Buffalo Sculpin from the Santa Cruz Wharf

Species: Enophrys bison (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words en  (on), ephrys  (eyebrow), and bison (referring to the two bison-like horns or spines on the head).

Alternate Names: Often called bullhead and mistaken for cabezon. Called büffelgroppe in Germany, glowacz bizonik in Poland.

Identification: Their coloring is dark gray, green, or brown above with purplish bony plates on head and side. Anglers should be careful of the large sharp spines behind the head.

Buffalo Sculpin from the Point Arena Pier

Size: To 14.6 inches; most caught from piers are between 10 and 12 inches.

Range: From Monterey Bay, California to Uyak Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska.

Habitat: Found in shallow-water areas, both oceanfront and in bays.

Piers: I have seen these caught at the Fort Baker Pier, Point Arena Pier (fairly frequently), Eureka Municipal Wharf and Citizens Dock (Crescent City).

Two types of sculpin — Cabezon on top left; Buffalo Sculpin in other three pictures — All caught at the Point Arena Pier

Shoreline: An infrequent catch by shore anglers.

Boats: An inshore species, rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: These fish will hit almost any bait, but most commonly seem to be caught on pile worms or a chunk of shrimp or squid. Light to medium tackle is the rule and no one, to my knowledge, fishes specifically for these fish.

Buffalo Sculpin caught by Dwight at the Citizen’s Dock in Crescent City

Food Value: This fish is so ugly it deserves to go back. If you persist in eating them, remember that the soft flesh tastes bland so bring on your Creole seasoning. Of course you could surprise your friends with a hors d’oeuvre platter made from staghorn sculpin and buffalo sculpin. Perhaps some deep-fried sculpin-tots with a little sweet-and-sour dipping sauce? If you do make such a plate, be sure you leave a couple of buffalo sculpin heads in the middle of the plate to add a little authentic atmosphere to the party.

Comments: The unofficial winner of the Pier Fishing in California Message Board “ugly fish” contest. Usually when these fish are caught they evoke considerable comment from the onlookers. They are fairly uncommon (except at Point Arena), they are ugly, and most people have no idea what they are. They also will give off a low hum which you can feel as you hold the fish.

     Head of a Buffalo Sculpin caught by Fireridge in Mendocino Co.

A kelp greenling caught at the small pier in Brookings Harbor, Oregon

Species: Hexagrammos decagrammus (Pallas, 1810); from two combinations of Greek words; hex (six) and gramma  (line), deca  (ten) and gramma (line, referring to the number of lateral lines on the side of the fish).

Alternate Names: Commonly called seatrout; also called greenling seatrout, rock trout, kelp trout, spotted rock trout, kelp cod, and boregat. The 19th century Portuguese fishermen of Monterey called these fish bodieron. They were also apparently prized by the Aleut Indians who called them idyajuk.

A kelp greenling from the Trinidad Pier

Identification: An elongated body with a conical head. Distinguished by the five lateral lines on each side of the fish and two pairs of cirri—one pair above each eye, the other on top of the head. The coloring is so different for males and females that initially they were described as two distinct species. The males are dark gray to brownish olive with bright blue spots on head and sides. Females are gray-brown, bright golden to reddish-brown spots on body and head, and yellowish-orange fins. The inside of the mouth in both sexes is yellow.

Size: To 21 inches although most caught from piers are less than 15 inches in length. The California record fish weighed 3 lb 4 oz and was taken near Carmel in 2014 (see below).

A kelp greenling caught by James Thomasson from the Point Arena Pier in 1987

Range: From La Jolla to Attu Island in the Amchitka Islands in the Aleutian chain, Alaska; rare south of Point Conception.

Habitat: Considered a nearshore, shallow-water species in much of its range but found in deeper, cooler water in southern California. Usually in rocky environment waters less than 150 feet deep and often in kelp beds. Adults are territorial and not known to migrate. Both juveniles and adults consume a wide variety of bethnic species, essentially whatever they can find to much upon. Favorites include crabs, shrimp, snails, chiton, abalones, octopi, fish eggs, algae, and fish.

