Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Species: Sardinops sagax (Jenyns, 1842); from the Latin word sardine  (sardina), the Greek word ops  (like), and the Latin word sagux  (of quick perception, acute or alert).

Alternate Names: Pilchard, ‘dines, dinies (small sardines) and dinos, firecrackers (small sardines), rhinos or trout (large sardines). Called sardina Monterrey in Mexico.

Identification: Cigar-shaped like herring but blue green above, silverfish-white below, and identified by a series of black spots on the back. (Fish Bulletin #28 said they had dark green coloring on the back with opalescent reflections, shading into iridescent  silvery sides with round black spots of varying degree).

Size: Up to 16 1/4 inches but most caught from piers are under a foot in length.

A LARGE sardine caught at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara

Range: Guaymas, Mexico to Kamchatka, Alaska.

Habitat: Pelagic in nature but generally in nearshore waters. At times, moves into shallower water and bays but found from the surface down to about 80 feet. They generally travel in very large schools called “shoals” and frequently school with Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, and anchovies.

Piers: Sardines experience up and down cycles in numbers but when present can be caught at almost every California pier. I have caught them at 28 piers ranging from the Imperial Beach Pier near the Mexican border to Citizen’s Dock in Crescent City, just over 20 miles from the Oregon border. I never caught a sardine at a California pier from 1962 until 1990 when I landed a few at the Seal Beach Pier and Belmont Veterans Pier in Long Beach. However, I soon began to catch them at many piers and by 1994 I had  experienced phenomenal fishing at several piers (especially those in the Morro Bay area). From that point until the last few years have seen continued catches (with the most recent being at the Eureka Boardwalk in 2016). Best bets when present: Newport Pier, Balboa Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Port Hueneme Pier, Gaviota Pier, Pismo Beach Pier, Avila Pier, Port San Luis Pier, Morro Bay T-Piers, Cayucos Pier, San Simeon Pier, Monterey Wharf #2, Capitola Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf and the Johnson Pier in Pillar Point Harbor.

Sardines caught at the Santa Cruz Wharf in 2003

Shoreline: Rarely taken from shore excepting in bays—Morro Bay, San Francisco Bay and Humboldt Bay.

Boats: Rarely taken from boats unless “making bait.”

Bait and Tackle: Light tackle. Generally caught on bait rigs like Lucky Lura or Sabiki outfits. Also can be caught on size 8-10 hooks fished with a small piece of pile worm or very small strip of anchovy. Puts up a very credible fight for its size.

Food Value:  Can be baked, broiled, bar-b-cued, or pickled. Considered somewhat superior to its cousin Pacific herring.

Comments: Most people have heard the stories of the tremendous commercial catches of sardines back in the 1930s and ’40s—catches in the billions. Then there was a virtual disappearance of sardines for many years with anchovies replacing them in many areas. Many scientists blamed overfishing for the collapse of the fishery, others claimed it was a cyclical phenomenon related, at least in part, to water temperature. Today most scientists feel there were a number of different causes that, in connection with the over fishing and change in water temperatures, led to the collapse. Recent decades, as mentioned above, saw an increase in the number of sardines. That’s the good news! The bad news is that sardines are in decline once again. NOAA Fisheries reports that “the population took a nose dive and dropped by roughly 90 percent between 2007 and 2016. In response to this crash, in April 2015 the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to close the directed commercial fishery. This week [April 12, 2016] the Council voted to keep the fishery closed for another year.” The following articles give evidence of the problem.

Pacific Sardine

http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/pelagic/pacific_sardine_landings.html

The Role of Fishing in the Pacific Sardine Collapse

http://usa.oceana.org/blog/role-fishing-pacific-sardine-collapse

As Pacific sardine collapse worsens, scientists worry about ecosysyem ripple

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/03/as_pacific_sardine_collapse_wo.html

 Cusk-Eels—Family Ophidiidae

Cusk-eel (Photo courtesy of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science)

Species: Ophidion scrippsae  (Hubbs, 1916); from the words otophidium (referring to the large sacklike inner ear) and scrippsae  (in honor of Ellen Browning Scripps who helped establish the Scripps Institution of Oceanography).

Alternate Names: Eel or California cusk-eel. In Mexico they’re called congriperlass or congriperla canastera, while in far off Denmark (where they could only go as tourists, they are called skæflettet slangekvabbe).

Identification: Typical elongated eel-like shape that tapers toward the rear (one identification chart says it resembles a letter opener). The head contains large eyes and a large mouth with a pair of chin whiskers. Dorsal and anal fins are pale with black margins and continuous, joining the pointed caudal fin. Adults are brown to olive above and tan below. The body is plain with no spots but the small scales on the side present a criss-cross pattern similar to a basket weave.

Size: To 10 3/4 inches although most seen at piers are less than 8 inches.

Range: From Guaymas, Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico, to Point Arguello, Central California. Found on the Pacific coast of Baja, Mexico from Todas Santos north.

Habitat: A bethnic (bottom dwelling) species typically found in nearshore, shallow-water areas, both sandy and muddy, as well as some estuarine areas. Found to a depth of about 360 feet.

