Pier— Length — Comments

1. San Mateo Pier — 4,135 feet — Part of the old San Mateo Bridge — now closed
2. Berkeley Pier — 3,000 feet — An old pier originally used by cars to reach the Berkeley- San Francisco Ferry— now closed

3. Santa Cruz Wharf — 2,745 feet —Large old commercial wharf; shops, restaurants and fishing

4. Santa Monica Pier — 2,000 feet — Much of the shore end is over beach instead of water; used mainly for recreation

5. Ravenswood Pier — 2,000 feet — west end of old Dumbarton Bridge — now closed
6. Dumbarton Pier — 2,000 feet— east end of old Dumbarton Bridge

7. Ocean Beach Pier — 1,971 feet — Supposedly the longest concrete pier in the world

8. Ventura Pier — 1,958 feet — Supposedly the longest wooden pier in California

9. Stearns Wharf — 1,950 feet — Large commercial wharf; shops, restaurants and fishing

10. Oceanside Pier — 1,942 feet— Some sources say 1,950 feet
11. Seal Beach Pier — 1,865 feet — End section under reconstruction
12. San Francisco Muni — 1,850 feet — Could use some help (repair)

13. Huntington Beach Pier — 1,830 feet

14. Avila Pier — 1,685 feet — Closed for indefinite time, may need to be totally rebuilt

15. Monterey Wharf #2 — 1,636 feet — Large commercial wharf; used by commercial fishing boats at the end, recreational anglers inshore.

Species: Chromis punctipinnis (Cooper, 1863); from the Greek word chromis (a type of Mediterranean fish) and the Latin words punctipinnis  (for spot and fin).

Alternate Names: Blue perch, kelp perch, rock bass and black perch. In Mexico called castañeta herrera.

Identification: Perch-shaped but not so deep—compressed and somewhat elongate. Their dorsal fin is long and undivided. Their coloring is dark blue or black on the back, grayish blue on sides, yellow tones in fins; they have black spots on the posterior half of the body.

Size: Length to 12 inches; most caught from piers are 6-10 inches.

Range: Punta San Pablo, central Baja California, to Monterey Bay. Common in southern California but uncommon north of Point Conception.

Habitat: Shallow-water, rocky-shore areas and in kelp beds; young and adults aggregate according to size. Surface to 150 feet deep although may travel down to 300 feet. Reportedly migrate to  rocky holes shortly before sunset where they hunker down for the night. Those unable to find a hole or crevice cluster after dark in dense schools near the rocks.

Piers: Generally found only at southern California piers, and then only those located close to extensive kelp or reefs, although I have seen a few blacksmith landed at Wharf #2 in Monterey. Best bets: Oceanside Harbor Pier, Green Pleasure Pier and Cabrillo Mole (Avalon), Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, and sometimes, in late summer, Gaviota Pier.

Elaine Liu at the Cabrillo Mole in Avalon

Shoreline: A common catch by anglers fishing rocky-shore areas in southern California.

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: Size 6 to 8 hooks fished on the bottom to mid-depth. Best bait are live bloodworms and lug worms, live small crabs, fresh mussels, and small pieces of shrimp.

Food Value:  Too small to have much meat.

Comments:  A close relative of their damselfish cousins, garibaldi, and like their cousins they are noted as having a “pugnacious” nature. It is reported that young blacksmith seek out cleaning fish, usually juvenile pileperch or senorita, and place themselves in positions where the cleaning fish are almost forced to remove external parasites from them. During these actions, the blacksmith may be head up, head down, on their side or even upside down. If the cleaner tries to leave, blacksmiths follow and prevent escape. Talk about bad manners! At the same time, they are also cleaners themselves having been observed removing parasites from Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola).

 Some unofficial records —gathered from published reports

 50 Pound White Seabass — Imperial Beach Pier

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

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

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

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

Adult sablefish caught by fishermen in the “Dory Fleet” that sits next to the Newport Pier

Species: Anoplopoma fimbria (Pallas, 1814); from the Greek words anoplis  (unarmed) and poma (operculum or gill cover), and the Latin word fimbria  (fringe).