A kelp greenling cught by Debbie at the Point Arena Pier in 1987

Piers: Although kelp greenling are common to rocky and kelp areas from central California north, few are taken on piers south of Santa Cruz (although I have taken specimens from the Avila Pier, South Morro Bay T-Pier, and Monterey Wharf #2). Best bets: San Francisco Municipal Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Point Arena Pier, Trinidad Pier, and Citizens Dock  (Crescent City).

A male kelp greenling caught at Citizens Dock in Crescent City in 2013

Shoreline: One of the main catches for rocky shore anglers in northern California. The south jetty at Eureka is considered the number one greenling hole in the state.

A small kelp greenling from the Avila Pier

Boats: Primarily an inshore fish although quite a few are taken by boaters fishing for shallow water rockfish in waters from Half Moon Bay north.

A kelp greenling taken by dsrtegl (Derek) at the Trinidad Pier in 2009

Bait and Tackle: A high/low leader using size 6 hooks, and a small piece of shrimp, fresh mussel, pile worm, or tube worm, is the ideal setup for these fish. Fish around rocks in the water, or under and around the pilings. Kelp greenling will usually tap the bait first then come back and take the bait with a second bite; be patient and be prepared to reel in the fish on the second hit.

A male kelp greenling caught at the Capitola Wharf in 2012 (Picture courtesy of Capitola Bait and Boat)

Food Value: Greenling are a mild-flavored fish suitable for most forms of cooking but they are especially suitable for pan frying. Most pier caught fish are fairly small so the fillets may not offer much meat.

A kelp greenling caught at the Trinidad Pier in 2008 

Comments: Roughly half of all kelp greenling are mature by age five when they are about 9.5 inches long; they live to about 12 years of age. The top pier spots in the state to catch kelp greenling are the Point Arena Pier, Trinidad Pier and Citizen’s Dock in Crescent City. At Point Arena, cast out to the reefs that run parallel to the pier and be prepared to lose a lot of tackle; at Trinidad, fish around the various rocks that abound in the inshore portion of the pier; at the Citizen’s Dock, fish the inshore rocks by the shoreline.

dsrtegl (Derek) with a small greenling at the Trinidad Pier in 2014

Male kelp greenling from the Trinidad Pier in 2015

A lingcod and a kelp greenling  that I caught one day from a boat off Fort Bragg. Both belong to the same family, Hexagrammidae, and small kelp greenling are a favorite food of lingcod.  

A brightly colored greenling caught off Alaska by calaznfisher in 2014

____________________________________________________________________

CDFW Marine Management News 

Snapshot: New State Angling Record — October 29, 2014

A new state angling record was set on September 17, 2014 when Matthew Franco (left) reeled in a 3 lb. 4 oz. kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus) while fishing near Carmel in central California. This fish beats the previous state angling record by 1 oz. Congratulations Matthew!

In the state angling record category, current open species include Humboldt squid (min. weight 40 lb.), rainbow surfperch (min. weight 1 lb.), and walleye surfperch (min. weight 1 lb.). For more information about state recreational fishing and diving records, see the CDFW Record Ocean Sport Fish webpage.

The CDFW saltwater angling and diving records program recognizes exceptional saltwater finfish and shellfish taken in California by sport anglers and divers. The program has given CDFW biologists the opportunity to examine record-sized catches for decades.

Post by Mary Patyten, CDFW Research Writer ♦ CDFW file photo

2 thoughts on “Snapshot: New State Angling Record”

Luis Perez — August 20, 2015 at 7:13 pm
What was the length? Thanks.

Reply
marinenews — August 25, 2015 at 1:28 pm
The record holder provided a total length measurement of 17¾ inches. Total length is the straight-line distance from the tip of the head to the end of the longest lobe of the tail fin.

