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: 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,…
Species: Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus) Location: Dana Point Marina, Dana Point, CA Date: August 9, 2017 *climbs onto soapbox* California. It’s a…special place full of…special people. Proposition 65 In case you weren’t aware, lead is harmful. Good ‘ol Pb has all manner of damaging effects to humans, and for this reason, it has been banned in most household goods, including…
Species: Largemouth Blenny (Labrisomus xanti) Location: Dana Point Marina, Dana Point, CA Date: August 9, 2017 Sculpins are awesome. Greenling are awesome. Blennies, which sort of look like a cross between the two, are also awesome. Few fish will try to bite you, but blennies, found in warmer temperate and tropical waters all over the world, are one…
Species: Salema (Xenistius californiensis) Location: Dana Point Marina, Dana Point, CA Date: August 9, 2017 If an advertising team were to market the Salema, they’d describe it as a bite-sized, “Tropical Flavors” version of the Striped Bass. It truly looks like a tiny striper with slightly more vivid coloration. It even feeds like one on a tiny scale,…
Species: Opaleye (Girella nigricans) Location: Dana Point Marina, Dana Point, CA Date: August 9, 2017 After a long day on a boat in the taxing summer heat of Southern California, the last thing most people would do is go fishing again, but as we’ve established, my judgment is impaired when it comes to fishing. As my cousin, Will…
Species: Pacific Bonito (Sarda lineolata) Location: Dana Point, California Date: August 2, 2017 Apart from my immediate family (parents and brothers), I don’t get to fish with family much. I often offer, but few people take me up on it, and that’s okay. But when I finally convince a family member to go with me, it’s always…
Species: Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) Location: Shasta Lake, Lake Shasta City, CA Date: January 1, 2016 The fact that I lived three hours from Shasta Lake and didn’t catch a Spot for nearly 26 years is pitiful. Granted, I only fished Shasta like twice and then only for trout, but still, it’s a disgrace. You know what’s…
Species: Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Location: Humboldt Bay, Eureka, CA Date: August 11, 2013 This trip was something special. With my brother and a few of his friends, we opted to go to the Central California Coast. Of course fishing was on the docket, but my main reason for the trip was Glass Beach, California,…
