Bat Ray caught at the Morro Bay North T-Pier

Date; October 20, 1999
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Sam
Subject: Dangeous Stingray

I just found text below on the Net when I was trying to learn about stingray. The tail of the stingray sounded deadly, going near one doesn’t seem like a wise thing to do. Does swing its tail around like a creature from out of space? How do you make sure the tail doesn’t strike you? How do you distinguish it from the Bat Ray? Some detail information would be appreciated. Sam

STINGRAY
Phylum Chordata, Class Chondrichthyes. These possess a serrated bony spine at the base of the dorsal surface of the tail. An integumentary sheath discharges venom when ruptured. Most injuries occur when the ray is stepped on, the tail is thrust upward and forward and fired into the foot or leg. The venom is thermolabile (deactivated with heat) and induces severe vasoconstriction.
Symptoms: Intense pain is felt at the site; there is local ischemia (loss of blood supply), and edema. Edges are jagged, may contain pieces of spine and secondary infection is common. Systemic effects include salivation, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, hypotension (low blood pressure), and cardiovascular collapse.
Treatment: Irrigate and remove remaining spine. Immerse in hot (50 C) water until pain subsides. Give local or systemic pain relief. Cleanse, debride and suture the wound. Give tetanus protection, infection prophylaxis and monitor / support cardio-respiratory system as indicated.

Posted by Ken Jones

I’ve fished from California piers for nearly 40 years, caught hundreds of sting rays/and bat rays and never been stung. (1) Learn to identify your fish. Buy my book or another book that contains pictures and read the descriptions. (2) Be patient and careful when handling the rays. (3) I generally grasp the tail of a sting ray with a pair of needlenose pliers and then remove the hooks before letting the fish go.

Posted by Mike Kai

It seems that people are afraid of stingrays as they are sharks. For a bat ray/sting ray to sting you, its tail must move vertically, exposing the stinger. This usually only happens when someone steps on a ray, especially when wading at the beach. However, to be stung on pier is pretty rare. I think it is STUPID and a WASTE for someone to cut off a bat ray’s stinger, it increases your chance of being stung, and it does great harm to the fish. I seriously doubt that the stinger will grow back in 6-8 weeks, if ever. This is the fact that the stinger is made of cartilage, the same material its wings are made of, which don’t grow back. This just makes me mad, it reminds me of going to the pier and watching retards step on short halibut or rays, then throw the dead fish back!

Round Stingray caught at the Coronado Ferry Landing Pier

Posted by tony

Last year at Bakers beach, my uncle caught a small stingray, around 20lb.’s. I was helping him take out the hook, I thought I was stepping on the tail, but the tail managed to squirm out from under my leg, My foot was between the part that connects the tail to the body, and the left wing. I was wearing tuff shoes, and it STUNG me; hurt like a .B. The dagger went through my shoe, and scraped on my bone; it electrocuted me! I felt the electricity, and it injected venom through my leg. It hurt for a few hours; still have the triangular scar on my foot and, hasn’t changed since the day it happened. It REALLY SUCKED

Posted by goatfish

Just try a little caution and common sense…A stingray can sting without warning, and it doesn’t have to be a vertical whip of the tail. Personally, I like to turn them over on their backs while I’m removing a hook, etc. but I try to stay away from getting near the tail at all. If you cut off the stinger, it WILL grow back, much like your fingernails will grow back when you cut them. More often than not, people get stung by rays because they are not paying attention, or are intrigued by the stinger and want to touch it. I’ve yet to catch a ray where the stinger was not exposed, and they WILL sting you if given the opportunity. I’ve seen people get stung, and it is not a pretty sight. Just remember to be alert and use common sense.

Posted by Anthony

Anyone ever thought about cutting the line and leaving the hook? They will rust out quicker than the stinger will come back.

Posted by Ken Jones

I actually learned about the removal of the spine and its ability to grow back from visits to the Monterey Aquarium and Chula Vista Nature Center. Both places have petting pools with bat rays in them and allow kids to pet the bat rays. After talking to people at both places I discovered that they clip off the stinger so that the bat rays cannot sting the children. Apparently it takes 4-6 weeks for the spines to grow back because they have to do this little operation on a regular basis to prevent the spines from becoming dangerous. By the way, the bat rays, minus their stingers, are about the friendliest fish you will see.

Posted by Kanamit

Ken, You are correct – I learned this too at the aquarium. The problem is sometimes that the Barnies on the pier cut off the entire tail of the ray. If this is done I don’t believe the tail and stinger can grow back. I’ve actually seen idiots cut off the tail and miss the stinger entirely – it’s too bad these retards didn’t get stung after thinking they cut off the stinger. I feel it is totally irresponsible to fish for a species of fish without learning a little about it first. It is fine to snip off the stinger but leave the tail alone! I have caught hundreds of rays and although I used to cut the stingers off I don’t really bother anymore. If you are careful I don’t believe it’s necessary.

Bat Ray caught at the Fortman Marina in Alameda

Date: June 28, 2000
To: PFIC Message Bard
From: moe
Subject: SF Bay — Bat Ray vs. Sting Ray

Had a few q’s regarding the bay rays:
1: What’s the diff. b/w bat rays and sting rays, and how can I tell?
2: What do you do when you catch one, use a gaff or net, and if you gaff it…where on the body should I do that if I will be taking the critter home?
3: Once caught, is there anything I should do to ensure a good meal eg. bleeding, or kill them somehow?
4: Yesterday I caught something that looked like a manta ray actually,,, I didn’t get a good look at it because as I was pulling it up on the pier, it tore 20# test….could have been a halibut…
5: Which ones should I keep to take home and eat…sting vs bat ray; big one vs. small one…. and I know the wings are the good part… what about the body or tail? any help will be appreciated, dr.moe

Posted by Nate D

Moe-Bat rays have very large heads, ear holes (I use these to grab them when I pitch them back in the water), and are brownish-black on top and white on their bellies. I have never caught an actual stingray in the S.F. Bay (where I fish) but I have caught a thornback ray or two. When you get a bat ray out of the water, they will huff and snort quite a bit. They have big cow-like eyes. Funny thing about a bat ray, they’ve got black eyes, lifeless eyes like a doll’s eyes.
With large fish caught in bay waters, the sooner you clean the fish the better. This immediately rids the fish of toxins and parasites in the innards.
I have either hoisted it up by the ear holes or used a hoop net to bring it up from the pier. I don’t use gaffs, at all.
I doubt you caught a manta ray, they are off shore species and usually do not eat large baits.
A good basic rule to follow is the larger the fish, the longer it has been swimming in the water, and if that water is subject to pollution, therefore the longer it has been absorbing said pollution. I personally don’t keep striped bass over 28 inches or so, for an example. Remember that bat rays have no bones, just cartilage and fat, in addition to muscle. A flat piece of cartilage runs straight through the middle of the wing, and if you fillet the meat on either side of this, you should get four nice fillets. I personally would not eat a ray when there are perch, bass, or sturgeon to be caught, but many people do eat them. If the flesh smells ammonia like, soak the fillets in salted milk for 24 hours. Also, Ken Jones knows quite a bit about the preparation of bat rays. Give ‘Em Hell, Nate D

Posted by moe

Thanx for the reply Nate… are the smaller rays better eating than the bigger ones….maybe they would have less pollution in them?

Posted by Ken Jones

One and The Same. Probably 90% or more of the anglers around San Francisco Bay call bat rays sting rays and yes, they do indeed have a stinger/spine by their tail.
Rarely if ever would you catch a round stingray, diamond stingray or butterfly ray this far north. And manta rays are creatures more common to Baja waters — indeed they’re even very rare to southern California.
As for their edibility, they’re good. They are a little bit of a pain to clean; you need a strong and sharp knife. However, the bone-free meat has an interesting taste and texture.
Although I used to always use a pier gaff (at least on the higher piers), a net is better. A net allows you to release unharmed the smaller fish—and the larger fish if so inclined. A ray brought up from the depths by way of a pier gaff is probably not going to survive. To be honest though, many anglers, including myself, today release most of the bat rays we catch. They’re great fun to catch and deserve to fight another day. But that is a personal decision.

Posted by moe

Struck out twice vs. huge rays; guys I need some help. I have struck out two nights in a row on the ol’ mighty bay ray…. One took me out like 150 yards, then came back straight at me, by the time I caught up with him he was already under the pier, getting himself ready to wrap me around one of the posts… and as you figured, indeed he wrapped me around not once but several times, and the 30 pound shock leader I had broke!!… You gotta love it!! This guy must have been huge…I felt as if my 12’ surf rod was going to snap in half!!
The other one, I didn’t even get the chance to adjust my drag…. he took the bait…. then just took off…. I set the hook but he just kept running, till me line snapped again…. twice in the same night…Don’t know what the second one was…. maybe a shark or a ray? I need some help on the issue…. any suggestions for next time I go out? thanx

Posted by Leapin Bass

1) Use a conventional reel instead of a spinning reel. A high speed reel will help your first problem although they do that sometimes and there’s nothing you can do about – part of fishing from a pier. I’ve never caught a yellowtail from a pier and the pilings are the reason why.
2) Use a 7 or 8 ft. rod rated for 20 – 40 lb. test (or somewhere in bewtween) designed for use with a conventional reel. I’ve seen so many people loose rays because they simple can’t control them with those long surf rods.
It’s much easier to fight large fish on conventional gear. You use your bicep instead of your wrist and forearm. The drags are usually better and even if they’re not you can always loosen it a bit and control it with your thumb (be careful not to burn your skin off). You can set the alarm instead of loosening the drag (which will eliminate the second problem you had). I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I can cast further with my 7 ft. Musky rod and Daiwa SL30SH with 20 lb. test further than anyone I’ve ever seen on Goleta pier with one of the ridiculously long surf rods and spinning reels. Anyone can do it with a little practice.
I have caught countless large (up to 56 inch wingspan) rays on medium casting rods and I’ve never used anything more than 30 lb. test. These days I stick to 15 and 20 (25 if a friend who doesn’t fish much is with me – on his/her rod).
With a decent rod and reel and a few rays under your belt you can easily handle most of them on lighter tackle – not to mention it’s much more fun and challenging.

Posted by Monkfish

Funny thing about a bat ray….. they’ve got black eyes, lifeless eyes like a doll’s eyes…. Hey Nate D….sure your name isn’t really “Quint?” Just when you thought it was safe to fish the piers again.

Date: October 1, 2000
To: PFIC Message Board
From: mobilesuit
Subject: STING RAYS

I heard that when you catch a ray, you are supposed to cut the stinger off. If this is true, how are you supposed to do it? So I cut the whole tail off or just some part of it? Thanks.

Posted by Iso Lunkers

No… No cutting anything off. First of all, you need to make sure it is a “sting ray” and not something that has no stinger in the first place. Then, you want to bring a towel to grab its tail so you do not get slapped with it, plus it is one of the only ways to hold them when throwing them back in and unhooking them. I have seen people cut the tail off and that is just plain cruel. I hope this helps.

Posted by mobilesuit

Thanks for the feedback. So basically you don’t do anything to it right? k. Oh and um, when you do hold the ray, where do you hold the tail with the towel? And how thick should the towel be? It just seems like I can still get stung, even with a towel. Well, thanks again for the feedback. Good fishing.

Posted by Black Marlin

Mobile-I have landed well over 500 bat rays and skates since I started fishing for them at 12 years old. I used to cut off the stinger from rays when I was young if it was really big, as the stingers reflected the overall size of the ray. I kept them in my tackle box and they served as a sort of status symbol in the pecking order that existed in the small culture of ray fishermen in my town (Sausalito, CA). Now, I still fish for and catch many rays each year but as a wiser, more cultured man I’ve dropped the stinger cutting and replaced it with a cheap camera and tape measure. I think if you are going to catch and release any fish, it must be returned to the water as it came out, minus the hook in it’s mouth. No exceptions. Best of luck. Give ‘Em Hell,, Black Marlin

Posted by Leapin Bass

Although it is not necessary, cutting off the stinger is okay if you really feel you need to because it will grow back relatively quickly (they do this in aquarium touch tanks like the one at the Monterey Bay Aquarium). Definitely do not cut off it’s tail because then it’s stinger (which is it’s only method of defense) can not grow back. It also helps to know where the stinger is – at the base of the tail. Some people think it’s on the tip of the tail.
One time at Goleta I saw some guy who was fishing with a bunch of rods, keeping illegal-sized bocaccio and using them for bait. He caught a small bat ray, cut the tail off thinking he was safe and then got nailed by it’s stinger as he threw it back (oh yeah I forgot to mention that the jerk gaffed it to bring it in – then released it!). Anyway, him and his buddy left immediately (I assume to a doctor or hospital) which gave me his spot on the end of the pier.
I’ve seen a few people cut only the tails off and not the stingers but this was the first guy I saw get nailed. I felt it was justice for all the other crap he was doing illegally.

Posted by Ken Jones

If you are in a group it is often possible to have one person hold the tail (with a towel) while you remove the hook; then let the stingray go. However, I am often alone and at times it may be hard to remove the hook in a safe manner, especially if the fish is hooked deep. What I do then is to grasp the tail with needlenose pliers and cut off the stinger (spine). The ray is then safe to handle and the stinger will grow back in approximately 4 weeks time. DO NOT cut off the entire tail.

Posted by readership

Is there a trick to bringing up big fish (such as stingrays) when you are fishing alone? I was at Pacifica Pier the other night and landed a fatty smooth hound shark. Luckily there were some crabbers to help me out, whom I gave the catch too. otherwise, winds blowing, flashlights barely shining, eyes straining, whew…fish on!

Posted by Leapin Bass

Walk it to the beach if you have a fishing license. Otherwise – good luck!