Basketweave cusk-eel taken at the Newport Pier in 2003

Piers: Caught infrequently at southern California piers. Best bets: Oceanside Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Seal Beach Pier, Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier and Santa Monica Pier.

Shoreline: Rarely seen by shore anglers.

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: Cusk-eels are an incidental catch by anglers fishing on the bottom for other species. An angler has to have some luck to catch one of these fish. Generally during the day they hide in caves or crevices so most are caught at night or on overcast days. In addition, they typically will bury themselves in the sand and strike out at a passing meal. Their typical foods are small crustaceans, small clams, polychaete worms, and other invertebrates. Thus a small hook baited with worms, pieces of shrimp, or small pieces of clams will offer the best chance for these small fish.

Food Value: Not sure of their food value. Most I have seen were really too small to offer up much of a meal. The only two I have caught now reside in bottles of formaldehyde. However, the kingclip, a cusk-eel that reaches five feet in length in southern and eastern Pacific waters is considered a commercial species and its flesh is considered excellent.

Cusk-eel (Photo courtesy of Mex-Fish)

Comments: I caught my first cusk-eel when I was a neophyte angler fishing from the Newport Pier in the fall of 1962. Since I already fancied myself an amateur ichthyologist, I was determined to identify what this strange fish was, especially since no one I asked had a clue as to its identity. After an exhaustive search through antiquated reference books, I identified the fish. According to Marine Fishes of Southern California by Percy Spencer Barnhart (University of Californiua Press, 1936) it was a Southern California Cusk Eel (Otophidium Scrippsi) [Common and scientific names since changed]. Next, the fish was pickled in formaldehyde for my biology class at Newport Harbor High School. It may, for all I know, still be there. In December of 2002, I caught another of these little cusk-eels out at the end of the Newport Pier and it too was destined for preservation. However, it resides with the Fish and Game Department and is used by them to train game wardens in fish identification. By the way, the fish now has a new common name—basketweave cusk-eel. This fish has a closely related relative called the spotted cusk-eel (Chilara taylori). It is similar in shape to the basketweave cusk-eel but covered with dark blotches on its upper body. It is slightly larger, ranges all the way to Oregon, and is actually more common in California than the basketweave cusk-eel. But, it is also more of a deep-water fish and encountered less often at piers. However, I have seen several caught at the Balboa Pier and Newport Pier, piers that are located near deep-water canyons.

Pacific (Spotted) snake eel from the Hermosa Beach Pier in 2007

Species: Ophichthus triserialis (Kaup, 1856); Ophichthus, from two Greek words meaning serpent and fish, and the Greek triserialis, meaning three-rowed referring to the pattern of spots

Alternate Names: Spotted Snake Eel.

Identification: Typical snake or eel-like shape with a spike-like tail and no fin rays. Body dusky-yellow or tan with large black spots.

Pacific (Spotted) snake eel from the Hermosa Beach Pier in 2007

Size: To 44 ½-inches and 4 ½ pounds.

Range: From Peru to off the Klamath River (Del Norte County), California. Southern areas include the Galapogos Islands and the Gulf of California. Abundant north to Magdalena Bay, California, but considered rare north of Baja, California.

Habitat: Found on shallow sandy and muddy bottoms to about a 75-foot depth; burrows in the bottoms tail first. Shrimp trawlers in the Gulf of California reportedly catch large numbers of these eels.

Piers: PFIC has only had a report from one pier — the Hermosa Beach Pier.

Shoreline: A rare catch by southern California shore anglers.

Boats: An inshore species rarely seen on boats.

Bait and Tackle: Taken incidentally by anglers fishing on the bottom for other species. Their recorded diet includes bivalves (i.e., clams), small fish and shrimp so all should work as bait. However, given their habitat on the bottom I would think saltwater worms (bloodworms and lug worms) might be the best bait. Tackle should be kept simple: a medium-sized outfit with light line and a size 6 to 2 hook. Be prepared for a surprisingly spirited tassel.

Food Value: Don’t know anyone who has eaten one although most eels are considered fair to good eating.

Comments: Only a couple have been recorded to PFIC and Department of Fish and Wildlife records indicate most of the eels caught were during the summer July-September months.

]]> http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/11/pacific-snake-eel/feed/ 2 http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/california-lizardfish/ http://kenjonesfishing.com/2016/10/california-lizardfish/#comments Sat, 29 Oct 2016 18:51:36 +0000 kenjones http://kenjonesfishing.com/?p=13467 Order Myctophiformes

 Lizardfish—Family Synodontidae

Lizardfish, Avila Pier in 2013

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

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

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

A lizardfish from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara in 2013

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

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

A lizardfish from the Goleta Pier in 2007

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

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

A lizardfish caught by sanclementeeric at the Balboa Pier in 2012

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

Boats: Rarely seen on boats.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Kids Corner 

Kids love Lizardfish since they are easy to catch

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

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

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

A friends daughter — Avila Pier Kids Tournament 2013

One more, Avila Pier Kids Tournament 2013

Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) Kids Tournament, 2013

Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) Kids Tournament, 2013

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

Queenfish from the Ventura Pier in 2011

Species: Seriphus politus (Ayres, 1860); from the Greek word seriph (a kind of locust, an island near Greece, or a kind of wormwood—take your pick. Evidently, the scientist who gave the fish its scientific name, a Dr. Ayres, never specified why he used this name.), the Latin words us (word for an ending), polit  (smooth or polished), and us  (same ending word).

