Day One — Pismo Beach — When we arrived at our hotel it was too early to check in so we decided to have some lunch. Friends in Fresno had said to be sure to visit the “Splash” restaurant since they had great clam chowder. Since I love clam chowder, that’s where we headed. Luckily, we just beat the crowd (and there’s almost always a line at the door).

The chowder was very good and I enjoyed the pictures on the wall, especially that of the pier.

By the time we left there was a crowd waiting to get in.

After lunch we decided to head down the street to the beach and pier. The pier was closed (which I knew) and under repair.

As usual during the summer months, the beach was crowded with people.

The Pismo Pier will be closed for an extended period of time (although some signs indicated it may be opened in sections as they finish one part and move on to the next).

The birds (mainly sea gulls and pelicans) had the pier to themselves.

We then headed back to our hotel, checked in, and walked around the grounds.

The Spyglass Inn

The bluff next to the hotel was covered with flowers

Off in the distance I could see the Avila Pier

What to do next? How about a short 15-minute drive over to Avila and its piers?

Day One — Port San Luis Pier — The Avila Beach Pier is closed but the second pier, the Port San Luis Pier, is just a mile down the road from Avila Beach. It would be a short visit but give me chance to fish.

One of my favorite spots is behind the fresh fish market just past the Sportfishing office.

The pier had quite a few people on it that day.

The pier for Cal State San Luis Obispo sits just a short distance down the shore from the Port San Luis Pier.

As for the fishing, an hour and a half fishing using my typical hi/lo rig produced 5 large jacksmelt, 4 Pacific mackerel, 2 nice-sized walleye surfperch, one small cabezon and way too many shinerperch. I also made a couple of new friends. A man and his wife had been fishing since 6:30 in the morning. They were using bobbers and had only caught a couple of fish. I gave most of the fish I caught to them and they were VERY pleased and grateful. I showed them a couple of techniques and by the time I left they too were catching some fish.

I didn’t take any pictures of the fish excepting this colorful cabezon.

Day One — Pismo Beach — After our short fishing trip, where I made sure to let Pat catch two of the mackerel that I hooked, we headed back to Pismo where we relaxed by our hotel before going out to dinner. Once again friends in Fresno had recommended a restaurant, Mo’s, if we liked BBQ. Of course I do and that’s where we headed. Mo’s isn’t fancy but it had great ribs (I tried the three variety platter) and was stuffed when we left.

We arrived right after a group of firefighters, so we had a wait.

We headed back to the hotel for a pretty sunset.

Day Two — Morro Bay — The next morning we decided to head over to Morro Bay for breakfast. My choice was the Blue Sky Bistro where I had dined previously. Again, more food than I needed.

You can either eat inside or eat outside overloooking the bay and Morro Rock

Morro Rock is always impressive. After breakfast we strolled the Embarcadero where i had the chance to check out small viewing platforms/fishing piers while Pat did some shopping.

We wound up down at Anchor Park and its small pier where two people were fishing.

This lady and her husband were visiting from Las Vegas (and enjoying the cool 72 degree weather) but had only managed one mackerel in their time at the pier.

Looking down the Embarcadero you could see the South T-Pier where I planned to fish later in the day.

Since the tide was low, I decided to head over to Cayucos and its pier first before returning to the South T-Pier.

Day Two — Cayucos — It was the middle of the day and I didn’t expect too much from the pier. However, the pier was crowded so I figured something must be biting.

I decided to head out to the end first to see what was going on. There were quite a few anglers but unfortunately most were catching only one thing — anchovies.

The anchovies explained why there were so many birds in the water.

Given the anchovies, I too put on a Sabiki and began catching them 1-4 at a time. I figured why not get some fresh bait? I also put on a halibut rig and threw out a live anchovy for bait. Unfortunately, I never had a bite.

Zane and JB

I did spot a couple of young anglers out at the end who looked like they knew what they were doing. They were fishing for sharks but hadn’t had any luck. Only problem they had was the number of tourists crowding the end looking at the birds, seals, sea lions, dolphins and whales. I asked them if they knew about PFIC and it turned out they both did. The taller was Zane and he’s a member of PFIC. The shorter was JB who, as it turned out, I had met before. He had attended one of the Kids Fishing Derbies at the Avila Beach Pier at few years ago and I had met him there when he was a little younger. As said, it looked like they knew what they were doing. Good job guys. After catching a couple of dozen anchovies and nothing else, I decided to move inshore and try for some perch.

The beach was busy as usual. As at the end of the pier, there were plenty of birds on the water. I was joined by a couple of harbor seals who would dive for anchovies when they weren’t paying me company.

Day Two — Morro Bay —After a short hour of fishing at Cayucos, and a couple of dozen anchovies, I decided to head back to Morro Bay and the T-Pier..

A beautiful day but I only fished the T-Pier for an hour due to my wife wanting to head back to Pismo. One hour using the hi/lo baited with pieces of shrimp produced two grass rockfish, one copper rockfish, and one small perch. I did toss out a Sabiki to see if there were any jacksmelt or mackerel but didn’t have a hit.

Day Two — Pismo Beach — Headed back to Pismo to spend some time with my wife and then decided to try the hotel restaurant for dinner since it was one of the highest ranking restaurants in Pismo Beach (to my surprise).

We decided to eat outside given the very pleasant weather. After a delicious dinner we walked the grounds.

Day Two — Port San Luis — Pat was tired but I still had some time left for some fishing so I headed back over to the Port San Luis Pier.

This time I headed out to the end since it was starting to get dark and there are some lights at the end. I decided to first try a Sabiki for some mackerel but it turned out the waters at the end were saturated with small bocaccio. After quickly getting a couple of dozen of those restricted fish, I switched over to a hi/low baited with shrimp and/or small pieces of mackerel. 1 3/4 hours produced 6 white croaker, 2 perch, 1 grass rockfish and way too many of the small bocaccio.

Day Three — Pismo Beach — I woke up early and since my wife was still sleeping decided to head down to the beach I had spotted from the bluffs.

Given the time in the morning, the fog still hadn’t burned off.

I took many, many pictures; here are a few.

Heading back up the bluff I encountered the first of what would be many small rabbits along the bluff area.

It turned out there were many, many rabbits in the bluff in front of the hotel. Here are a few.

We had an excellent breakfast at the hotel and then decided to visit Montana del Oro S.P. It is located between Pismo Beach and Morro Bay.

Day Three — Montana del Oro State Park

The first beach you come to has some interesting formations.

At the top of the hill just inside the park there is a hike that is about two miles long (back and forth) out to the cliff areas and some beautiful views. Much of the area reminded me of the Sea Lion Cove area near Point Arena. There are also a LOT of areas that  look VERY FISHY!

The walk back is through dry vegitation.

A birdie greeted us at our car.