Posted by mobilesuit

What are the chances of getting stung? I was wondering what were the chances of getting stung by a stingray you just caught. (When you’re shore fishing that is). I don’t know if you’re supposed to but I always go into the water about knee or thigh deep to cast, because I have a short rod and am also not the best caster. Thanks for the help. gl fishing

Posted by Leapin Bass

According to the guys in Grand Cayman stingrays do not sting when they are swimming around – only when they are sitting on the bottom. When you wade in the ocean don’t take steps – instead shuffle your feet which will scare the stingray and cause it to move.

Posted by mobilesuit

Stingray on its back. If a stingray is on its back, will it not be able to sting you? Heheh just a thought from an earlier question. Thanks for your time. gl fishin

Posted by Red Fish

A Serious Question, Right? A good one too. Many anglers that catch stingrays (O.K., proper name Bat Ray’s Ken!) for the first time don’t have a clue how to properly un-hook them or of the potential danger of being stung. The first time I caught one, about age 14, I was clueless. Two guys that called themselves helping me, cut the poor ray’s tail off, then I threw him back. They told me, “oh, he will grow another one just like a lizard.” I don’t know that to be a fact, but it is senseless to cut off a ray’s tail and I have never done it on the dozens of ray’s I have released over the years. O.K., yeah, I believe turning a ray over GENTLY on his back is the best way of un-hooking it. This way the ray’s stinger in face down. If you look at a ray’s tail, there is only one small stinger located at the front of tail anyway very similar to a catfish’s spines on its head.
So, after that long explanation, the answer to your question is No. A stingray will not be able to sting you on its back (it would be very difficult to do so.) Anyway, if it’s on its back the hook is in its mouth, right? O.K. you shouldn’t be standing near its butt when you’re taking out the hook! Hold the ray’s tail down with your foot if you’re really worried about being stung.
Oh-lastly, ever so important. When you go to release this puppy, hold it near the head (mouth) with the tail away from you when you go to throw him back!!!! Hope this helps.
I am curious to know if anyone on this board has ever been stung by a ray? Please share your story with us.

Posted by ikiller

I was stung once. My stinging story: I was fishing on either McNears Pier or Paradise Pier, I can’t quite remember. Well I caught a rather small ray with probably a foot and a half wingspan. I wasn’t very familiar with the handling techniques since I had just started saltwater fishing. I was hauling it up by the fishing line, and I guess I was too close to the railing. Somehow it whipped its rear end through the railing and stung me in the side of my left calf. I did not notice that I was stung for a few minutes while I was dealing with the fish. The stinger (or whatever you would call it) went through my jeans and at least a half-inch into my skin. It wasn’t that painful of a wound. It was kind of a mild cold shooting pain that persisted for a few days.
When I catch a ray on the beach here is my technique: Drag him up out of the water onto the beach (not too far from the waters edge). Grab it by the front edge of a wing and flip it over. Remove the hook, stand on the tail if necessary. After the hook has been removed, put a hand under the leading edge of each wing and flip the whole thing over head over tail. If you have done this technique correctly (and you were close enough to the water) you will have turned the ray over and flung him back into the surf.

Posted by tony

I have been stung by a ray once. I was out at Baker’s Beach a few years back fishing for some stripers, and my uncle landed a small ray, maybe 2 feet in diameter. We flipped it on it’s back, and started to take out the hook, I was wearing some Nike sneakers with flat bottom soles. I pressed the tail down into the sand to stop it from whipping back and forth as I held on to the line so my uncle could take out the hook.
Some how, the ray managed to free its tail and stab my ankle with it’s dagger. It went through my shoe, my sock, through my skin, and it did hit the bone in my ankle. There I felt a mild electric current flow through my leg as it throbbed while the blood oozed out. It hurt like a b!tch. I screamed and yelled as I tried to hold back from the pain. Basically, it sucked, the scar hasn’t gone away, and the wound looks the same as if it were the day when it happened. tony

Posted by Black Marlin

Mobile-One thing people are omitting when talking about getting stung by rays is the ray’s tail itself. On a mature ray (40# and up) the tail is like a bullwhip, and the ray can use it as such. I have been thrashed by a ray’s tail a couple of times and it drew blood and left welts both times. Either use a glove and hold the tail or cover it with a towel and hold it down with your foot. I have landed and released well over 500 rays in my years and the best way to remove a hook is with the ray on it’s back holding down the tail with your foot. Happy fishing!!!! Black Marlin

Posted by papa

I use this technique of using a towel on the tail also. When I throw the ray back I usually pick it up with my thumb and index finger in what I think are the gills on top of the head. Is this a good way to handle a ray. Its tail can not reach up to my arm and I always hold it away from my body. Just curious.

Date: September 7, 2001
To: PFIC Message Board
From: neptune 1234
Subject: bat ray stingers?

Hey. do bat rays actually sting with their “stinger?” I know what they look like and I have a few small ones. Kinda like a little knife in a sheathe at the base of the tail. Really sharp and barbed. Could cause some serious lacerations. But does a live stingray posses venom or a painful fluid besides that? Not that I plan on finding out the hard way anytime soon. Anyone know anything about this?

Posted by Leapin Bass

Do not find out! They do sting with their stinger and it SUCKS! I don’t think what stung me was a bat ray. Since it was so shallow I believe it was a round stringray but I’m not sure since I didn’t see it. In either case it was probably the worse pain I’ve ever felt (and I’ve been through some pain!). It was two weeks ago and the area around the puncture is still slightly swollen and sore.

Posted by Surfan

Leapin Bass would know!

Date: May 3, 2002
To: PFIC Message Board
From: pescador5312
Subject: Pier nets?

Man I need a net for bat rays. I looked all over the place. Fact is they don’t make those landing nets anymore. At least that’s what I’ve been told by the tackle shops in SD. I mean, if you just want something to bring up a bass or a barely legal halie with then a crab net should do. But for bat rays I had to go and buy a nylon tailgate net for a truck. I attached some rods to the ends to keep them open and tied about 25ft of line to each end. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use it yet but I think it will do fine. But just for the big fish. I’ll probably post more about it if I ever get to use it and it works. But hey, if you’re looking for something of the same nature and you find one, let me know!
don’t bother me… I’m fishin. <*)))>=<| pescador5312

Posted by PierHead

Good idea! And portable too – you just roll it up. I got several questions:
1. How big a ray can be pulled up by net? Are their special techniques when hauling up a load like some of Stan’s beasts?
2. How did you tie off the 2 lines to the net – I could see the net revolving (horizontally) and tipping the fish out. Did you string it up like a hammock?
3. Will the rules inhibit the cutting off of the ray’s stinger? How does everyone feel about that?
Tight Lines! PierHead

Posted by pescador5312

1. I don’t know how big a ray can be hauled up since I haven’t gotten the opportunity to use it yet. But it is very portable and saves a lot of space.
2. Yes it is strung up like a hammock. My plan (for when I do hook up) is to have two people ready with each rope (whereas I can be one of them). I just guide the monster into the net kinda like a trout cradle net. Then bring both of the ropes together to haul the fish up. It should be in the position where the wings will just be bent upward when the net is closed so the tail doesn’t get caught in the holes. It just hangs off the side.
3. I’m not going to make it to the derby. Wish I could so I can’t answer that. But I myself don’t like to take the stinger off regardless of whether or not I feel I might be in danger by leaving it on.

Posted by Songslinger

I Leave The Stingers On. I don’t see the point of returning a fish to the water without its natural defense system intact. But others like to carve out stingers for their collection and the stingers will grow back. So I guess it’s personal choice. If the issue is safe handling, then you really don’t need to remove the stingers so much as keep alert. Pretty obvious, in my opinion, where the sharp end is; you just have to avoid it. A good landing net is preferable. A crab ring is best for piers. The less damage you do to these creatures, the better. I tend to cut the hook with a wire cutter if it means the difference between the creature’s comfort and my tackle. Also, and I’m not signaling anyone out here, I don’t care about taking pictures and rarely pull my fish onto the bank.

Posted by boomer334

Leave the stinger

Posted by Sinker

I will hold its tail while you remove the hook. The problem I have is when lifting the dog gone beasts up over the railing is when it gets a little scary. I have been hit twice that way but never while removing hooks. It does hurt like hell. I am allergic to bees and have to carry an Epi Kit with me but the Bat Ray sting has never caused me to go into shock. These new Kits are nice they auto-inject rather than the ole syringe “Get Bent” “Sinker”

Bat Ray at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon, 2003

Posted by Ken Jones

Heck, you were willing to grab hold of those scorpionfish even though they were new to you. As I recall one ALMOST stuck you. Discretion sometimes trumps courage.

Date: October 21, 2002
To: PFIC Message Board
From: RaySniper
Subject: Cutting off a Bay Ray’s Stinger?

The other night I caught a Bat Ray that no longer had its stinger. From the looks of the wound/scar, it looked like somebody had cut the stinger off with a blade then threw the Ray back in the water. I guess the question to ask is why somebody would decide to catch the ray, cut off its stinger, then throw it back? Does the stinger have some sort of use for humans of which I am not aware, or was this just a pointless act of cruelty?

Posted by Songslinger

Some people like to keep stingers as trophies. I’m told the rays grow them back eventually. Even so, and this is my personal taste, I would prefer not to release anything shorn of its natural defenses.

Posted by Mike. C

Agree with Slinger on sending the ray back without its means of defense. That thing evolved to be there for a reason and we shouldn’t screw with it. But as far as a random act of cruelty, I wouldn’t go so far to say. The folks at the aquarium say that it causes no pain to the rays when they cut the stinger and they do grow back.

Posted by neptune1234

I always keep the stingers. Have a pretty good collection going too. Except I don’t cut them off. If you grab it at the base with a pair of needlenose pliers and lean it backwards they pop right off. NO sweat. Only a couple second operation. NO real harm to the ray. They’re mainly for use when they are babies anyway. I count them as trophies and put them on my weird fish stuff shelf. Always a nice addition. I suppose you could make earrings out of them.

Posted by RaySniper

Interesting…thanks for the info. I guess that it’s just something that I personally wouldn’t want to do…I guess that I am just too much of a softy. I suppose that there isn’t much of a problem as long as taking off the stinger isn’t causing the Rays any excessive harm…

Posted by baitfish

It is supposed to be like clipping a fingernail, they are designed to break off, but it does leave the ray defenseless. Adam

Posted by tomaurand

If it bleeds, infection can set and kill the ray! Really no reason to cut the stinger. Has anybody on this board ever been stung by a ray???? Like being stuck by a catfish, it was probably the not the rays (or catfishes) fault.

Posted by baitfish

I have never cut them before, has anyone had them bleed from cutting them? However the size of the are of possible infection would be about the same size as the hole left by the hook. The material of the stinger is made of Keratin, the same material as your fingernail. If you were to clip it, I don’t see how it would bleed, but the popping method that neptune describes is different. You don’t really need to cut them off, if the ray is flipped onto it’s back, it presents little danger. Even then, keep your wits about you and safely return the ray to the water. Adam

Posted by neptune1234

The way I do it only takes a sec. Doesn’t leave any wounds. Just pops right off. Grab it near the base and bend it backwards. It’s almost surgical the way I do it. No harm done. I have yet to recatch an already de-stingered ray but I’M sure I will. The Monterey Bay Aquarium told me they grow back.

Posted by Leapin Bass

Yep… Last year while surf fishing. First – it is NOTHING like being stung by a catfish. I have lived through some pretty painful stuff (like my top lip being ripped in half-motorcycle accident) and I must say that the ray sting is at the top of the PAIN list. That freakin’ hurt more than I thought anything could hurt. I was doing Lamaz breathing on the way to the hospital. I don’t recommend it unless you like intense pain.
As for cutting the stingers off I’ve done it a few times when I was younger. There’s really no need to though. It does leave the ray defenseless until it grows back (if you cut it off correctly). The sad thing is that I’ve seen people cut the entire tail off – that sucks!

Posted by Red Fish

Couldn’t be like getting stung by a catfish I got stuck by a catfish when cleaning one as a kid and got part of the (stinger) lodged under the skin in my right index finger. It was similar to getting a splinter. Now I have never gotten stung by a bat ray but from what others have described that have been stung it sounds far worse than any catfish cut.

Posted by sharkshooter

Can you only get “stung” if the ray jabs you with the sharp end of the stinger, or is the whole thing dangerous? I’ve never gotten close enough to the business end to find out personally, nor do I care to. I always just flip them on their backs, pop the hook out, and scoot them back into the water to fight another day. but since some of you have already been stung, I may as well learn from it.

Posted by Ken Jones

In the past…I have recommended cutting off the stingers (not the tail) if anglers were concerned about handling the rays (for fear of getting stuck). I would much rather have the stinger cut off and see anglers handle the ray in a gentle manner than having it knocked around. However, I believe experienced anglers should be able to handle the rays safely without needing to cut the stinger off. As for harm to the fish, I have been told by several people who should know that there is no harm to the rays. The stingers are routinely cut off of the bat rays at the petting ponds at several aquariums. They grow back in about a month and are then cut off again. Sort of like cutting your hair. That way these creatures can be petted by our youngsters with little concern as to danger. The petting ponds are great, especially at MBA

Bat Ray caught at the 2007 Mud Marlin Derby at Berkeley Pier

Posted by Red Fish

Monterey Bay Aquarium. I think that visiting an aquarium should be a requirement for all novice saltwater anglers along with study regs prior to a license issue. I think it would avoid a great deal of the nonsense killing of sharks and rays by the uninformed.

Posted by Songslinger

The petting ponds are great, especially at MBA. So true. And a visit to the kelp forest exhibit is worth the price of admission.

Posted by gyozadude

That’s some awesome engineering. That tidal tank with the kelp forest rises and falls due to a pump that resembles an oil well pump. Very cool stuff at Monterey. Maybe we should do a PFIC outing there.