Alternate Names: Commercially called blackcod in Washington and butterfish in California. Other names include Alaska blackcod, coalfish, coal cod, candlefish, black candlefish, bluecod, deep sea trout, zipperfish, sable, skil-fish, skil, and skill. Called t’thémekwe by the Salish in British Columbia, sqel or skil by the Haida, and hádání  by the Heiltsuk. Called bacalao negro in Mexico.

Identification: Elongate (cod-shaped) tapering to the tail. Two widley-spaced  dorsal fins. Adult coloring is usually blackish-gray on the back and sides, gray to white below; young fish taken from piers are generally pale greenish-colored on top and sides fading to white.

Typical juvenile sablefish seen on piers —  Monterey Wharf #2 on July 20, 2013

Size: To over 40 inches and 56 pounds although most caught from piers are young fish under a foot in length. Sablefish can live to about 55 years of age so the bigger fish are generally old fish.

Range: Islas San Benito and Isla Cedros, central Baja, California to the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea south of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Also, Kamchatka, Russia, south to Hatsu Shima Island, southern Japan; usually in extremely deep water.

Habitat:  Adult fish are caught in deep water, often over a thousand feet deep, and prefer areas of blue clay or mud. Young fish, to a foot long or so, are often found in fairly shallow areas, especially to the north. There is also a difference in habitat north and south; in southern California, sablefish are almost always found in deep-water areas, in northern California, Eureka north, sablefish will sometimes be found in shallower water.

Piers: Sablefish are never really common to California piers although piers adjacent to deep-water canyons may see a few each year. At times, vast schools will move in around piers and thousands of the fish will be caught. Best bets: Newport Pier, Balboa Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, and Monterey Wharf No. 2. In the far north, where sablefish become a more shallow-water fish, they will sometimes show up during the summer months in Humboldt Bay and a few will fall to anglers fishing from Eureka area piers.  I have seen small specimens taken from the Pismo Beach Pier, the Capitola Wharf, and Monterey Wharf #2, all in Central California.

Sablefish taken from the San Simeon Pier on August 17, 2015

Shoreline: Rarely taken by shore anglers.

Boats: Rarely taken by boaters in southern California although they’re sometimes taken by rockcod anglers fishing in deep waters off Santa Cruz and Monterey.

Bait and Tackle: On piers a high/low rigging baited with strips of squid is the preferred method. On boats they are generally taken on typical rockcod tackle.

Food Value:  Adult sablefish are one of the best tasting smoked fish. In fact, many people like the rich buttery flavor of sablefish better than salmon. For a period of time when I worked in the corporate world one of the areas I visited was Seattle and I soon found a fish restaurant on the waterfront, Ivar’s Acres of Clams, that served smoked sablefish. That one dish prompted several additional visits. Since then I do not believe I have ever seen sablefish on a restaurant menu although I have seen smoked sablefish for sale in Santa Cruz, Morro Bay and Fort Bragg. In addition, fresh sablefish is one of the staple items at the dory fleet at the foot of Newport Pier (although you need to get there early in the morning before the fish is sold out). Unfortunately the young sablefish that occasionally visit piers are not quite as rich flavored. Nevertheless they are still best smoked or broiled, methods which gives the flavor a chance to show itself. Do not, repeat, do not, pan-fry or deep-fry sablefish. The results will be an inferior piece of over oily meat.

Sablefish caught by “PolishfromtheDeep at the Pismo Beach Pier on August 8, 2010

Comments: One of my favorite fish simply because it is an uncommon treat!

My first big day pier fishing took place at the Newport Pier in September 10, 1962 and involved sablefish. I had arrived, as usual, at the crack of dawn, and was fishing just down from the northwest corner. I was using squid for bait and had experienced very little early success. However, around 5:30 A.M., I had a strike and pulled in an ebony-colored fish—a type I had never caught before. The next cast yielded two more of these strange colored fish and I continued to catch fish, nearly every cast, for the next two hours. Strangely, only two other anglers were having similar success. Most anglers were going fishless at Newport. Later, I found out the fish were sablefish, a deep-water fish more common to northern waters. Upon cleaning the fish, I also found the reason for my success. The fish were stuffed with squid that were schooling in the waters near to the pier. Anglers who were using squid for bait, and there were only a few, were catching the fish. I caught 47 sablefish that day, but it was only a start. I continued to catch fish: large jacksmelt, Pacific mackerel and jack mackerel—77 fish in all. And, quite appropriately, I also caught a small squid. It was, mirabile dictu, one of the best days I ever had at the pier even though the fishing probably would have been considered poor for most of my fellow anglers that day. Six weeks later, October  27, saw the catch of six additional sablefish although this time it was in the evening.  It was the only times I have ever caught sablefish at a pier.