Our next stop would be back in Fresno. We left Montana del Oro and Morro Bay where it was a cool 72 degrees. About 40 minutes later we were in Atascadero where it was 90 degrees. Another hour and 15 minutes and we were at the I-5 junction n Kettleman City where it was 104 degrees. Thus the Central Valley in the summertime and a reason why so many like to head over to the coast.

 Lizardfish—Family Synodontidae

Lizardfish, Avila Pier in 2013

Species: Synodus lucioceps (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek word synodus (the ancient name of a fish in which the teeth meet), and the Latin word lucioceps  (pike head).

Alternate Names: Gar, barracuda, candlefish. Called lagarto lucio or chile lucio in Mexico.

Identification: They are cylindrical shaped with a broad lizard-like head and a mouth full of large canine-like teeth; the snout is almost triangular. Their coloring is mostly brown or greenish-brown above with a brassy luster on the side; blackish stripes along the lateral line; some criss-cross lines running at angles from the lateral line to the back; sides and belly usually a light gray; lower jaw and fins yellow. Young fish have a series of blue-colored diamonds along the lateral line.

A lizardfish from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara in 2013

Size: Up to 25.2 inches and around 4 pounds; most caught off piers are under 14 inches.

Range: From Guaymas, Mexico, and Gulf of California, to Cape Beal, British Columbia. Listed in most “fish books” as an uncommon catch, especially north of Point Conception, and rare north of San Francisco. I used to agree. I fished California piers for 17 years before I caught my first lizardfish, a fish from the Newport Pier in 1978. Four years later I caught my second, a fish at Port Hueneme, and then in 1984 a third was caught at Wharf #2 in Monterey. It would stay that way, basically an occasional, incidental catch into the mid-90s when they began to show up more regularly. Then, in 2006, it seemed their numbers took off and in the intervening years they have become a regular catch at many if not most piers from San Diego north to Santa Cruz. In 2013 reports were coming in of vast numbers of lizardfish from San Diego north, and in personal visits to Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), Gaviota, Port San Luis, Avila, the Morro Bay T-Piers, Cayucos, San Simeon and Wharf #2 in Monterey, they seemd to literally cover the bottom and anglers using Sabiki-type bait rigs were bringing in 4-6 fish every cast. Why the change? I haven’t heard a good reason although they do seem to show up most commonly in cold-water years.

A lizardfish from the Goleta Pier in 2007

Habitat: Prefers shallow, sandy areas 5 to 150 feet deep. Lizzies are ambush predators that spend most of their time sitting motionless on the bottom with the body at a slight angle (using their large pelvic fins) waiting for food to swim by. They then dart out at a fairly amazing speed to grab their meal with their long, pointed teeth.

Piers: Once uncommon but now common at many piers—Imperial Beach Pier, Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Venice Pier, Malibu Pier, Port Hueneme Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier, Port San Luis and Wharf #2 in Monterey.

A lizardfish caught by sanclementeeric at the Balboa Pier in 2012

Shoreline: Taken occasionally on skiffs and kayaks fishing in bays or in shallow to moderately shallow water areas.

Boats: Rarely seen on boats.

Bait and Tackle: Commonly caught when fishing the bottom for other species. Seems to hit almost any bait but the key is to keep the bait moving. I have caught them on cut bait, strips of squid, pile worms and Sabikis. Use light or medium tackle and a size 6 to 2 hook. Several people have reported that small lizardfish themselves make good bait for halibut, another predator species that mimics the lizard’s behavior.

Yes, lizardfish are sometimes caught on artificial lures — Cabrillo Pier, 2010 (above) and Cayucos Pier, 2005 (below)

Food Value: Reportedly, they are good to eat but quite bony. Some people say the flesh has a strong “fishy” odor and an iodine taste, but others say they are good eating. I’m not sure. There is however a large market for dried lizardfish in Asia. According to Wikipedia, “The Bombay duck or bummalo (Harpadon nehereus, Bengali: bamaloh or loytta, Gujarati: bumla, Marathi: bombil: Bombeli, Sinhala) is, despite its name, not a duck but a lizardfish. It is native to the waters between Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and Kutch in the Arabian Sea, and a small number are also found in the Bay of Bengal. Great numbers are also caught in the South China Sea. The fish is often dried and salted before it is consumed, as its meat does not have a distinctive taste of its own. After drying, the odour of the fish is extremely powerful, and it is usually transported in airtight containers. Fresh fish are usually fried and served as a starter. In Mumbai, Konkan and the western coastal areas in India this dish is popularly known as ‘Bombil fry.’”

Lizardfish head seen at the Cryustal Pier in San Diego, 2005

Comments: With the influx of lizardfish people keep asking what they are good for. One answer is that they make decent live bait for halibut (and a big money halibut tournament was won one year by an angler using a lizardfish as live bait). Other fish will also hit a lizardfish being used for bait; most surprising was a 40-pound giant (black) sea bass that was taken in San Diego Bay in July of 2013 on a lizardfish (and returned to the water since they are illegal). You just never know.

You can’t always choose your relatives (and luckily mine are a nice group). But consider the poor lizardfish. Lizzies are a cyclosquamate fish placed in the order, Aulopiformes, along with a dozen or so other families. Nothing strange about that except that all of those other families are deepwater fish, what one Ichthyology book (Fishes, Moyle and Cezh) calls “a mixed bag of odd fishes.” Included are the barracundinas, sabertooths, pearleyes, lancetfishes, greeneyes, spiderfishes and grideyes. All of these either occupy the water column of the deep sea or are actual deepsea bottom-dwellers. Only the various lizardfish are considered inshore fish (although two species are deepwater fish). And while both the California lizardfish and Atlantic lizardfish reach fairly cool waters, most lizzies call tropical and subtropical waters their home.

I found that out during a trip to Hawaii in 1993 while chaperoning a group from Anderson Valley High School. We were staying near Waikiki Beach and several of us headed over to the beach to do a little surf fishing. In two hours I only managed three fish but one surprised me by being a lizardfish—a variegated lizardfish (Synodus variegates). It was the only lizardfish I caught on that trip although a return trip to Waikiki Beach two years later yielded up another variegated lizardfish. Two trips doesn’t mean they’re common for that beach but they were certainly common for me.

Notwithstanding their oddball cousins, lizardfish do have one honor. Not too many fish have had Naval vessels named after them. Not so with the typically maligned lizardfish. The USS Lizardfish (SS-373) was a Balao-class submarine commissioned December 30, 1944. Built in Illinois, she was towed down the Mississippi River to Algiers, Louisiana before putting out to sea where she traveled through the Panama Canal on way to Pearl Harbor. Soon after, she was headed out to the Java Sea and South China Sea where she was successfully engaged in several battles. The ship earned one battle star for World War II but the end of the war brought an end to the need for her service. The ship was decommissioned on June 1946 after less than two years of service.