From the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — https://cdfwmarine.wordpress.com/tag/greenling/

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

Although the main impetus for this trip, as well as most of the trips to the Humboldt-Del Norte coast, has been on fishing—i.e., fishing the piers or helping manage the Trinidad Youth Fishing Derby,  the number of sights along the trail inevitably call for stops to enjoy the nature of the area. This would prove true again this year as redwoods, coastal scenes, elk, and other attractions demanded a stop.

[Warning, this particular blog may be more of a travel log than a simple fishing blog.]

Day 2 — An early morning call came from “Big Rich” a former student and long-time Pier Fishing in California follower. “I’m in Eureka, I came up to help out at the derby.” We decided to meet for breakfast and then he said he would like to fish with me prior to the derby, even if that meant heading up to Crescent City.

Soon after, we were at Trinidad testing out the action. Unfortunately it was slow but I managed a few fish and, as always, I enjoyed the beauty of the pier and its natural environment.

“Big Rich”

It was chilly and a little windy so I brought the sweatshirt and a coat

The pier’s left side is close to a cliff and all rocky

This  rocky area usually produce some greenling, kelp greenling and rock greenling; this trip it produced a kelp greenling.

The tide was a little low

This rock is just out from the pier on the right side and one of my favorite places to fish

A bait dropped down by the rock produced this nice striped perch

After two and a half hours of fishing, and only three fish, two striped perch and the kelp greenling, I decided it was time to move on to Crescent City. We stopped fishing and headed north. I told Rich I would meet up with him at Klamath since I figured I would be stopping a few times  for some pictures.

I stopped in Orick near where there are typically some elk, but I didn’t see the large animals. However, who doesn’t like little old red school houses?

The old Stone Lagoon School House

The next stop was at Stone Lagoon

A beautiful area but Crescent City and its two piers were still beckoning

I met up with Rich at Klamath and he said, “did you see the elk” and I said no. He said they were bedded down left of the school house. Duh! Good thing I’m not a hunter.

At Crescent City we checked into a motel and then headed over to Citizen’s Dock where I almost always catch an interesting mix of fish. It would prove true again.

Looking across the harbor toward the “B” Street Pier and the lighthouse

The marina has been totally rebuilt following the tsunami (tidal wave) of 2011 that destroyed the docks and pilings in the harbor, sank 16 boats, and damaged the breakers around the banks of the basin. In response, it was decided to build the West Coast’s first harbor truly able to withstand severe tsunamis (those expected to hit once every 50 years). A $38.2 million dollar reconstruction ensued and it looks great today.

Another angler was fishing in the area I normally fish but he soon left and soon after, we began to  fish in the same spot.

Over the years this inner section of Citizens Dock has proven to be the best place on the pier for fish. Luckily that proved true once again since new signs indicated that anglers could no longer fish further out on the pier. In years past I had moved around the pier, always being careful to stay out of the way of workers, but apparently those days are over.

As usual there was a steady mix of small fish—different types of rockfish, small cabezon, and one lone greenling.

Brown rockfish

Kelp greenling

A baby cabezon

Interestingly, every few minutes the water would turn almost black and huge shoals of anchovies would barrel their way through the water. Eventually I decided to Sabiki-up a few for fresh bait (or live bait) and pulled in a few. Surprisingly, on the last cast I was intending to make, something looked a little different and it turned out to be a small Pacific mackerel. It was the first of the species I had caught north of San Francisco (though I had seen one the prior year at the Trinidad Kids Derby). I’ve caught them from California’s southernmost pier, the Imperial Beach Pier that sits almost next to the Mexican border, and now at Citizens Dock, roughly 20 miles from the Oregon border.