As said, they are a deep water fish and generally only encountered if you are fishing really deep waters. During the ’70s, I frequently fished on the Stagnaro rock cod boats (Stagnaro #1 and Stagnaro #2) out of the Santa Cruz Wharf and we would fish some really deep water reefs. Occasionally, when the boats would drift over a muddy area, we would pull in some big sablefish and some big Pacific hake. No one wanted the hake but everyone wanted the sablefish. Generally though they are primarily taken by commercial fishermen fishing in REALLY DEEP water. Another place I caught them, although this time from a barge, was in Redondo Beach. A trip on the barge California in July 1978 saw me catch five sablefish (if you catch one you’ll usually catch more) during a full night of fishing that produced 77 fish of six different species.

Sablefish taken from the Capitola Wharf on July 2, 2013

Perhaps the best example of deep-water fish showing up at a California pier was a run of sablefish that took place at Wharf #2 in 1947. The numbers of both fish and anglers seems unbelievable—but the invasion was well documented!

Sablefish Run At Monterey Bay

 For the first time in history, sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) appeared in vast numbers in the vicinity of Monterey and were caught by the thousands from the municipal pier. The run was first discovered on the afternoon of July 11th; word of the bonanza spread rapidly, and the pier was soon crowded with anglers. Men, women, and children stood shoulder to shoulder, with a varied assortment of tackle, all hauling in fish as fast as they could throw in their lines. Boxes, sacks, five-gallon cans, and washtubs were rapidly filled with 12 to 20-inch fish. Slack periods occurred during the morning and again in the afternoons, but they were of short duration usually lasting only half an hour or less; then the fish would be back seemingly in greater numbers than before. Each day the pier would be jammed with crowds of from 2,000 to 3,500 fishermen and spectators, some having driven as far as 200 miles.

On July 26th, the run stopped as abruptly as it had begun, and although over 5,000 fishermen were on hand the next day, only a few fish were caught. During the 15 days of the run, the Bureau of Patrol Division of Fish and Game, estimated that over 110 tons had been landed.

 — Keith W. Cox, Bureau of Marine Fisheries, California Division of Fish and Game, September, 1947

One of the best places to see sablefiish is at the Newport Dory fleet that sits next to the Newport Pier.

An interesting article on the increasing popularity of sablefish at upscale restaurants is one by Marian Burros in the New York Times. Titled “The Fish That Swam Uptown,” it calls sablefish “the Cinderella of the seafood world” and “discusses the popularity of sablefish and several ways it is prepared.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/16/dining/the-fish-that-swam-uptown.html

Some sablefish taken on the Stagnaro #2 partyboat out of Stagnaro Sportfishing in Santa Cruz on June 6, 1975

Day 1, August 19, 2015 — Monterey — I was greeted by beautiful, mid-70-degree weather, a slight breeze, and clear sun (enough to insure a sun burn). My initial visit was to the Coast Guard Pier, what is actually a jetty with a roadway built above it, a roadway which allows for fishing.

Monterey Coast Guard Pier

The Coast Guard Pier with the famous Cannery Row in the background

I would be joined in my time at the pier by a lot of lookie loos, some resident sea lions, kayakers, and the inevitable divers (since this is one of the favorite dive spots on the west coat and where more divers are hooked each month by anglers than any other spot).

Look at the sea lion!

The jetty is not a good place to be if a tsunami (tidal wave) hits

Results — Monterey Coast Guard Pier — 11 AM – 2 PM — The fishing was not that fast but did produce a mix of 11 small blue rockfish, 1 kelp rockfish, 2 black & yellow rockfish, 1 painted greenling, and one still unidentified sculpin.