The Kids Corner 

Kids love Lizardfish since they are easy to catch

This youngster was amazed with the lizardfish — Cabrillo Pier in 2009

Grandson Adam seemed to like this lizardfish — Avila Pier Kids Tournament 2013

Granddaughter Katie can take ‘em or leave ‘em — Avila Pier Kids Tournament 2013

A friends daughter — Avila Pier Kids Tournament 2013

One more, Avila Pier Kids Tournament 2013

Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) Kids Tournament, 2013

Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) Kids Tournament, 2013

A happy kid is a happy mom — Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) Kids Tournament 2013

Subclass Elasmobranchi—Sharks and Rays

Order Carcharhiniformes — Hound Sharks—Family Triakididae

Picture courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Species: Galeorhinus zyopterus (Linnaeus, 1758); from the Greek words galeos  (a kind of shark), rhinos (nose or snout), zuon, (animal) and pteron  (fin-large pectoral fin).

Alternate Names: Tope, oil shark, vitamin shark, snapper shark. Called tiburón aceitoso in Mexico.

Identification: They have a slender body with two dorsal fins, the second much smaller than the first and located nearly over the anal fin (which is about the same size). . They have a large subterminal lobe on the caudal fin (tail) that creates the appearance of a “doubled” tail. They have a long, pointed snout and elongate eyes. Their coloring is dark, bluish or bronze gray above and white below with black on the forward edges of the dorsal and pectoral fins; the caudal fin is usually black tipped with a white spot.. Youngsters, like you sometimes see on piers ,have a white edge on the pectoral fins.

A soupfin shark caught at the Berkeley Pier by Redfish (Robert Gardner)

Size: To 6.5 feet and about 100 pounds but most caught from piers are under four feet.

Range: From San Juanico Bay, southern Baja California, and the Gulf of California, to northern British Columbia.

Habitat: Found in both bays and oceanfront water; normally found in deeper parts of bays but frequently in shallower water, especially at night. Tends to feed on fish, squid and octopus.

A 55-pound soupfin caught by barracuda76 at the San Clemente Pier in 2007

Piers: An infrequent catch at some San Francisco Bay piers. Best bets: San Francisco Municipal Pier, Berkeley Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, and the Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: Occasionally taken by shore anglers in San Francisco Bay.

Boats: A frequent catch by boaters in San Francisco Bay.

A soupfin caught at the Manhattan Beach Pier in 2011

Bait and Tackle: Medium tackle, line at least 20-pound test line, and hooks 2/0 or larger. The best bait is a live midshipman, mudsucker or staghorn sculpin fished near the bottom. Live shrimp, grass shrimp or ghost shrimp, and frozen squid or anchovies will also tempt a few soupfin.

Food Value:  A mild flavored flesh suited to several methods of cooking. The best method is probably grilled. It does need to be cleaned properly and kept cool before cooking.

Comments: Never as common as smoothhounds or leopard sharks. Females give birth in the spring to 15-50 young and soon after many of the small pups will be caught by anglers (and hopefully will be returned to the water to grow).

 A soupfin shark and one happy angler at the Cayucos Pier

A nice soupfin caught in the surf in north San Diego Count by lowprofile in 2012

A 5’10″ soupfin caught by “Mr. Happy” at the Venice Pier in 2006

Soupfin shark taken at the Gaviota Pier in 2005 by eddog who said he is 5’10″ tall

 Order Hexanchiformes —  Cow Sharks—Family Hexanchidae

A sevengill taken from the Oyster Point Pier by Matt Shockley in 2003

Species: Notorynchus cepedianus (Perón, 1807); from the Greek roots noto (back) and r(h)ynchos (snout); and the Latin cepidianus (spotted).

Alternate Names: Broadnose sevengill shark, cow shark, spotted cow shark, mud shark, bluntnose shark, broad-snout, sevengill, k’wet’thenéchte (Salish, British Columbia), and my personal favorite (from Australia) Tasmanian tiger shark. This is another shark with an almost worldwide distribution and as a result it has many foreign names including cação-bruxa (Portuguese), cañabota gata (Spanish), gatita (Spanish), gevlekte zevenkieuwshaai (Dutch), brednæset syvgællet haj (Danish), kammzähner (German), koeihaai (Afrikaans), platneus-sewekiefhaai (Afrikaans), minami-ebisuzame (Japanese), ebisuzame (Japanese), platnez (French), requin malais (French), siebenkiemiger Pazifischer kammzähner (German), siedmioszpar plamisty (Polish), tiburón de 7 gallas (Spanish), tiburón pinto (Spanish), tollo fume (Spanish), and tuatini (Maori).

A sevengill from the Dumbarton Pier in 2004

Identification: The only California shark with 7 gill slits. The body is somewhat heavy and flabby, tapered with a broad head, blunt snout, and small eyes. They have a single dorsal fin far back on the body; upper lobe of tail is very long. Five rows of small, sharp, pointed teeth in the upper jaw—except for one middle tooth (effective for holding prey); lower teeth saw-like (effective for tearing and cutting prey). Color seems to vary depending upon location and they may be able to slightly alter their color. Fish from San Francisco Bay are typically olive brown to a muddy gray color, those from Humboldt Bay are usually a pale silvery gray to reddish brown; all have black spots on body and fins. An unusual albino seven-gill was caught in the San Mateo Shark Derby back in 1952 and later displayed at the Steinhart Aquarium.

Size: Length to over 9 feet and nearly 300 pounds in size. Most sevengills caught from piers are young fish 2-4 feet in length and under 50 pounds in weight. However, most years seem to see at least a few large 6-foot plus fish taken.

A good-sized sevengill taken from the Goleta Pier in 2009

The largest sevengill reported to PFIC was a sevengill taken from the Cayucos Pier in December of 1998. Pictures show a large 7 ½-foot-long fish but the reported weight of 180-pounds seems far too high. Two large 7-gills were reported from the Ocean Beach Pier. In May of 2006, a nearly 8-foot-long, 112-pound 7-gill shark was landed, while May of 2008 saw the capture of a 7-gill estimated to be 10-10 ½ feet long. The only problem is that 7-gills are only supposed to reach about 9 feet in length. (Perhaps it was a 6-gill (they’ve been reported to 15 feet in length?) In October 2009 the Goleta Pier saw the capture of both a six-foot and eight-foot 7-gill. Just a month later saw another 7-gill, this one a seven-foot, nine-inch fish. The California record fish weighed 276 lb 0 oz and was taken in Humboldt Bay in 1996.

The large sevengill taken from the Cayucos Pier by Wayne in 1998. Although the weight is disputed by many, it was still a LARGE sevengill for a pier.

Range: Found in temperate waters of the Pacific, Indian and South Atlantic Oceans (and very common off South Africa and Namibia). Found in North America from the Gulf of California to northern British Columbia off Butedale and Bonilla Island. Common in central California.

