (and possibly the largest to be weighed on a certified scale).The official California record fish was 4 feet, 9 inches wide and weighed 181 lb 0 oz; it was taken at Huntington Beach in 1978. According to the California DF&G “female bat rays reach a greater size than males, attaining a maximum disc width of 70.9 inches and weight of 210 pounds. The largest reported male is 40 inches wide and a weight of 37 pounds. Bat rays grow slowly, reach sexual maturity relatively late, have few young, and seem to be fairly long-lived. A 60-inch disc width female was estimated to be 24 years old.” So, all of the big bat rays are moms, grandmas or maybe even great grandmothers. Range: Gulf of California to Yaquina Bay, Oregon. Habitat: Prefers a flat, rocky bottom or sand among rocks although also seems to enjoy hanging around kelp beds. Most commonly caught in sandy or muddy bottom bays and the deeper water areas around piers. Bat rays basically “fly” through the water using their powerful pectoral fins and occasionally they will leap out of the water when hooked. Piers: Bat rays are caught at almost all piers in California, both oceanfront and those in bays. Best bets: Shelter Island Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Stearns Wharf, Cayucos Pier, Berkeley Pier, San Mateo Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, Eureka Municipal Wharf and Del Norte Street Pier (Eureka). Bait and Tackle:  Bat rays eat a wide variety of foods with oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, abalone, snails and worms being scarffed down on a regular basis. To be expected, they’ll also take almost any bait. However, frozen or live squid, and live bait such as anchovies, ghost shrimp, mud shrimp and grass shrimp, produce most of the fish. Frozen squid is the least expensive and easiest bait to use and is undoubtedly the number one bait for bat rays. It’s reported by the way that these strong rays use their pectoral fins to lift their body rapidly up and down to create a suction that sweeps away the sand and gives easy access to their food on the bottom. Because of the potential large size, anglers wishing to fish specifically for bat rays should use heavy tackle and have a gaff or net available to bring the fish up onto the pier. Never use a pier gaff to lift  them up to a pier unless you’re intending to keep them for food. Food Value: Very good.

Bat ray at the Cabrillo Mole

Comments: Although Ray Cannon’s book How To Fish the Pacific Coast holds a cherished spot on my library shelf, and in many ways was a model for Pier Fishing In California, I believe he was wrong in his comments on bat rays. His most egregious was that “These giant Bat Rays should be exterminated whenever possible because of their menace to crabs, lobsters, and all kinds of edible shellfish.” Although it’s true that those species may be included in a bat ray’s diet, I’m not sure why they were singled out over predators. I think it reflects the thinking of the day, in particular the opinion that bat rays were a danger to commercial oyster operations, i.e., those in Tomales Bay. We know today that they are not a danger to those operations; in fact, they may help by keeping crabs under control. I’m not sure why he made a second statement, an assertion that bat rays are “Seldom taken by anglers.” Even back in those days bat rays (usually called sting rays) were a common catch, and several shark and ray derbies were conducted along the coast, the most famous probably being that at Moss Landing. Today, many anglers concentrate on bat rays. The rays reach a very large size, they put up a strong fight, and are delicious to eat once the fight is over (although more and more people practice catch-and-release with them). Of interest are the bat ray pools found at several aquariums (including the Monterey Aquarium, The Aquarium Of the Pacific, and the Chula Vista Nature Center). The bat rays can be petted and in fact are rather pet-like; some even seem to like to have their backs stroked. Yes, their stingers have been removed! The venomous spines are cut off about once a month (before they reach a length long enough to hurt anyone). Apparently the bat rays receive no harm from these “manicures,” in fact the spines are made of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails, and the spines grow back. However, bat rays in the wild still have their spines and can inflict a painful wound, so be very careful if you catch one (and some bat rays have two or even three stingers). For some reason Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara sees a lot of small, immature bat rays and they’re usually called monkey face rays. Scientists report that bat rays move into inshore waters to breed during the summer then tend to move offshore in the winter (so guess when they are more likely to be caught from a pier). While inshore, they are sometimes found in large concentrations. At times these bat ray gatherings contain several thousand individuals. The sea bottom holding these creatures must look a little weird and would certainly have a somewhat alien feeling; not sure if it would be more like a black-cloaked Darth Vader convention, a Raider Nation convention, or something even more outlandish (and scary), a political convention.

California Moray (Eel) caught by Martin at the 2003 Pier Fishing In California Get Together in Catalina

California Moray — Species: Gymnothorax mordax (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek words gymno and thorax (naked breast or lack of scales) and the Latin word mordax  (prone to bite).  Alternate Names: Moray or conger eel. Early-day names included marina and muraena. Called morena de California or anguila in Mexico. Identification: Typical eel-like shape with a large head tapering to a pointed tail; the only shallow-water eel lacking pectoral fins. They have very well developed teeth (to grab their prey) and the coloring is greenish-brown, greenish-yellow, or red-brown. Size: Up to five feet long and around 15 pounds. Most caught from piers are less than three feet. A 49-inch moray with an empty stomach weighed 11.2 pounds while a 47-inch fish, whose stomach contained two flying fish, weighed 14.58 pounds. Conclusions: (1) Don’t eat flying fish if you’re on a diet and (2) flying fish should stay at the top of the water and not head down to the realm of the morays. Range:  From Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, to Point Conception. Habitat: Considered a true bottom fish that lives in continuous contact with the substrate; morays occupy crevices in shallow reef or rocky areas, especially around the offshore islands. Primary foods are crustaceans and small fishes with small spiny lobsters, red rock shrimp, kelp bass and blacksmith considered favorites.

California Moray caught by KJ at the Catalina Get Together in 2015

Piers: Every year will see a few California moray caught by southern California pier fisherman; an event that attracts the attention of most nearby anglers. Morays are both uncommon and ferocious in nature—it is one fish that should be handled very carefully. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Dana Point Harbor Pier, San Clemente Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Gaviota Pier, and, by far the best, the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon. Bait and Tackle: Morays are seldom the intentional catch of anglers; instead they are caught incidentally when fishing for other rocky-shore fish. They will grab almost any bait. However, best bait would appear to be shrimp, crabs, or small live fish. The best time to fish is at night and the angler should keep the bait in motion since moray will hide in crevices waiting for prey to swim by. Tackle should be kept simple; a medium-sized outfit with at least 15-pound test line and a size 4 to 2 hook. Be prepared to strike and start reeling quickly before the moray can retreat to the rocks. Food Value:  I’ve never eaten a moray but I have been told that they are quite tasty. Comments: Moray are a favorite of skindivers and often are quite tame. However, those I have seen caught on the end of a fishing line (I’ve only caught two myself), are usually ready to do battle. Because of their mouth full of sharp teeth, be careful if you happen to inherit the unenviable job of removing a hook from a still-thrashing, nasty-tempered moray. By the way, although moray are common at Catalina it doesn’t mean you are always going to catch one. I have caught over a hundred different species of fish from California piers and though I had once caught a moray while fishing from a boat at the Coronado Islands, I had never caught one from a pier. Thus I decided around 2010 that I needed to catch a moray from a pier and I felt the Cabrillo Mole would be the place to catch it. Years went by and even though there was an annual visit to Catalina, and several friends caught moray, I never caught one until 2015. Soon after I caught my moray a friend caught one fifty feet away on the Mole and then as we were leaving the Mole we discovered a group of kids had just caught another moray. Whatever the reason for their abundance that night it will long be remembered as the “Night of the Moray.”