Kelp Rockfish

Kelp

The sea, kelp, and kayakers

The tourists all like the sea lions aka sea dogs

The kayakers are seemingly oblivious to the angler lines extending from the jetty

Kelp and a sea star

A Black & Yellow Rockfish

Another, slightly different colored Black & Yellow Rockfish

An unidentified Sculpin

The end of the pier is populated by sea lions and cormorants

Signs discuss the sea lions and cormorants that cover the end of the jetty

The jetty is the best place in the state, in my opinion, to catch painted greenling. I average 2.3 of the small greenling, also called convict fish, per visit to the pier.

The pier always seems to have a few anglers

Monterey Bay was filled with a variety of boats

Monterey Wharf #2

I decided next to visit Monterey’s Wharf #2 where the mackerel were supposed to be biting. However, I decided to take a brief respite and headed up to the Old Presidio to take a few pictures of the bay and its piers.

Looking down on the bay and wharves. Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf is the wharf in the foregound while Wharf #2 (where I would be fishing) sits in the background. You can fish on the wharf until just about the buildings on the end.

Looking down to Breakwater Cove and the Coast Guard Pier (jetty) that protects it and provides fishermen a place to fish.

The end section of Wharf #2

The mid-section of Wharf #2

The inner section of the wharf

This monument sits in the Old Presido

Sloat Monument and its American Eagle (known to locals as “Big Bird”) sits on a hill above the Presidio’s museum office. It’s a monument to Commodore John Drake Sloat, and commemorates the capture of Monterey on July7, 1846, during the war with Mexico.

Father Sierra

A simple cross marks where Alexis Nino, an early pioneer in Monterey, is buried

It was now time to visit Wharf #2.

The wharf was still relatively uncrowded when I arrived at 4 PM. Mackerel bite best at sunup and sundown and it would become more crowded as nighttime approached, and anglers attracted by the mackerel would arrive.

Monterey Bay was calm like a lake

The first couple of hours were slow with no mackerel and only an occasional fish on the bottom. Unfortunately all were small—lizardfish, juvenile rockfish, and a lone senorita aka “world’s best bait stealer.” Things would approve as dusk, and the mackerel (BIG Pacific mackerel), arrived. However, the mackerel bite was never the “mac attack” mode that is sometimes seen. The mackerel would come and go. Brief flurries of action would see seemingly everyone hooked up followed by dead periods when no one was hooked up. Or, anglers in one spot would catch the macs while those a short distance away went fishless. People would rush over to where the fish were hitting but usually by the time the anglers had arrived the fish had moved on to a new spot. I caught enough to sate my appetite for mackerel and was ready to head to the hotel at 8:15.

A small, juvenile copper rockfish

Results — Monterey Wharf #2 — 4:15-8:15 PM — 15 California Lizardfish, 9 Pacific Mackerel (Blue Mackerel), 2 Jack Mackerel (Spanish Mackerel), 1 Senorita, 1 Blue Rockfish, and 1 Copper Rockfish (juvenile)

Capitola Wharf

A good night’s sleep was followed by a decision to head north to Capitola  to try a new pier. It would prove to be a wise decision. Parking spaces were available (something that can be a problem later in the day) and the pier was uncrowded. But the first cast produced a fish and I would see a steady mix of fish—mackerel, lizardfish, white croaker and extra large jacksmelt.

Capitola Wharf

The sea again was calm — but full of fish

Results — Capitola Wharf — 7:35-11:05 AM — 31 Pacific Mackerel, 12 California Lizardfish, 8 White Croaker, 4 Jacksmelt (LARGE), 4 Staghorn Sculpin, 2 Walleye Surfperch, and 1 Shinerperch.

A look under the Capitola Wharf

The wharf and old piling from an earlier wharf

Seacliff Pier

Wanting to get back to Fresno at a relatively early time, I decided I had time for just one more short visit, this time to the Seacliff Pier. It would be mid-day, and the fishing might be a little slower, but my need for fish had already pretty much been met.