Habitat: A bottom oriented shark common to inshore areas (especially rocky areas near kelp) and in bays, especially San Francisco Bay, Tomales Bay and Humboldt Bay. Most common from the spring to the fall; may migrate to deeper water during the winter. In San Francisco Bay, springtime sees mama sevengill dropping her pups (up to 82 young ‘uns) and that’s when small, immature fish make a regular appearance at several piers.

Most sevengills caught from piers are smaller fish such as this one taken from the Berkeley Pier in 2004

Piers: Mainly caught at piers that sit close to fairly deep water, or deep-water channels in a bay. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Goleta Pier, Morro Bay T-Piers, Cayucos Pier, Candlestick Pier, Oyster Point Pier, Dumbarton Pier, Berkeley Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, and the Del Norte Street Pier (Eureka).

Shoreline: Sometimes caught from shoreline areas in San Francisco Bay, most commonly early spring or late fall when the fish appear to move into shallower areas to spawn.

Showing that large sevengills are occasionally seen on piers and in shoreline areas is this large sevengill that was caught from the shoreline at Pismo Beach in 2010

Boats: A common goal for anglers fishing from boats in San Francisco and Humboldt Bay.

Bait and Tackle: An opportunistic predator that feeds on many other fish including salmon, sturgeon, smaller fish, rays and fellow shark. It’s reported that 7-gills sometimes hunt in packs and use teamwork to capture larger food such as seals and dolphins. However, the use of seal meat and dolphin meat for bait by humans tends not to be PC (it’s also illegal). Instead, typical baits include whole fish such as mackerel and sardines, whole squid, small sharks, and salmon bellies.  Typically anglers seeking out sevengills use heavier tackle—50+ pound line and steel leaders baited with a whole fish (and I heard of one angler using a live small brown smoothhound shark as bait). Although most of the 7-gills that are caught are captured by anglers specifically fishing for sharays (sharks and rays) and using this fairly heavy equipment and large baits, quite a few smaller “youngsters” are caught in San Francisco Bay, especially during the spring months.

A sevengill taken at the Dumbarton Pier in 2004

Food Value: Considered one of the best eating sharks.

Comments:  One of the most primitive of sharks as well as one of the largest and more dangerous sharks handled by California pier fishermen. Watch out for the teeth! David A. Ebert, in Sharks Rays, and Chimaeras of California, writes that “Other than the Great White Shark they appear to be the dominant elasmobranch in the nearshore marine environment.”

Another sevengill from the Dumbarton Bridge Pier, this one taken in 2006.

In addition, “Sevengills have been implicated in about a dozen attacks on dogs in and around San Francisco Bay. A bather in at least one attack was playing with his dog in shallow water when a 1.5- to 1.8-m-long ‘spotted’ shark attacked. Although the shark was unidentified, the attack occurred inside San Francisco Bay in an area in which sevengills are fairly abundant.” It’s also reported that 7-gills have bitten aquarium divers.

Shark teeth at the Berkeley Pier in 2008

Sevengill caught at the Robert Wooley Pier (Burlingame) in 2007

A sevengill taken by Rock Hopper at the Berkeley Pier in 2004

The capture of a large sevengill by Matty and Dom in 2012; picture by capt.raysharking

Small thresher shark from the Pacifica Pier in 2006

Species: Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788); from the Greek word alopos and Latin word vulpes, (both meaning fox).

Alternate Names: Thresher, blue thresher, longtail shark, swiveltail, fox shark, sea fox, fish shark, sea ope, pesca pavone. A worldwide range with a worldwide list of foreign names—pez zorro (Spanish), cação-pena (Portuguese), faux (French), fuchshai (German), aleposkylos (Greek), big-eye thresher (English), budenb (Maltese), cacao-raposa (Portuguese), chichi espada (Spanish), coleto (Spanish), coludo (Spanish), coludo pinto (Spanish), drescherhai (German), grayfish (English), grillo (Spanish), guadaña (Spanish), guilla (Catalan), jarjur (Arabic), kalb (Arabic), karage (Swahili), kettuhai (Finnish), Kosogon (Polish), K’wet’thenéchte (Salish), Langschweif (German), Loup de mer (French), mango-ripi (Maori), ma’o aero (Tahitian), mao-naga (Japanese), papa kinengo (Swahili), pas lisica (Serbian), pating (Tagalog), pèis rato (French), peixe-rato (Portuguese), peje sable (Spanish), peje zorra (Spanish), pejerrabo (Spanish), pesce volpe (Italian), peshkdhelpën (Albanian), pez espada (Spanish), pez palo (Spanish), pichirata (Spanish), pixxivolpi (Maltese), poisson-épée (French), psina lisica (Serbian), qatwa al bahar (Arabic), rabilongo (Portuguese), rabo de zorra (Spanish), rævehaj (Danish), raposa (Spanish), raposa marina (Spanish), raposo (Portuguese), rävhaj (Swedish), rechin-vulpe (Rumanian), renard (French), renard de mers (Creole), renard marin (French), requin renard (French), revaháur (Faroese), revehai (Norwegian), romano (Portuguese), romão (Portuguese), sapan (Turkish), sapan baligi (Turkish), seefuchs (German), singe de mer (French), skylópsaro (Greek), squalo volpe (Italian), tærsker (Danish), te bakoa (Kiribati), te kimoa (Kiribati), thon blanc (French), tiburón zorro (Spanish), tubarão raposo (Portuguese), volpe de mar (Italian), voshaai (Dutch), watwa albahar (Arabic), whip-tailed shark (English), zoro cauda longa (Portuguese), zorro (Spanish), and zorro blanco (Spanish).

Thresher taken from the Half Moon Bay Jetty in 2009

Identification: Easily identified by the long tail (caudal fin) that is as long as the rest of the body. The only other similar shark in California water is the rare, deep-water, big-eye thresher. Their coloring is brown to bluish gray to black to purplish on the back shading to white below. Their overall shape is spindle-shaped with two dorsal fins, a tiny anal fin, and curved pectoral fins. They have a short snout with a mouth full of small but sharp teeth.

Size:  To 18 feet and possibly 25 feet. Most caught from piers are youngsters (practically babies) under 6 feet in length. The California record fish was a 575 lb 0 oz fish caught off Carlsbad Canyon in 2007.   

Range: Circumglobal in warm waters. In the eastern Pacific from Chile to southeastern Alaska, and Goose Bay, British Columbia. Most threshers caught in California are taken south of Point Conception.

A thresher taken by red805 at the Goleta Pier in 2015

Habitat: Most common in deeper offshore water but young threshers venture into shallower water. A number are caught by southern and central California pier rats  every year.

