Species: California Grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) Location: Mission Bay, California Date: August 5, 2018 There are very few opportunities to catch true micros that sit up in the water column in the salt, but when you find them, they’re typically quite easy. The silversides swarming in Mission Bay were the exception to this rule. For almost an…
Species: California Scorpionfish (Scorpaena guttata) Location: Mission Bay, California Date: August 5, 2018 After parting ways with Ben Cantrell, I decided to keep fishing. Sure, my maimed foot was still aching from the interaction with the stingray almost 12 hours earlier, but it didn’t stop me from trying Mission Bay at sunset. There were thousands of…
Species: Bay Blenny (Hypsoblennius gentilis) Location: Del Mar Lagoon, Del Mar, California Date: August 5, 2018 The final species I landed while fishing with Ben Cantrell in San Diego was the Bay Blenny. These adorable little critters hide in nooks and crannies, looking grumpy AF while waiting for something unfortunate enough to float by. Get a…
Species: Barred Sand Bass (Paralabrax nebulifer) Location: Del Mar Lagoon, Del Mar, California Date: August 5, 2018 The tidepools, lagoons, and other brackish ecosystems along the Pacific Coast are very unique places. Though the Atlantic Coast equivalents are home to hordes of anglers chasing Stripers, Redfish, Tarpon, Snook, and other game fish, that culture is not…
Species: Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus) Location: Torrey Pines State Park, California Date: August 5, 2018 Crussshhhh. Crussshhhh. Crussssssshhhhhhhhh. The sound of my dreams being crushed was actually audible. Wait. No. That was the rhythmic lapping of the (spirit) breakers on the beach. Little did I know that living out my dream would soon become a nightmare. Footsteps It…
Species: Haller’s Round Ray (Urobatis halleri) Location: San Diego Bay, California Date: August 4, 2018 These little fish are supposed to be one of the most common fish in the San Diego Bay, a fish allegedly easy to catch. When Ben Cantrell and I shed some bait after it turned in the hot summer sun,…
Species: Spotted Sand Bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus) Location: San Diego Bay, California Date: August 4, 2018 Those bonefish weren’t the only catch of the day. The fish I caught most of that day (and on my whole trip to San Diego, for that matter) was the Spotted Sand Bass. These feisty fish also fight insanely hard for…
Species: Cortez Bonefish (Albula gilberti) Location: San Diego Bay, California Date: August 4, 2018 So I’m in the Air National Guard. I’m in the Medical Services Corps and work as a Medical Readiness Officer. You know the whole pandemic business we’re living through? Well a part of my job includes contingency planning for such crises. In…
Species: Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Location: Santa Ana River, CA Date: August 3, 2018 I haven’t written a #SpeciesQuest post in almost a year. My last one published in July while I was on my Fishing Across America trip, and I spent the time not fishing working on my book of the same now. This means I’m…
Species: Hardhead (Mylopharodon conocephalus) Location: Pit River, CA Date: July 23, 2018 I wrote about this trip. It’s kind of an interesting read. Check it out here if you missed the last post about my Sacramento Pikeminnow. If you read it, you’ll remember I talked about going to fish the Pit River in hopes of massive,…