The Seacliff Pier and its “Concrete Ship,” a relic from World War I. (Picture from an earlier less crowded visit).

The pier was crowded and apparently the mackerel had been biting — in the morning. The bite had stopped.

A plaque shows local fish

Several crabs decided to join in the fun on the pier

Although the fishing was slow, it was still an interesting visit. Adding spice were a good number of dolphins that decided to chase fish next to the pier.

Results — Seacliff Pier —12:10-1:40 PM — 1 Pacific Mackerel, 1 White Seaperch, 1 California Lizardfish, 1 Shinerperch (the largest I have ever caught or seen), and 1 Staghorn Sculpin.

I decided it was time to bid adieu to the pier and the coast’s beautiful weather. Arrival in Fresno saw a mild 96-degree day. I think I am ready to return to the coast!

Sablefish from Monterey Wharf #2  

Species: Anoplopoma fimbria (Pallas, 1814); from the Greek words anoplis  (unarmed) and poma (operculum or gill cover), and the Latin word fimbria  (fringe).

Alternate Names: Commercially called blackcod in Washington and butterfish in California. Other names include Alaska blackcod, coalfish, coal cod, candlefish, black candlefish, bluecod, deep sea trout, zipperfish, sable, skil-fish, skil, and skill. Called t’thémekwe by the Salish in British Columbia, sqel or skil by the Haida, and hádání  by the Heiltsuk. Called bacalao negro in Mexico.

Identification: Elongate (cod-shaped) tapering to the tail. Two  widly-spaced   dorsal fins. Adult coloring is usually blackish-gray on the back and sides, gray to white below; young fish taken from piers are generally pale greenish-colored on top and sides fading to white.

A small  sablefish caught by polishfromthedeep from the Pismo Beach Pier

Size: To over 40 inches and 56 pounds although most caught off piers are young fish under a foot in length.

Range: Islas San Benito and Isla Cedros, central Baja, California to the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea south of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Also, Kamchatka, Russia, south to Hatsu Shima Island, southern Japan; usually in extremely deep water.

Habitat:  Adult fish are caught in deep water, often over a thousand feet deep, and prefer areas of blue clay or mud. Young fish, to a foot long or so, are often found in fairly shallow areas. There is also a difference in habitat north and south; in southern California, sablefish are almost always found in deep-water areas, in northern California (Eureka north), sablefish will sometimes be in shallower water.

An adult sablefish — From Alaska Seafoods

Piers: Sablefish are never really common to California piers although piers adjacent to deep-water canyons may see a few each year. At times, vast schools will move in around piers and thousands of the fish will be caught. Best bets: Newport Pier, Balboa Pier, Redondo Beach Pier, and Monterey Wharf No. 2. In the far north, where sablefish become a more shallow-water fish, they will sometimes show up during the summer months in Humboldt Bay and a few will fall to anglers fishing from Eureka area piers.  I have also seen small specimens taken from the Pismo Beach Pier and Capitola Wharf.

A young sablefish from the Capitola Wharf

Shoreline: Rarely taken by shore anglers.

Boats: Rarely taken by boaters in southern California although they’re commonly taken by rockcod anglers fishing in deep waters off Santa Cruz and Monterey.

Bait and Tackle: On piers a high/low rigging baited with strips of squid is the preferred method. On boats they are generally taken on typical rockcod tackle.

Food Value:  Adult sablefish are one of the best tasting smoked fish. In fact, many people like the rich buttery flavor of sablefish better than salmon. Young sablefish are not quite as rich flavored or good, but they are still best smoked or broiled, methods which gives the flavor a chance to show itself. Do not, repeat, do not, pan-fry or deep-fry sablefish. The results will be an inferior piece of over oily meat.

An early ad promoting the sale of sablefish

Comments: One of my favorite fish simply because it is an uncommon treat! Sablefish can live to about 55 years of age.

