Fish id please - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

yaknewb · 03-04-2011, 05:22 PM

What type of rock fish is this?

old_rookie · 03-04-2011, 05:34 PM

I just got the DFG fish id book in the mail yesterday.
Looks like a copper rockfish to me, and a very young one.
Can grow to 26+ in.
Where did you catch it? Looks like a pier.

Jimmyz123 · 03-04-2011, 05:50 PM

I believe Rookie is correct.

m1k3midg3 · 03-04-2011, 06:04 PM

its a very tasty rockfish

tony · 03-04-2011, 06:10 PM

Looks like a baby Calico....

yaknewb · 03-04-2011, 06:18 PM

Thanks for the id i didnt catch it some one i know did and i thought it was a baby calico at first to. And it was at IB pier.

kareem korn · 03-04-2011, 06:39 PM

Sugar bass?

tony · 03-04-2011, 06:41 PM

Calico aka kelp bass...I've never heard of anyone catching rock fish from a pier....but I've heard about and seen WSB caught from a pier and the shore...

old_rookie · 03-04-2011, 07:07 PM

Kelp bass has a slight forked tail fin compared to this one. Also, the anal fin is different, and the markings around the eye. The illustrations in the ID book are very good.

You can buy prints from the illustrator:
http://www.abachar.com/

yaknewb · 03-04-2011, 07:41 PM

Iv caught a rock fish off ob pier befor.

tony · 03-04-2011, 07:48 PM

Anythings possible i guess... I had a huge lobster on the end of my line once while fishing in Sail Bay (Mission Bay). I still bet a beer that's a Calico...

GregAndrew · 03-04-2011, 08:31 PM

Brown Rockfish

fishsouthcounty · 03-04-2011, 08:40 PM

major diff between down south and up north...as long as there is structure/kelp around a pier up north they are everywhere. same with the jetties. lived in monterey from 07 to last summer and spent many days fishing from shore as well as the Stillwater pier next to pebble beach and the coast guard jetty. black and yellows, brown, black, blue, grass, gopher, greenlings, cabezon, lingcods all from pier. Actually lost a 30+ inch lingcod on stillwater pier using a live striped perch about 9-10 inches long.

Fiskadoro · 03-04-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yaknewb

What type of rock fish is this?

I'd say it's Kelp Rockfish. They are usually more brown, but I have seen ones that were greenish like that around breakwaters and piers, and that is definitely what it looks like to me.

Here's another pic of of one...

Here's yours...

People sometime missidentify Kelp rockfish as Brown rockfish but Kelp rockfish have more light, tan, or sand color mottling then browns, with less reddish brown. They also hang out in shallower water then most other rockfish so they are the most likely rockfish to catch form a pier. I see these all the time as I get a ton of them in my hoops when I'm lobstering in 30 to 40ft of water.

Jim

Regor · 03-05-2011, 06:56 AM

It's a Rockfish.

Look at the length of the Anal spine.

The Bass does not have such a long spine.

T Bone · 03-05-2011, 07:36 AM

Marlin...Swordfish....Bit right through that piano wire?...

Dont tell me my buisness again boy!

tony · 03-05-2011, 10:14 AM

Damn...I concede to kelp rockfish....Looks like beers on me

You sure its not the bastard son of a kelp bass and rockfish?

onetriphudson · 03-05-2011, 02:03 PM

People sometime missidentify Kelp rockfish as Brown rockfish but Kelp rockfish have more light, tan, or sand color mottling then browns, with less reddish brown. They also hang out in shallower water then most other rockfish so they are the most likely rockfish to catch form a pier. I see these all the time as I get a ton of them in my hoops when I'm lobstering in 30 to 40ft of water.

Jim[/QUOTE]

Nice research Jim, the markings around the eye and behind it are identical. The pectoral fins are thicker and have more pronounced bones kind of like a Cabezon, another sign of this fishes natural habitat.

Also, baby calicos only look like small calicos, there is very little juvenile differences. Unlike black seabass that look very different throughout their life stages.

blackcloud9 · 03-05-2011, 09:57 PM

Certain rockfish can live very shallow in La Jolla. I often sight-fish at low tide.

Fiskadoro · 03-05-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onetriphudson

the markings around the eye and behind it are identical....