Posted by fishnchips

They can release the stinger during a fight (don’t even know if they grow back), but I can see some a*@hole doing that to render him defenseless to all of the other predators. Too bad for the bat, he’s probably not gonna live much longer. It’s lucky not to die from being cut up. People will often do that to crabs, but isn’t that more cruel, than just refusing to release the animal back into the water? Eat the mother up if you don’t want to run into it again! Survival of the fittest right?… not him now.. what a pity. Cut dudes hands off at the wrist and watch him get into a brawl…. not doin’ too good I bet….same idea! Sorry just rambling, I hate to hear of people being cruel to animals because of boredom!…. that’s why they call it fishin’ not catchin’…. good ol’ fishnchips!

Posted by gyozadude

Another source of damage… is getting cut up during the fight through entanglement. I used to fish braid for bat rays up through mid summer this year. But I started noticing the bright red lines where the braid had tangled with the ray and damaged the outside skin. In fact, some cuts were quite deep, and that really puts the ray at risk of infection or parasites. So I’ve switched back to 25-lb mono and thicker. It’s less likely to cut than the much thinner braid. While it’s stretches more and is quite thick, I think it’s still beneficial to stick with mono in this case. Of course, mono is also cheaper.

Posted by fishnchips

Good to know, didn’t think of that, especially dealing with bats! Thanks for the tip!
….that’s why they call it fishin’ not catchin’….good ol’ fishnchips!

Date: July 21, 2003
To: PFIC Message Board
From: batman
Subject: All those interested in BAT RAY Stings

Is it true that you can put vinegar or if it really hurts and you can’t wait that you can pee on a bat ray sting or is that jelly fish? I don’t want to pee on my self for the wrong kind of sting. Batman

Posted by pEsCaDoR619

Any kind of sting… you want to pour hot water (hotter the better) on it. This will break up the toxins and ease the pain. This is why they say to pee on it because fresh urine is very warm (no I’ve never been peed on). Breaking down the toxins will also lessen the chances of any delayed effects of it.

Posted by OB Pier Rat

And that works! I know first hand-I got whacked by a stingray just a month or two ago, followed your instructions and the pain was gone in about an hour…

Posted by Anotherbite

On the Gulf Coast, the treatment I have know my entire life for jellyfish stings is rubbing dry meat tenderizer on the affected area. It always worked pretty well when I tried it. Has anyone else heard of this method, and if so, would it work on the sting of a ray?

Posted by baitfish

From what I have read the poison in stingrays is protein based, so the hot water actually cooks the poison, and neutralizes it. As for urine, I was under the impression that it was the ammonia in Urine that made it effective, anybody have anything on this? Adam

Date: June 14, 2004
To: PFIC Message Board
From: RaidersFan1
Subject: Best way to pick up a Bat Ray or…..

A Shovelnose Skate? I’ve seen guys pick them by sticking their fingers into their eyes but this just doesn’t seem humane to me. Do they have teeth or would you recommend sticking your fingers into its mouth to hoist them up to get them over the railing? Any help would be a great education for me… Thanks in advance!! Mike RaidersFan1

Posted by pescare

Here’s a past tutorial from Gdude. — Hoisting rays by the mouth

Posted by gyozadude on March 4, 2003

I’ve never been bitten while hoisting a bat ray by its mouth. And while I’ve had a few rays try to chomp down on my hand, they don’t have teeth and it has never hurt. I only theorize that with all four fingers in their mouth, they really can’t chomp down effectively, and once you’ve got them in the air with all their body weight hanging, they really can’t do jack squat. So I’m just wondering if I’ve just been lucky, or if lifting by the mouth really is the proper hold. I have read that they can crush mussels, clams, and other mollusks so use the hand hold at your own risk.
I’ve seen people lift rays using a net, or by two hands, one in each nostril. But both ways can cause lacerations, especially on the big rays. Plus, it’s messy. I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten bat ray snot on your hands. The stuff is really viscous and it stinks. Not that I really mind while fishing, but if you’ve gotta go home and hug your babies, this ain’t exactly stuff the spouse would approve of getting all over the kids. I’ve wiped my hands off on dry rags and then put them through the wash twice with hot water and extra detergent and still, the slime isn’t completely dissolved. So I really like the mouth hold because it’s a lot cleaner.

Technique is pretty easy. With palm facing up, just reach down under and slip your hand into the mouth and curl your fingers up. You should feel the tips of your fingers curl in and stop against the roof of the mouth. Then hoist quickly, and you’ve got it.

Posted by newgen

Wow what a picture! I think that I will use that hold on them, it seems more natural, and less harmful to their bodies than any other hold.

Posted by prometheus

By the mouth is the only effective way to pick up big rays with one hand since their nostrils are too far apart. Watch out for your hook though!

Bat Ray caught at the Mud Marlin Derby at Berkeley Pier in 2015

Posted by pEsCaDoR619

I wouldn’t try it on a big shovelnose. I did that with a 4-footer once and got the chomping of a lifetime. No teeth, just sandpaper-like cartilage for lips. But that sucker had some power in them jaws. I hurt for a good couple hours.

Posted by gyozadude

Spent four years washing dishes. LOL! One way to toughen up the hands is to wash dishes. I did that for four years during high school and early college and grew some thick skin! LOL! Seriously, if you’re afraid of the chomp, you can get some leather gardening gloves from Home Depot for a buck and that really protects the fingers. The key trick is assertiveness. You don’t want to second guess the ray and wonder if he’s gonna bite you. You just gotta stick your hand in there and grab it firm and hoist. If you dally too long, the ray might get the idea that it’s got “finger food” in its mouth and chomp down or thrash. I don’t think the chomp is all that heavy. The ray has mostly smooth plates inside its mouth and a couple of rows of ridges for teeth. If it chomps down, the ridges really can’t cut you, but if the ray flaps around and you loosen your grip, that’s where the ridges might slip and pinch you in the knuckles. So the key is to assert yourself, be quick, and be firm. Once hoisted, it’s like a bass with a hyper-extended lower jaw – pretty much paralyzed and cooperative

Posted by sharkshooter

Yeah – I’m familiar with the slime. Part of the reason I’m thinking about picking them up by the mouth, besides not wanting to damage them. pescador’s post makes me think twice about it, though…

Posted by prometheus

He’s just warning you not to try it with any shovelnose sharks, or skates for that matter. They both have teeth.

Posted by sharkshooter

Hmmm… I thought he was saying it was the power of the bite, and not the sandpaper lips that hurt. I guess I’ll try it with a glove first, and check for bite marks. Or I’ll just have raysniper do it first. He’ll do anything this board tells him to do.

Posted by lucy

Based on pics I’ve seen of the construction of a bat ray’s mouth, I believe you’re actually picking them up by what would, on a human, be the upper lip. The “plates” they use to crush oyster and other shells are actually farther inside the mouth, and unless you stick your fingers in there, you’re in no danger of being hurt because they can’t “chomp” with their lips.
I could be wrong about this, so don’t anybody rely on this—and if you do, don’t blame me if you lose some fingers.

Bat Ray logo by Lucy Phillips, 2004

Posted by andthelinegoeszziipp

Watch the stinger on the real small rays while gripping them by the mouths. They can actually curl their lower bodies and sting like a scorpions tail.

Date: March 14, 2005
TO: PFIC Message Board
From: Ken Jones
Subject: Seal Beach and stingrays —

“A quarter of all stingray-related injuries reported in the United States occur at little tiny Seal Beach,” says Lowe. “For locals who have lived here for a long time, it’s commonly called Ray Bay.”
Forget Sharks, Watch Out for Stingrays, Jellies
July 23, 2002
Release from:
LONG BEACH, California, July 23, 2002 (ENS)
The greatest threats to California beachgoers in these warm months are jellyfish and stingrays. Sharks are a distant third, says Dr. Christopher Lowe, assistant professor of biological sciences at California State University, Long Beach.
A marine biologist, Lowe specializes in elasmobranchs – sharks, skates and rays – as well as game fishes. He says these sea creatures often move closer to shore during warmer months.
Jellyfish pose particular problems because they can be hard to see. “They get stirred up in the waves and the person gets stung and never sees the jellyfish,” says Lowe. “Generally, its sting is characterized by a light, tingly sensation that gradually builds into a burning sensation that tends to be localized where the tentacles make contact with the person’s skin.”
Jellies “can have tentacles that can be very, very long – 30 to 40 feet when they’re extended – so a person can be swimming along, get stung by a tentacle and never actually see the jellyfish,” explained Lowe.
As for treatment, “Often when people get stung, they have a tendency to rub their skin, and quite often when they do that, they just smear the tentacle over more of their skin surface. If you see the jellyfish, the best thing to do is to try to gently grab the tentacle – ideally with something other than fingers – lift it off and flick it away. People recommend trying to use a credit card or piece of cardboard to scrape it off without smearing it over the skin,” Lowe said.
Because the toxin is topical, vinegar is a good treatment, Lowe recommends. “You can use ammonia as well as Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer. These will neutralize the toxin and take away the burn,” he says.
Getting stung by a ray is a more serious matter, especially if encountering a congregation of them. During the summer, stingrays move inshore and are most commonly found in estuaries, bays and along calm sand beaches, Lowe explains. “So the most likely places people encounter them would be if they were swimming at a bay beach or along a calm, sandy, muddy shoreline. They can aggregate in very, very large densities.”
When stepped on, a stingray whips up its long, barb-tipped tail.
“A quarter of all stingray-related injuries reported in the United States occur at little tiny Seal Beach,” says Lowe. “For locals who have lived here for a long time, it’s commonly called Ray Bay.”
Lowe researches the reasons for the high stingray population at Seal Beach. It may result from the breakwater off the Long Beach coast, which reduces shoreline wave action from around Seal Beach to San Pedro.
The San Gabriel River has several power plants that dump warm water effluent into that river, and that warms the water at Seal Beach, making it attractive for these rays, Lowe says.
Development of many of our bays and estuaries into marinas has reduced the natural habitat for the four types of stingrays found along California’s nearshore – diamond ray, round ray, butterfly ray and bat ray.
“So what we’ve done at Seal Beach,” Lowe says, “is, that through urban development, we’ve created a super habitat for some of these stingrays, and unfortunately, it just happens to be the same super habitat that humans like to go surf and swim and play in.”
‘In summer, we believe the rays are coming in to mate, and later in the summer, females are probably giving birth to their pups; rays give birth to live young,” said Lowe.
“The females might be staying in the warm water to speed up their gestation rate so their pups will develop faster. So the places where people are most likely to encounter them are when they’re walking around a shallow bay area through water that might only be a meter deep.”
The best way to avoid getting stung is to do what Lowe calls the “stingray shuffle” sliding one’s feet through the sand and under a ray. This will generally cause it to swim away without lashing its tail.
Stingrays are found right in the surf, and they also congregate just beyond the breakers. “A lot depends on the surf,” said Lowe. At places with milder waves, “we found stingrays right into the surf zone. By having that flat body, they kind of stick to the bottom and don’t get tumbled around. But that’s right in the place where people can’t see very well and as they’re walking through, that’s probably when they’ll accidentally step on one. But once you’re just beyond that zone is where we tend to find the greatest densities.”
Unlike the gradual sting of a jellyfish, “As soon as somebody gets stung, they’re going to know it, because it’s a barb that actually penetrates the skin and creates a wound,” said Lowe.
“Something has actually poked into your skin and there is mucus that covers the barb. Embedded in that mucus covering are toxin cells, so as the barb punctures the skin, it causes those cells to rupture and the toxin leaches into the individual’s skin,” is how he explained the pain.
“The first thing the individual should do when they’re stung is to do their shuffle back out of the water and try not to get stung again,” Lowe advises, “because quite often people hobble and when they do that, they take the chance of being stung again. You’ve got to think of it like going through a minefield. These animals are very social and tend to congregate. People ought to try to go back out the way they came in.”
“The general treatment is, first of all, make sure the wound is clean,” he said. “They should make sure the barb is no longer in there. The little barbs allow it to get wedged in, but when it pulls out, it pulls out a little bit of flesh and that helps rupture those toxin cells.”
In rare case, if the puncture is deep, the spine will actually pull out of the ray and get embedded in the individual’s skin. Then a medical doctor should remove it.
“In most cases it’s just maybe a quarter of an inch or smaller that penetrates the skin – just a quick poke is all it takes. It’s extremely painful. It’s not uncommon to see the toughest surfer dude weeping,” Lowe observed.
“As long as it’s clean and there are no bits of spine left in there, the best treatment is hot water – as hot as they can stand it. That helps denature the toxin. The general treatment should last an hour or more.”
For any type of beach injury, it’s best to seek medical attention from lifeguards who have the necessary training and equipment. The greatest concern is for individuals with severe allergies to stings. “Those people can go into anaphylactic shock and that’s why for some people, getting treatment right away is important,” said Lowe.
He advises such people to carry their anti-sting epinephrine medication. “It’s something people don’t think of taking to the beach.”
Lowe and his team of student researchers have been involved in discovering ways to help reduce stingray injuries. “In Seal Beach, the city has been looking at ways of reducing injuries to the public, and they’ve tried everything from eradication to translocation – trying to move as many as they could.”
Since none of these efforts were successful, or were considered to be ecologically reasonable, Lowe proposed a stingray barb-clipping program. “The barb is similar to a fingernail; it’s basically a modified scale,” Lowe said. “It doesn’t have any nerves leading to it, so you can clip off the pointy end.”
But after two years of clipping the barbs of about 2,000 stingrays, Lowe and his student team found that these rays replace their spines every late summer to early fall. A new spine grows in, the original spine falls off, so at no point are these rays really without a spine.
Lowe has concluded that the barb-clipping technique will not work at the scale that they were doing it. He now believes that “the answer is better education.”
For more information on Lowe’s research, visit: http://www.csulb.edu/web/labs/sharklab