From the California Fish & Game — California Fish and Game, January 30, 1948 Volume 34, No. 1 —Notes 37

Sablefish Run at Monterey Bay

For the first time in history, sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) appeared in vast numbers in the vicinity of Monterey and were caught by the thousands from the municipal pier. The run was first discovered on the afternoon of July 11th; word of the bonanza spread rapidly, and the pier was soon crowded with anglers. Men, women, and children stood shoulder to shoulder, with a varied assortment of tackle, all hauling in fish as fast as they could throw in their lines. Boxes, sacks, five-gallon cans, and washtubs were rapidly filled with 12 to 20-inch fish. Slack periods occurred during the morning and again in the afternoons, but they were of short duration usually lasting only half an hour or less; then the fish would be back seemingly in greater numbers than before. Each day the pier would be jammed with crowds of from 2,000 to 3,500 fishermen and spectators, some having driven as far as 200 miles.

On July 26th, the run stopped as abruptly as it had begun, and although over 5,000 fishermen were on hand the next day, only a few fish were caught. During the 15 days of the run, the Bureau of Patrol Division of Fish and Game, estimated that over 110 tons had been landed.

— Keith W. Cox, Bureau of Marine Fisheries,
California Division of Fish and Game, September, 1947

 

 Blackperch from the Ferry Point Pier in Richmond

Species: Embiotoca jacksoni (Agassiz, 1853); from the Greek word embiotoca (bringing forth living young), and jacksoni  (in honor of A. C. Jackson of San Francisco, who first noted that these perch give birth to living young and brought it to the attention of Alexander Agassiz who described the species). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Buttermouth perch, black surfperch, black seaperch or bay perch. Often called pogie by anglers in the Bay Area. In Mexico called mojarra negra or perca negra.

Blackperch from the Elephant Rock Pier in Tiburon

Identification: Typical perch shape. Although variable, their coloring is usually black or brown to reddish, and yellowish on the belly; scales often have blue flecking. Lips are orange or yellow and they have a “mustache” on the upper lip. Typically they have dark vertical bars on the side; a bluish-white line is often seen at the base of the anal fin. Easily identified by a large patch of enlarged scales between the pectoral and pelvic fins.

Size: To 15.4 inches; most caught from piers are under a foot. The California record fish weighed 2 Lbs 9 oz and was taken by Zachery Mitchell at Pacific Grove in 2011.

Blackperch caught by Minnowmagnet at the Berkeley Pier

Range: Punta Abreojos, central Baja California, and offshore Isla Gudalupe to Fort Bragg, Mendocino County.

Habitat: Most common in eelgrass beds of bays and rocky-shore areas; both in bays and along the coast. ]

Blackperch taken by madsteelhead from the Monterey Wharf #2

Piers: Common at most piers north to Bodega Bay. Generally caught at bay piers or inshore piling areas of oceanfront piers. Best bets: Imperial Beach Pier, Shelter Island Pier, Oceanside Harbor Pier, Dana Harbor Pier, Long Beach Finger Piers, Redondo Harbor Sportfishing Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Venice Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Cabrillo Pier (jetty side), Malibu Pier, Paradise Cove Pier, Goleta Pier, Gaviota Pier, Morro Bay T-Pier, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Capitola Wharf, Fort Point Pier, San Francisco Municipal Pier, Candlestick Pier, Berkeley Pier, Ferry Point Pier, Paradise Beach Pier, Elephant Rock Pier, Angel Island Pier, and Fort Baker Pier.

Shoreline: One of the main fish for rocky shore anglers in southern and central California.

Blackperch from the Capitola Wharf

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken by boaters unless fishing in bays.

Bait and Tackle: Prefers fresh mussels, bloodworms, pile worms, small pieces of shrimp or small rock crabs. Size 8 or 6 hooks fished on the bottom with a high/low leader seem to work best.

Blackperch taken by  Thomas Orosco at the Berkeley Pier

Food Value: In the past this was considered a fairly good, mild-flavored fish. Today, because of our polluted waters, they are considered unfit to eat in some locales.

Comments: Once a favorite spring fish for Bay Area pier fishermen; today there’s a perch closure during the spawning months.