Yeah it's kind of crazy. Not all of them have the same markings but those two look like they are twins separated at birth or something.

03-04-2011, 05:50 PM	#3
Jimmyz123 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,385	I believe Rookie is correct. __________________ No better time than being on the water, God Bless, JimmyZ

03-05-2011, 07:36 AM	#16
T Bone Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redlands CA Posts: 871	Marlin...Swordfish....Bit right through that piano wire?... Dont tell me my buisness again boy! __________________ Barachit Baralah,Elohim-In the beginning,God-Genesis 1:1 "Who among you,if your son asked for a fish would give them a serpent " Jesus Matt. 7:10

03-05-2011, 09:57 PM	#19
blackcloud9 Kayaker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Big Rock, WindanSea, La Jolla Posts: 413	Certain rockfish can live very shallow in La Jolla. I often sight-fish at low tide. __________________ Larry. Hobie Revolution 13. 25 years of kayak fishing La Jolla. https://larryl.com/photos

03-04-2011, 05:34 PM	#2
old_rookie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Santee Posts: 904	I just got the DFG fish id book in the mail yesterday. Looks like a copper rockfish to me, and a very young one. Can grow to 26+ in. Where did you catch it? Looks like a pier.

03-04-2011, 06:04 PM	#4
m1k3midg3 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 108	its a very tasty rockfish

03-04-2011, 06:10 PM	#5
tony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 130	Looks like a baby Calico....

03-04-2011, 06:18 PM	#6
yaknewb Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 143	Thanks for the id i didnt catch it some one i know did and i thought it was a baby calico at first to. And it was at IB pier.

03-04-2011, 06:39 PM	#7
kareem korn Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: C-bad Posts: 431	Sugar bass?

03-04-2011, 06:41 PM	#8
tony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 130	Calico aka kelp bass...I've never heard of anyone catching rock fish from a pier....but I've heard about and seen WSB caught from a pier and the shore...

03-04-2011, 07:07 PM	#9
old_rookie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Santee Posts: 904	Kelp bass has a slight forked tail fin compared to this one. Also, the anal fin is different, and the markings around the eye. The illustrations in the ID book are very good. You can buy prints from the illustrator: http://www.abachar.com/

03-04-2011, 07:41 PM	#10
yaknewb Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 143	Iv caught a rock fish off ob pier befor.

03-04-2011, 07:48 PM	#11
tony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 130	Anythings possible i guess... I had a huge lobster on the end of my line once while fishing in Sail Bay (Mission Bay). I still bet a beer that's a Calico...

03-04-2011, 08:31 PM	#12
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	Brown Rockfish

03-04-2011, 08:40 PM	#13
fishsouthcounty Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: San Juan Capistrano, Ca Posts: 518	major diff between down south and up north...as long as there is structure/kelp around a pier up north they are everywhere. same with the jetties. lived in monterey from 07 to last summer and spent many days fishing from shore as well as the Stillwater pier next to pebble beach and the coast guard jetty. black and yellows, brown, black, blue, grass, gopher, greenlings, cabezon, lingcods all from pier. Actually lost a 30+ inch lingcod on stillwater pier using a live striped perch about 9-10 inches long.

03-05-2011, 06:56 AM	#15
Regor Greg Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chula Vista, ca Posts: 509	It's a Rockfish. Look at the length of the Anal spine. The Bass does not have such a long spine.

03-05-2011, 10:14 AM	#17
tony Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Jolla Posts: 130	Damn...I concede to kelp rockfish....Looks like beers on me You sure its not the bastard son of a kelp bass and rockfish?

03-05-2011, 02:03 PM	#18
onetriphudson Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 143	People sometime missidentify Kelp rockfish as Brown rockfish but Kelp rockfish have more light, tan, or sand color mottling then browns, with less reddish brown. They also hang out in shallower water then most other rockfish so they are the most likely rockfish to catch form a pier. I see these all the time as I get a ton of them in my hoops when I'm lobstering in 30 to 40ft of water. Jim[/QUOTE] Nice research Jim, the markings around the eye and behind it are identical. The pectoral fins are thicker and have more pronounced bones kind of like a Cabezon, another sign of this fishes natural habitat. Also, baby calicos only look like small calicos, there is very little juvenile differences. Unlike black seabass that look very different throughout their life stages.