Alternate Names: Commonly called herring in SoCal; also herring croaker and brownie or brown bait. For some unexplained reason called sea trout in the Ventura area. Early 20th century names included kingfish, tomcod and sea trout. Called corvineta reina in Mexico.

Identification: Queenfish have a long slender body, a large mouth with a projecting upper jaw, and small eyes. Their two dorsal fins are widely separated which distinguishes them from other croakers. Their coloring is metallic; silver-blue on the back, a silver or whitish belly, and dusky fins.

Queenfish from the Ocean Beach Pier in 2007

Size: To 12 inches, although most caught off piers are less than 8 inches in length. An 11-inch queenie weighed a little over a half pound.

Range: West of the Uncle Sam Bank, Baja California, and the Gulf of California to Burrard Inlet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Queenfish are uncommon north of Cayucos and rare north of Monterey.

Habitat: Common in shallow-water sandy areas, both oceanfront and in bays, especially around piers. Often found in densely packed schools, sometimes along with white croaker. Most commonly found at depths from 4 to 27 feet happily munching on free-swimming crustacea, small crabs, and fish.

Queenfish from the Port San Luis Pier in 2014

Piers: Common at most southern California piers. Best bets: Imperial Beach Pier, Ocean Beach Pier, Crystal Pier, Oceanside Pier, Seal Beach Pier (I think it’s the best), Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Malibu Pier and Ventura Pier. Abundant inshore from late spring to the beginning of winter.  Dense schools of queenfish are often found in the shady areas under piers. I have also caught a few queenfish at both the Cayucos Pier and Monterey Wharf No. 2.

Shoreline: An occasional catch by shore anglers in southern California.

Boats: Not a common boat species but some are taken in southern California bays.

Queenfish from the Hermosa Beach Pier in 2008

Bait and Tackle: The best bet is to either use a Sabiki/Lucky Lura-type leader (size 6-8 hooks), or to simply tie four size 8 hooks directly to your line spacing them every six inches with the bottommost hook 18 inches above the sinker. Drop your line to the bottom and reel in slowly until you find the depth at which the fish are biting. Once you find the fish, drop the leader down and slowly work it up and down. When the schools are thick you may not even need bait—the fish will strike the bare hooks. Other times you may need to use bait such as a small strip of anchovy or squid. Schools can be kept around your line by occasionally tossing in a few pieces of stale breadcrumbs or a few small pieces of anchovy chum. Schools often move into deeper water at night so adjust your spot on the pier accordingly.

Food Value: Queenfish are good tasting little panfish but only the larger specimens have enough meat on them to use as food fish. Pan-frying is the common method of cooking.

Comments: This small fish is another that had a Navy vessel named after it.  The USS Queenfish (SS-393) was a Balao-class diesel-electric submarine built in Kittery, Maine. Launched on November 30, 1943, it was commissioned on March 11, 1944.  After training in Hawaii she began a distinguished career that included duty in the Luzon Strait, the Formosa Straits, and waters adjacent to the China coast.  She sank many ships and engaged in rescue operations of Allied soldiers. She was at Midway, preparing for another patrol, when the war ended. The Queenfish was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (US), and received 6 battle stars for World War II service.  Later she served as Flagship Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet and was homeported at Pearl Harbor before later transfer to San Diego. She was struck from the Navy List in March 1963 and sunk as a target by the Swordfish (SSN-579), in August 1963.

Queenfish themselves are attractive little fish that are fun to catch even if they’re not exactly a sporting catch. Small queenfish can be used at piers as bait for halibut or any other large fish. Queenfish were numerically ranked first in an early Fish and Game survey of fish caught from southern California piers and jetties.

Halfmoon caught at Catalina in 2010

Species: Medialuna californiensis (Steindachner, 1876); from the Spanish word medialuna (halfmoon, referring to the shape of the tail) and californiensis  (California, where first found).

Alternate Names: Catalina blue perch, island mackerel, blooper, blue wizard, blue perch or blue bass. In early days sometimes called medialuna. In Mexico called chopa medialuna.

Identification: Halfmoon are perch-shaped but heavier bodied; they’re similar in many ways to opaleye. Their coloring is normally bluish-black above, bluish-gray on sides, and light blue below. Their tail is shaped like a half-moon.

Halfmoon caught by Isogure in Mission Bay in 2014

Size: A 19-inch fish weighed 4 pounds 12.5 ounces.

Range: Gulf of California to Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Habitat: Halfmoon are found in shallow-water, rocky areas and kelp beds. They’re often in small loose schools in the mid-water area and, at times, mixed in with schools with pileperch.