Blackperch taken by KJ from the Seal Beach Pier

Grandson Adam and a blackperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay — 2018

Strange white-colored Blackperch from the Ventura Pier

A brightly colored blackperch from the Cabrillo Pier in San Pedro

Blackperch from the Green Pleasure Pier in Avalon, Catalina Island

Blackperch from the North T-Pier in Morro Bay

Blackperch from the Stillwater Cove Pier at Pebble Beach

Gravid female blackperch from the Long Beach Finger Piers

Blackperch from the Cayucos Pier, 1997

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

Species: Micrometrus aurora (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words mikros (small) and metr (having a womb), and the Latin word aurora (sunrise). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Reef surfperch. In Mexico called mojarra de arrecife or perca.

Identification: Typical perch shape with the longest dorsal fin spines slightly longer or same length as the soft rays. Silvery with blue, green. and black on back; yellow or yellow-orange stripe on sides from the pectoral fin almost to the causdal fin. Triangular, crescent-shaped black patch at base of pectoral fin and a large patch of black-tipped scales between the pectoral and anal fins.     

Size: To 7.1 inches. Those caught off piers are generally 4-6 inches long.

Range: Punta Baja, central Baja California to Tomales Bay.

Habitat: Usually found in intertidal areas in water six feet or less. Generally found over surfgrass and red and green algae; primarily feeds on algae and small invertebrates.

Piers: A fairly rare species to most piers. I’ve only taken two, one from the Gaviota Pier (1996) and one from the Elephant Rock Pier in San Francisco Bay (2006).

Shoreline: An infrequent catch by shore anglers.

Boats: A small, inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: Occasionally taken on light tackle by anglers fishing for larger perch. Hook size number 8 and a small piece of bait, especially pile worm.

Food Value: Too small so throw ‘em back.

Comments: An attractive little perch that should be given the chance to frolic out their lives as nature intended.

Sharpnose Seaperch from Monterey Wharf #2

Species: Phanerodon atripes (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek root words phaneros (meaning evident) and odons (tooth) and the Latin words atri  (entrance) and pes  (base of). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae.

Alternate Names: Blackfoot seaperch and sharpnose surfperch. In Mexico called mojarra picuda.

Identification: These surfperch are very similar in shape to the white seaperch but coloring is different and the pelvic fins are black tipped. Their coloring is silvery with reddish-brown marks on the back, and dusky pelvic fins.

Size: To 11.5 inches but most caught off piers are between 8-10 inches.

Range:  Islas San Benito, central Baja California to Yaquina Bay, Oregon.

Habitat: Shallow to deep water and around kelp beds.

Piers: This is a perch that is often found in deep water—down to 750 feet deep. However, during summer months it moves into shallower waters to spawn. During those months it is an infrequent catch at several Monterey Bay piers. Best bets are Monterey Wharf #2, Monterey Coast Guard Pier, Seacliff State Beach Pier, and the Santa Cruz Wharf.

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

Boats: An inshore species rarely taken from boats.

Bait and Tackle: By far, the best bait is live pile worms or small crabs; next would be fresh mussels or small pieces of shrimp. The most common setup used by locals in Monterey is a small size 8 hook fished directly on the end of the line with a small split-shot sinker attached a short way up from the hook. Above this is attached a small bobber which indicates when the fish bites; anglers here seem to give a quick jerk to try to hook the light-biting fish. The fish are generally found in the surface canopy or mid-depth area, which is one reason for using the bobber. The ones I have caught were all taken on a high/low leader.

Food Value:  The flesh is only fair so let them go.

Comments: This seems to be one of the harder perch to hook. I spent several exasperating hours fishing for these perch and watching locals (a few with the know-how) catch them before I caught my first sharpnose seaperch. However, since then I’ve caught several of the fish at the pier using my normal high/low leader and adjusting the depth of the line to where I was getting bites.

For whatever reason, there has seemed to be considerable fluctuations in the population of these fish over the years—or at least in the reported population.  Jordan and Gilbert (1882) said “Monterey Bay, locally abundant,” while Eigenmann (1893) said “the commonest species in Monterey Bay.” However few sharpnose were reported in Fish and Game surveys over the years until the 1960s when they again began to show up in decent numbers.

It’s reported that sharpnose seaperch act as “cleaner fish” during the fall when Mola mola, the ocean sunfish, come in to the shallow waters at Point Lobos.

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