Round Stingray caught at the Crystal Pier in San Diego by Mike Granat 

Posted by FakeFisherman

That’s where I got my sting…Seal Beach, except I caught the stingray off the pier and got stung trying to handle it. I’m sure the stings would be much worse if you were in the water and actually stepped on one.
There’s a funny story here, too. As I was taking pictures of the wound, a couple was walking on the pier and came over to see what kind of weirdo was taking pictures of his own bloody hand. I told them that I just got stung by a stingray, and apparently they had a friend who’d also been stung recently. The husband said, “You can put some steak sauce on it and it should feel better.” I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, so I kind of smiled and said, “ahhh.” Then the wife looked at him quizzically and quipped, “Not steak sauce…MEAT TENDERIZER!” We all had a good laugh after that.
FYI the wound was only about 1/4″ wide, but it was a little bit deeper than 1/4″ and was on the meaty side of my hand (pinky side). The stingray itself was no more than about 10” across.
The initial sting was obvious. Within 10 minutes it was annoying. After 30 mins it was hot, and the pain had spread through to my pinky. After an hour, half my hand – including the pinky and ring finger was extremely numb and the pain was pretty sharp. In two hours it was difficult to close those fingers. I’m probably stupid for doing this, but I never really took care of it and wanted to see what would happen with this sting.
During the next four weeks or so, the side of my hand was extremely hard and swollen, and sometime bluish. I would occasionally squeeze some fluid from the wound, but when I did this the swelling would increase over the next couple days. I was probably spreading around whatever toxin was still in my hand. It remained hard and distended and sometimes sensitive through about the 6th week, and then everything kind of went away. I still have a tiny scar to show for it.
Lesson: If you get stung, use meat tenderizer…NOT steak sauce!-Matty

Posted by jph

That’s where I got my sting…that must have been a baby bat ray that stung you, and still it sounds like it did quite a bit of damage. I wonder what one of those big guys can do?
anyway, I think my first reaction would be to suck the wound and spit out whatever comes out if it’s in a location that allows this.

Date: October 7, 2005
To: PFIC Message Board
From: Mr. Pole Pack
Subject: Question about stingers…

Anyone who’s been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium knows they have a bat ray petting tank. Last time I was there, I checked to see if their stingers were removed. They weren’t. Does this kiddy petting pool prove the stingers aren’t too dangerous? I’ve never seen some one get hurt by a ray’s stinger while it was on its back on land.

Posted by wang

I was told they cut them off (or down). I volunteered at the Aquarium of the Pacific for about a year. I was told the stingers are cut every 2-3 months. The stingers on ray are like fingernails, they grow back. The only downfall is, if they loose their stinger, that they are defenseless until it grows back. The tails doesn’t grow back if they are cut off.

Posted by eelmaster

The stingers WERE removed last time I was there.

Posted by geese

I would imagine it to be like a scorpion sting, or perhaps I may be wrong, it might be much more painful! Don’t want to find out.

Posted by Clayman

Have you looked at the size of those stingers on bat rays? They’re huge, and covered with slime. I’ve never been stung by a scorpion, but I’m sure a sting by a bat ray would REALLY hurt, and it would probably get all infected real fast. For sharp stingers, it’s hard to beat the two spines on spiny dogfish. Now those things are big AND sharp!

Posted by stripesidechaser

BTW, that isn’t slime on the stinger! That is actually a skin covered poison filled pod. The affects the nerve endings and causes intense pain (as if a 4″ long, 1/4″ wide barbed spear isn’t painful enough). When they stab an object, some of that “pod” breaks off inside (unlike RH’s buddy, most of the time the sting comes back out). I saw an extremely drunk guy get stung in the calve… That dude went sober!

Posted by q3fishboy

The Monterey Bay Aquarium does clip the stingers off of all the bat rays and stingrays that may be touched on display. As previously stated, the stingers are similar to our fingernails, and are actually made from the same protein. I have heard that the Monterey Bay Aquarium will catch bat rays, cut off the stinger, and put them in the touch tank. After the stingers begin to grow back, they will put them in a different tank where they cannot be touched. Finally, after the stinger is completely regrown, they will return the bat rays to the wild. I do not know if this cycle is true, because before the upgrade to the tank, I could actually recognize all of the rays in there individually. Though they have all changed since the upgrade, I don’t know if that actually cycle them regularly. However, they do clip the stingers off.
If you go to the Sharks Mystery and Myth touch tank and look at the round sting rays, it is much more noticeable and you can see exactly where the stinger used to be, as there is a small depression in the tail. However, the spines on the horn shark are a different structure, and do not grow back, so the Monterey Bay Aquarium does not trim them. However, they do have horn sharks in the touch tank in Sharks Mystery and Myth. So, they attempted to take a nail file and file the spines so they were not as sharp, which kind of worked.
Sorry about the long post, but I have spent way too much time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and though I have no official affiliation with the place, I really love it.

Bat Ray caught at Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay, 2004

Posted by outtosea2

I know a lot of people post BAT RAY pix here on the message board and hopefully most of them are returned to the water, much like one of my past 170# plus MAMMA BAT RAY that was returned unharmed to give birth.
What really irritates me is when ignorant people keep cutting off and mutilating the STINGERS and TAILS of these great fighters, just to throw them back into the sea to DIE later. I once hassled a jerk on NP PIER as to his cutting these STINGERS off only to put another one in his little glass “BRAGGING” collection jar.
TROPHY JAR, I think NOT!!
STUPIDITY JAR, YES!!
After we all got on his case and made him look like an idiot in front of all the people crowds he attracted I think he finally got the message he wasn’t wanted there, and never has come back to my knowledge!!
Many BAT RAYS are left TOO LONG on the HOT CONCRETE PIER DECK to cook inside and or suffer organ damage from their excessive body weight on them, as they are a fish out of water once brought ashore, or taken out of their water element. In the water they are virtually weightless! I’ve seen many a dead BAT RAY under the piers while scuba diving to know!!
Eating them is one thing as a food source if they are big enough, as there is no size limit, bag limit, or species restrictions of any kind on them, and maybe there should be. A BABY KILLER is a bay killer by any means, all restrictions set aside. Hope my input sheds some different light on these often misunderstood yet magnificent fighters of the deep blue sea! Happy fishing, Frank

Posted by Ken Jones

Stingrays do not “attack” aggressively, or even actively defend themselves, when threatened their primary reaction is to swim away. However, when they are attacked by predators or stepped on, the barbed stinger in their tail is mechanically whipped up, usually into the offending foot; it is also possible, although less likely, to be stung “accidentally” by brushing against the stinger.
Contact with the stinger causes local trauma (from the cut itself), pain and swelling from the venom, and possible infection from parts of the stinger left in the wound, as well as from seawater entering the wound. It is possible for ray stings to be fatal if they sever major arteries, are in the chest or pelvic region, or are improperly treated. Their stingers are normally ineffective against their main predator, sharks.
Treatment for stings includes hot water (as hot as the victim can stand), which helps ease pain and break down the venom, and antibiotics. Vinegar or urine may or may not be successful in easing pain; neither cleans the wound properly. Other possible pain remedies include meat tenderizer. Pain normally lasts up to 48 hours but is most severe in the first 30-60 minutes and may be accompanied by nausea, fatigue, headaches, chills, etc.

Posted by CatchinKelp, October 13, 2010

Bat rays are the friendliest fish on earth, it is true. That is why I have a hard time imagining taking and eating one. It’s like… eating my dog or something… :p

Posted by clayman

The big rays have always reminded me of big cows, the way they make all kinds of slurping/snorting noises when on land. Even though I find them somewhat annoying when I’m targeting other species, I wouldn’t have the heart to kill one.

The correct way to hold a Bat Ray — caught at the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon by Rita Magdamo in 2011

Link: http://www.tropicalleather.com/Biology-of-stingray

Goleta Pier — July 31 2004

Various pictures from the PFIC/UPSAC Goelta Pier Get Together

We know it was a wonderful event, one filled with good will, good food, and some good fishing but we’re still trying to find the old PFIC Message Board posts on the event

Trying to get a group photo — Photo courtesy of GDude (James Liu)

Photo courtesy GDude (James Liu)

There was a mix of fish caught from the pier and surf — Photo courtesy GDude (James Liu)

A small group photo including Redfish (Robert Gardner), Big Rich (Rich McIntosh), Pierhead (Boyd Grant) and others. Help with names?

Baitfish (Adam Cassidy) and Roosterfish (Rebecca Casidy)

Pescare (Ed) and his daughters

GDude (James Liu) and family

Tidy Cat and a kelp bass

Mike and a kelp (calico) bass

The San Diego contingent

All photos below taken by our friend GDude (James Liu)

Baitfish (Adam)

Pierhead (Boyd)

Fred cooking some food

Fred cooking

Cooking

Don Blaze

Group

Salty and KJ

Good-by note for Sinker who was moving to Florida

Sinker (Tim Durham) on left and Baitfish (Adam Cassidy) on the right

Harry Goodall and KJ

Pierhead came through, did he not? And to think that, for a tense moment in the dawn, there was a dangerous brush with the Total Immersion Morality Moms. Until it morphed into maturedotcom esther williams choreography. Dude. You will have to ask Boyd for the particulars on this episode.

Yeah, Boyd, you throw a hell of a shindig! Gracias to you and those on hand. I had a great time. I met some really fine people. I am reluctant to name names because someone will be left off the list and that would suck. Fishing was good and that pier is just perfect as a model for ocean piers. Wooden, organic, rocking with the waves, a place where druids could fish alongside tweakers and trekkies. There was some Southern California Strange One ambience and three generations of the signature Vitalis-with-tats guys hanging around, but it fit the scene and was considerably less seedy than the LA Coast Brigades. And as for the great unwashed urine scented bums we have up here in the Bay Area, nothing similar there at all. All in all, Goleta and the surrounding area get high marks and a promise to return soon. It’s five hours away for me and definitely worth the drive. Last April I tried to make a stop and got caught in Automotive Hell—and this time pays for that with interest.

The main chef — Don Blaze

Some of GDude’s cooking — Photo courtesy of Kelly Cruise

Goleta Rules! Cool stuff, free associating: Animal intentions, Dolphins in the moonlight, Raccoons warring at midnight, Coyotes in the wee hours, Deer at dawn, Pelicans, Pigeons and Gulls, oh my, Foggy morning t-shirt groove, BBQ, UPSAC, DFG, Sharing the same air molecules as celebrities, Fishing with Ken Jones , Milton Love, Traveling, Wandering

Welcome! (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

Posted by pierhead—Thank you all! … I have been sitting here reading the GPGT posts for the past two days racking my brain trying to find a way to adequately express my thanks and gratitude to all of you for coming out and making this get-together the fantastic event that it was. It was everything that we hoped it would be and even more.

The people that we owe the biggest debt of gratitude to are the members of the GPGT 2003 organizing crew: Adam & Rebecca (baitfish and roosterqueen), Don (donblaze420), James (goyzadude), Ross (gordo grande), Andy (fishfishaj) and Tim (sinker).

Pierhead (Boyd), Stinkyfingers (Martin), and Dolphin Rider (Lisa) — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

Each, in their own way, found something that they could take ownership of and bring to fruition … as a result we raised over $500 for UPSAC; received 16 rods, 16 reels and a bunch of miscellaneous donated tackle for future UPSAC projects; served over 60 tri-tip dinners; proved that we could also provide our own entertainment, networked with some of the more interesting personalities of the west coast fishing scene and, in general, showed that we are the right people to represent the pier and shore anglers of California. We are one heck of a family.

Getting ready — Pierhead (Boyd) to the left, Roosterqueen (Rebecca), KJ, and ? — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

The quote I like the best is from Kel (kcruise): ‘Once again, I’m reminded that people from all walks of life can enjoy a simple pleasure in life without boundries, limits or differences.’

The only thing missing was old-fashioned home-made hand cranked vanilla ice cream … remind me next year. We’ll let the kids take turns making it!

Songslinger (Glen) and The Pier Fisherman (KJ) — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

Posted by gyozadude—Boyd, this was your brainchild and what an excellent idea it turned out to be. Goleta was as close to the perfect spot for the get together as I could ever imagine. Easily accessible, great location close to the pier and the beach. Free parking literally right next to our gathering area. Many lodging options close by, and great climate this time of year. It makes me wonder how many other places exist in California that we could tap into to host other events. It makes me want to explore and share new discoveries. And to think this is only the beginning of our events and the founding of a new organization.

We’re going to need lots of information technology like a rod loaner reservation and tracking system, and we’ll need a process where volunteers can help repair tackle and hold workshops on tackle repair. And of course, we need to have fishing workshops to show folks how to catch fish. It was a great start of many things. I hope the GPGT sets a new standard in how we host our events going forward. Thank you again Boyd

GDude (James) to the left, Rich Reano (PFIC Webmaster) with the camera, and KJ espousing on something or other!

Posted by gordo grande—It was a great day, and a promise of even better things to come. I love that pic you posted of the donated gear. We can put all that stuff to good use in the coming years. I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that a couple of the reels in the picture came from my garage!

I agree with G-Dude about the wonderfulness of the Goleta location. I can’t imagine a better spot for a get-together. Free parking, that huge BBQ pit, the beach right there, easy access and centrally located as well….what more could we ask for. Goleta is now my favorite pier!’ I loved Goleta so much, that I plan on making it up there a lot more. Next time I may not bother with the RV. I’ll just jump in my faster, little car, and haul ass up there for the day. Tight lines! Ross aka Gordo Grande

Donated gear — Photo courtesy of Pierhead (Boyd Grant)

Posted by Don Blaze—You get the biggest THANKS of them all Boyd!  What a wonderful job you did with organizing this shin-dig sir!! We have something here that will just get bigger and better over the years. Next year I will be making a huge batch of my home-made Jerk Chicken!!! Good fishing to you all.