Piers: Most common on oceanfront piers south of Point Conception although some are taken every year from Central Coast piers. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Venice Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Malibu Pier, Ventura Pier, Gaviota Pier, and Pismo Beach Pier. The Gaviota Pier may be the best pier in the state for threshers (and some feel the nearby waters are a “pupping” area) but the pier is currently closed and no one seems to know when or if the state will reopen it?

A thresher taken by Wayne at the Cayucos Pier in 1997

Shoreline:Rarely caught from shore unless near deepwater areas.

Boats: A major species for both boaters and kayakers in southern and central California. Live bait is preferred but they aren’t easy to land from a kayak.

Bait and Tackle: Bony fish make up 97% of the thresher’s diet. Mostly these are small, schooling species such as mackerel, jack mackerel and sardines. As a result, the recommended bait is a live whole fish with mackerel and sardines leading the list. A whole squid also makes excellent bait. Anglers specifically fishing for them land the great majority of threshers. Tackle should be heavy and include a net to bring the fish onto the pier. Line should be at least 40-pound test, a wire leader is preferred and hooks can be 4/0 or larger.

Thresher taken at the Ventura Pier in 2010

Food: An excellent, mild flavored flesh! Threshers can be prepared many ways but one of the best is to simply cut the meat into steaks and broil them on a grill. The meat does need to be cleaned properly and kept cool before cooking.

Comments: The high demand for thresher steaks, accompanying high prices, over-fishing, and low number of pups birthed each year by females (two to four), have led to a dramatic drop in the thresher population in the last twenty years. Many people feel there should be either a ban or severe limits imposed on the take of threshers. 

Thresher — Seacliff State Beach Pier in 2009

A small lingcod I caught one day from Citizens Dock in Crescent City

Species: Ophidon elongatus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words ophis (snake) and odons (tooth), and the Latin word elongatus  (elongate shaped).

Lingcod from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier in 2010 by MBay

Alternate Names:  Pacific cultus, cultus cod, leopard cod, blue cod, gator, ling, greenlinger, green cod and my favorites—slinky linky and lingasaur. Early-day names included buffalo cod, bocalao, card and testoni. Called molva in Mexico.

Identification: Elongate shaped with a long dorsal fin, large pectoral fins, and a large mouth full of canine-like teeth. Their coloring is gray to brown to blue, darker above (although some fish are a bright green and some older fish are a fairly bright yellow). The young are usually blotched.

Size: To 105 pounds in British Columbia. Most lingcod caught off piers are small, generally less than five pounds in weight. The California record fish weighed 56 lb 0 oz. It was caught at Crescent City in 1992.  

Lingcod taken from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier in 2009 by MBay

Range: From Point San Carlos, northern Baja California to the Shumagin Islands, southwestern Gulf of Alaska.

Lingcod taken from the Goleta Pier by Pierhead (Boyd Grant) in 2003

Habitat: South of Point Conception lingcod are typically a deep-water fish; north of Point Conception lingcod will be found from inter-tidal areas out to deep water. The bigger the ling the deeper they tend to live and they’ve been found all the way down to 1,400 feet. Small juvenile lingcod settle into sandy areas at about three inches in length and stay there until they are about 14-inches long. The fish then move out into rocky areas, progressively moving into deeper areas as they age. Many, but not all, migrate into shallower water to spawn during the late fall and winter months. Lings are bottom-dwellers classified as ambush predators whose cryptic (i.e. camouflage) coloration allows them to blend into the background. When prey comes close, they will dart out using the power of their pectoral fins and grab the unsuspecting victim with their large mouth and long, pointed teeth.  They are able to surprise and capture fairly mobile prey.

Lingcod taken by Rock Hopper at the Doran Jetty 

Piers: Most lingcod taken from piers are of one of two types: small juvenile fish just a few inches long or larger adults around keeper-size. In central and northern California, primarily from Avila to Morro Bay, Humboldt Bay and Crescent City Harbor, small juvenile lingcod will often move in around the piers (and sandy areas) during the summer and fall. In Central California, their appearance often will coincide with the arrival of schools of juvenile bocaccio. In Eureka and Crescent City, the young lingcod are often present the same time that juvenile rockfish, mainly small black rockfish, are using the piers as a nursery area. Sometimes the schools are mixed; at other times, it seems the lingcod swim just under the schools of rockfish. Most of these lingcod are small—under a foot—and they are illegal. At piers north of San Francisco, especially those located near rocks or reefs, anglers will see larger lingcod as one of the normal pier species. Most of these lingcod will be around two feet in length but larger fish are caught every year, especially in the fall and early winter. The best pier to catch lingcod is SoCal is probably the Goleta Pier. The best CenCal piers would include the Monterey Coast Guard Pier and the Santa Cruz Wharf. The top piers in NorCal are the Point Arena Pier, Trinidad Pier, and Citizens Dock in Crescent City.

A lingcod from the rocks

Shoreline: One of the main prizes for rocky shore anglers in central and northern California.

Lingcod caught from CenCal rocks by frozendog in 2014

Boats:  A prize for boaters from central California north; a few are taken in deeper waters in southern California. Traditionally, the greatest catch was made out of Monterey and Santa Cruz although substantial numbers were landed on boats from every port north of Morro Bay. In southern California some are taken from deeper waters of the Channel Islands and the Los Coronados Islands. All areas saw a decrease in the ‘90s but the species has been making a tremendous comeback in numbers during the past decade.

Lings caught from boats are generally larger than shore caught lings. This ling was caught by bigunindaboat in 2014.

Lingcod taken on a boat out of Monterey by Jackjack in 2014

Bait and Tackle: Anglers specifically fishing for lingcod need to remember to bring tackle heavy enough for the fish since lings over ten pounds in size are always a possibility. Almost any bait will work although a lively small fish makes the best bait. If live bait is unavailable, try a whole anchovy or a cut sardine or herring. Lings can also be taken on squid, octopus, shrimp, and even fresh mussels but moving bait is almost always better. Lingcod will also hit artificials, especially in the fall and winter months. Lures such as swimbaits and spoons seem to work best.

Lingcod taken from the Pacifica Pier in 1997

Food Value: Excellent, mild-flavored, flaky, and low-fat content meat. Lingcod meat can be prepared in almost any manner but I prefer to fillet it and fry it. Many people like to steak it and broil it, or cook it on a bar-b-cue, but the low fat content means it can dry out somewhat. Remember, low fat content means to add oil as in frying. High fat content means to remove the oil by methods such as broiling.  Sometimes the flesh will be green-blue after filleting; don’t worry, it will turn white after cooking.

Lingcod taken from the rocks by Salty Nick in 2014

Comments: Lingcod are truculent, pugnacious fighters, one of the meanest fish a pier angler will encounter. Remember to watch out for those large, large teeth.  Lings live to at least 20 years of age.