Piers: Common at southern and central California piers that are located near rocks, reefs or kelp. They’re common as far north as Cayucos but occasionally taken as far north as Santa Cruz. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, the Green Pleasure Pier and Cabrillo Mole in Avalon (the two best piers), Hermosa Beach Pier (by the reef), Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Gaviota Pier, and the Paradise Cove Pier.

Halfmoon caught by Jimbojack at the Cabrillo Mole in 2007

Shoreline: A common catch of rocky shore anglers in sourthern California.

Boats: Although mainly considered an inshore species, quite a few are landed by anglers fishing from boats, especially at Catalina.

Bait and Tackle: Halfmoon will take almost any bait but they prefer fresh mussels, shrimp, or small crabs. When schools are present, a small strip of squid will often work, and you will lose far less bait. Halfmoon caught from boats seem to be less picky and will often hit pieces of anchovy, sardine, or sqiuid.

Food Value:  A good eating, mild-flavored fish.

Comments:  Halfmoons are good fighters, very similar to opaleye and the larger perch. Their eating habits are also similar to opaleye (both are considered to be   herbivorous species) but will eat almost anything in their environment including red, green, and brown algae, sponges, bits of seaweed, green moss, shrimp, mussels, squid, and fish. Apparently they have a hard time deciding whether to be vegans or meat-eaters and that may explain their scrappy and perhaps irritable nature.

KJ and a halfmoon caught at the Cabrillo Mole in 2014

Halfmoon from the Cabrillo Mole in 2016

Hans Jones and a halfmoon from the Cabrillo Mole in 2014

Halfmoon from the Cabrillo Mole in 2014

An early day rendering of a halfmoon. Note the slightly different scientific name. Picture courtesy of NOAA.

Order Decapoda

Spiny Lobster—Family Palinuridae

A Spiny Lobster up close and personal

Species: Panulirus interruptus (Randall, 1840); interruptus refers to the grooves on the abdomen which are interrupted in this species.

A lobster from the Shelter Island Pier in San Diego Bay in 2009

Alternate Name: Bugs, crayfish, marine crayfish, rock lobster and red lobster. In Mexico called langosta mexicana or langosta roja. Most anglers in California simply call them bugs and greedily await the start of the “bug” season each Fall.

Lobster taken by DompfaBen (Dominating Positive Fishing Attitude Ben) in 2004

Identification: Typical lobster shape, color that varies from brick-red to brown with greenish overtones, and a carapace (or back) that is very spiny with two extra large spines protruding over the eyes. Missing is the large claw that distinguishes the more famous Atlantic lobsters. At the lower edge of each of the tail segments is a large spine that can produce a painful pinch or puncture when the lobster flexes its tail.

Lobster from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara in 2002

Size: Reported to 26 pounds and 24 inches; most caught from pier are sub-legal size and even legal ones are rarely over 5 pounds in weight. The California record is listed at 16 pounds 1 ounce taken by a diver at Catalina Island in 1968.

Lobster from the Venice Pier in 2003

Range: Bahia Magdelena, Baja, California, to Monterey Bay (but uncommon north of Point Conception).

Lobster taken by Hashem at the Paradise Cove Pier in 2009

Habitat: Prefers rocky shorelines and bottoms along the coast and around the Channel Islands. Usually found in various holes and crevices during the day while venturing out to feed alone at night. Typical food includes snails, sand dollars, shellfish and decaying animal and plant matter: they’ll eat just about anything.

Baitfish (Adam) and a Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara) lobster in 2002

Piers: A favorite goal of SoCal pier anglers during the typical October to March lobster season. Unfortunately, many piers have seen persistent and increased poaching of lobsters during the past decade and as a result few piers yield the numbers once commonly encountered. The poachers take (and keep) lobsters of every size, do so during every month (no matter the legal season), and the California Department of Fish and Game seems unable to end the problem. As a result we do not offer specific recommendations for best piers. General recommendations: 1. Most lobsters are taken at night so the piers that are open at night offer the best chance for a lobster.  2. Bugs are typically found along rocky shores and bottom areas that contain rocks so piers that have that type of bottom, or that have reefs near the pier, generally yield the best results. The number one pier in the state for lobsters was the Cabrillo Mole at Avalon on Catalina Island. However, as of 2015 it is illegal to take lobsters from the Cabrillo Mole.

Lobster taken by Lisa at the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon in 2002

Shoreline: Taken by hoop nets in rocky areas.

Boats: Taken by regular boaters and kayakers venturing into their shallow water, rocky habitat.

Lobster taken by DompfaBro in 2007

Bait and Tackle: Spiny lobsters are most commonly taken by using hoop nets. Bait varies but fish scraps are probably the most prevalent bait used to catch them (and cans of cat food are favored by some of the people on the Pier Fishing in California Message Board). While many lobsters are accidentally hooked on fishing lines, and give really big surprises to the anglers who pull them in, it’s against the law to keep them.

