Bass ID

[johnnyblaze2009]

Nice rockfish!!!


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[87yota4runner]

How noticeable is the difference in fish like tuna and dorado from dana point to baja? I see the san diego guys posting a lot more yellowtail pics than the orange county/la guys. But that could just be because theres so many kayak anglers is LJ and SD. It also seems like the yellowtail that get caught up here are usually decent size fish, like only the older ones hang in our colder waters or something. Thats just from what ive read though.


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[YakDout]

Originally Posted by 87yota4runner

How noticeable is the difference in fish like tuna and dorado from dana point to baja? I see the san diego guys posting a lot more yellowtail pics than the orange county/la guys. But that could just be because theres so many kayak anglers is LJ and SD. It also seems like the yellowtail that get caught up here are usually decent size fish, like only the older ones hang in our colder waters or something. Thats just from what ive read though.


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The first time I went fishing in the ocean I was 8 years old. We went out on family friends boat and it was wide open on the yellowfin. I've never pulled on a cow like the ones the long range boats get into, but after that first trip, I was hooked. Figuratively. Dude, tuna fight hard. I caught all the local tunas. Albies, yellowfin, bluefin, even some 100 big eye. But pound for pound, the yellowtail can fight just as hard. There's nothing like hooking into a biiiiig yellowtail that's in deep water. The home guard yellow tail are usually monsters because they hang out all year round where the bait is and get fat. You rarely see guys catching the little football yellows in the local kelp. Out in the open ocean on the paddies are where you are more likely to find those guys. And yellowtail are a warmer water fish, so yes you will see more of them the further south you go. Which is one reason why I love baja so much. I come back here sometimes after being down there and I don't even want to fish. But It's better than no fishing.

[87yota4runner]

And just incase no one was counting, the fish is now a hybrid of a calico/sand/kelp/white sea bass/brown trout/rockfish! Nat-geo might be hitting me up soon for some sponsors! I believe it also had a pouch, possibly crossed with a duck billed platypus at one point.


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[yakman619]

Originally Posted by 87yota4runner

Can anyone tell me exactly what type of bass this is? I can't tell the difference between calico, sand and kelp bass. I caught this off the Dana Point jetty in the sheltered side by dragging a small/medium white chatter bait through the weeds. Got out of my hand as I was trying to take the pic albeit I pinned it down haha. I was using my bass setup for big bear cause I was getting bored of sitting. Everyone on the jetty was looking at me like I was an idiot cause they were all using cut or live bait. Attachment 11708

Looks like a sand bass banged a spotty

[Iceman]

sand bass that has lived on a rocky reef, just like the spotties you pull from the rocks look different from the ones you pull from the grass......sorry I could not think of a smart ass comment...........oh wait I just did.

[YakDout]

Originally Posted by Iceman

sand bass that has lived on a rocky reef, just like the spotties you pull from the rocks look different from the ones you pull from the grass......sorry I could not think of a smart ass comment...........oh wait I just did.

Iceman, let's get back on subject. Your comment about ass was off topic .Regardless of it being smart. Let's stick to bASS

[MrPatrick]

I'm going with a spottie/sand bass hybrid.


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[Pocoloco]

Originally Posted by MrPatrick

I'm going with a spottie/sand bass hybrid.


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hybrid

[87yota4runner]

So, say it were a hybrid, what would dfg measure it as? Or do all 3 have the same requirements?


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[YakDout]

Originally Posted by 87yota4runner

So, say it were a hybrid, what would dfg measure it as? Or do all 3 have the same requirements?


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All 14"

[87yota4runner]

Originally Posted by YakDout

All 14"

Thanks!


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[alanw]

A 14" yellow eyed brown trout would be quite an impressive hybrid.

[chxh8me]

You are all wrong, and should be ashamed of yourself.


That is clearly a kern river squawfish.

[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by 87yota4runner

So, say it were a hybrid, what would dfg measure it as? Or do all 3 have the same requirements?


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Are the Freshwater bass still legal at 12" or did they go up to 14" also? I haven't checked the freshwater regs since I've been fishing Saltwater the last 3 years.