Just sit back and dream like you’re listening to Dean Martin. (With apologies to Jack Brooks, and Harry Warren, the writers of “That’s Amore.”)

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie

That’s a time for a moray

When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine

That’s a time for a moray

Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you’ll sing “Is it time for my moray?”

Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
And you’ll sigh in relief with your moray

Multi-species days — from one pier 

Sixteen species trip:

Cabrillo Mole, April 26, 2013—Jack Mackerel, Kelp Bass, Blacksmith, Senorita, Kelp Rockfish, Garibaldi, Halfmoon, Opaleye, Grass Rockfish, Pacific Mackerel, Treefish, California Scorpionfish, Sheephead, Pacific Sardine, Black Seaperch, Spotted Kelpfish

Treefish taken from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2013

Fifteen species trip:

Cabrillo Mole, April 27, 2013—Kelp Bass, Pacific Mackerel, Jack Mackerel, Kelp Rockfish, Blacksmith, Treefish, Black Seaperch, Sheephead, Garibaldi, Senorita, Halfmoon, Opaleye, Pacific Sardine, Grass Rockfish, Spotted Kelpfish

Cabrillo Mole, September 19, 2010—Kelp Bass, Garibaldi, Senorita, Jack Mackerel, Jacksmelt, Opaleye, Halfmoon, Sheephead, Giant Kelpfish, Treefish, Blacksmith, Striped Kelpfish, Rock Wrasse, Blackperch, Finescale Triggerfish

Finescale Triggerfish taken from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2010

Thirteen species trip:

Avila Pier, August 3, 2013—California Lizardfish, White Croaker, Speckled Sanddab, Brown Rockfish, Vermilion Rockfish, Yellowtail Rockfish, Bocaccio, Cabezon, Kelp Greenling, Blue Rockfish, Onespot Fringehead, Barred Surfperch, Jacksmelt

Cabrillo Mole, April 27, 2012—Kelp Bass, Pacific Mackerel, Jack Mackerel, Pacific Sardine, Senorita, Blacksmith, Opaleye, Treefish, Sheephead, Cabezon, California Scorpionfish, Kelp Rockfish, Halfmoon

Cabezon from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2012

Cabrillo Mole, April 23. 2010—Kelp Bass, Opaleye, Senorita, California Scorpionfish, Garibaldi, Rock Wrasse, Sheephead, Jacksmelt, Halfmoon, Kelp Rockfish, Treefish, Giant Kelpfish, Spotted Kelpfish

Sheephead from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2012

 Twelve species trips:

Cabrillo Mole, April 16, 2011—Blacksmith, Jack Mackerel, Kelp Bass, Pacific Mackerel, Ocean Whitefish, Senorita, California Scorpionfish, Salema, Treefish, Kelp Rockfish, Brown Rockfish, Pacific Sardine + 2 Spiny Lobster

Cabrillo Mole, April 25, 2010—Sheephead, Garibaldi, Kelp Bass, Opaleye, Halfmoon, California Scorpionfish, Kelp Perch, Rock Wrasse, Kelp Rockfish, Senorita, Jacksmelt, Blackperch

  18″ Kelp Bass (calico bass) from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2010

Cabrillo Mole, April 24, 2009—Kelp Bass, Garibaldi, Giant Kelpfish, Opaleye, Halfmoon, Spotted Kelpfish, California Scorpionfish, Sheephead, Treefish, Senorita, Jacksmelt, Kelp Perch.

Eleven species trips:

Cabrillo Mole, April 28, 2012—Jack Mackerel, Pacific Mackerel, Blacksmith, Kelp Bass, Treefish, Kelp Rockfish, Garibaldi, Pacific Sardine, Sheephead, Jacksmelt, Senorita

Cabrillo Mole, April 24, 2010—Blacksmith, Jacksmelt, Kelp Rockfish, Kelp Bass, Rock Wrasse, Senorita, Pacific Mackerel, Opaleye. Garibaldi, Blackperch, Giant Kelpfish

Cabrillo Mole, April 18, 2008—Kelp Bass, Halfmoon, Senorita, Opaleye, Giant Kelpfish, Sheephead, Rock Wrasse, Garibaldi, Brown Rockfish, Blacksmith, Jacksmelt

California Scorpionfish (sculpin) from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2010

Cabrillo Mole, April 24, 2004—Garibaldi, Blacksmith, Senorita, Jacksmelt, Kelp Bass, Opaleye, Giant Kelpfish, Kelp Perch, Sheephead, Striped Kelpfish, Halfmoon

Pacifica Pier, June 12, 1977—Spotfin Surfperch, White Croaker, Walleye Surfperch, Sand Sole, Shinerperch, Staghorn Sculpin, Pacific Tomcod, Silver Surfperch, Redtail Surfperch, White Seaperch, Starry Flounder

My son Mike and a mix of fish from the Pacifica Pier — 1977

Ten species trips:

Morro Bay South T-Pier, August 2, 2013—California Lizardfish, Jacksmelt, Black and Yellow Rockfish, Gopher Rockfish, Brown Rockfish, Kelp Rockfish, Onespot Fringehead, Bocaccio, Chilipepper Rockfish, Vermilion Rockfish

 Onespot Fringehead from Monterey Wharf #2 — 2013

Monterey Wharf #2, July 20, 2013—California Lizardfish, Blue Rockfish, Speckled Sanddab, Pacific Sanddab, Cabezon, Senorita, Pileperch, Sharpnose Seaperch, Onespot Fringehead, Kelp Greenling + 3 Octopus

   Pileperch from Monterey Wharf #2 — 2013

Port San Luis Pier, July 7, 2013—California Lizardfish, Walleye Surfperch, Bocaccio, Speckled Sanddab, Copper Rockfish, Cabezon, Onespot Fringehead, White Seaperch, White Croaker, Rainbow Seaperch + 1 Octopus

Rainbow Seaperch from the Port San Luis Pier — 2013

Paradise Cove Pier, November 21, 2009—Walleye Surfperch, Giant Kelpfish, Jacksmelt, Black Seaperch, Sargo, Kelp Bass, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, Striped Kelpfish, Thornback Ray + 1 Rock Crab (large).