Roosterqueen (Rebecca) setting up the gifts — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

Posted by Ken Jones—My Thoughts and Notes On The Goleta Get Together… July ’03, Well, I’m expected to sum up the activities and feelings concerning the Goleta Get Together but I feel like somewhat of an interloper. A great group of people put this shindig together and I was able to just sit back and enjoy the fruit of their labor (and I thank them greatly). The main man behind the event was Boyd, aka Pierhead. He was assisted by an outstanding group that included, but was not limited to, Adam (Baitfish), Rebecca (Roosterqueen), Don (Donblaze420), Ross (Gordo Grande), James (Goyzadude), Andy (Fishfishaj) and Tim (Sinker). It wasn’t exactly a cast of thousands but the job these folks did in procuring the site, food, prizes, etc. was superb. As was their job in cooking that food and allowing each of the PFIC members in attendance to partake of those goodies, a necessary ingredient if we are to maintain our svelte, cat-like physiques.

As impressive in its own way was the attendance of the “Pier Rat Nation,” a gathering of the clan, so to speak. 53 people signed the list sheet, but more were in attendance. Included were such notable members as Pierhead, Songslinger, Redfish, Baitfish, Roosterqueen, Pescare, GDude (Goyzadude), Rich Reano, Predator, Dolphinrider, Gordo Grande, DonBlaze 420, Josh, Sandtrout, Goonerdude, Fishfishaj, SDBrian, OB Pier Rat, Graybeard, Catfish, Thresher, Chuam, Fish Finder, KCruise, Nigeria Butler, Crystal Blue, Greenrag, Fish Bomb, Fishy (a very late arrival in the evening) and The Pier Fisherman. Add in family and friends it was quite a group.

Roosterqueen (Rebecca) in the middle and Baitfish (Adam) to the right — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

And not to forget two gentlemen who joined us from the Fish and Game: Paul Grunion (now retired but seemingly as busy as ever) and Ed Roberts. They brought books and pamphlets to hand out, set up a tent where they answered questions, and even managed to get in a little fishing. Last, but certainly not least, was the appearance of Milton Love, one of the leading authorities on fish of the West Coast. I have two of his books (and need the new one on rockfish), quote from him in my new book, and have enjoyed his wit and wisdom for years. He is a star as far as I am concerned and I really enjoyed spending a little time with him and talking about fish — and the piers. I just hope a few other people had the chance to share a few minutes with him as well as Paul and Ed. You just had to be there and I feel sorry for those who couldn’t make the trip.

It was an interesting day with Boyd, Andy and a few others arriving before 8 a.m. Gordo Grande and his daughter Samantha arrive early and soon had a tent up and the coffee heatin’ up. Pescare is there with his duo of charming daughters — Tara and Jenna. Adam and Rebecca reach the spot along with a huge ice chest, drinks, and a ton of prizes. Rich and Ken boogie in from an early Ventura breakfast and are soon trying to help out where needed — and not get in the way where not needed. Josh arrives with the entire Perez family. GDude lands and begins the assembly of his tent and the unloading of an amazing number of rods, reels, electronics, etc. from the bowls of his van. People are setting up the tables, making sure the food and drinks are ready to go, and good vibes are already beginning to dominate.

Stuff! — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

But this was a fishing group. DonBlaze420 is out in his kayak already seeking out the halibut. Songslinger and Redfish are checking out the beach and the pier. Goonerdude has headed over to the pier as have Graybeard, Sandtrout and I believe, SDBrian, all to do some fishing. More and more people begin to arrive, faces are put on the names we see so often on the board, and most head out to the pier. Paul Gregory and Ed Roberts arrive representing the Fish and Game and they too head out to the pier to sit up a small tent and answer any questions the pier rats may have.

All in all it’s starting to look good — except for the not-so-svelte amazons occupying the grasslands between “our” reserved site and the beach. Boyd asks them, in his usual gentlemanly manner, to move, but they refuse. Next he tossed a couple off the cliff. No, actually that was just one of those image visualizations you do to control your blood pressure. Turns out they are allowed in that area and the park ranger can’t move them. However, they are soon happily flip flopping their way into the Pacific where they do a short swim and return. Eventually they are gone before our main activities commence. To me they looked like the films you see of baby penguins learning to swim — or — rejects from a casting call for one of those old Esther Williams, synchronized, aquatic dance films of the ’40s. And Songslinger had almost the exact same impression, he said “their routine was the Total Immersion Morality Moms. Until it morphed into maturedotcom esther williams choreography.” Would have been interesting to see Lucy at this function, she might have actually tossed a couple of the ladies off the cliff. But I veer off course.

More stuff! — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

The hours flew but here are a few notes:

• Excellent food as promised by Pierhead. Tri-tip steaks (provided by Pierhead, and over 60 steaks served), green salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, blue hard boiled eggs, pinto beans (home made by Songslinger), garlic bread, fresh albacore (brought by Chuam), and some yakitori and sausages (from GDude). The main chef by the way was Don Blaze and I’m afraid he did such a good job that he may be forced to repeat his actions next year. Cookies for dessert (from the Perez family I believe), watermelon, rhubarb pie, apple pie and probably a few more things that I am forgetting. A great meal and no one should have left hungry.

• Excellent surroundings and facilities — a barbecue area right next to the beach, a grassy area to recline and rest, a play area for kids, and adjacent restrooms. What more do you need? And great weather even if it did lead to a few sunburns.

Ed Roberts (California Department of Fish and Game), Grunion (Paul Gregory,  California Department of Fish and Game), and KJ — (Photo courtesy of Rich Reano)

• Tickets for the raffle went fast in the morning since Rebecca and the Tidycat girls were a little hard to resist. By the time they were done UPSAC has more than $500. In addition, 16 rods and reels were donated (by many individuals) as well as miscellaneous tackle to be used in future UPSAC events. As Adam already reported, three companies — Insidesportfishing, Big Hammer and allsurffishing.com  — donated the majority of gifts. Gyozadude also deserves special credit for his donations.  After lunch was served the lengthy raffle took place and almost everyone who had bought a ticket won a prize.

• The Tidycat girls — Tara and Sam — were a special treat and worth the price of admission, if we had charged admission. They skillfully handled the raffle (together with Rebecca) and brought a sense of charm and youthful exuberance to the proceedings. Hollywood, watch out!

After the raffle it was the time for some serious fishing and several fishing reports have been posted. Just let me say that I doubt if the pier has ever had a more dedicated and enthusiastic group of anglers grace it with their presence. If an aura of good feelings has ever enveloped a pier, it was that night on that old wooden pier at Goleta.

The gathering of Pier Rats and  friends — Photo courtesy of Pierhead (Boyd Grant)

Posted by Songslinger— Marvelous depiction of the event, Ken. So vivid I felt like I was there… Wait a minute, I was there. In fact, I’m still there in my mind. Outstanding. “How do we top this?” Doubt we can. But the standard is set for further good times and robust company.

Posted by gyozadude—Great summary Ken. I don’t believe we should even try to top this event; too many factors combined that day to make things work, and it was mostly people, because I didn’t meet a pier rat, or friend/relative of a pier rat that I didn’t like. And did you see the clean up of Area D? By 3:15 pm, that space looked as good as when I arrived. How many events do you go to where people pick up after themselves? It must be a Pier Rat thing about picking up trash after yourself because even at company BBQs I organize, my fellow co-workers, all highly educated and well paid ‘nice’ people, mostly walk off and leave the place a mess. I’m usually packing my stuff and everyone elses for another hour and hauling it back. The Goleta event, no doubt, was attended by Pier Rats who are class acts!

Sorry, but I’m really bad with names, but, Pierhead’s sister [firstname?] Sullivan, and her crew? She was there throughout the event and I believe much of the setup/tear down was her and her team’s contribution.

And who was the middle aged, perhaps Hispanic gentleman that Don referred to for consulting on the heat? When the coals were getting low and I wanted to grill some chicken skewers and sausage, I was getting just a tiny bit stressed out over whether we needed to quickly throw more wood on the fire, he suggested we lower the grill (Gee, duhh, I felt stupid…). Judging from this gentleman’s knowledge of heat and attentiveness to the fire throughout this event, I’d have to give him “props” as the “keeper of the flame.” I truly learned a lot about quality fire for big outdoor BBQs on this trip.

Posted by pierhead—My elder sister is named Kathleen and she was recently wed to a very charming gentleman named Robert Sullivan … the other members of her crew (purely voluntary on their part)were, from the extreme left in the group photo, my cousin Tom Allen and his family and next to him my cousin Jim Allen (the Jesse Ventura look a like) and his family.

Boyd’s family (and clean-up crew) deserved a big thanks! Photo courtesy of Pierhead (Boyd Grant)

The other gentleman you referred to is Fred Ledesma — one of the original Goleta Pier regulars. Fred is very soft-spoken but speaks with authority … if he says the bite is over for the day then people start packing up to go home. Fred was somewhat skeptical at first as were a number of other regulars about the idea of a get-together with people they didn’t know … but since there were 12 of them including Ranger Dave and the cook was one of their own they soon felt comfortable. Everyone one I’ve talked to so far plans on being there next year! Pierhead-

The original posting about the event.

[Still trying to find some more of the original pictures]

Addendum to 2003 Goleta Get Together Report:

Saturday, July 12, 2003 — I planned to fish early Saturday morning before the “Get Together” and then fish again at night. I should have known better. I had the extreme pleasure of meeting up with some new faces — although by now recognizable names — and quickly realized that the fishing would come that evening.

Goleta Pier: 5:40-9:10 p.m. — A slow night again but who cares? Good company, pleasant conversation, good weather, great surroundings, and the typical Goleta/Santa Barbara ambiance. The romantic Santa Ynez Mountains and a full moon provided the perfect setting for a truly idyllic night, an absolutely gorgeous night when good fellowship deadened the sting from a lack of fish. Fishing (or at least the catching of fish) was, for one night at least, second in importance to the gathering of the clan — The Pier Rat Nation.

Total: 10 Shinerperch (I know, I know!); 6 Jacksmelt; 2 Kelp Rockfish; 1 Grass Rockfish; 1 Brown Rockfish; 1 Bocaccio; 1 Walleye Surfperch

All fish caught on either strips of preserved mussel or on night crawlers (go figure). Most of the fish were caught on my light rod — two hooks and a 1-ounce torpedo sinker — but two of the rockfish were caught on my heavier rod fishing the kelp area with a single size 4 hook on a dropper leader about 18 inches up from the 2-ounce torpedo sinker.

Sunday, July 13 — I left Goleta early morning heading north on the return trip and figured I might as well fish a few piers along the way.

Gaviota Pier: 7-10 a.m. — A beautiful morning with just a hint of wind and as I arrived I saw my first dolphin of the morning. I headed out to the end since the tide was low and I quickly decided to fish around the pilings since they looked so fishy. Only one other fisherman was present, which is not a good sign, and he hadn’t had a nibble, another bad sign, but that doesn’t always mean slow or bad fishing; it did this time.

I hoped to find some of the bigger perch or perhaps a rockfish or two and there were fish around but they were the wrong types. Shiners and walleyes were thick and although most were at a mid-depth position, they seemed to like nothing better than to follow my mussel bait all the way to the bottom. Could have switched to larger baits and bigger hooks but was hoping for some of the big perch. A few anglers did join us at the end and they soon were using Sabiki’s to land sardines and an occasional jacksmelt but the action wasn’t hot.

Happily, Glen (Songslinger) soon showed up and I thought we might have a new “pier rat” gathering but Glen and I were the lone duo from the board. Glen wanted some better bait so he headed down to the beach to catch some sand crabs while I continued to search out that big perch — and I found HER.

Out on the left side, I think just about where the repairs were made a few years ago, sit two pilings about three feet apart. Heavily encircled by kelp but looking oh so fishy; I just had to drop my line straight down between those columns and the kelp. And it worked! I had a strong hit, reared back and felt both a fish and the kelp on my line. At first I thought I might have lost it but I could feel the fish tugging and sure ‘nuff she worked herself free. Got it to the top and it was a humungous (well, at least large) rubberlip which I soon hand-lined up to the top (since I didn’t have a net with me). She was long and thick, oh so thick, but as soon as she got on the pier she started squirting out her young. Yes, she was a gravid female ready to birth and I knew I would need to release her. So, as quickly as I could take a fast picture, and drop some of her offspring back into the water, she herself was returned. I hated to drop her back down from the pier but had no other choice since I lacked the net. Happily, she seemed to take right off and swim away. I didn’t measure or weigh her but I believe she would have gone at least a couple of pounds; she looked that big. Songslinger, by the way, saw the fight from the beach and saw she was a good fish.

KJ and a rubberlip perch

Everything after that was anti-climatic until Glen himself managed a nice, legal-size halibut using a lively shinerperch and his new leader technique. I provided the bait, he provided the brains, and soon I hear (in a low voice) — Ken you want to come here? He didn’t want to awaken the entire pier but did want to show me that hallie he was bringing to the top and show me a hallie yawn. He was going to break it off but before we had the chance a newly arrived angler rushed over with a net. Soon after a 22-inch fish joined us on the pier and after a quick measurement and picture she too was returned to the water.

Songslinger (Glen) with his halibut

Not too shabby for these old pier rats, a long way from home — a nice-sized rubberlip and a legal halibut.

