Bass ID

[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. 11708

[otterpupster]

Looks Calico 2me

[itsabox]

I'm going to assume it's a calico bass, and I think calico and kelp bass are the same thing just different name.

[alanw]

Looks like a Sand Bass to me! Calicos have a checkered pattern and Spotted have spots.

http://dfg.ca.gov/marine/mspcont9.asp

[ful-rac]

Id call it a sand bass.

[Fishwhisperer619]

I believe it is a sand bass

[87yota4runner]

Thanks for all the input. Are they worth eating?

[Squid Vicious]

.....sandra

[Squid Vicious]

I'm going to assume it's a calico bass, and I think calico and kelp bass are the same thing just different name.

.....your kidding right ?

[Squid Vicious]

I'm going to assume it's a calico bass, and I think calico and kelp bass are the same thing just different name.

.....your kidding right ?.....of coarse they are

[alanw]

Thanks for all the input. Are they worth eating?

They are ok to eat, 14" minimum size this year. I'd rather eat Calico.

[Dannowar]

I'm gonna call it a product of a vicious love triangle.

[Dannowar]

.....your kidding right ?.....of coarse they are



You have a PHD in Yakjoe

[Nic D]

sandbass

[87yota4runner]

I'm pretty sissy when it comes to fishy tasting fish(ya I know, it's FISH) but there all good if you fry em up for tacos. Me and my brother caught a ton of crappie in big bear one time and googled "best crappie recipe", and it was basically put spicy brown mustard in a bag with Cajun seasonings as a rub and then coat in flour and lightly fry and it was awesome. I liked it way more than trout, but we never fry trout cause it falls apart so easy.

[Squid Vicious]

They are ok to eat, 14" minimum size this year. I'd rather eat Calico.


...agree...I love calico...sweet meat...my favorite...

[jruiz]

I think it's a mix, but mostly sandbassturd

[87yota4runner]

My first thought was basshole, but it was lacking the tell-tale brown eye.


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[YakDout]

These guys are trying to screw with you man. You most certainly do not want to eat that fish. That is a brown trout (boneless).
They live in bays mostly and we usually don't get them this time of year. I'm surprised to see one so early in the season.

[87yota4runner]

These guys are trying to screw with you man. You most certainly do not want to eat that fish. That is a brown trout (boneless).

They live in bays mostly and we usually don't get them this time of year. I'm surprised to see one so early in the season.


Brown trout huh? Meth addiction is a serious problem in the US. Put the blow torch away bro.


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[joezee1986]

Turd Roller.

[Fishwhisperer619]

Brown trout huh? Meth addiction is a serious problem in the US. Put the blow torch away bro.


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X2 lol
brown trout..... lol

[Fishwhisperer619]

For anyone else who thinks this is a brown trout, HERE is a brown trout

[YakDout]

Brown trout huh? Meth addiction is a serious problem in the US. Put the blow torch away bro.


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you short? Cause that one went right over your head.

[YakDout]

For anyone else who thinks this is a brown trout, HERE is a brown trout

Forgetting the most important part. BONELESS.

Wowwwww

.....

[MrPatrick]

Sand bass/spottie hybrid. Very closely related fish. They breed at the same time and I'm guessing the milt and roe from each species crossed paths.


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[YakDout]

For anyone else who thinks this is a brown trout, HERE is a brown trout

The brown trouts I usually see are much larger...

[87yota4runner]

I guess your trying to make a turd reference?


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[YakDout]

I guess your trying to make a turd reference?


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No of course not. I'd rather talk about meth...


Lol

[87yota4runner]

I guess a couple people on here are a little too short to get your jokes ;)
I for one prefer the smell of meth over turds, especially over meth head turds(smell like am/pm food)



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[87yota4runner]

Where in san diego do you fish? Do you ever come up this way towards dana point or big bear lake?


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[William Novotny]

Little bit of rain and his will argue about anything

[alanw]

This thread went down the toilet :p

[87yota4runner]

This thread went down the toilet :p


Lol Nice!


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[easyday]

Im going to say wsb definitely a wsb ;)

[YakDout]

Where in san diego do you fish? Do you ever come up this way towards dana point or big bear lake?


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My favorite spots are la jolla and Dana point.
Baja ain't too bad either

[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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[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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[YakDout]

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.

[Dannowar]

2 pages and no one said johnnybass?

[easyday]

2 pages and no one said johnnybass?

Well you beat me to it........well played sir

[yakman619]

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. 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.:D

[YakDout]

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.:D

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]

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]

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]

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.

[solyluna]

Looks like hybrid (not Toyota )
Sanbass & bay bass
And yes calico taste better

[sandydiego]

Nope. You guys have it all wrong. It's one of them climate change fishes that the eco nazi's are protectin.

Cheers

[tattuna]

That's just a regular old barred sandbass. Never heard of a sandbass/baybass hybrid, but I'd love to see one. Better yet a spottie/calico hybrid. That would be a big mean bass! Proper name for a spottie is a spotted sand bass.