Cabrillo Mole, April 21, 2007—Opaleye, Halfmoon, California Scorpionfish, Brown Rockfish. Kelp Rockfish, Garibaldi, Blacksmith, Jacksmelt, Rubberlip Seaperch, Treefish

  Opaleye from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon — 2007

Cabrillo Mole, April 20, 2007—Jacksmelt, Opaleye, Senorita, Rock Wrasse, California Sheephead, Garibaldi, Giant Kelpfish, Kelp Bass, Blacksmith, Halfmoon

Goleta Pier, October 11, 2006—Brown Rockfish, Shinerperch, White Seaperch, Walleye Surfperch, Pileperch, Rainbow Seaperch, Kelp Bass, Jack Mackerel, Gopher Rockfish, Staghorn Sculpin

Goleta Pier, June 6, 2006—Shinerperch, Kelp Perch, Brown Rockfish, Kelp Bass, Pileperch, Barred Surfperch, Walleye Surfperch, Senorita, Speckled Sanddab, Padded Sculpin

Kelp Bass (calico bass) from the Goleta Pier — 2006

Cabrillo Mole, April 23, 2005—Halfmoon, Blacksmith, Kelp Bass, Sheephead, Garibaldi, Treefish, Senorita, Jacksmelt, Kelp Perch, Opaleye   

Opaleye from the Cabrillo Mole, Avalon — 2005

Green Pleasure Pier, April 22, 2004—Kelp Bass, Senorita, Blacksmith, Halfmoon, Rock Wrasse, Garibaldi, Sheephead, Jacksmelt, California Scorpionfish, Shinerperch

Santa Cruz Wharf,  Nov 21, 2003—Blue Rockfish, Jacksmelt, Speckled Sanddab, White Croaker, Staghorn Sculpin, Walleye Surfperch, Spotfin Surfperch, Yellowtail Rockfish (juvenile), Kelp Rockfish, White seaperch

Stearns Wharf, June 28, 1995—White Croaker, Pacific Mackerel, Jack Mackerel, Walleye Surfperch, White Seaperch, Barred Surfperch, Sand Bass, California Scorpionfish, Speckled Sanddab, Queenfish (plus 1 Crab and 2 Starfish)

Elephant Rock Pier, October 11, 1993—Jacksmelt, Walleye Surfperch, Dwarf Perch, Cabezon, Shinerperch, Kelp Rockfish, Black Seaperch, Striped Seaperch, Brown Rockfish, Kelp Greenling

Cabezon from Elephant Rock Pier

Pacifica Pier, January 8, 1977—Silver Surfperch, Walleye Surfperch, Pacific Sanddab, Redtail Surfperch, Jacksmelt, Barred Surfperch, Calico Surfperch, Shinerperch, White Croaker, Staghorn Sculpin

Piers with at least nine species on a single trip: Crystal Pier (San Diego), Oceanside Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Port View Park Pier (Oakland), Elephant Rock Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Citizen’s Dock (Crescent City)

Mix of fish from the Goleta Pier — 2004

Piers with at least eight species on a single trip: Imperial Beach Pier, San Clemente Pier, Angel Island Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Goleta Pier.

Often times when I am on my coast-wide fishing trips I will hit 3-5 piers in a day’s time and each receives a separate record. As a result, sometimes the “daily” number of species may be higher than those recorded at a single pier, especially when I am fishing near Point Conception and making the transition between the colder water central coast piers and warmer water southern California piers. Often I will stay in the Morro Bay/Pismo Beach area overnight, get up early and hit a pier or two in that central coast area (Pismo Beach, Avila, etc.) before heading down to the SoCal piers at Gaviota/ Goleta, etc. On those days you often will see a nice variety of fish.

Multi-species days — from several piers during the same day

Eighteen species days

July 20, 2013 (Monterey Wharf #2 & Monterey Coast Guard Pier) — California Lizardfish, Blue Rockfish, Speckled Sanddab, Pacific Sanddab, Cabezon, Senorita, Pileperch, Sharpnose Seaperch, Onespot Fringehead, Kelp Greenling, Gopher Rockfish, Black & Yellow Rockfish, Painted Greenling, Striped Seaperch, Striped Kelpfish, Corraline Sculpin, Bocaccio, Shinerperch

Painted Greenling from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier — 2013

Corraline (?) sculpin from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier — 2013

Sharpnose Seaperch from Monterey Wharf #2 — 2013

Seventeen species days

August 2, 2013 (San Simeon Pier, Cayucos Pier, Morro Bay North T-Pier and Morro Bay South T-Pier) — California Lizardfish, Spotfin Surfperch, Walleye Surfperch, Calico Surfperch, Barred Surfperch, Speckled Sanddab,  Cabezon, White Croaker, Jacksmelt, Onespot Fringehead, Bocaccio, Kelp Rockfish, Gopher Rockfish, Black & Yellow Rockfish, Brown Rockfish, Chilipepper Rockfish, Vermilion Rockfish

Calico Surfperch from the San Simeon Pier — 2013

Spottfin Surfperch from the San Simeon Pier —2013

Kelp Rockfish from the South Morro Bay T-Pier — 2013

Strange looking Black and Yellow Rockfish from the South Morro Bay T-Pier; appears to be missing part of its tail

Gopher Rockfish from the South Morro Bay T-Pier — 2013

Sixteen species days

July 30, 2004 (Gaviota Pier, Stearns Wharf, Port Hueneme Pier, Ventura Pier) — Pacific Sardine, Shinerperch, Speckled Sanddab, Jacksmelt, Topsmelt, Jack Mackerel, Rubberlip Seaperch, Kelp Bass, Pacific Mackerel, Walleye Surfperch, Staghorn Sculpin, Thornback Ray, Cabezon, Queenfish, White Croaker, Pacific Butterfish

Fifteen species days

April 24, 2009 (Green Pleasure Pier, Cabrillo Mole) — Kelp Bass, Rock Wrasse, Sheephead, Pacific Mackerel, Black Seaperch, Garibaldi, Giant Kelpfish, Opaleye, Halfmoon, Spotted Kelpfish, California Scorpionfish, Treefish, Senorita, Jacksmelt, Kelp Perch

