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.