Black sea bass

[Aaron&Julie]

Originally Posted by Im bent

???? I have been fishing A little longer than just yesterday... anyways there happened to be a park ranger there at that time anyway< he was pretty impressed and had no problem with me taking it back out into the water and making sure it was ok. By the time I realized what I had it was belly skidding on the sand. And of course I had to remove the hook from his lip. So how would you suggest I do that?? Besides they are kinda gamey they taste like a cross between A California condor and a bald eagle..lol So those that are hating STOP!!!

I'm not hating here, just sayin'...

1) A park ranger isn't a DFG game warden. The park ranger might not have even known what kind of fish it was, they're not required to know all of the sport fishing laws.

2) Seriously, what's the cost of a hook, $1 maximum, for such a splendid fish, dragging it up the beach isn't going to help it's health for sure. Being the kind of dedicated fisherman I am, if it was my VERY last hook, I'd still would have kept him in knee deep water, and found a way to retrieve my hook.

3) Yes, there are more BSB around than say 2-3 decades, even after some spear fishermen, and certain PBers slaughtered the species pre-1980s, but we should all try to treat them like the gem that are with as much TLC as we possibly can.
I remember as a kid in the earliest 1970s, of a couple who took their boat to Catalina for blacks routinely, and it seemed like every week, or least every other one, they had a picture in WON, of one or both of them with blacks they caught at that island.
Personally, I think the species has recovered enough in CA to allow a "once in your lifetime" catch and kept BSB. If the DFG sold tags that were good for your lifetime, nontransferable, requiring the same ID process as buying a fishing license, the DFG could make it good for your lifetime, and cost anywhere from $100 on up. Now, an additional law should be stated you must never bring/keep aboard without your lifetime tag in your possession and on you, along with proof of ID. A fine should be levied for a 1st time offense of not having your tag with you, the money going to the DFG. There should be no 2nd time offense, as you can only keep or bring aboard 1 in your lifetime. You must record and register your catch within 24 hours, so that it goes on record that you've caught your "lifetime limit". That's my 2 cents, or a few dollars in pennies.

4) Shame on you…How many California condors and bald eagles have you tasted…You do know they’re protected by law, too.

Aaron