Lingcod taken from the Point Arena Pier by Dan and Renee in 2006

Lingcod taken by MBay from the Monterey Coast Guard Pier in 2010

Lingcod taken from the Cayucos Pier in 2003

Lingcod taken from the Trinidad Pier in 2003

Lingcod taken by frozendog from CenCal rocks in 2014

A lingcod that I netted for a guy in Santa Cruz back in the ’70s. He had been seasick all day, got up to fish for ten minutes, hooked this lingcod, brought it up, and I netted it (since the deckhand was busy with another fish). He then proceeded to throw up and quit fishing once again.

A lingcod and a kelp greenling that I caught one day fishing off of Fort Bragg

Another lingcod I caught off Fort Bragg

A tasty double — a lingcod and a sole caught by csmeril at the Cayucos Pier in 2013.

Small, immature “baby” lingcod taken from the Santa Cruz Wharf in 2007

Dogfish Sharks—Family Squalidae

Large spiny dogfish taken at the Cayucos Pier in 2007

Species: Squalus acanthias (Linnaeus, 1758); from the Latin word squalus  (shark) and the Greek word akanthias (spines), or Squalus suckleyi; from the Latin word squalus (shark) and suckleyi honoring George Suckley (1830-1869), a naturalist and Civil War surgeon. Pick A or B—but why the choice? It’s an ichthyologist thing! Squalus acanthias is the scientific name given to the common North Atlantic (or worldwide) dogfish. Squalus suckleyi is a name given to the dogfish found in the north Pacific. These fish are considered a distinct species by some ichthyologists. California Fish & Game Bulletin No. 28, edited by Lionel Walford (early ‘30s), lists the scientific name of spiny dogfish as Squalus suckleyi. California Fish & Game Bulletin No. 91, edited by Phil M. Rodel (1953) lists the name as Squalus acanthias and makes the following statement, “The north Pacific and north Atlantic dogfishes were long regarded as separate species (S. suckleyi and S. acanthias respectively), but Bigelow and Schroeder (1948) found no difference between them. Because the Atlantic dogfish was described first, its scientific name takes precedence.” Since that time the California Fish & Game has used Squalus acanthias as the official scientific name. In Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of California by David A. Ebert (2003), perhaps the pre-eminant book on these species, he uses Squalus acanthias and states, “no significant morphological characteristics have been found to separate these species.” Still, if you open ten books you may find five listing one scientific name, five the other.

Spiny dogfish taken at the Ventura Pier in 2002 by Tim Durham

Alternate Names: Dogfish, dog shark, gray shark, grayfish, paloma, spinarola (in Humboldt Bay), pinback shark, mud shark, sand shark, Henle’s shark, and my favorite, green-eyed grinner. The fact that dogfish have an almost worldwide distribution means they also have a plethora of interesting names. On the west coast of America dogfish are called k’aaxada can, q’ad can or kaad (Haida and Tlingit—British Columbia,) and tiburó de Espina or galludo (Mexico). Given their worldwide distribution, dogfish may be the winner of the “Most Alternate Names Award.” Apparently, the common name “dogfish” originated not from looking like a dog, or barking like a dog (although that would be interesting), but from fishermen who described these fish as chasing smaller fish in large dog-like “packs.”

Usually if you catch one dogfish there will be more around

Identification: They have a spine at front of each dorsal fin (the only other shark that has this is the horn shark) but no anal fin. They also have a long, flattened, pointed nose. Their coloring is generally gray or light brown above and white below. Spiny dogfish are sometimes confused with smoothhound sharks but smoothies do not have dorsal spines.

Large catches are not uncommon — all taken at the Ventura Pier in 2003

Size: To slightly more than five feet; those caught at piers are generally less than  four feet in length.

Spiny dogfish at the Cayucos Pier in 2007

Range: Found throughout temperate seas; in the eastern Pacific it ranges from Isla San Martin, southern Baja California, to the Gulf of California, and on to the Bering Sea, coast of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. A population is also found in Chile. In the western Pacific, the dogfish occurs from the Bering Sea to New Zealand. Dogfish are found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Greenland to Argentina and in the eastern Atlantic from Iceland and Murmanski Coast (Russia) to South Africa including the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. An example of their range (and wandering nature) was seen in a dogfish that was caught on the half-day boat Daily Double off San Diego on September 23, 2013. It had been tagged on July 20, 2010 in Yakutsk Bay in the Gulf of Alaska, 1,847 nautical miles away.

Spiny dogfish from the Cayucos Pier in 2006

Habitat: Generally found in deeper water in southern California and shallower water north of Point Conception. Inshore areas see the best fishing from the spring to the fall; may move offshore during the winter. Typically found in large schools with young, immature dogs found in mixed groups of males and females; older, mature dogs hang with those of a similar sex, males in one school, females in another. How boring.

Spiny dogfish from the Ventura Pier in 2003

Piers: Although many dogfish are caught from piers in Washington and British Columbia, they are of much less importance to piers in California. Nevertheless, a number are caught every year from piers in central and northern California. Best bets: Pismo Beach Pier, Cayucos Pier, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Fort Mason Piers and the Berkeley Pier. Almost any of the piers in Humboldt Bay can also be labeled excellent. Quite a few have also been reported from the Huntington Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, and Ventura Pier, all in southern California.

A number of dogfish and one small swell shark from the Cayucos Pier in 2007

Shoreline: Quite a few are caught from shoreline areas in Humboldt Bay.

Boats: A common catch for boaters in Humboldt Bay and occasionally taken by rockcod anglers from central California north,

Bait and Tackle: Most dogfish caught from piers are of moderate size, 18 to 36 inches long. Because of the sharp teeth, a light wire leader or heavy monofilament line should be used. Generally medium tackle is used with hook size 2 to 4/0. Best bait seems to be squid but in San Francisco Bay ghost shrimp and small live fish also work well. Dogfish have a disturbing habit of twisting around the line and are a pain in the proverbial butt to remove.

A spiny dogfish from the Elephant Rock Pier in 2007

Food Value: Considered a fair quality fish that is moderate in fat content. The flesh is firm, moderate in taste, and is generally considered best suited for frying.   The English must agree since have used dogfish for their fish and chips for centuries. However, it is also very popular in Europe as a hot-smoked product, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. It does need to be cleaned properly and kept cool before cooking.

Spiny dogfish from the Newport Pier in 2003

Comments: Like the horn shark, anglers should be very careful when handling dogfish. Watch out for the dorsal spines and the unexpectedly sharp teeth.

The spine of a spiny dogfish taken at the Ventura Pier in 2011 by Yomero

Since dogfish generally swim in large schools, if you catch one there is a good chance that others may not be too far behind. On a trip to Washington back in the ’70s, I learned about their prodigious numbers and schooling nature. In Tacoma there was (and maybe still is) a sportfishing company called Dogfish Charters. Although the boats primarily fished for walleye pollock, rockfish, and Pacific cod, the dogfish were bound to show up. In fact the boat offered a free trip to anyone who failed to catch a dogfish. How did I do? Mixed in with 20+ pollock and copper rockfish were four dogfish. I didn’t earn a free trip—darn!