Soon after I ran out of the preserved mussels I was using for bait, switched to the night crawlers, and the shiners went crazy. The problem now became one of keeping them off the hook but I was unsuccessful. We continued to fish and watched a beautiful family of dolphins but soon the wind returned to its normal Gaviota intensity and we decided to call it a day. Glen headed home while I headed north to Pismo for some more fishing.
Total: 12 Shinerperch; 5 Walleye Surfperch; 1 Rubberlip Seaperch; 1 Bocaccio (tiny); 1 Cabezon (baby variety); 1 Thornback Ray

On to Pismo!

Species: Menticirrhus undulates (Girard, 1854); from the Latin words menticirrhus (chin barbel) and undulatus (waved, referring to the wavy lines on its sides).

Alternate Names: Whiting or California whiting, king croaker, corbie, corvina, bagre and the favorites of many—bean and beanie. In Mexico called berrugata californiana. In the late 1880s and early 1900s corbina were simply called surf in most SoCal newspapers although at times they were called surf fish; small corbina were often called nippers.

Identification:  California corbina have a long, slender, cylindrical-shaped body with a barbel on the tip of the lower jaw. Dorsal fin appears divided by a deep notch but remains connected by the membrane. Their coloring is a dark metallic blue or sooty gray on the back fading to lighter sides, with wavy diagonal lines, and a whitish belly.

Corbina from the Goleta Pier in 2003

Size: Up to 28 inches and 7 pounds, 4 ounces (although an unverified 8 1/2 pound fish was reported); most off piers are 16-24 inches in length. The California record fish weighed 7 lb 1 oz and was taken from Newport Harbor in May of 2005.

Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Point Conception.

Habitat: Prefers shallow-water, oceanfront surf in groups of two or three or small schools; sometimes found in bays.  Found down to 45 feet but usually in water 3-18 feet deep.

Corbina from the Seal Beach Pier in 2001

Piers: Common at sandy beach piers in southern California with best fishing occurring during the summer months, July to September. Best bets: Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach Pier, Malibu Pier, and Goleta Pier.

Shoreline: One of the main catches by sandy shore anglers in southern California. All sandy beaches between San Diego and San Pedro are considered good corbina beaches; San Onofre is considered one of the best.

Boats: Rarely taken from boats.

Corbina from the Oceanside Pier in 2015

Bait and Tackle: Corbina dine almost exclusively on sand crabs so this is by far the best bait—especially soft-shelled sand crabs. Many, however, are also caught on bloodworms, lugworms, clams, fresh mussels, and even small pieces of shrimp.  If you can find them, innkeeper worms are also considered one of the best baits for corbina. Light to medium tackle is best with a high/low leader and size 6 or 4 hooks. The bait and hook should be totally covered by the bait, and the bait should be slowly reeled in, a foot or so at a time. Corbina like to eat in very shallow water (at times the back will nearly be out of the water), so fish as close to shore as possible. (This is one fish in which pier fishermen are at a disadvantage: because of the angle and wave action it is sometimes hard to hold a spot without using too large a sinker). Corbina are another croaker that often bites far better at night.

Food Value: A very good, mild-flavored fish suited to almost any type of cooking. Unfortunately, due to its bottom eating nature, it may ingest toxic creatures like worms and thus develop low levels of toxicity itself. In some areas, people are warned to restrict their intake of food from corbina. Such is life in modern day southern California.

Comments: Many fishermen consider corbina the number one surf fish in Southern California because they reach a good size, are good eating, and they’re one of the hardest fish to catch without the proper know-how. Corbina have been illegal to take by net since 1909 and illegal to buy or sell since 1915. Corbina caught by Mrs. June at the Goleta Pier in 2006

Pretty interesting story I ran aross while researching fishing at the Redondo Beach Pier given that the state record fish is 7 Lb. 1 oz. and they’re generally considered to reach a size a little over 7 pounds.

 Boss Corbina Breaks Record—

Eleven-Pounder Is Caught By A Redondo Angler

At last the great, great grand-daddy of the Corbina tribe has been gathered to his fathers and a nine days’ sensation among fishermen ended. After long years of piscatorial vicissitudes in which more than once he had formed temporary but entangling alliances with the leaders of briefly lucky bait butchers; after countless sessions of intermittent chase of the succulent sand-crab varied by occasional séances with the secretive clam, this silver-scaled giant last week fell a victim to the wiles of A. White of Redondo in the still waters of the night and under the seductive light of the full moon.

His weight at capture was eleven pounds and two ounces, which is by far in excess of all known records for corbina in this vicinity.

The Sunday preceding Harry Slotterbeck perceived a huge fish of some sort groveling slowly on the bottom; searching for food after the manner of corbina. From its excessive length which he estimated to be three feet, at least, Slotterbeck fancied he was watching a shark, but a white flash from the side caused him to look closer and hardly believing his eyes, he recognized a corbina of most phenomenal proportions. Calling a friend, he too pronounced it a grand “surf” fish. The pair tried to catch the prize but he was wary and cared nothing bait. They quit in vain.

The moonlight and the quiet night helped Mr. White two days later, and in triumph, he carried away the huge fish after a prolonged, nerve-racking tussle in the breakers. The big fellow put up the tremendous fight that might be expected from a seasoned veteran, strong and well schooled by time in all the arts and wiles that make corbina popular with fishermen. Mr. White had a twenty-minute tussle with his prize and nearly fell off the wharf when he got to look at it. He describes the catch as having a head the size of a man’s and bearing all the evidences of extreme age, though it was strong enough in the water. How old a fish of such extreme size must be left to conjecture.

Corbina of small size and ravenous appetites were plentiful Sunday at all points from Del Rey and Redondo to Huntington Beach. F. Seeberg caught nearly a dozen fine sized ones off the beach in Santa Monica the largest weighing 4 ½ pounds. At Redondo Harry Slotterbeck caught nearly two dozen “nippers.”

—Los Angeles Times, August 30, 1904

Corbina from the Oceanside Pier in 2012

Bat Ray logo developed by esteemed “Pier Rat” Lucy Phillips in 2004.

I’ve been a fan of bat rays for many years and for over a decade Pier Fishing In California (PFIC) and the United Pier and Shore Anglers of California (UPSAC) held an annual “Mud Marlin Derby” at the Berkeley Pier.

Given my affection for the big old beasts, it stood to reason that I was offended by the following story in my hometown (at the time) newspaper, the Lodi News-Sentinel. I felt the story was so filled with errors that I had to respond.

Bat ray taken from the Morro Bay North T-Pier in 2006.

LODI’S ‘STINGRAY HUNTER’ — Local says his passion is capturing ‘ghetto fish’, By Scott Kaul, Lodi News-Sentinel Staff Writer

At the age of 13, Lodi resident Kevin Burns made his way from his father’s house to the nearby San Francisco Bay and set up for what he thought would be a normal day of fishing for striped bass. After resting his fishing rod against a trash can, he sat back and enjoyed the cool Bay air. Minutes later, the rod leapt off the can and down the shore with Burns darting after it.

After about half an hour of wrestling with the mystery fish in the water, Burns reeled in his strangest catch ever. It was a stingray. “And boy was it ugly,” he said. But that ugly fish set him on his lifelong passion.

Now 43 and residing in Lodi, Burns is a self-described “stingray hunter.” He makes his living marketing timeshares, but he said catching stingrays is his life’s work.

Burns said he was shocked to hear the news that Steve Irwin, the famed “crocodile hunter” was recently killed by a stingray. Though he said the creatures are generally not hostile and will only attack when bothered, they are relatively easy to control when they do attack. “It must have just been a freak accident,” he said.

Using his own combination of squid and anchovies as bait, Burns said he regularly makes the trek back to the Bay to hunt what he and his friends call the “ghetto fish.”

The name comes from the fact that most fishermen avoid hooking the rays, which they see as troublesome and mostly useless — stingrays are practically inedible and rather poisonous. Burns and his buddies, however, actively seek them out, if mostly just for the thrill of the catch.

“Stingrays are probably the hardest-fighting fish out there,” he said. “Reeling one in is like a full workout at the gym.” After he’s caught the stingray and taken a picture with it, he usually throws it back, he said.

Neither Burns nor any of his friends have ever been seriously injured by a stingray, but he says they have been stung several times. He keeps pictures of the wounds and paper towels spotted with blood as mementos from the one time a stingray’s barbed tail caught him across his right knee. Burns regularly fishes at his secret spot on the bay to catch the poisonous rays. “I was lucky, though,” he said, rubbing the scar the attack left behind. “The barb didn’t stick in, so it only bled.”

Since the incident, Burns said he has learned to properly handle his prey without getting stung. The trick, he said, is to hold the ray by small “port holes” located on either side of its head near the eyes. “That way, they can’t get to you,” he said.

The stingrays Burns and his hunting pals usually snare at his “secret fishing spot” in the Bay range from tiny to enormous, with the largest he’s ever caught weighing close to 240 pounds. Though generally, he said, they are closer to 100 pounds.

Burns said hunting stingrays requires no special equipment. “Just a pole and 30-pound test line,” he said. “And about 45 minutes to reel it in.”

Aside from the stingrays, Burns also seeks out sand sharks and leopard sharks, which he said are “good eatin’.” His largest catch, he said, was a 6-foot leopard shark, which he nicknamed Jaws after the film, which had been released around the time he caught it. “I got it just barely in the water, and I had nothing to keep pulling it out of the water with,” he said. “So I just grabbed its gills and pulled it, saying ‘you are not going to be a fish-that-got-away story!’”

Hunting stingrays and sharks is his life, but Burns said his ultimate dream is to go after big game fish in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, or compete in ESPN’s “Monster Shark Tournament” where contestants pull in sharks weighing up to 1,200 pounds. “I want to get out there and have proof, instead of just talking about it.” He said. “I refuse to tell fish stories.”

A bat ray at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Stingrays at a glance: Stingrays generally do not attack, but if they do they use their poisonous barbed tails to sting predators.

• A sting will usually cause intense pain and swelling to the victim, but in very rare cases it may kill. Only two other reported instances of a sting directly to the heart, as occurred in the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, have been reported.

• Only 17 deaths related to stingray stings total have been reported.

• Rays can grow up to 6 feet in diameter. Their diet consists mostly of squid, small fish, and crabs. Their natural predator is the shark.

• Most of the stingray is considered inedible or flavorless, but some people do eat it the wing-like fins and the meaty area around the eyes called the cheek.

Source: http://www.discovery.com.

Lodi News-Sentinel, September 6, 2006

The newspaper article almost demanded a response.

To The Editor, Regarding Lodi’s ‘Stingray Hunter’

As a Lodi resident, and a subscriber to the Lodi News-Sentinel, I was flabbergasted and rather disgusted this morning when I opened the paper to see your story on Lodi’s ‘Stingray Hunter.’ The story is filled with inaccuracies and unfortunately does harm and disservice to a species that is not a ‘ghetto fish’ as you suggest but instead is a quite charming species. In fact, if you have ever taken your children to the Monterey Aquarium (or several other coastal aquariums) a highlight was probably the “petting pool” where “sting rays”—generally bat rays, allow the children to pet them and actually will come up to the children in a non-fish-like manner.

About now you may be questioning my credentials to criticize your story. I am the author of Pier Fishing In California, 1^st and 2^nd Editions. I am president of United Pier and Shore Anglers of California, the largest organization dedicated solely to pier and shore anglers. I am vice president of the Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC). I am also an angler who has several thousand fishing trips under my belt (yep, I’m old) and one who has caught several hundred bat rays—your so-called ‘ghetto fish.’

A bat ray caught at the Fortman Marina Pier in 2012

I also own and run a website—Pier Fishing In California, pierfishing.com—that was started nine years ago to educate fellow pier anglers and to serve as a home base for those same anglers.

One of our main goals has been education regarding the marine environment and the development of ethical and conservationist attitudes toward fishing. Early on there developed a special focus on bat rays because (1) they are a common catch from piers and shoreline areas, (2) they were abused more than almost any other fish, and (3) they’re neat little (and big) creatures.

Many, many posts and threads on the website have focused on bat rays and I believe I can say that today they are a respected species. In fact, we have had a “Mud Marlin” Derby at Berkeley Pier for the past five years with upwards of one hundred people in attendance at most of the events. At the derby, any bat rays that are caught (called mud marlins for their hard fighting character) are netted, measured, and then returned via net back to the water.

What are the factual errors that need correction? In chronological order —

1. “Though he said the creatures are generally not hostile and will only attack when bothered, they are relatively easy to control when they do attack.” I have NEVER seen a bat ray attack a person nor does my extensive library of books on fish document actual “attacks” on people. If stepped upon, sting rays (and bat rays) will, in reflex, swing up their tail that contains the barb and people can be hurt. And, careless anglers are sometimes stuck with the barb when inappropriately handling the rays. But I do not think I would call these attacks.  In addition, I would suggest that bat rays are not only not hostile, but indeed fairly gentle in manner most of the time.

2. “Burns said he regularly makes the trek back to the Bay to hunt what he and his friends call the ‘ghetto fish.’ The name comes from the fact that most fishermen avoid hooking the rays, which they see as troublesome and mostly useless — stingrays are practically inedible and rather poisonous. Actually there are a vast number of anglers (i.e., Burns) who fish specifically for sharks and rays mainly because of their fighting ability. In fact, the term mud marlin has become a favorite name for these hard fighting fish.

Inedible and rather poisonous? No, no, no. Many people find bat ray meat delicious and in days gone by you may have found yourself eating their meat disguised under another name. Indeed, in Pier Fishing In California, 2^nd Ed., I show how to clean bat rays and give recipes on how to eat them.

3. “Since the incident, Burns said he has learned to properly handle his prey without getting stung. The trick, he said, is to hold the ray by small ‘port holes’ located on either side of its head near the eyes.” Although not technically a factual error, most experienced bat ray fisherman, those who are conservationists, do not hold the rays in such a manner. Instead they actually hold up the rays by their mouth (and we can show you how to do it).

