Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3820 Sept 13-27 | Page 19

VOL.38 • ISS. 20 San Francisco Bay Facts San Rafael Ross Greebrae Larkspur Pinole Point Co n Sa San Pablo dge Richmond Cypress Point Fort Fisherman's Mason Wharf Baker's Beach n N Treasure Island Berkeley Oakland Bay Br idge Piedmont Oakland Legend Research Institute in Carlsbad, the Ocean Resources Enhancement & Hatchery Program provides juveniles white seabass to 13 grow-out facilities that release the fish to replenish wild stocks. The seabass is “relatively resilient to fishing pressure given young maturity age, high fecundity and a fishing season These happy anglers show off the white seabass that they caught in San sensitive Francisco Bay aboard the California Dawn on August 23. Photo courtesy of CALIFORNIA DAWN SPORTFISHING, Berkeley. to breeding season when fish aggregates to spawn,” the California Seagrant “The fish from seabass rearing Program reported. programs down south have a small The 2009-2010 White Seabass tag inserted in the gill plate not Fishery Management Plan Annual visible to the naked eye,” he said. Assessment reported no overfishing “The data collected from the heads for the species, in contrast to some will answer how many fish are species like the goldeneye rockfish swimming up from the south into that are recovering from overfishing. our local waters. We have to make a The seabass is not an actual seabass, good argument that the seabass are but a member of the croaker family. traveling back and forth and why San The white seabass (Atractoscion Francisco Bay is a good spot to rear nobilis) is the largest member of the juvenile WSB. Someday with any luck we could boast a healthy sustain- croaker (Sciaenid) family found in California waters, according to the able Resident WSB population inside California Department of Fish and San Francisco Bay.” Wildlife (CDFW). Through the Hubbs-Sea World El Cerrito Emeryville Protero Point Shorefishing Areas Launch Ramp Sportfishing Landing Rec. Pier Emeryville Marina Fishing Notes • Trolling is a highly effective method for catching California Halibut in the bay flats in the Richmond, Berkeley Marina and Alameda areas. For maximum success, troll an anchovy behind big flashers at a speed of around 2.7 mph. Halibut are found in the bay year round, but the best action is generally found from April through late October. • Live bait drifting is more productive in areas with rocky bottoms and sharp contours, including Angel Island, Alcatraz, Crissy Field and Kensington Seal Rock. Striped Bass, Leopard Sharks and other species are also Albany taken by boaters both trolling and live bait drifting for halibut. Yerba Buena Island Park San Francisco Fleming Point Golden Gate Fields Race Track Berkeley Marina El Sobrante Alcatraz Island Gate Richmond Marina Hercules Kirby Cove Pt. Cavallo Lime Point Golden Island Sausalito Angel Potrero Point Ave Pa a tr n S o co Ra its blo Rodeo Belvedere Tiburon Marin City Gate C sta San Pablo Marina Paradise Cove en n Co Ri ch mo nd San San Quenton Rafa el B (State Prison) ri Corte Madera Mill Valley Gold tra Loch Lomond Marina nty San Francisco Pinole Bay Halibut ou McNears Beach Rockfish Regulations: The recreational fishery for rockfish (Sebastes sp.) is open to divers and shore-based anglers year- round. This fishery is open to boat-based anglers from April 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. These species may only be taken or possessed in waters less than 240 feet (40 fathoms) deep. The daily bag and possession limit is 10 fish in combi- nation of all species within the RCG Complex (includes all species of Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenlings) per person, with a sub-limit on black rockfish (4 per person), canary rockfish (3 per person) and cabezon (3 per person) also included in the 10 fish RCG Complex aggregate limit. Yelloweye rockfish bronz- espotted rockfish, and cowcod may not be retained (bag limit: zero). Lingcod Regulations: The recreational fishery for lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) is open to divers and shore-based anglers year-round. This fishery is open to boat-based anglers from April 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Lingcod may only be taken or possessed in waters less than 240 ft (40 fm) deep. The daily bag and possession limit is 2 fish, with a minimum size limit of 22 inches total length. Other Species: Fishing for halibut, striped bass and leopard sharks is open year round in San Francisco Bay and outside of the Golden Gate. The bag limit for striped bass is two fish 18 inches or over; halibut, three fish over 22 inches; and leopard sharks, 3 fish over 36 inches. There are seasonal closures for salmon, sturgeon and soupfin sharks in San Francisco Bay. Charter boats: Sportfishing boats from throughout the Bay Area target rockfish, lingcod, halibut, striped bass and king salmon on San Francisco Bay and outside of the Golden Gate during their respective seasons. Contact Captain James Smith of the California Dawn, (510) 417-5557. Other boats booking trips out of the Berkeley Marina include the; New Easy Rider, (707) 422-2050; Pacific Dream, (510) 993-4414; Happy Hooker, ((510) 223-5388; Hook’d Up Sportfishing, (707) 655-6736; Goldeneye 2000, (510) 610-0888, or Bay Charter Boats, 510-850-2285 or cell 510-672-6913, For more information, call the Berkeley Marina Sportfishing Center, (510) 849-3333.The New Huck Finn, Sundance, Superfish, C-Gull II, New Seeker, New Salmon Queen, Sea Wolf and Wet Spot depart from the Emeryville Sportfishing Center, (510) 654-6040.The Bass Tub, (415) 456-9055, and Silver Fox Sportfishing, (415) 367-5600, depart from Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, while the Predator, (707) 342-8481, is berthed at the Vallejo Marina. 17 Sept 13-27, 2019 MAP FEATURE Mission Rock Hunters Point Robert Crown State Beach Alameda (which has a wider gap between the In addition to being a popular sport dorsal fins and more soft rays in its fish, the white seabass is also targeted anal fin). by a commercial fishery. There have The recent flurry of white seabass been commercial and recreational action in San Francisco Bay shows fisheries for white seabass in Cali- that you never know what you might fornia since the 1890s. hook when you drift live bait in the “The fisheries occur primarily in bay or just outside of the Golden Gate. southern California but in some years You could catch a halibut, striped may extend to central California. The bass, lingcod, over a dozen varieties commercial fisheries use primarily of rockfish, greenling, leopard shark, drift gill nets but some fish are taken sevengill shark, soupfin shark, on hook-and-line,” the CDFW said. stingray or the prized white seabass.. The current sport angling record is That’s why this type of fishing is a 78-pound fish caught in Monterey called “potluck fishing.” Bay on April 4, 2002 by David L. Sternberg. White seabass are also taken by divers. The current sport diving record is for a 93-pound, 4-ounce fish caught in Malibu on September 17, 2007 by Bill Ernst while freediving. The seabass has an elongated body, large mouth, and a raised ridge along the length of its belly. It is grey-blue to copper on its back, with dark specks on its sides and a silver belly. It has a black spot on the inner base of its pectoral fins. Young white seabass have dark bars on the side. White seabass may be confused with the shortfin corvina (which has 1 or 2 large canine teeth on The eight anglers aboard the Happy Hooker had a great day each side of the upper of live bait fishing in the bay when they bagged limits of white on April 20. jaw) or the queenfish seabass Photo courtesy of HAPPY HOOKER SPORTFISING, Berkeley.