Another example of their numbers was seen during a doctor’s office visit in 2013. One day I was calmly gritting my teeth and nodding approvingly as my doctor stun-gunned my face and asked if I was OK. The ”this might sting a little” routine had out lived its usefulness but I would show my manliness and toughness by refusing to show the pain (and there was pain). Following the masochist session we talked of fish. She asked if I had ever heard of dog sharks? “Yes, but they are actually called dogfish sharks, so called because they travel in packs like dogs.” She said she had been at the Pismo Beach Pier in August when she had seen 50-60 dog sharks, most around three feet in length, laying on the deck at the end of the pier. Anglers were bringing more sharks up every few minutes. It was dark and as she had looked down into the waters she said she could actually see the sharks massed below. I asked if the anglers had said what they intended to do with the sharks and she said they were going to eat them. “Good thing,” I said, “since I hate to see fish wasted.” No wonder a lot of guys like to fish the Pismo Beach Pier for sharks!

The number of dogfish does seem a little surprising to me. Although the fish can live to be 70-80 years old, females are not mature until about age 35. Though the ladies can produce 70-80 young in a lifetime, how many actually reach maturity? Questions, questions!

A final note! For years dogfish were one of the most common cadavers used by junior CSI’ers cuttin’ up bodies in high school biology (along with da frogs).  Today, some scientists have discovered they can use the cartilage from dogfish spines in a cancer medicine. AEterna Laboratories, a small Quebec company, uses purified spines to produce Neovastat, a medicine that seems to inhibit blood vessel growth in lung and kidney cancer tumors. The result is longer lives and a better quality of life. Although still experimental, results to date are very promising.

The medical uses for dogfish are not new. As described in Some Common Marine Fishes of British Columbia by G. Clifford Carl (1973), “Both the oil from the livers and the flesh were eaten by Indians on the west coast of Vancouver Island and Cape Flattery.” Interestingly, he gives a quote from (Swan, 1870) which gives reference to George Suckley, the doctor used in the scientific name Squalus suckleyi. “Dr. Suckley states that while he was on service as surgeon at the U.S. military station at Fort Steilacoom, he used dogfish oil with great success in pulmonary affections, and considered it, when fresh, equal to cod-liver oil.” So there you have it, the rest of the story.

A dogfish caught at the Capitola Wharf in 2008 by Rusty: picture by anchovinator

The view from the bluffs just north of the pier

I would not be alone! A large number of residents and visitors combined with the normal number of movers and shakers insured the opening would be an event. Hundreds flocked to the pier, to the ceremonies, and to the songs and attractions that lined the beach-side street. Given that it was Halloween, it was a festive group with many dressed in costumes, more than a few drinks were imbibed, and a good time was enjoyed by all. Some, like myself, even fished.

A few anglers were already fishing from the pier before the opening as well as few strollers checking out the pier and the fishing action.

As it turned out the fishing was slow (which I found a little unusual). But the pier is beautiful and the crowd was filled with good will. Families roamed the pier checking out the new pilings, new lights, new railings (basically new everything), and the plaques lining the pier memorializing those who gave support for the pier. The plaques honored many who had spent their lives visiting the pier, those who saw Cayucos and its beaches as a favored seaside destination, and some who saw the pier as their favored destination for wetting a fishing line. One plaque even honored a family dog. It was a happy time for all.

The “Grand Opening” and ribbon cutting ceremony was scheduled for 12 Noon but I arrived early wanting to take a few pictures of the pier before the opening.

Even though it was almost November, it was a short-sleeve shirt and shorts kind of day with a bright sun (where’s my suntan lotion?) and a mostly light breeze. You couldn’t have hoped for better weather and it provided the perfect conditions for what I think most would say was a great day.

It’s a little different perspective under the pier

What a beautiful day!

Time for the ceremonies!

Greg Bettencourt was the main man who led the local efforts to rebuild the pier

County Supervisor Bruce Gibson spearheaded efforts by San Luis Obispo County to obtain funding for the project

Vicki Jansen, an aide to California Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, spoke a few words for the assemblyman

Nick Franco, the Director of San Luis Obispo County Parks Department had a long list of people who had contributed to the funding and rebuilding of the pier

Makana, a singer from Hawaii who was scheduled to provide music for the festivities sang a new song he had written about the Cayucos Pier

It was finally time for the official ribbon cutting signifying the opening of the pier

Once the festivities were over it was time to load up my pier cart and head out to the pier to catch some fish. The pier was crowded but there was still ample railing space to give it a try.

The end section already had a few anglers so I set up about three quarters down the pier.

I have never seen so many people dressed up on a pier nor so many dogs on a pier.

A couple of guys came loaded with equipment for sharks although I didn’t see them catch anything. The pier has traditionally been a great pier for sharks although most are caught at night.

I enjoyed watching this man introduce his son to surfing!

Jacksmelt

The fishing was slow. I managed ten fish while fishing from 1 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. but all were smallish-sized fish with the exception of two fairly large jacksmelt. I tried cut mackerel, strips of squid, cut market shrimp and finally some night crawlers (which I had bought since I couldn’t find any pile worms or bloodworms). All of the fish were caught on either the night crawlers or the pieces of mackerel.

The results for two and a half hours of fishing: two jacksmelt, two white croaker, two walleye surfperch, two topsmelt, one barred surfperch and one staghorn sculpin. Pretty dismal results which represented pretty much what was normal before the pier was closed.

Even though the fishing was slow, it was a great day and I hope to return soon.

Thornback rays taken at the Ventura Pier

Species: Platyrhinoidis triseriata (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words platys (flat and broad), rhin (shark with a rough skin), oid (like) and is (similar), and the Latin words tri (three) and seriat (rows, in reference to the three rows of spines on the back).

Alternate Names: Shovelnose shark, pinback ray, prickleback shark, banjo shark, round skate, and my favorite—throw-‘em-backs. Called guitarra diablo or guitarra espinuda in Mexico.

An interesting combo, a thornback ray on one hook and a sea star on the other. Combo landed at the Malibu Pier.

Identification: Large rounded disk; long stout tail with two large dorsal fins and a caudal fin, and three rows of spines on back and tail characterize the thornback ray. Their coloring is brown, gray brown, or olive brown above, and white or cream below.

Size: To three feet and nearly 6 pounds. Most caught off piers are less than 24 inches.

A thornback ray from the Crystal Pier in San Diego

Range: Gulf of California to Tomales Bay and once considered uncommon north of Monterey. However, increasing numbers have been showing up in the Bay Area since about 2010.