Giant Kelpfish from the Cabrillo Mole, Avalon — 2009

Rock Wrasse from the Green Pleasure Pier, Avalon   

Fourteen species days

July 28, 2009 (Santa Cruz Wharf, Capitola Wharf, Seacliff Pier) —Bocaccio, Blue Rockfish, Jacksmelt, Striped Seaperch, Sharpnose Perch, Shinerperch, Walleye Surfperch, White Croaker, Staghorn Sculpin, Barred Surfperch, Brown Rockfish, Speckled Sanddab, Pacific Mackerel, Jack Mackerel

July 30, 2007 (Imperial Beach Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Oceanside Pier) — Pacific Mackerel, Mackerel Jack, Queenfish, Topsmelt, Walleye Surfperch, Pacific Sardine, White Croaker, Kelp Bass, Sargo, Black Croaker, Pacific Bonito, Salema, Sand Bass, Yellowfin Croaker

Black Croaker from the Oceanside Harbor Pier — 2007

October 11, 2006 (Malibu Pier, Port Hueneme Pier, Goleta Pier) — Pacific Mackerel, California Lizardfish, White Seaperch, Jacksmelt, Speckled Sanddab, Shinerperch, Brown Rockfish, Walleye Surfperch, Pileperch, Rainbow Seaperch, Kelp Bass, Jack Mackerel, Gopher Rockfish, Staghorn Sculpin

June 6, 2006 (Goleta Pier, Stearns Wharf, Ventura Pier) — Kelp Perch, Brown Rockfish, Kelp Bass, Pileperch, Barred Surfperch, Senorita, Speckled Sanddab, Padded Sculpin, Walleye Surfperch, Shinerperch, Pacific Mackerel, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, White Croaker

April 24, 2004 (Green Pleasure Pier, Cabrillo Mole—Catalina) — Kelp Bass, Rock Wrasse, California Scorpionfish, Senorita, Garibaldi, Ocean Whitefish, Sheephead, Giant Kelpfish, Opaleye, Blacksmith, Halfmoon, Jacksmelt, Kelp Perch, Striped Kelpfish

Ocean Whitefish from the Green Pleasure Pier, Avalon

July 27, 1994 (Newport Pier, Aliso Beach Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, San Clemente Pier) — Pacific Mackerel, California Lizardfish, Pacific Sardine, Walleye Surfperch, Sargo, Shinerperch, Opaleye, Kelp Bass, Jacksmelt, Black Seaperch, White Croaker, Queenfish, Salema, California Butterfish

Thirteen species days

April 16, 2011 (Green Pleasure Pier, Cabrillo Mole) — Pacific Mackerel, Pacific Sardine, Jack Mackerel, Northern Anchovy, Kelp Bass, Senorita, Blacksmith, Ocean Whitefish, California Scorpionfish, Salema, Treefish, Kelp Rockfish, Brown Rockfish

August 17, 1993 (Cayucos Pier, San Simeon Pier, Monterey Wharf #2) — White Croaker, Queenfish, Barred Surfperch, Staghorn Sculpin, Shinerperch, Walleye Surfperch, Silver Surfperch, Jacksmelt, Jack Mackerel, Bocaccio, Gopher Rockfish, Speckled Sanddab, Kelp Rockfish

 Barred Surfperch from the San Simeon Pier 

Walleye Surfperch from the San Simeon Pier 

Twelve species days

November 21, 2009 (Venice Pier, Paradise Cove Pier) —White Croaker, California Lizardfish, Walleye Surfperch, Giant Kelpfish, Jacksmelt, Black Seaperch, Sargo, Kelp Bass, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, Striped Kelpfish, Thornback Ray + 1 Rock Crab (large)

October 10, 2006 (Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier) — Senorita, Opaleye, Kelp Bass, White Seaperch, Pileperch, Rock Wrasse, Giant Kelpfish, Pacific Mackerel, California Scorpionfish, Mackerel Jack, Pacific Sardine, Jacksmelt

 Rubberlip Seaperch from the Gaviota Pier — 2004

July 13, 2003 (Gaviota Pier, Port San Luis Pier, Cayucos Pier, Morro Bay T-Pier) — Walleye Surfperch, Rubberlip Seaperch, Bocaccio, Cabezon, Thornback Ray, Brown Rockfish, Pacific Sardine, Jacksmelt, White Croaker, Lingcod, Staghorn Sculpin, Shinerperch + Starfish

Garibaldi from the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon — 2002

April 27, 2002 (Green Pleasure Pier, Cabrillo Mole) — Kelp Bass, Rock Wrasse, Senorita, California Scorpionfish, Sheephead, Giant Kelpfish, Crevice Kelpfish, Kelp Perch, Garibaldi, Pacific Mackerel, Jack Mackerel, Shinerperch

June 28, 1999 (Seal Beach Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Newport Pier) — Salema, Queenfish, White Croaker, Shovelnose Guitarfish, Pacific Mackerel, Yellowfin Croaker, Round Stingray, Jacksmelt, Bocaccio, Mackerel Jack, California Scorpionfish, Staghorn Sculpin

June 21, 1995 (Belmont Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Balboa Pier) — Pacific Mackerel, Salema, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, Jacksmelt, California Halibut, White Croaker, Gray Smoothhound Shark, Staghorn Sculpin, Kelp Bass, Thornback Ray, Round Stingray

July 26, 1994 (Seal Beach Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Balboa Pier) — White Croaker, Queenfish, White Seabass, Pacific Mackerel, Salema, Shinerperch, Jacksmelt, Spotfin Croaker, Pacific Butterfish, Fantail Sole, Topsmelt, Jack Mackerel

One of my favorite people at the California Fish and Wildlife Department is Ed Roberts. When I first met up with him he was in the Long Beach area and I think that it may have been the time I donated a cusk-eel and yellow snake eel to the department for their biology lab. Since then I’ve had the chance to see him many times and even been able to use him as an advisor to pierfishing.com on fishing regulations. Today he’s stationed in the Eureka area and about the only time I get to see him is if I head up to the North Coast for a little fishing from the piers in the Eureka-Trinidad-Crescent City area. Back in 2003, Ed and his young son Daniel were at the Los Tiburones Fishing Tournament at the Belmont Pier. Young Daniel won a 3rd place trophy for the most unusual fish of the day — a California scorpionfish. Good father that he is, Ed made sure to hold up the fish so that Daniel did not get stung by one of the poisonous spines. Both are just a little older, and perhaps a little bigger, today.