There's also a parrot sandbass found in the Sea of Cortez that has the same body and nearly the same fins of a regular sandie with some pretty funky colors and patterns.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/parrotsandbassnortherncortez_zps0e21c070.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/parrotsandbassnortherncortez_zps0e21c070.jpg.html)


And also the gold spotted sandbass in the SOC. Real common and delicious meat.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/fish/P7210890.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/fish/P7210890.jpg.html)

The only hybrid (saltwater) bass I've heard of is a sandie/calico (Sandico). Fairly common in the SM Bay-LB area. These are good examples..


http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/fish/IMG_72047465053003_zpsxldai5um.jpeg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/fish/IMG_72047465053003_zpsxldai5um.jpeg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/sandico.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/sandico.jpg.html)

I caught an interesting looking sandie last Fall off of PV. Sent it to a marine biologist friend and he thinks it's a sandico, but I still think it's just a funky colored reef dwelling sandie since it still has the same body and fin configuration of a sandbass, but you'd probably have to do some dna tests to find out for sure. Either way pretty interesting, especially the blue pelvic and anal fins.


http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/Screenshot_2013-10-13-19-58-04_zpsd925a5b0.png (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/Screenshot_2013-10-13-19-58-04_zpsd925a5b0.png.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/Camera2-2013-10-13-11-27-08_zps31ac50b4.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/Camera2-2013-10-13-11-27-08_zps31ac50b4.jpg.html)

[dorado50]

The bass in picture#2 are commonly referred to as "pinto bass" on the SOC

[Jimmyz123]

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.

[Fishwhisperer619]

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

[87yota4runner]

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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[Fiskadoro]

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.

http://imageshack.com/a/img577/9535/x3wv.jpghttp://imageshack.com/a/img534/3970/rp4z.jpg
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.

http://imageshack.com/a/img716/8596/rbo6.jpg



Calicos or Kelp bass are a completely different fish.http://imageshack.com/a/img20/116/q5o7.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img829/3726/rhej.jpg

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.http://imageshack.com/a/img40/426/i317.jpg
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:
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11708&d=1393811055

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.

[87yota4runner]

Thanks fiskadoro! That was really informative. So it seems like the cross breeds are a pretty common thing, it's weird I've never come across a thread talking about it?

[Fiskadoro]

The only hybrid (saltwater) bass I've heard of is a sandie/calico (Sandico). Fairly common in the SM Bay-LB area. These are good examples..
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/fish/IMG_72047465053003_zpsxldai5um.jpeg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/fish/IMG_72047465053003_zpsxldai5um.jpeg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/sandico.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/sandico.jpg.html)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/yakalot/Camera2-2013-10-13-11-27-08_zps31ac50b4.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/yakalot/media/Camera2-2013-10-13-11-27-08_zps31ac50b4.jpg.html)

Great pics. I think that first one might be a Calico spotted hybrid, that second one has to be about the best looking sandbass Calico hybrid I've seen. I've seen a lot of them but never one that bright.

You can tell we fish the same areas.

I caught a fish just like the third one off big Kelp Reef. It had almost the exact same coloration as a dark brown Cabazon. Cool stuff!!! Thanks for those pics.

[alanw]

It's a hybrid.

Nice explanation and pictures Fisk, your post should be stickied

[Fiskadoro]

Thanks fiskadoro! That was really informative. So it seems like the cross breeds are a pretty common thing, it's weird I've never come across a thread talking about it?

Cool! Glad you liked the post. Hopefully next time you get one you'll know what it is.:D

Most people just are not aware of hybrids, and they are more common in some areas the others. Tattuna and I both fish the SMB and they are fairly common catch in the bay. I don't keep Calicos but I will occasionally keep Sand bass for my friends. With me every once in a while I'd get a bass that looked kind of weird and I'd go: Hhhhmmmmm WTF!?!?!?!

Then one day my buddy Larry pulled one up and said: "Hey: Look a hybrid!
After that it all made sense.:D

[alanw]

Cool! Glad you liked the post. Hopefully next time you get one you'll know what it is.:D

Most people just are not aware of hybrids, and they are more common in some areas the others. Tattuna and I both fish the SMB and they are fairly common catch in the bay. I don't keep Calicos but I will occasionally keep Sand bass for my friends. With me every once in a while I'd get a bass that looked kind of weird and I'd go: Hhhhmmmmm WTF!?!?!?!

Then one day my buddy Larry pulled one up and said: "Hey: Look a hybrid!
After that it all made sense.:D


I'm interested in hearing why you don't keep Calicos but do occasionally keep Sand Bass.

[Jimmyz123]

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.

[Fiskadoro]

I'm interested in hearing why you don't keep Calicos but do occasionally keep Sand Bass.

Funny story. Years ago I was fishing a Redondo Baytuber tournament and the bass were just wide open on Hermosa reef. I called in my buddy Robert Young who was on a skiff that was drifting halibut nearby. He kept fishing Halibut just off the reef and we shot the shit while I was catching fish after fish. Usually I don't keep bass at all but it was a tournament and Redondo tourniments were ususlly kind of slow so a loaded up a limit of some pretty big sandies. After a while I hook up something really big and up comes a beautiful 10 pound Calico. Robert gives me this look. Takes out his camera, takes a pic and then says:"So what you going to do?" At that point I released it. I'm not saying that Robert would of kicked my ass but he'd of certainly given me a ton of shit if I kept that fish because those kinds of Calicos, big fish of that size, are pretty slim and far between in Santa Monica Bay, and at that point I already had a stringer of big sandbass anyway.

In SMB the Calico population has historically really been nailed by sportboats. We do not have that much rock or kelp so the areas that hold them are limited and get pounded. I contrast we have a lot of open water and usually get several migrations of large schools of Sandbass a year, so there are always a lot of sandbass around. I used to fish with a guy that loved hammering Calicos back in the 1990s, and we used to just nail them, but the fish got scarce and I just decided not to fish them any more. Most of the hardcore anglers I know up here do not keep Calicos and they almost all release the larger ones, it's just kind of a unwritten rule.

I don't usually target bass. The majority of Sandbass I get are bycatch when fishing halibut. I've got neighbors who love them so when I get one that's hooked bad I'll keep it, or when they are really thick I'll take a few for them, but that's about it.