Habitat: Common to sandy-beach areas of southern California, especially sandy areas below kelp. Their main food is worms, clams, crabs and shrimp but they’ll eat almost anything they can find on the bottom.

A thornback ray from the Capitola Wharf (Photo courtesy of Capitola Bait and Tackle)

Piers:  Probably the most common ray caught off southern California piers; most often caught just outside the surf area. Best Bets: Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, Newport Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Stearns Wharf, Goleta Pier and the Avila Pier.

Shoreline: A frequent catch of southern California shore anglers fishing near sand.

Boats: Few are taken by boaters.

Adam and a thornback ray caught at the Avila Beach Pier. It looks like he’s not too sure about the catch.

Bait and Tackle: Medium tackle with size 4 to 2/0 hooks. Almost any bait will work but squid and anchovies seem to catch the most thornbacks.

Food Value: Although a European thornback ray, Raja clavata, is considered perhaps the best tasting of all rays and skates, California’s thornback ray is not in the same class. In fact, because of its small size, I have never heard of anyone eating one of these rays.

Two happy anglers and an unhappy thornback at the Shelter Island Pier in San Diego

Comments: This can be a fun ray to catch on light tackle! Try fishing at night on almost any southern California pier (and a few in central California), use a light pole, and bring a good light so that you can distinguish this non-harmful ray from the more dangerous round stingrays.

A thornback ray from Capitola (Photo courtesy of Capitola Bait and Tackle)

A thornback ray caught at the Cayucos Pier

A thornback ray from the Redondo Beach Pier

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/08/thornback-ray/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/08/big-skate/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/08/big-skate/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2015 19:43:54 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=7887 Cartilaginous Fishes—Class Chondrichthyes — (A skeleton of cartilage that is not true bone)

Subclass Elasmobranchi—Sharks and Rays

Skates — Family Rajidae — Big Skate 

A big Big Skate taken from the Paradise Park Pier in 2007

Species: Raja binoculta (Grard, 1855); from the Latin words raja (skate), bi  (two), and oculata  (eyed, referring to the markings on top of the skate).

Alternate Names:  Skate, barndoor skate, and Pacific great skate. Called raya gigante or raya bruja gigante in Mexico.

Identification: The only skate with a notch in the rear edge of each pelvic fin. The nose is long, bluntly pointed, and broadly triangular. The body is flat with two separate dorsal fins near the end of the tail. Their coloring is gray, brown, reddish brown, olive brown, or blackish, with smaller white spots and two prominent eyespots above; whitish with a possibility of dark spots below.

A small Big Skate taken at the Paradise Park in 2006

Size: Reaches eight feet in length and to over 200 pounds. Those caught at piers rarely exceed 100 pounds in size although two big skates, one at the Cayucos Pier in July 2004 (estimated at 5 feet by 5 feet) and another one taken at the Trinidad Wharf in the summer of 1996 (4 1/2′ wide and 5 1/2′ long), seemingly were over the century mark.

Range: Cabo Falsa, southern Baha California, and Gulf of California, to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, at least west to Unalaska Island; also eastern Gulf of Alaska. Rarely seen south of Point Conception.

Habitat: Generally found in water of moderate depth although ranges to a depth of 2,200 feet; luckily for pier fishermen, they’re also found over sandy-shore beaches and in bays.

A Big Skate taken from the Cayucos Pier in June 2007

Piers: A few are caught each year, generally at piers north of Point Conception). Best bets: Pismo Beach Pier, Morro Bay T-Piers, Cayucos Pier, Seacliff State Beach Pier, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Paradise Park Pier, McNear Park Pier, Fort Baker Pier, Del Norte St. Pier (Eureka), Trinidad Pier, and the B St. Pier (Crescent City).

Shoreline: An occasional catch for northern California fisherman in Humboldt and Arcata Bay.

Boats: A few are reported from boaters and kayakers fishing in Humboldt and Arcata Bays.

A Big Skate taken from the Pacifica Pier in 2006

Bait and Tackle: Due to their potential size, medium to heavy tackle should be used. However, most biggies are caught by anglers seeking other species, few anglers fish specifically for skates. Most any bait will tempt a skate but squid, clams, ghost shrimp, marine worms, and small fish seem to work best.

Big Skate taken at the Berkeley Pier in 2004

Food Value: Like guitarfish, skates when used for food are really delicious. The most common method is to cut off the skin around the wings and then use cookie cutters to punch out pieces of meat that are very similar in taste and texture to scallops. Many stories tell of skate being sold in stores as scallops. Deep-frying is the most common method of cooking for skate prepared in this manner. Another common recipe says to pan-fry the wings in butter (yes, of course after the wings have been skinned).

Big Skate taken at the Berkeley Pier in 2004

Comments: Far less common than bat rays but the average big skate taken is fairly good size. According to the CA DF&W, “skates have paired electric organs along the sides of their tails, which generate weak, low-voltage electric currents believed to be of use in intra-specific communication, possibly for mate recognition or to demonstrate aggression. These electric currents are not harmful to humans.”

A really big Big Skate taken from the Cayucos Pier in 2004

One of my favorite stories is about Rosie and The Creature From The Black Lagoon. The story’s main characters were Rosie, who used to work at Salty’s Bait and Tackle in Trinidad, and an unidentified creature that fell in love with our heroine. Well, not exactly! That might be a slight stretch. The actual incident took place during the summer of 1996 when Rosie decided to get in a couple of hours of late afternoon fishing down at the picturesque old pier in Trinidad Harbor. She was using an Abu-Garcia outfit loaded with 20-pound test line, and for bait she had brought along some herring. Maybe a salmon would grab her bait.

Rosie cast her bait out to the waters on the north side of the pier and began to wait for a strike. When it came, she was in the fight of her life. Something grabbed the bait and took off on the start of a long, long fight. Rosie was soon joined by friends and onlookers who shortly thereafter dubbed her unseen foe, “The Creature From The Black Lagoon.”

It actually wasn’t anything quite so exotic but you never know until you see your quarry. Eventually she did see the fish, a large 100+ pound big skate (and a name was never more appropriate) that measured 4 1/2′ wide and 5 1/2′ long.

It took Rosie, and several of her friends, 45 minutes to land the obstinate critter that apparently did not want to end up in Rosie’s kitchen (but it did). It may have been, in fact probably was, the largest fish ever landed from the pier. Although local boaters have brought in some huge salmon, lingcod, and Pacific halibut, I doubt if any was as hard to land as Rosie’s big skate. Keeping the fish out of the rocks and kelp that surround the pier, as well as keeping it out of the pilings, had to be a combination of Herculean skill combined with a good amount of luck.

A Big Skate taken from the Cayucos Pier in 2000

A Big Skate taken from the Belmont Veterans Pier in Long Beach in 1998

A Big Skate taken at the Berkeley Pier by promethius in 2002