It was a juvenile mackerel, and pretty small, but it was still a mackerel

Two hours of fishing produced 12 northern anchovies, 6 cabezon, 5 copper rockfish, 3 blue rockfish, 2 brown rockfish, 1 kelp greenling and 1 Pacific mackerel but after two hours the wind had come up and made it nearly impossible to fish. We decided to call it quits, break for a rest, and then head over to the Chart House Restaurant for an early dinner. Hopefully the wind would die down and we could then proceed over to the “B” Street Pier for some night-time fishing. We wanted to see if there were any sharks, rays or skates. But it was not to be. Our dinner was delicious but upon exiting the restaurant we found the wind to be a howling and it obviously would be too windy to fish. Rich headed back to his motel room while I headed over to the pier to take a few late afternoon pictures.

Looking down the Crescent City beach near the restaurant

The “B” Street Pier

I decided to walk out on the jetty to take some pictures of the pier from different angles — but I was careful to watch the waves and where I was walking

The winds didn’t decrease. In fact, they increased to 40-50 miles per hour with occasional gusts topping 60 miles per hour. The Battery Point Lighthouse sits seaward near the entrance to the jetty and is accessible during low tide. This night the wind-churned waves attacked the shore and made access impossible. Then, while walking back on the jetty the winds grabbed and carried away my favorite hat. It was futile to even consider going fishing in such conditions. No, as the sun gently dove into the sea I knew it was time to head back to my motel.

The sharks and rays would have to wait for another night.

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/10/a-trip-to-the-north-coast-and-its-piers-oct-2-2015-day-2/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2014/11/calico-surfperch/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2014/11/calico-surfperch/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2014 07:01:33 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=5733  

 Calico Surfperch

Species: Amphistichus koelzi (Hubbs, 1933); from the Greek words amphi (double) and stoichos (series, referring to the two rows of teeth in each jaw) and Walter Koelz, a U.S. ichthyologist. Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae.

Alternate Names: Surf perch, humpback perch, porgie (or porgee). Called majarra angaripola or perca in Mexico.

Identification: Their coloring is silvery, with olive-green mottling and bars on sides (bars usually broken and disconnected); most fins are reddish colored; caudal fin (tail) pinkish to deep red. Longest dorsal fin spines about equal to or slightly longer than longest dorsal soft-ray; pronounced notch between dorsal fin hard rays and soft rays.  Lower edge of eye is below the upper lip. More disc-like shaped than in redtail surfperch.

Calico surfperch from the Capitola Wharf (Photo courtesy of Capitola Boat and Bait)

Size: To 12 inches; most caught from piers are 9-11 inches.

Range: Arroyo San Isidro, northern Baja California to Shi Shi Beach, Cape Flattery, Washington.

Habitat: Shallow-water, sandy-shore areas.

Calico surfperch from the Trinidad Pier

Piers: Calico surfperch are the number one surf area fish caught on central California piers north of Cayucos. In the Pismo Beach-Cayucos region, large numbers of both barred surfperch and calico surfperch are caught; more barred surfperch are landed but the calico surfperch will be slightly larger in size. Best bets: Avila Pier, Cayucos Pier, San Simeon Pier, Seacliff State Beach Pier, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf, Pacifica Pier and (surprisingly) Point Arena Pier.

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

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken by boaters.

Calico surfperch from Citizen’s Dock in Crescent City

Bait and Tackle: Bait and tackle is the same for all three of the large surfperch. Best bait is live sand crabs followed by live sea worms (pile worms or bloodworms); next would be fresh mussels, shrimp or clams. Tackle should be heavy enough to hold bottom in the surf area, and hooks should be size 6 to size 2 baited on a high/low leader.

Food Value: Reaches an edible size but like most other perch the flesh is only fair in taste. Generally pan-fried in butter after coating.

Comments: Calico surfperch will often school right around the inshore pilings; at times, fishing right under the pier, as close to these pilings as possible, will yield the largest fish. Calicos are sometimes mistaken for redtail surfperch.

Calico surfperch from the Capitola Wharf (Photo courtesy of Capitola Boat and Bait)

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