Eating Bay Fish

[Phaen]

Hey Guys,

Now I know what I'm asking is 100% personal preference. Thats ok, I am interested in everyone's thoughts and opinions.

What fish are you guys eating out of both San Diego Bay and Mission Bay?

Ive lived here for 10 years but new to fishing in San Diego. I have always thought of the bay as pretty nasty and polluted. I am going to be fishing the bay quite a bit this summer getting used to fishing out of my yak before I hit the open seas. I am a fan of catch and release but I am also a fan of catching dinner.

I have heard from multiple people that they will only eat the Halibut out of the bay since they move back and forth to the ocean.

Looking forward to everyone's input!

[tacmik]

I personally won't eat anything out of the bays

[TmBtc12]

I wouldn't eat the spotted bass because they stay in the bay their whole lives. Halibut can move in and out and would be "more safe" to eat.

[FlyFishinYakr]

I personally won't eat anything out of the bays

X2!!! :(
I know up here in the Santa Monica Bay, the resident fish (primarily bottom fish) over the years have been tested by fisheries biologists and all have tested positive for all kinds of pollutants/poisons etc.. :(
I remember as a deckhand filleting halibut for passengers and seeing worms in the 'meat' of the fish :confused:(safe to eat as long as the fish is 'thoroughly' cooked). :)
Migratory fish like barracuda sand bass etc. are safer because they don't reside inshore all year round. :)
Just my observations over the years and conversations with fisheries surveyors I see every now and again.
FFY

[JeffB]

I eat halibut, I don't mess with the bass. The bay bass are there year round, but SOME of the sand bass come in and out. If you wanna keep a sand bass to clean you need to know a trick to pick the right ones. I have filleted up a bunch of sandbass and 75% have been filled with worms. I found the trick is to only clean the white bellied ones. The ones that look super clean are the travelers of the bay kinda like the halibut are good to eat. Now if they look like little footballs and they have a nicotine stain look to their bellies, stay away and don't waste you time on them. These guys are the ones who have made the bay their new home and are full of worms. A lot of times if the have worms you can see them in the roofs of their mouths....

[Hobie-Pedaller]

I personally won't eat anything out of the bays

dido for me.
too many pollutants in ALL the Bays.
and too many other fish to be caught & eaten, from other waters.

[raffman55]

Had some Halibut last night, that I caught last week. Delicious. I just don't eat it everyday. Did I say delicious?

[janines.fishtales@cox.net]

I grew up here in San Diego. I am the daughter of a commercial fisherman. I have eaten lobsterrs from the bay, I have eaten halibut from the bay, I have even eaten bass, sculpin, and mackeral from the bay. Mussels, clams and other molusks too. Now, I only eat the lobster and the halibut. Do these fish have pollutants? I don't know. Probably. But so does stuff from the store. Beef has hormones to produce growth, and other foods have preservatives. I love food, I love fish! Everthing in moderation!

Janine:cheers1:

[alanw]

:iagree: Halibut. Everything in moderation!

[Raskal311]

I don't catch enough fish to matter :D I'll eat any fish from anywhere... beggars can't be choosers ;)

[Jimmyz123]

Halibut and Sculpin are the only things I will eat from the bays.

[Phaen]

Bump

[pbb]

Reading on the topic:

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/Aug/14/toxin-levels-troubling-in-fish-from-several/

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/01/state-health-agency-targets-sd-bay-fish/

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/03/tp-fish-in-bay-contain-dangerous-amounts-of/

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/swamp/docs/coast_study/bog2012may/coast2012report.pdf

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb9/water_issues/programs/npdes/southbay_power_plant/docs/updates_022410/2005_EHC_Pier_StudyFINALMarch.30.05.pdf (See the back of the report)


Basic take away: I would be hesitant to eat much fish from San Diego Bay, but Mission Bay, for the most part seems not to have elevated levels of PCB and levels of mercury that aren't higher than other CA coastal waters. Shark seems to be particularly high in mercury in a number of studies, so I would limit consumption of shark.

BTW, the Environmental Health Coalition is one organization that is working on getting SD Bay cleaned up: http://www.environmentalhealth.org/index.php/en/where-we-work/san-diego-region/san-diego-bay

Another is SD Coastkeeper: http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/learn/restoring-san-diegos-toxic-waters/current-work-on-toxic-waters/sediment.html