[87yota4runner]

Originally Posted by Jimmyz123

Are the Freshwater bass still legal at 12" or did they go up to 14" also? I haven't checked the freshwater regs since I've been fishing Saltwater the last 3 years.

Yes all freshwater bass are defined as black bass and a 12" 5 fish limit applies(unless you somehow found some in a stream, river, canal, or a fully private lake/pond, in that case there is no size limit' but still a 5 fish limit)
Freshwater bass just dont have enough room or time in the water to get huge out here in cali, just too many people. Ive never caught a largemouth in big bear, only smallmouth, same with lake arrowhead. I did see a guy who lugged out an 8lb largemouth in silverwood by bouncing a jig from the shore back to his boat right on the side of the main fishing dock by the loading ramp. I had seriously fished that spot from the shore for like an hour without a single bite. I guess casting towards the shore is really what triggers the bite.


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[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by 87yota4runner

Yes all freshwater bass are defined as black bass and a 12" 5 fish limit applies(unless you somehow found some in a stream, river, canal, or a fully private lake/pond, in that case there is no size limit' but still a 5 fish limit)
Freshwater bass just dont have enough room or time in the water to get huge out here in cali, just too many people. Ive never caught a largemouth in big bear, only smallmouth, same with lake arrowhead. I did see a guy who lugged out an 8lb largemouth in silverwood by bouncing a jig from the shore back to his boat right on the side of the main fishing dock by the loading ramp. I had seriously fished that spot from the shore for like an hour without a single bite. I guess casting towards the shore is really what triggers the bite.


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Back when I was primarily doing freshwater bass fishing during spawn casting to the shore and coming back to the boat was best, but I had pretty good results doing like you were talking about. Basically I've has the best Freshwater results with keeping the bait closer to or right in contact with the bottom as it comes back to shore or the boat.

[Fishwhisperer619]

All three bass are at 14". But I believe freshwater bass are still at 12". Don't quote me on that

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by 87yota4runner

Can anyone tell me exactly what type of bass this is? I can't tell the difference between calico, sand and kelp bass.

It's a hybrid. It's a either a cross between a calico and a spotted bay bass or a calico and a sand bass.

Sand Bass and Spotted bay bass are actually really closely related, as they are essentially the same fish but one is adapted to shallow inshore waters like bays and the other is adapted for open water.


Look at the dorsal fin, gill plate and eyes and you can see that even though the color pattern is not the same structurally those fish are almost identical. Also there a few spots on the face not as Many as with the spotty but they are there on young sandbass.

Sand bass will come into bays, but they still go out into open water and school up into large groups to spawn. Spotted bay bass stay in bays year round and no longer school up or spawn in open water. They still interbreed but it's rare because they now have different spawning behavior.

Color wise they have a lot of variation but generally spotties are much darker and heavily spotted where sandbass have few spots as adults even when they show darker markings.





Calicos or Kelp bass are a completely different fish.


Notice there's a difference in the fins and the shape of the head. The point of the gill plate is lower, and generally with kelp bass the color pattern is the same (same check spots in the same places) even if there is a big difference in their age or size.

Calicos can vary in color and are often darker when found in rocks or kelp.
but the basic markings of a purebred calico are almost always that same check pattern.

Like I said your fish is probably a hybrid as Kelp bass can interbreed with both Sand bass and spotted bay bass. Most likely just from the color pattern facial spots I'd say it's a cross between a Calico and a spotted bay bass, but the deal with hybrids is recessive genes can pop up and it could easily be a Calico sandbass hybrid.

Here's your fish again:


It would be easier if you could see the fins but from what's there: The spots on the face suggest it's part spotty or Sand bass and the three very distinct light colored blotches on the tail are roughly in the same place they would be on a Kelp or Calico bass. Sandbass have light bands but the are not as defined and do not go as far back towards the tail. The gill point has features of both fish. It's sharper like a sandbass or spotty but it's lower like with a Calico

Calicos do not have facial spots, sandbass and spotties do not have checks. I'd say the spots and checks together suggest that the fish is a hybrid.

[alanw]

Originally Posted by Fiskadoro

It's a hybrid.

Nice explanation and pictures Fisk, your post should be stickied