Lobster — Hoopin’ It Up

Lobster taken at the San Clemente Pier in 2010

Lobster gauge

Checking the size of a lobster at the Ventura Pier in 2007

Hashem checking the size of a lobster at the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon in 2014 [Lobsters can no longer be taken at the Cabrillo Mole]

It’s too small, a quick kiss and back into the water — Hashem at the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon, 2014 [Lobsters can no longer be taken at the Cabrillo Mole].

Food Value: Excellent eating!

Yummy! A mess of lobster from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon in 2010

A little variety for dinner — lobster, sheephead, opaleye and kelpfish — all from the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon in 2010. Today it’s against the law to catch lobsters at the Mole.

Comments: As with crabs, be sure to check current Fish and Game regulations before you go after the “bugs.” Minimum size restrictions, approved seasons, and legal bag limits will all be explained. In addition, all people seeking lobsters need to have a “Lobster Card” on which they must record their take throughout the year.

Hashem (Mahigeer) at the Hermosa Beach Pier with a small lobster in 2004

A nice lobster taken by Brady in 2004

A good-sized lobster taken from the Santa Monica Pier in 2003

DompfaBen and a lobster in 2004

A lobster taken at a “Kid’s Fishing Derby” at the Shelter Island Pier in 2009

Lobster taken by “Catfish” at the Santa Monica Pier in 2003

A nice lobster from the Oceanside Pier in 2005

DompfaBen and two of his favorite things — a lobster and his Dodgers

Looks like a nice combo dinner — Lobsters and crabs taken from the Santa Monica Pier by Baitfish (Adam) in 2003

An unusual combo. I had hooked a halibut and asked Hashem to use his crab hoop (which was sitting in the water) to net the fish. When he pulled it up there was also a lobster in the net. At the Paradise Cove Pier in 2009.

__________________________________________________________________________________

The Panulirus Creed

Posted by DomphaBen to the “Pier Fishing In California Message Board” on November 17, 2004

With apologies to all of my parochial school teachers…

The Panulirus Creed, (based loosely on the Nicene Creed)

We believe in one Lobster,

the Benthos, the All-Spiny,

taker of hoop-bait and mirth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Pull, Heavus Heist,

the only Fun of Cod,

eternally begotten of the Benthos,

rod from rod, Light-line from Light-stick,

huge bug from true tug.

Be-boiled, not filleted,

of one Being with the Gauge.

Through him my dinners were made.

For us and for our salivation

he came out from reef-haven:

by the power of the Holy Mackerel

he became netted from the Sturgeon Scary,

and was made 1/7 of a limit.

For our sake he was boiled under Caphalon;

he ruddied, died and was buttered.

In a few minutes he was sliced and eaten

in fulfillment of the Pictures;

he descended into my belly

and is seated at the right hand of my love-handle.

He will come again in plumbing to sludge the living and the dead,

and his memory will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Mackerel, the bait, the giver of Lobster,

who proceeds from the Squid and the Sabiki.

With the Squid and the Sabiki he is frozen and zip-tied.

He has spoken through PFIC.

We believe in one holy, aesthetic, and sanitary Pier.

We acknowledge one license for the avoidance of poaching.

We look for the resurrection of the kelp,

and the capture of Lobster to come.

Amen.

in nomini panulirus, spiny, et sabiki sancti…

One more DompfaBen lobster. This time in 2003 with wife Brandy.

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Lobsterilla — Persevering twins reap late reward of one giant lobster

Ed Zieralski, San Diego Union-Tribune, October 20, 2002

It was another marathon Saturday with dad, starting with a 6:30 a.m. tee time and finishing at midnight at the Oceanside Pier.

But it turned into a very special day for Blake and Garett Spencer, a pair of 9-year-old twins who teamed with their father, Todd, to catch a lobster of a lifetime.

“Saturday is my day with the boys, and we started with 18 holes at Temeku (Golf Course),” said Escondido’s Todd Spencer, manager of a collection agency.

From there, it was on to Oceanside Pier for some hoop-netting for lobsters, an activity the boys later told their dad they’d pick over playing video games.

“This was only our second time hoop-netting,” Spencer said. “We went at the end of last season and fished off Ocean Beach Pier. We didn’t get anything, but the boys loved it.”

Last Friday, the boys asked their father: “When are we going lobster hunting again?”

Spencer promised they’d go after his golf outing the  next day. They packed their rig with items that don’t necessarily go together like ham and eggs: dad’s golf bag and gear, a couple of hoopnets and 21/2 pounds of mackerel for lobster bait.

Golf and hoop-netting, an outdoorsman’s daily double, for sure.

Golfing done, Spencer said they arrived at the Oceanside Pier at 6 p.m. and started fishing the windward side of the pier.

“We were the only ones with hoopnets, and I was beginning to think the Oceanside Pier wasn’t the right place to hoop-net for lobsters,” Spencer said.

He turned to his boys after a few hours of not getting anything and asked them, “Would you guys rather be home with your new X-Box games, or would you rather be out here on the pier fishing and not catching anything?”

They chose being on the pier over playing video games. This was more fun, and besides, it was quality time outside with dad.

“That made me feel pretty good,” Spencer said. “I’m from Northern California. I grew up in the foothills of Yosemite, out in the country. My kids are city kids, but they have the same interests I have. They love being outdoors.”