The 2002 Logo

May 3, 2002

To: PFIC Message Board

From: Ken Jones

Subject: Million Dollar Bash AKA First Pier Fishing in California Get Together

Ev’rybody from right now

To over there and back

The louder they come

The harder they crack…

We’re all gonna meet

At that million dollar bash

I get up in the mornin’

But it’s too early to wake

First it’s hello, goodbye

Then push and then crash

But we’re all gonna make it

At that million dollar bash

Well, I looked at my watch

I looked at my wrist

Then I made it over

To that million dollar bash

Ooh, baby, ooh-ee

Ooh, baby, ooh-ee

It’s that million dollar bash

Million Dollar Bash – Bob Dylan

Copyright © 1967  Dwarf Music (Abridged – stanzas 2, 4 & 5)

 It wasn’t exactly Dylan’s Million Dollar Bash, but then again how to you put a price tag on friendship and camaraderie? Mix together the beautiful setting of Avalon on Catalina Island, an assortment of fish which, although admittedly mostly small, were still relatively rare and unusual catches for California pier anglers, and the anglers themselves, a highly dedicated, enthusiastic and intelligent group and you have the mixings for quite a shindig. And, in my opinion, it was a synergistic type of gathering in which the collective wisdom of the individual members merged into a greater than the whole group experience. Million dollars? Priceless is more like it!

        Pier Rats—Dolphinrider, Stinkeyfinger, Sinker and Pierhead

April 26—Day 1: For me it started with an early morning exit from the home on Mallard Lake in Lodi and a fairly rapid seven-hour drive to the Long Beach Catalina Express office. I was booked on the 12:30 boat, and while getting lined up at 12 I notice a young man with a fishing pole. Could it be a pier rat? I went over  and sure enough it was a pier rat—Josh, the designer of our 2002 shirts. I rode on the ferry with Josh and his family and we discussed fishin’ all the way.

The Green Pleasure Pier

Upon arrival in Avalon we headed to our respective hotels with promises to meet down at the Green Pleasure Pier. I got there at 2:45 and saw that Josh was already present. So, I broke out the bait. I had picked up two dozen (huge) pile worms the prior afternoon, two dozen ghost shrimp, a bag of frozen shrimp, a box of squid, a box of frozen peas and onions (the onions were along for the ride) and a can of peas. I also brought along some anchovies and mackerel from my freezer for the kelp bass that seemingly are always in attendance. I was hoping to attract some of the more exotic species such as sheephead with the ghost shrimp while hopefully catching some opaleye on the worms or peas. (I brought two types of peas to see which actually would work best on the opaleye. As it turned out neither produced a fish.) I figured the squid would work good on the halfmoon, which were sure to be in abundance, and hoped to possibly pick up a moray eel at night on the squid.

Green water and an opaleye

Since it was a little windy, the water wasn’t crystal clear but it was obvious that there was a school of fish at mid-depth range just out from the pier. I decided to try right by the pier first. Seeking out the perch-like species, and also hoping for a few perch, I used my usual perch rig: two size 6 hooks attached to the line with a one-ounce torpedo sinker at the end. I decided to try the worms first and hold on to the ghost shrimp until we spotted some larger fish. I sort of forgot about the senorita that are the supreme bait stealers and which also love worms. I basically got a fish on almost every cast unless the fish stole the bait first. Unfortunately, they did steal the bait about 75% of the time. However, you only use a small piece of the worm so a nice mix of fish started to show up on the pier. Mostly though it was a three-way toss up—rock wrasse, senorita and kelp bass. If you cast out from the pier and let the bait sit on the bottom the rock wrasse would come out and grab the bait. If you cast under the pier (especially) or even out away from the pier, you might pick up a bass. Let the bait get to the mid-water depth and you were sure to catch senorita. It wasn’t so much trying to catch fish as trying to figure out how not to catch certain species. Yes, we could have switched to larger hooks but that would not have kept the senorita from stripping away the bait. It only would have slowed down the bite on more desirable fish.

Josh and a kelp bass

Some time later PFIC Webmaster extraordinaire Rich Reano showed up after his arrival from Dana Point and shortly thereafter we spotted some nice-sized opaleye emerging from under the pier. I tried the ghost shrimp and soon was able to nab three of the beautiful fish, two of the large-sized variety. Also managed two sheephead on the ghost shrimp before pulling in a beautiful blacksmith on worms. Rich is a halibut lover so he netted some small smelt for halibut bait. Once he had his bait he began the hallie wait.

Pierhead and a duo of kelp bass

Shortly thereafter, Pierhead and Sinker made an appearance as did, a short time later, Baitfish and his wife Rebecca (RoosterQueen). Greetings were made with all and then we all began to fish. We now had a nice group and everyone was catching fish. Pierhead and Sinker were using their “special” commie bait and nailing the bass; Baitfish and Rebecca were using, I think, squid (although all of them began to experiment with artificials as the day/night went on).

“Pier Rats” at the Green Pleasure Pier

Eventually the sun decided to sink into the ocean and about that time a school of mixed mackerel and jacks—large Pacific mackerel and somewhat smaller jack mackerel—made their first appearance. Most people latched onto a few fish but the “mac attack” died about as fast as it had begun.

A “bug” on the railing

I then landed a lobster and just about that time we figured out where Stinkyfinger and Dolphinrider were—sitting mid-pier catching their own fish. We went to show them the lobster and they moved out to the end.

They were just in time for a reappearance of the mackerel and once again the action was hot and heavy for a few minutes. But, as before, the action soon slowed. Several of the species at Catalina are night sleepers (especially rock wrasse, sheephead and senorita) so the bites were less frequent. However it was an absolutely beautiful night sittin’ on the dock on the bay. There were the normal sounds of an ocean at night, the excitement when a school of baitfish would flash through the water (including a few flying fish), some sea birds and a few sea dogs, mostly silent but still evident. Amidst the salty tang of the air was a beautiful moon that arose over the hills of Catalina. And the lights—the harbor lights reflecting a mix of colors and shapes off the water, the yachts and the pier. It all created an ambiance that it hard to beat.

By this time though most of us were really tired so we stopped fishing around 9PM and headed over to Antonio’s for some good Italian food (and peanuts). Stuffed, most of us headed back to our rooms for some needed sleep. A few diehards—Sinker, Josh, Stinkeyfinger and Dolphinrider, continued to fish from the pier far into the night. Personal results for Day One: 6 1/4 hours fishing, 19 kelp bass, 17 rock wrasse, 16 senorita, 6 Pacific mackerel, 3 opaleye, 2 sheephead, 2 jack mackerel, 1 blacksmith, 1 shinerperch and 1 lobster.