 The correct way to hold a bat rat. A bat ray taken at the “Mud Marlin Derby” at the Berkeley Pier in 2015.

4. “The stingrays Burns and his hunting pals usually snare at his “secret fishing spot” in the Bay range from tiny to enormous, with the largest he’s ever caught weighing close to 240 pounds. Though generally, he said, they are closer to 100 pounds.” The official California record fish weighed 181 lb 0 oz and was taken at Huntington Beach in 1978. Bat rays to 240 pounds have been reported while most that are caught from piers and shoreline areas are under 50 pounds in weight.

From Pier Fishing In California, 2^nd Ed. —

Bat Ray

Species: Myliobatis californica; 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).

Alternate Names: Stingray, stingaree, sea ray, eagle ray, batfish, big black, sea bird, flapper, rat tailed sting ray, mud marlin (my favorite), and monkey face ray.

Identification:  Bat rays have a very heavy raised head and a dorsal fin at the base of a long whip-like tail with a stinger just behind it. Their coloring is blackish or blackish brown above and white below. Beware of the stinger.

A bat ray stinger

Size: To six feet across and over 200 pounds; a 240-pound bat ray was reported from Newport Bay in 1957. Most bat rays caught off piers are under 50 pounds, but many in excess of a hundred pounds are caught every year. I’ve seen pictures of a 176-pound bat ray from the Newport Pier and a 175-pound bat ray from the Aliso Beach Pier. (I also received a report on the Pier Fishing in California Message Board of a 246-pound fish with an 8.5-foot wingspan that was reputedly taken from the Newport Pier in the ’80s). The official California record fish weighed 181 lb 0 oz and was taken at Huntington Beach in 1978.

Range:  From the Gulf of California to Oregon.

Habitat: Prefers a flat, rocky bottom or sand among rocks. Most commonly caught in bays and the deeper water areas around piers.

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 (Santa Barbara), Gaviota Pier, Cayucos Pier, Berkeley Pier, Elephant Rock Pier (Tiburon), Angel Island Pier, and Del Norte Street Pier (Eureka).

Bait and Tackle: Oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, abalone, snails and worms are their main food, but bat rays will take almost any bait. However, live bait such as anchovies, ghost shrimp, mud shrimp and grass shrimp work best. Frozen squid also works well and is probably the least expensive and easiest bait to use. Central California anglers like to fish at night with a whole cut fish (small croaker or mackerel). 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 net available to bring the fish up onto the pier. 

Food Value:  Excellent.

Comments: Many anglers concentrate on bat rays because of their large size. The bat rays also put up a strong fight and are delicious to eat once the fight is over. Of interest are the bat ray pools found at several aquariums (including the Monterey Aquarium 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 stingers are cut off about once a month before they reach a length long enough to hurt anyone. The bat rays evidently suffer no harm from this minor surgery. However, bat rays in the wild still have their spines and can do a lot of damage if handled in a careless manner, 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.

One additional thought concerns your use of the term ghetto, and I must admit that I hate to bring it up. It’s a legitimate word but the context in which it was used here is suspect. Although I myself cringe at how easily people can get upset over the use of a word, as a former teacher I also realize that words do have an impact. Too often the word ghetto is used imputatively in relation to a race or to a certain culture. I’ve rarely heard it used in reference to a fish, or a type of fishing, unless used in a pejorative manner. Hopefully here it was just carelessness but again I think it opens you to criticism.

In conclusion, please be careful when you write a story such as this. There’s enough sensationalism, exaggeration and poor reporting in the newspapers today without including yourself in the mix. And, as for the poor bat rays, I’m sure there will be some determined anglers that set out to avenge the Croc Hunter by killing a few of the creatures. Stories such as yours may encourage such fools.

Rita Magdamo and a bat ray taken at the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon

In response to my letter I was asked to write a short article.

The Mighty Mud Marlin, By Ken Jones, Lodi Sentinel-News, September 8, 2006

Fish are just fish, right? That might have been the accepted opinion at one time but today with whole industries devoted to black bass, trout, and billfish, it seems a slightly outdated concept. Some fish are big bucks, some are not, and in our consumer-dominated society that simple fact often translates into publicity and sharp distinctions as to what fish are good and what fish are bad.

One fish that has recently begun to gain attention in California, and to buck this trend, is the Darth Vader imitatin’ bat ray, Myliobatis californica, a ray found from the Gulf of California to Oregon. Long maligned, and still abused by some ill-informed anglers, it has begun to attract a new legion of admirers even though it wouldn’t seem to be able to compete with the better-known species.

Perhaps in part this is due to the various aquariums around the state. Bat rays, minus their stingers (they’re generally trimmed down once a month), are allowed to be in petting pools that kids can reach. The rays almost always display a nose nuzzlin’, non-fish-like behavior loved by most kids. Happy kids = happy parents.

 It may be due to the publicity surrounding the fighting ability of the bat rays, a trait that has led to the popularization of a second name—mud marlin. They are often the largest and strongest fish in the areas in which they are found and even though a Huntington Beach fish weighing 181 pounds 0 ounces holds the state record, several fish approaching or exceeding 200 pounds in weight have been reported.

Another reason for their popularity may be the Mud Marlin Get Togethers that have been held at the Berkeley Pier for the past five years. Most years see upward of a hundred anglers and also a medley of concoctions (including anchovy-stuffed squid) cast out by anglers eager to lure the hard fighting fish to their hooks. When hooked, the crowd follows the fight, although only about one in three fish actually is netted and makes it up to the pier. Once measured, the fish are gently returned via the net to fight another day.

Lastly, a major reason for their popularity may be the discussions and posted threads on the Pier Fishing In California Message Board (pierfishing.com). Often the neophyte anglers simply admire the fighting ability of the fish or their size. Several of the more experienced anglers though have noted their special traits and some have even decided to no longer pursue the fish. One long time expert, Boyd Grant of Goleta, stopped completely after catching a large ray—and giving it away—to a fellow angler in Morro Bay. He said the fish had watched him with its Bette Davis eyes and he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. Strange talk from an experienced angler with nearly fifty years fishing California’s south coast.

The bat ray, often given such nicknames as stingray, sea ray, eagle ray, batfish, big black, sea bird, flapper, and monkey face ray (not to count the derisive term ghetto fish used in a Lodi Sentinel story), just seems to glide along winning converts and respect.

Attention though must be given to their stinger. The stinger, located on their whip-like tail, can cause a painful wound. And, as seen in the recent case of Steve Irwin, the noted crocodile expert who was stung by an Australian species of stingray, even death is a possibility.  However, most anglers who seek out the fish are careful and most have never been stung.

Aside from the stinger, the fish is a harmless fish never known to attack a person. They tend to prefer a flat, rocky bottom or sand among rocks and most commonly are caught in bays or in waters around coastal piers. The distinctive rays have a very heavy raised head and a dorsal fin at the base of their tail. Their coloring is blackish or blackish brown above and white below.

Oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, abalone, snails and worms are the rays’ main food but bat rays will take almost any bait. Frozen squid seems the favorite bait of most anglers but live bait such as anchovies, ghost shrimp, and grass shrimp often work best.

Catch and release has become the model for an increasing number of ray hunters but some people still keep and eat the rays. Their flesh is good eating but has a strange texture, much like scallops, and they do take time to clean. Recipes on the Pier Fishing In California web site have ranged from teriyaki smoked bat ray to bat ray chowder so the meat is versatile. Still though you have those Bette Davis eyes and many prefer just to release the fish gently back into the water.

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2017/03/bat-rays-a-brouhaha-in-lodi/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/horn-shark/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/horn-shark/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2016 23:18:49 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=13147  Order Heterodontiformes — Bullhead Sharks—Family Heterodontidae

Horn shark from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon in 2015

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.

Horn shark from the Cabrillo Mole on Catalina Island in 2015

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.

A horn shark taken at the Long Beach Finger Piers in 2011 by MrWoodstream

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.

Shoreline: Occasionally caught by anglers fishing rocky areas near kelp.

Another Catalina horn shark, this one caught by Kyle Pease in 2015

Boats: Sometimes taken by boaters and kayakers fishing the southern California kelp beds.

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.

A horn shark taken at the Morro Bay North T-Pier in 2004

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.

A horn shark taken at the Belmont Veterans Pier in Long Beach in 2009

A small horn shark taken from the Goleta Pier in 2008

Horn shark caught at the Redondo Beach Pier in 2003

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/horn-shark/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/white-croaker/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/white-croaker/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2016 01:57:06 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=12924 Croakers—Family Sciaeidae

White Croaker from the Avila Pier

Species: Genyonemus lineatus (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek words genys (lower jaw) and nema (barbel) and the Latin word lineatus  (striped).

Alternate Names: Tomcod (southern California), roncador (Ventura and Santa Barbara area), kingfish (central and northern California), sewer trout, tommy croaker, and brownie or brown bait. Also called silver bass, golden gobbler, cognard, little bass, and little roncador. Early-day names given by commercial fishermen included carbinette and chenfish. Called corvineta blanca in Mexico. Disparaging names used at one time by residents of Los Angeles included Pasadena trout and Glendale trout while residents of Orange County sometimes called them Santa Ana corbina. No wonder newbie anglers were sometimes confused as to what they had caught.

My son Mike and a white croaker (aka kingfish) from the Pacifica Pier in 1977

Identification:  Very similar to the yellowfin croaker, however, the white croaker has a black spot under the upper base of the pectoral fin. The tip of the snout projects beyond the lower jaw and there are several tiny barbels under the lower jaw (unlike the one large barbel found on most croakers). Their coloring is a metallic gray or brassy back, fading to a white or silver belly; fins are yellowish.

Size: To 16 1/2 inches. Size seems to vary according to the region. In southern California and along the central coast, north to Cayucos, most of the white croakers caught from piers are under 10 inches in length (and seeming to be getting smaller). At more northern piers, fish of over a foot, and many approaching the maximum size, are common.

Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, to Barkley Sound, British Colombia. Rarely taken north of San Francisco.

Michael and a mess of fish—white croaker, Pacific tomcod and one starry flounder at the Pacifica Pier in 1977

Habitat: Recorded from the surf zone down to a depth of 780 feet but typically found in shallow, sandy and muddy bottom areas from 10-100 feet in depth—both in the ocean and in larger bays. Generally a schooling fish so where you find one you will find more. Likes to hang out with queenfish though usually the schools of queenfish will be mid-depth while the schools of white croaker will be down near the bottom.

Piers: Common year-round on California piers north to San Francisco Bay. Best bets: almost every oceanfront pier in southern and central California lists white croaker as the number one fish caught (or at least in the top five). However, there has been a decrease in numbers and average size in the last decade.

Shoreline: A common catch by shore anglers in southern California.

Boats: Not a major catch but taken by boaters in southern and central California.

White croaker (aka kingfish) at the Fort Mason Pier in 2013

Bait and Tackle: White croaker will hit almost any bait, but the best is a small strip or chunk of anchovy; second best would be bloodworms or pile worms. Typical gear is a high/low surf leader rigged with size 4 to 2 hooks. White croaker like to hit the bait as it is descending after a cast or as soon as it hits bottom. The best technique is to reel the line taunt as soon as the cast is completed; you will often feel the croaker hit almost immediately. Fish from mid-way on the pier to the deepest water.

White croaker (aka roncador) and one barred surfperch, Goleta Pier 1990

Food Value:  A mild-flavored fish that is popular with many ethnic groups. However, because of the fact that they primarily feed on benthic organisms living on the bottom, especially worms that live in the mud (and often contain toxins in their system), and the fact that they often congregate around sewer outfalls (leading to the nickname sewer trout), white croaker are banned in more areas than any other fish (what a great honor!). Although the ingested toxins now in their flesh can be removed (to some extent) by proper cleaning and certain methods of cooking, it is better to simply throw the fish back. This is primarily true in southern California areas, especially bays, and in the San Francisco Bay Area. Both areas today see signs posted on piers warning (in several languages) about consumption of the fish. Most of the white croaker taken from oceanfront waters in central California are fine to eat (and they tend to have a firmer flesh than white croaker caught in the warmer waters of southern California).

A white croaker (aka kingfish) caught by Mel at the McNear Beach Pier

Comments: White croaker have been, and perhaps still are, one of the most maligned and disliked fish by pier rats (see below). They seem too easy to catch, steal bait intended for more desirable fish, give little fight, and often have worms or other parasites in their flesh. In addition, as mentioned, they are unfit to eat in many areas because of local pollution. Anathema, accursed, and detested are some words that come to mind regarding the traditional view of these “trash” fish. However, since they are also highly regarded by some groups, are sold in considerable quantities by commercial fish markets, and often provide action when nothing else seems to be biting, it may be more a problem of attitude and education than a problem with the fish. Whereas the common approach by many in the past was to slam a “tomcod” down against the pier’s surface and then disgustedly kick it over the side, today more and more anglers are returning them to the sea.

From the Los Angeles Times, April 20, 1917—With the passage of the bill prohibiting the sale of trout in California after October 31 it will be necessary for the cafés and restaurants to see what can be done with a perfectly good tom-cod. Barring the bones and the meat they are not half bad.

From the Los Angeles Times, December 17, 1930—Tomcods, otherwise known as “Pasadena trout,” and sold on the market as “kingfish,” once placed well in the favor of the angler, but of late years have proved the anti-climax of those who go down to the sea to fish, but for some reason or other they do not hobnob with the mackerel, according to visitors of the big Alaska packer off the Lick Pier at Ocean Park.