Shortly after their talk, Spencer switched to the leeward side of the pier, and the change produced two short lobsters, each about 1/4-inch short, just after 10 p.m. They sent them back like good sportsmen.

Another pick of the net produced a giant spider crab, about a 6- or 7-pounder, Spencer said. He was about to throw it back, but a man told him to keep it because it was very good eating.

“It looked nasty, but he said it was good,” Spencer said. “I cooked it later, and it not only looked nasty, it tasted nasty. Next time, it’s going back into the water.”

The spider crab provided a thrill to Spencer and his boys, and since it was getting close to midnight, Spencer felt it was time to go.

But then Spencer heard the cry of, “C’mon dad, one more pull, one more pull before we go.” “One more pull” to a hoop-netter is what “one more cast” is to a fisherman, what “one more shot” is to a bird hunter.

Spencer gave in. They made a set, left it for a while and made one more pull.

“It was the last pull of the night,” Spencer said.

And what a pull.

As the net came up, Spencer and his boys couldn’t believe their eyes. There in the net was what Spencer later called the “mutant lobster.” He never weighed the giant crustacean, but, including its antennae, the giant bug was at least 46 inches long, nearly as tall as his boys, who are 56 inches tall. He estimated it at 15 pounds.

California spiny lobsters have been known to go as high as 25 to 30 pounds. Biologists figure a lobster that big could be anywhere from 50 to 150 years old.

“I have a friend who dives, and he’s saying it’s a minimum of 15 pounds,” Spencer said. “I wish now I would have taken it to a supermarket or somewhere and weighed it,”

Spencer and his boys celebrated the next day with a lobster feast.

“You know how people say the big old lobsters are tough and not good eating,” Spencer said. “That’s not so. This lobster was tender and sweet. Really god eating.”

Looking back, Spencer said he likely would have quite around 9 p.m. had the boys chosen to go home to play video games.

“It was all because they wanted to stay,” Spencer said. “It was our day out. And what a fantastic day.”

____________________________________________________________________________________

Regulations: [What You Need to Know to "Stay Legal" — From California Department of Fish and Wildlife]: (1) A California sport fishing license with ocean enhancement stamp is required to take lobster south of Point Arguello. The license must be displayed by hoop netters, and divers must keep their fishing license either aboard the vessel or, if beach diving, with their gear within 500 yards from shore; (2) A Spiny Lobster Report Card is required for every person fishing for or taking spiny lobster. This includes persons who are not required to have a sport fishing license, such as children under the age of 16, persons fishing from a public pier, and persons fishing on free fishing days. Report cards must be carried by hoop netters, and divers must keep it with their fishing license. Just like the sport fishing license, report cards are valid from January 1 through December 31. If a lobster fisherman fills up a card before the year ends, the card can be returned and a new one purchased. The Spiny Lobster Report Card must be returned to the Department no later than January 31 of the following year; (3) The spiny lobster open season runs from the Saturday preceding the first Wednesday in October through the first Wednesday after March 15 (the first Wednesday in October is when commercial season opens; (4) No implements other than hoop nets may be used to take lobster. Divers may only use their bare or gloved hands to take lobster; (5) Both lobster divers and hoop netters must carry a lobster gauge when attempting to take lobster. The gauge is a metal or plastic measuring device that has a fixed gap of 3¼ inches for determining the legal size of the lobster. Lobster gauges can be purchased at most dive and tackle shops. Divers may bring lobster to the surface of the water for the purpose of measuring, but no undersized lobster may be retained by the diver, brought aboard any boat, or placed in any type of receiver. Hoop netters are required to measure lobster immediately upon retrieving their net, and any undersized lobster must be released immediately; (6) The lobster daily bag and possession limit is seven (7) lobsters. This includes any lobster stored at home or elsewhere; at no time may more than seven lobsters be in anyone’s possession; (7) A maximum of five (5) hoop nets may be fished by an individual, except on piers, jetties, and other shore-based structures where each angler is limited to two (2) hoop nets. No more than 10 hoop nets may be fished on a vessel, regardless of how many licensed anglers are aboard; (8) It is illegal to disturb or rob commercial lobster traps.

How to Measure Lobster — To determine whether the lobster you’ve just caught is large enough to keep, you must measure the length of the body shell, or carapace, along the midline from the rear edge of the eye socket (between the horns) to the rear edge of the carapace with a lobster gauge (see diagram above). This straight-line measurement should be a minimum of 3¼ inches. The carapace of a legal-sized lobster is larger than or equal to the gauge’s cutout. If the lobster is too small, it should immediately be released back into the water. Undersized lobster should never be brought aboard a vessel, or ashore if diving from the beach. Current spiny lobster sport fishing regulations can be found in the Ocean Sport Fishing regulation booklet, available at most sporting goods stores and wherever fishing licenses are sold, or on the Department of Fish and Game Web site at:
www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations

Species

Alternate Names: Greenback, green mackerel, green racer, greenies (or candy bar greenies—small mackerel), blue mackerel, striped mackerel, zebra mackerel, right mackerel, chub mackerel, frog, tiny tuna, mac, big mac, mac trash and my favorite—macaroni. Called macarela del Pacífico in Mexico. 19th century commercial fishermen often called them tinker mackerel, little mackerel or Easter mackerel. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, SoCal newspapers referred to large mackerel as “cornfed mackerel.” Given the number of Midwesterners who had moved to California in the late 1800s, and the fact that large and stocky men and women in that area were often called cornfed (in a healthy sense), the name would seem to make sense. My goodness, what a plethora of diverse names.