         April 27—Day 2: I arrived down at the Green Pleasure Pier at 6:30 AM where I found Baitfish already castin’ and reelin’.

Rebecca (Rooster Queen), Adam (Baitfish) and a kelp bass

I decided to try anchovies that morning since I wanted to save the worms and ghost shrimp for the derby at the Cabrillo Mole. Action was still steady. I fished from 6:30 until 10:45 when Adam and I headed over to the Mole. 4 1/4 hours fishing: 23 kelp bass, 3 rock wrasse, 3 senorita, 2 California scorpionfish and 1 sheephead. Baitfish and Pierhead (who had joined us) had similar action with several keeper and near keeper-sized bass.

Boyd (Pierhead), Adam (Baitfish) and a bass

Upon arrival at the Cabrillo Mole, scene of the derby, I was pleased to meet the assembled pier rats who had come over for the day’s derby: Joromaca, Boomer, JimboJack, Gyozadude, Castlebravo and Frenchy. Soon joining the group  were Rich, Baitfish,  RoosterQueen, Pierhead, Sinker, Stinkyfinger, Dolphinrider, Josh and his parents (did I forget anyone?).

The “Mole”

All present were catching fish although there was a lot of surge and a lot of gear was being lost in the kelp. Although I visited for a while, and some of us made a run to the store to buy additional food, I couldn’t resist fishing a little myself.  I picked a spot a little further down from the group that was in a little clearer water.

Ken Jones (The Pier Fisherman) and a garibaldi

Spotting some fish, I tied on a ghost shrimp and soon after a garibaldi grabbed the bait; it wasn’t a big fish but it was so beautiful. Easy to see why it is California’s official saltwater fish—and why it is illegal to keep them. It was gently returned to the water. I was fishing a mixture of ghost shrimp and pile worms and I began to catch a mix of fish—although none were large. Most interesting might have been the 4 kelpfish I caught.

Giant kelpfish (yellow version)

Three were giant kelpfish, one a yellow-colored fish, one a greenish brown, and one a dead ringer for kelp brown. I also caught a different species of kelpfish—a striped kelpfish. I also managed to hook a large halfmoon that I estimated to weigh 3+ pounds but the line broke at the knot. An unusual occurrence for me and I wonder if it was due to the Stren Flurocarbon that I was testing out? Total fish for just over two hours of actual fishing time: 3 kelp bass, 3 giant kelpfish, 2 senorita, 1 striped kelpfish, 1 rock wrasse, 1 garibaldi and 1 kelp perch.

James (GDude) and a kelp bass at the Mole

In between the socializing and the food the fishing continued and everyone looked to be bringing in fish (although Rich was still trying for that hallie just outside the kelp). We finally stopped fishing so that we could present everyone with a gift (courtesy of Sinker). We had a drawings and the gifts ranged from stickers to a clock. Everyone seemed pleased and we even managed to get a group picture of most of the people.

The group at the first “PFIC Catalina Get Together”

Shortly thereafter some of the people had to head back to the boring life on the mainland and the “official” gathering broke up.  However, an “unofficial” gathering took place as several of us headed over to the room Stinkyfingers and Dolphinrider had rented; we all shared some excellent company (and refreshments) with Baitfish, RoosterQueen, Pierhead and the hosts. It was a mix of fishing stories galore and the development of a real rapport with the group.

But the fishing wasn’t over! I arrived back at the Green Pleasure Pier at 7:15 PM and fished until 10:45. As mentioned, the action on some of the Catalina species is slower at night but fish were still present. The mackerel showed up as scheduled at dusk and lobsters really made an appearance this night.

Lisa (Dolphinrider) and a lobster

Pierhead and Dolphinrider both got bugs as well as a guy fishing near us who pulled in about a half dozen of the spiny creatures. All were of course released but they provided a lot of fun and entertainment that night.

Boyd (Pierhead) and a large sculpin (scorpionfish)

Pierhead also managed two nice really sculpin while Sinker and baitfish tried out artificials on the bass and had excellent results (they’ll have to report the types of artificials they used). Personal fish score for the evening: 9 kelp bass, 6 Pacific mackerel, 4 jack mackerel and 4 shinerperch. Again, Josh and Sinker fished late

April 28—Day 3: Sunday morning the wind had died down and I was all by my lonesome when I arrived at the pier at 6 AM. I started to catch fish but now, since I had the whole end to myself, I set out two rods, one was for the potpourri of smaller species, one set up for bigger quarry.

Boyd (Pierhead)

Soon after, Pierhead showed up just to visit but not to fish. Thank God because within a short time something pretty big  grabbed the squid bait on my bigger rod and headed out to sea like a freight train. Sound familiar? Big bat rays inhabit these waters and I think that was what I hooked. One long run and then a determined battle where I would mange to pull in a couple of feet of line before the “monster” pulled out ten more feet. Since I was only using 15-pound test I knew my chances were slim. Pier pilings, docks all over the place, and boats and moorings. But who knows? About this time a shore boat decides to cut right across where my fish is sitting on the bottom and my line gets wrapped on his antenna. No problem! The harbormaster that was sitting in his office watching the fight called him and got him to back up and  free the line. So now the fight could begin anew. Unfortunately, I could now feel something else on the line, either a rope or kelp. I could feel the fish and tried everything I could to free it but to no avail. Finally after a few more minutes the fish took off once again and the line snapped. While this was going on Pierhead had hopped down onto the adjacent dock with my gaff and was ready to land the fish but it was probably just as well that I lost it. I don’t think I would have had him gaff it. Bat rays deserve to fight another day. But I would have liked to have seen it. But then again, since I didn’t see it, maybe it was a huge white seabass, halibut or even one of those giant black seabass that used to be so common to these waters. I’ll never know.

By the way, after Pierhead headed for the ferry and his ride home, Baitfish showed up and we resumed the catching of fish.

Adam (Baitfish) and a kelp bass

The water was now crystal clear and the fish were a little more wary but they were still biting. Now out of worms and ghost shrimp, I had to rely on the other baits and the results showed it. Total for 4 hours fishing: 9 kelp bass, 5 rock wrasse, 3 senorita, 1 halfmoon and 1 shinerperch. The halfmoon was the next to last fish I caught. Originally I had been so confident that we would catch scads of the halfmoon that I made the fish the Fish of the Month on pierfishing.com. But few were actually caught; they were present but very wary of hooks.