From Fish Bulletin No. 49, The Commercial Fish Catch of California for the year 1935 by the DF&G, 1936—“In addition to the commercial catch of kingfish here shown, many kingfish and queenfish are taken each year by amateur fishermen, especially in southern California. Although generally scorned by sport fishermen, these fishes add much to the pleasure and to the larders of hundreds of people fishing off the wharves and piers along the California coast.—Frances N. Clark.”

From The fishes of the family Sciaenidae (Croakers) of California by the DF&G, 1939—“GENYONEMUS LINEATUS (AYRES), Kingfish, not a sport fish in the true sense of the word; nobody wants to catch them but everybody does. Most of the southern California sportsmen call the species “tomcod,” which is of course a misnomer, but many of them call it derisively “Pasadena trout,” which evidently is not appreciated by the inhabitants of this city, who in their turn scornfully refer to it as “Glendale trout.” The reason for the low standing of this fish is evidently the softness of the flesh and the idea that it is “wormy.” Late afternoons appear to yield the best catches, which is unfortunate since some of the desired croakers appear to have the same characteristic, but any time and nearly any reasonable place will give results. It is the only croaker taken from the wharves in central California. In at least one respect, however, the kingfish are desirable to the sportsmen. Small specimens can be used as live bait nearly as successfully as queenfish.”

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/white-croaker/feed/ 0 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/12296/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/12296/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2016 16:44:04 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=12296 Greenlings and Lingcods—Family Hexagrammidae

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

Typical juvenile White Seabass aka “seatrout” taken from a pier, this one from the Ocean Beach Pier in August of 2013

Species: Atractoscion nobilis (Ayres, 1860) from the Greek words atrax (spindle) and skion (from sciaena, an old name for a European croaker) and the Latin word nobilis (noble).  Called Cynoscion nobilis until the 1990s

Alternate Names: King croaker, Catalina salmon, bull tomcod, croaker, weakfish, or seatrout (young fish). Called   corvina cabaicucho or corvina blanca in Mexico.

Identification: Large, elongated body with a large mouth in which the lower jaw protrudes slightly beyond the upper jaw. Unlike the shortfin corvina that has large, fanglike-canine teeth, the canine teeth in the upper jaw of white seabass are small and barely noticeable. Very young white seabass are somewhat variable in color—silvery, brownish, golden or even reddish, but as they age their color becomes more standard—silver or gray. Up to two feet in length (most of the fish seen on piers) the young white seabass have three to six broad black vertical bars on their sides and dusky yellow fins. Adults tend to be blue to gray on the back, with silvery sides and a dark spot on the inner base of the pectoral fin. Young white seabass are sometimes (somehow) confused with white croaker but the juvenile white seabass have bars on their sides and do not have a barbell on their chin. White croaker lack bars on their sides and do have a barbell. White seabass are perhaps most easily separated from other croaker by the presence of a ridge running the length of the belly.

Whte Seabass taken by Humberto at the Newport Pier in November 2002

Size: White seabass are the largest of the California croakers. To five feet and over 90 pounds; those caught off piers are usually the young “seatrout” ranging up to 24 inches in length. The California record fish weighed 78 lb 0 oz and was caught in Monterey Bay in 2002. A fish weighing 93 lb 4 oz was speared by a diver near Malibu in 2007.

Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, and the Gulf of Califonia to Juneau and the Boca de Quadra, southeastern Alaska. Considered uncommon north of Monterey Bay  (although recent years have seen an increasing number of white seabass taken in San Franciso Bay) and rare north of California. White seabass were fairly common in both San Francisco Bay and Tomales Bay until the late 1940s when they seemed to disappear for many decades.

 Nice-sized White Seabass taken from the Malibu Pier in 2004

Habitat: White seabass migrate along the coast according to their spawning habits. Although some may be caught in southland waters year-round, they tend to move north in the spring and south in the fall, spending the winter months in Baja California. The best fishing is usually June to September. They’re most common around offshore islands. Typically schools over rocky bottoms from 10-40 feet feeding on squid and small fish.

Piers: Commonly taken at southland piers, although rarely if ever caught in the huge numbers seen 60-70 years ago. Runs of the smaller sea trout do occasionally occur in late summer and fall, however, these are usually fish that are under the legal minimum size of 28 inches and must be returned to the water. Best bets: Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Malibu Pier, Paradise Cove Pier and Ventura Pier. The last decade has seen quite a few taken from the Seacliff Pier and Capitola Wharf.

Large White Seabass taken from the Imperial Beach Pier in October of 2014 (Guesstimated at 50 pounds)

Shore: A favorite but infrequent catch by southern California shore anglers.

Boats: One of the most prized species for boaters in southern California.

A juvenile White Seabass taken from the Ventura Pier in 2003

Bait and Tackle: Unlike other California croakers, white seabass prefer the pelagic habitat rather than inshore areas. They prefer to feed in mid-depth areas rather than on the bottom like most croakers. They’re favored meals appear to be squid, pelagic crabs, and small fish As a result, anglers should seek them from the deepest waters of the pier and be willing to try different depths. In addition, the early morning hours have traditionally been the best time for white seabass. Tackle should be medium to heavy with at least 20-pound test line and size 2 to 2/0 hooks fished near the bottom. The best bait is live bait: anchovies, smelt, queenfish or shinerperch. Next, would be frozen anchovies, sardine or mackerel strip bait, or squid (one of their favorite foods). If specifically seeking these fish, try using a live bait sliding leader and cast out a considerable distance from the pier. At the Hermosa Beach Pier, and other piers where artificial reefs have been constructed, a favorite ploy is to cast out a live jack mackerel as close to the reef as possible.

White Seabass taken from the Goleta Pier in 2006

Food Value: Excellent, mild-flavored meat that can be prepared in many ways. Unfortunately, it tends to discolor rather rapidly and there’s traditionally been a limited market for the frozen form.

A “young” White Seabass taken from the Malibu Pier in 2009

Comments: Large white seabass are one of southern California’s top partyboat gamefish. Unfortunately, the numbers of these fish decreased markedly in the 1970s and 1980s. However, with an increased legal size, a decreased daily limit, and efforts by several groups to pen raise juvenile white seabass, a comeback is being made. It is important that all sportsman, and especially pier fishermen who catch the small illegal “seatrout” adhere to the existing laws. If so, large white seabass may once again be a common catch of pier fishermen.

Some large white seabass caught from piers

83 Lbs. — Newport Pier, 1920s—Source: Personal communication, Patrick Kennedy, Baldy’s Tackle (1990)

61 Lbs. — Newport Pier, Roger Jackson, December 1, 1927—Source: Santa Ana Register, December 1, 1927

50 Lbs. — Imperial Beach Pier,  “Oyuki”, October 2014—Source: sdfish.com (October 28, 2014) and Oceanic Angler (oceanicangler.com), November 11, 2014

48 Lbs. — Newport Pier, June 1, 1934—Source: Santa Ana Register, June 2, 1934

47 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf, Charles McGehee, May 19, 1914—Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1914

45 Lbs. — Capitola Wharf, September 2000—Source: Capitola Wharf Bait Shop

45 Lbs. — Avalon Pleasure Pier, Pat Casey, May 5, 1936— Source: Catalina Islander, May 14, 1936

45 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 3, August 5, 1919—Source: Los Angeles Times, August 8, 1919

42 Lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, 1957—Source: Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop? Newspaper: DF&G

41 ¼ Lb. — Pacifica Pier, July 1992—Source: Pacific Bait Shop

41 Lbs. — Point Mugu Pier, Charles S. Leonard, August, 1959—Source: Oxnard Press-Courier, August 5, 1959

40 Lbs. — Avalon Pleasure Pier, A. E. Eaton, July 3, 1916—Source: Catalina Islander, July 4, 1916

40 Lbs. — Hueneme Wharf, Charlie Chambers, October 1895—Source: Los Angeles Herald, October 27, 1895

≈ 40 Lbs. — Monterey Wharf No.2, October 2009—Source: PFIC

36 ½ Lbs. — Balboa Pier, Ed Steif, May 30, 1928—Source: Santa Ana Register, May 31, 1928

35 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 1, Harold Rempe, June 3, 1909—Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 6, 1909

32 Lbs. — Hueneme Wharf, Charlie Chambers, October 1895—Source: Los Angeles Herald, October 27, 1895

30 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 3, A. J. Bell, May 25, 1909—Source: Los Angeles Times, May 26, 1909

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/09/white-seabass/feed/ 2 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/08/bat-ray/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2015/08/bat-ray/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2015 19:18:37 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=8032 Order Myliobatidiformes —  Eagle Rays — Family Myliobatididae — Bat Ray

A bat ray from Fortman Marina in Alameda

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.

A bat ray caught at the 2007 “Mud Marlin Derby” at the Berkeley Pier

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.  

Bat rays can give a very nasty sting

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.

A very large bat ray landed at the Hermosa Beach Pier in the ’70s by “Mola Joe”

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 Stearns Wharf bat ray; a possible record?

Although we’ve had several reports over the years of bat rays weighing 200 pounds or more, the official state (and world) record remains a fish that weighed 181 pounds 0 ounces. It was caught at the Huntington Beach Pier on July 24, 1978 by Bradley A. Dew, a senior at Huntington Beach High School. Records indicate it was 23 pounds over the prior record and, according to the Dept. of Fish and Game, the fish had a 5 1/2-foot-wingspan, a 3-inch-long stinger, and the width across the bat ray’s eyes was an even ten inches.

A large bat ray taken at the North T-Pier in Morro Bay in 2006

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.

A chart showing the relationship of width and pounds

A small bat ray taken at the 2015 Mud Marlin Derby in Berkeley

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.

A large bat ray taken at Crystal Pier in San Diego

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).

Shoreline: A frequent catch of shore anglers from San Diego Bay to Humboldt Bay.

A bat ray taken at the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon in 2003

Boats: A frequent catch by boaters and kayakers fishing in almost every California bay.

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.

A small bat ray from the Santa Monica Pier in 2009

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.

A really neat graphic designed by Lucy Philips

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).

Anna and a bat ray at the 2014 Mud Marlin Derby at Berkeley Pier

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.

Pete Wolf of “Big Hammer” fame and a 52-inch bat ray from the Goleta Pier

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.

A very young “Minnow Magnet” (Justin Morris) and an even younger bat ray at the Paradise Park Pier in 2004

“Bat Ray Dave” and a bat ray from Newport Bay

Oscar Amaro and a bat ray from the Manhattan Beach Pier in 2015

A bat ray taken at Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay in 2004

A bat ray taken at the Goleta Pier in 2006

A bat ray taken at the 2004 Mud Marlin Derby in Berkeley

A bat ray taken at the Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay in 2004

A bat ray taken at the 2015 Mud Marlin Derby in Berkeley showing the correct way to hold them (via their mouth)

A bat ray taken at the Ferry Point Pier in Richmond in 2008

A bat ray at the Malibu Pier in 2007

A small bat ray from the Paradise Park Pier in 2015 showing the correct way to hold them (via their mouth)

A large bat ray from the Gaviota Pier in

Some unofficial records

≈ 220 Lbs. — Ventura Pier, early ‘80s

Source: PFIC

203 Lbs. — Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), James Elledge, April 24, 2004

Source: Personal comm. Boyd Grant; PFIC

≈ 200 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, May 2014

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

≈ 200 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, December 2009

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

≈ 200 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, April 2006

Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

≈ 200 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, March 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

≈ 200 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, August 1998

Source: PFIC

≈ 200 Lbs. — Hermosa Beach Pier, “Mola Joe”, 1980s

Source: PFIC

≈ 200 Lbs. — Carpinteria Pier, Bill Hinckley, September 18, 1955

Source: Los Angeles Times, September 19, 1955

≈ 200 Lbs. — Redondo Wharf No. 1, June 25, 1888

Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 27, 1888

181 Lbs.* — Huntington Beach Pier, Bradley. A. Dew, 1978

Source: Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1978 & California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife * = Official state record fish and world record (IGFA)

175 Lbs. — Aliso Beach Pier, August 1984

Source: Aliso Beach Pier Snack Shack

≈ 170 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, May 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

169 Lbs. — Hermosa Beach (pier?), July 30, 1912

Source: Oakland Tribune, July 30, 1912

160 Lbs. — Ocean Beach Pier, May 2009

Source: PFIC

≈ 160 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, March 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

≈ 150 Lbs. — Oceanside Harbor Pier, August 2009

Source: PFIC

150+ Lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, May 2008

Source: Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop

150 Lbs. — Santa Monica Pier, May 2002

Source: Santa Monica Pier Bait Shop

≈ 150 Lbs. — Oceanside Pier, April 2001

Source: Oceanside Pier Bait Shop

≈ 140 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, March 2001

Source: Big Fish Bait & Tackle, Seal Beach

135 Lbs. — San Clemente Pier, June, November 1999

Source: PFIC

125 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Greg Taite, April 1999

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

123 Lbs. — Huntington Beach Pier, Robert Gerber, March 1999

Source: Let’s Go Fishing, Huntington Beach Pier

120 Lbs. — Ocean Park Pier, Stuts Baida, July 1927

Source: Los Angeles Times, July 31, 1927

110 Lbs. — Pine Avenue Pier (Long Beach), William Crowder, June 2, 1907

Source: Los Angeles Herald, June 2, 1907

106 ½ Lbs. — Belmont Pier (Long Beach), Bill Kerny, October 13, 1960

Source: Long Beach Independent,October 14, 1960

104 Lbs. — Rainbow Pier (Long Beach), Dave Feske, October 13, 1960

Source: Long Beach Independent, October 14, 1960

100+ Lbs. — Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), June 1997

Source: Mike’s Bait & Tackle, Stearns Wharf, June 1997

≈ 100 Lbs. — Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, Walter Cartwright, April 11, 1934

Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel, April 12, 1934

100 Lbs. — Seal Beach Pier, April 1958

Source: Long Beach Independent-Press Telegram, April 13, 1958

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