Pacific mackerel — Thomas Orozco, Pepper Park Pier, San Diego

Identification: Typical mackerel shape with am elongated body tapering at both ends; identified by the long space between the dorsal fins, 25 to 30 black to dark green bars and spots across the back, and irregular spots on the sides.

Size: To 25 inches and 6 pounds. Most caught off piers are less than 18 inches. The California record fish weighed 2 lb 8 oz and was taken at Los Angeles in 1995.

You don’t need heavy equipment for most macs — Shelter Island Pier in San Diego

Range: Gulf of California (some sources say Bahia Banderas) to southeastern Kamchatka, western Gulf of Alaska. Also Panama to Chile and Islas Galápagos.

Pacific mackerel — Hermosa Beach Pier

Habitat: Pelagic, feeding mainly on euphausids (small, shrimp-like crustaceans, i.e., krill, usually 1/8 inch to less than an inch), squid, and young fish. Found from the surface down to about 100 feet.

Piers: Common at most piers in California north to and including those in Monterey Bay (generally at the more northern piers in late summer or fall). Best bets: Imperial Beach Pier, Oceanside Pier, San Clemente Pier, Balboa Pier, Newport Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Manhattan Beach Pier, Malibu Pier, Stearns Wharf (Santa Barbara), Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier and Monterey Wharf #2. Generally uncommon at piers north of Monterey Bay although recent warm-water years have seen them move north. In 2009 mackerel began to show up at the Pacifica Pier that sits just south of San Francisco. Next they entered San Francisco Bay and became fairly common at many piers along the San Francisco waterfront as well as several piers in the East Bay. But, they continued to move north!  In September of 2014 we had one taken at a “Kids Fishing Derby” at the Trinidad Pier north of Eureka (75 miles south of the Oregon border) and then in October of 2015 I caught one at the Citizens Dock in Crescent City, just 20 miles from the Oregon border. in 2016 several were caught at the Del Norte Street Pier in Eureka as well as at other spots in Humboldt Bay. Mackerel follow the baitfish and the baitfish often follow the warm water.

Pacific mackerel — Hashem Nahid (Mahageer), Redondo Beach Pier

Shoreline: Sometimes taken by shore anglers fishing from jetties in southern California.

Boats: One of the mainstay fish for southern California boats although some years also caught north at least to Monterey Bay.

Pacific mackerel — Robert Gardner (Redfish), Cabrillo Mole, Avalon, Catalina Island

Bait and Tackle: Caught on a wide range of baits and artificial lures. A very simple method is also the most common; it is especially useful when fishing from a pier that sits down near the water. Simply attach a size 4-2 hook to the end of the line, put a small split-shot sinker a couple of feet above the hook, and use a small strip of squid, 2-3 inches long, or a bloody strip of mackerel, as the bait. The rigging can be used as is, or used in conjunction with a small float so that the bait stays a few feet under the surface of the water. If available, live anchovies are also excellent bait. When a school of mackerel is in one of their ravenous moods, a Sabiki/Lucky Lura-type bait rig can be deadly and will often produce a fish on every hook (which can lead to tangles and loss of the rig). The most fun can be had with a light outfit and a small artificial lure—a light bonito-type jig or even a cast-a-bubble with a bucktail fly. Generally the bait, whether live bait or cut bait, should be kept moving. A technique that often works is to cast out a high/low leader baited with cut anchovy or piece of mackerel, let it sink toward the bottom, then immediately begin a medium speed retrieve; mackerel will often hit it on the way up, usually just before it gets to the surface. At times, when a school is really hungry, the mackerel will hit on anything and everything (although I think pieces of mackerel are the best bait) and this leads to the common term: “mac attack.” It’s an appropriate title.

Pacific mackerel — Trinidad Pier (north of Eureka) —a rare treat this far north

Food Value: Mackerel are a fairly strong flavored fish, a fact that stops some people from eating them. Too often they wind up being used as bait, as fertilizer, or being thrown away. At the same time many people find them delicious. Typically the difference is due to the way they are handled and cooked. Being a fairly oily fish, the flesh can quickly deteriorate and soften. Put them on ice after capture, keep them cold, and use within a couple of days, and you will be starting with a much more palatable type of flesh. In addition, you can remove the darker (muscle) flesh from the side of the fish (the lighter the flesh the more mild). Lastly, if you want to reduce the strong flavor, cook utilizing methods that remove oil from the flesh—broiling and barbecuing being the best.  If you have a smoker they can also be made into tasty jerky. It’s recorded that in England there has been a special dispensation in existence since the seventeenth century that allows mackerel to be sold on Sunday. Thus the quickly spoiling fish are not wasted. It simply affirms the necessity of keeping them cold and eating them while fresh.