Josh and an opaleye

I finally had to stop at 10 A.M. and get ready for the boat ride back to Long Beach—but I truly hated to go. The time was so relaxing and the companionship so special that I felt I had experienced something special—not to sound sappy—and had a true bonding with those of our pier rat nation. I hope it was just the first of many such events. And I have to give special thanks to Baitfish and Rich who did most of the organizing, and Sinker who provided the great gifts. How do we top this special moment in time?

But now it was time to return to reality. I rode next to Josh on the way back to L.B. and I think we now have a committed pier rat to carry on the legacy when old-timers (like myself) move on. Such is the nature and cycle of life.

Conclusion—lots of meaningless fish but also lots of meaningful friendships. It’s nice to know that you can travel down the coast now and meet up with others also enthralled with the mystique of pier fishing and the fellowship of the pier. It doesn’t have to always be on a pier, and you don’t always have to catch fish, but the people who make up this board are a group of which we can be proud. Long live the pier rat nation! 

This year the group was small. The economy remains stagnant, gas is over $4.00 a gallon, and it can be hard to justify the several hundred dollars needed for the ferry, motel room, and meals. Nevertheless it is something that is worth the effort for many, even when there are no guarantees when it comes to the fishing, and this year, as said, it was slow.

The Group Photo — 2012 Get Together

For some the event began on Wednesday. Two small town Hoosiers from Indiana, now living in NoTown (Fresno), headed down Wednesday afternoon. The duo, Ken and Mike, planned to get a good night’s sleep in a motel and would arise early to buy some bait that had been ordered from Big Fish Tackle in Seal Beach. Leaving near midnight from the Bay Area would be Rita, Jennica, and Kyle and though Rita had hoped that she and Jennica would share the driving, it was Rita who would pilot the car on the long, lonely freeway drive south.

Thursday morning would see the cars arrive at the Long Beach Downtown Terminal within minutes of one another. The Catalina Express Ferry would leave at 10AM and would wait for no one. Joining them on the ferry would be Hashem, the local boy from Los Angeles.

Jennica and Kyle practice how to gamble on the way to Catalina

One hour over the gentle, two-foot swells of the San Pedro Channel, and there it was, the magical island of Catalina poking its still-green hills through the clouds. Soon after, the ferry was headed into the slip at the mole, participants eagerly headed down the plank from the ferry, and the hoard began the short walk into the heart of Avalon, the 25 blocks or so that make up the town. Next stop would be the Hermosa Hotel, a quick check in and a short visit to the rooms before heading out to the pier—the Green Pleasure Pier to be precise.

Fishing—Thursday — Green Pleasure Pier

For the last few years Thursday has been dedicated to the Green Pleasure Pier while Friday and Saturday have been spent at the Mole. This year would be the same but the results would be VERY different.

In 2009, 73 fish were landed in 4.25 hours; 2010 saw 55 fish for 6 hours; 2011 saw 86 fish for 5.25 hours.  5 Hours in 2012 would produce only 32 fish

KJ and ocean whitefish, Green Pleasure Pier

Green Pleasure Pier: 1-6 PM; Fish: 32; Points: 72

16 Senorita, 4 Blacksmith, 3 Jack Mackerel, 2 Garibaldi, 2 Rock Wrasse, 1 Ocean Whitefish, 1 Sheephead, 1 Pacific Mackerel, 1 Kelp Bass and 1 Jacksmelt

KJ and sheephead, Green Pleasure Pier

*** Noticeable almost immediately was the absence of kelp bass (calico bass). Typically the bass yield fairly steady action at the GPP and traditionally have been (numerically) the number one fish at the pier.

Mike and a sheephead, Green Pleasure Pier

*** Also missing in action were the rock wrasse even though a couple were landed.

Senorita, Green Pleasure Piier

You’ve got to have a few rods and reels — right?

Fishing—Friday — Cabrillo Mole

Friday would see the arrival of most of the participants for the Get Together and they would be arriving on various ferries throughout the day. For those who had arrived Thursday, the day would be spent at the Cabrillo Mole, the platform built over a jetty that serves as the landing platform for passengers disembarking from ferries at Avalon. It also serves a dual purpose as a fishing pier and is the site of our annual  Get Together. Although once again the fishing would be slower than the past few years, we did manage to land a few nice fish.

Cabrillo Mole: 6:30-8:30; 10:10-4:40 (8.50 hours); Fish: 51; Points: 114

KJ and sheephead, Cabrillo Mole

14 Kelp Bass, 10 Pacific Mackerel, 6 Jack Mackerel, 5 Pacific Sardine, 3 Senorita, 3 Blacksmith, 2 Opaleye, 2 Treefish, 2 Sheephead, 1 Cabezon, 1 California Scorpionfish, 1 Kelp Rockfish and 1 Halfmoon

KJ and cabezon — Cabrillo Mole

*** I like to bounce a sinker on the bottom checking out crevices and holes. This can mean the loss of some sinkers but also can be productive if a hole exists. I found such a hole Friday and off and on visits to the hole the next two days (the tide and movement of the kelp fronds had to cooperate) yielded 4 treefish, 1 scorpionfish and 1 kelp rockfish.

*** I’ve also decided to forsake my traditional high/low leader when fishing the Mole. It’s better just to use just one hook. When you do hook a fish they head right to the rocks (inshore) or the kelp (out from the Mole) and it’s too common to have the second hook catch on the rocks or kelp.

*** An interesting sight seen Friday, while fishing inshore near my “hole,” was a large shark, what appeared to be a horn shark, swimming merrily along obvious to the excited anglers watching from up above. Saturday we would see a four-foot-plus leopard shark swimming along in the same area. Soon after, we saw a school of five mullet swimming along in formation, and, as so often happens, anglers mistook them for small yellowtail (a common happenstance).

Rita and a sheephead, Cabrillo Mole

 *** In ten of the eleven Get Togethers I have caught giant kelpfish and usually it was several of the colorful fish.  Several years also produced a mixture of the smaller kelpfish: striped, spotted and crevice kelpfish. This year I failed to catch a kelpfish of any species nor did I see a single kelpfish taken.

Rita and a bonito, Cabrillo Mole

 Fishing—Saturday —Cabrillo Mole: 12:30-1; 2-5 PM (3.50 hours); Fish: 37; Points: 83

Saturday would be the day of the derby and for me most of the time was spent judging. However I did manage to spend a little time fishing and once again caught a few fish.