The flip side is that some groups prefer the strong flavors. They know that using spices that complement the flesh produces a tasty and favorable piece of fish. Still, mackerel may not be the fish for those raised on the mild tasting, white-fleshed fish used for fish and chips (cod, halibut, rock cod, etc.).

A mess of macs from Wharf #2 in Monterey

Mackerel caught at the Newport Pier in 1998 by Sucnguyen. Newport and similar deep-water piers like Balboa, Redondo Beach and Monterey Wharf #2 are frequently the best places to catch mackerel.

Comments: Mackerel numbers seem to go in cycles; for years they will be fairly uncommon and then there will be years when they will be at nearly every southern California pier. Recent years have seen huge catches. Unfortunately many of these mackerel go to waste. I have seen people who loaded buckets (or gunnysacks) with mackerel day after day at their favorite piers. I sincerely hoped they used them. Pacific mackerel are pretty little fish and terrific fighters for their size. Seafood, A Connoiseur’s Guide and Cookbook by Alan Davidson, comments on the “attractive and flashy appearance of mackerel,” noting that the “French name maquereau also means ‘pimp’” and that “in the past mackerel was a term for dandy in England.”

Pacific mackerel and Pacific sardine — Goleta Pier. Both fish will sometimes school in the same areas and when they do anglers are assured a good catch of fish.

 An uncommon to the area Pacific mackerel from the Del Norte Street Pier in Eureka

Order Squatiniformes — Angel Sharks — Family Squatinidae

Species: Squatina californica (Ayres, 1859); from the Latin squatina (an ancient name for a related Mediterranean species) and californica (describing where the fish was first caught).

Alternate Names: Angel shark, monkfish, squat and squato. Called angelote or tiburón angel in Mexico.

Identification: These sharks look like a ray, or a cross between a shark and a ray and are often mistaken for rays by anglers. However, a couple of items gives them away: (1) angel sharks have a flattened body similar to rays but have broad pectoral fins that are unattached to the head, and (2) the mouths of angel sharks are up front of the head, not underneath as in rays. Their camouflage coloring, typically sandy gray, gray brown, or reddish with dark spots, allows them to lie relatively unnoticed on the bottom. The belly is white. Angel sharks are unique in that the lower lobe of the tail is longer than the upper lobe.

An angel shark taken at the Hermosa Beach Pier in 2005

Size: Reaches a length of 5 feet and a size of 60 pounds. Most caught from piers are under 4 feet in length.

Range: Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, and the Gulf of California to Puget Sound, Washington. One unverified record from Alaska; rare north of California.

Habitat: Offshore and in shallow bays in sand or mud bottoms near rocky reefs. Generally found from 10-600 feet deep. Primarily they feed at night and their main food is fish and shellfish (although they’ll settle for squid, octopi, sea cucumbers and other unusual tidbits in order to maintain a well balanced and nutritional diet). Some sources say one of their main foods is California halibut. So flatties beware! Angels are bottom lurkers and ambush predators that like to lie partially buried in the sand awaiting unsuspecting prey to wander by. When fish and other organisms, aka food, come close, angels use their protrusible and highly expandable mouths (armed with big teeth) to quickly inhale the unlucky prey. Perhaps the prey should have been praying since they don’t have a prayer of a chance.

Ross Kestin and Kelli Cruise with an angel shark taken from the Avila Beach Pier during a Pier Fishing In California Get Together at the pier in 2008

Piers: Not common at any pier although occasionally caught. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, San Clemente Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Ventura Pier, Avila Beach Pier and, possibly the best, the Cayucos Pier.

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

Boats: Occasionally taken by boaters and kayakers in southern and central California fishing fairly shallow waters.

An angel shark taken at the Malibu Pier in 2005

Bait and Tackle: Medium tackle, 30-pound or so line with size 2-4/0 hooks should suffice for these beasts.

Food Value: The flesh is considered very good and they have become the object of a considerable commercial fishery.

Comments: Their name is derived from the large pectoral fins that remind many of angel wings (and how about a buffalo wing and angel wing combo plate?). As mentioned, these guys (or girls) have the nasty habit of extending out their jaws in an explosive manner to capture food and, unfortunately, quite a few anglers have been bitten by angel sharks after the fish were landed. Never stick your hand or arm near the mouth of an angel shark unless you are absolutely sure it is dead.

An angel shark from the Ventura Pier in 2011

43-inch, 30-lb angel shark caught by Wayne at the Cayucos Pier in April 1998 on squid

32-lb angel shark caught by Wayne at the Cayucos Pier in May 1997 on a live perch

Angel shark caught from the Capitola Wharf in 2011 (Photo courtesy of Capitola Bait and Boat)

An angel shark caught at the Cayucos Pier by Dave Hutcheson in June 2006

The group

Spread out and catching fish on the pier

A Pacific mackerel

Another mackerel

Mackerel were the main bite

The group, scouts and teachers

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