18 Jack Mackerel, 4 Pacific Mackerel, 4 Blacksmith, 3 Kelp Bass, 2 Treefish, 1 Kelp Rockfish, 1 Garibaldi, 1 Pacific Sardine, 1 Sheephead, 1 Jacksmelt and 1 Senorita

As for the derby itself, fishing was fairly slow. Perhaps it was just too nice as the sunny sky meant crystal clear water which always seems to slow the bite somewhat. In addition, there was absolutely no water movement, another condition that seems to diminish success. Generally on the derby Saturday, fishing always seems to be better in the morning before the derby and later in the afternoon when the water by the mole is in shadow. It would be true again this day.

In 2006 Milton Love at the University of California, Santa Barbara asked Pier Fishing in California for a review of rockfish caught at California piers. Herein is an updated revision to that report, this one dating to 2011.

Rockfish Reported on California Piers — (includes DF&G Surveys, PFIC Reports, as well as personal records of KJ, Snookie (Newport Pier and Balboa Pier), and Boyd (Goleta Pier)

Originally 2006, Updated 2011

San Diego County
Imperial Beach Pier: California scorpionfish
Ocean Beach Pier: California scorpionfish
Crystal Pier: California scorpionfish, brown rockfish
Shelter Island Pier: California scorpionfish
Oceanside Pier: California scorpionfish
Oceanside Harbor Pier: California scorpionfish

                                                       California scorpionfish
Orange County
San Clemente Pier: California scorpionfish
Balboa Pier: California scorpionfish, bocaccio
Newport Pier: California scorpionfish, olive rockfish, calico rockfish, bocaccio, chilipepper rockfish, treefish
Huntington Beach Pier: California scorpionfish
Seal Beach Pier: California scorpionfish

                                                        California scorpionfish
Los Angeles County
Long Beach Shoreline Piers: kelp rockfish, black & yellow rockfish
Cabrillo Beach Pier: California scorpionfish, brown rockfish, copper rockfish, gopher rockfish, black & yellow rockfish
Green Pleasure Pier/Catalina: California scorpionfish, treefish
Cabrillo Mole/Catalina: California scorpionfish, treefish, kelp rockfish, brown rockfish, olive rockfish
Redondo Beach Pier: California scorpionfish
Redondo Sportfishing Pier: California scorpionfish, grass rockfish, brown rockfish
Hermosa Beach Pier: California scorpionfish, calico rockfish
Santa Monica Pier: California scorpionfish
Malibu Pier: California scorpionfish, bocaccio
Paradise Cove Pier: brown rockfish, grass rockfish

                                                                Brown Rockfish
Ventura & Santa Barbara County
Point Hueneme Pier: grass rockfish
Ventura Pier: brown rockfish, grass rockfish
Stearns Wharf: California scorpionfish, bocaccio
Goleta Pier: kelp rockfish, brown rockfish, grass rockfish, bocaccio, vermilion rockfish, calico rockfish, gopher rockfish, blue rockfish, black rockfish, black & yellow rockfish, yellowtail rockfish
Gaviota Pier: kelp rockfish, bocaccio

                                                         Grass Rockfish

San Luis Obispo County
Pismo Beach Pier: bocaccio
Avila Pier: bocaccio, grass rockfish
Port San Luis Pier: bocaccio, kelp rockfish, gopher rockfish, brown rockfish
Morro Bay North T-Pier: bocaccio, brown rockfish, gopher rockfish, kelp rockfish, vermilion rockfish, olive rockfish, grass rockfish
Morro Bay South T-Pier: grass rockfish, copper rockfish, brown rockfish, gopher rock rockfish, black rockfish
Cayucos Pier: bocaccio
San Simeon Pier: bocaccio

                                                       Black and Yellow Rockfish
Monterey County
Monterey Coast Guard Pier: kelp rockfish, black & yellow rockfish, blue rockfish, olive rockfish, grass rockfish, black rockfish, brown rockfish, copper rockfish, gopher rockfish, calico rockfish
Monterey Wharf #2: bocaccio, gopher rockfish, kelp rockfish
Moss Landing Pier (now closed): bocaccio

                                                          Copper Rockfish

Santa Cruz County
Seacliff Pier: bocaccio, brown rockfish
Capitola Wharf: Brown rockfish, bocaccio, blue rockfish, gopher rockfish, vermilion rockfish,
Santa Cruz Wharf: blue rockfish, brown rockfish, bocaccio, gopher rockfish, black rockfish, kelp rockfish, yellowtail rockfish, copper rockfish

                                                       Bocaccio (juvenile)
San Mateo County:
Princeton Harbor Pier: brown rockfish, gopher rockfish, kelp rockfish, grass rockfish
Pacifica Pier: bocaccio, brown rockfish
                                                          
San Francisco County
Fort Point Pier: brown rockfish
Fort Mason Piers: brown rockfish, black rockfish, gopher rockfish
S.F. Municipal Pier: brown rockfish, grass rockfish
Pier 40: brown rockfish
Pier 7: brown rockfish
Agua Vista Pier: kelp rockfish

South SF Bay Piers
Oyster Point Pier: black rockfish

East SF Bay Piers:
FDR Pier (now closed): brown rockfish
Port View Park Pier/7th St: brown rockfish, blue rockfish, gopher rockfish
Berkeley Pier: brown rockfish, chilipepper rockfish, gopher rockfish, kelp rockfish, grass rockfish
Golden Gate Field’s Pier (now closed): brown rockfish
Ferry Point Pier: brown rockfish

North SF Bay Piers
Red Rock Pier (now closed): bocaccio, brown rockfish
Paradise Beach Pier: brown rockfish
Elephant Rock Pier: chilipepper rockfish, grass rockfish, brown rockfish, kelp rockfish, blue rockfish, black rockfish
Angel Island Pier: brown rockfish, black rockfish
Sausalito Pier (now closed): brown rockfish
Fort Baker Pier: blue rockfish, brown rockfish, orange rockfish, grass rockfish

                                                   Black Rockfish
Northern California
Point Arena Pier: bocaccio, black rockfish, grass rockfish
Del Norte St. Pier/Eureka: brown rockfish
Eureka Municipal Wharf: black rockfish, brown rockfish
Commercial St. Dock/Eureka: black rockfish, brown rockfish, grass rockfish, copper rockfish
Adorni Pier/Eureka: brown rockfish
Trinidad Pier: black rockfish, grass rockfish
Citizen’s Dock—Crescent City: black rockfish, copper rockfish

                                                     Rockfish at Sunset

Where bocaccio, vermilion or orange rockfish are mentioned it is generally the juvenile variety.