First Sculpin!
 

Too bad he was out of season and really tiny.
Good thing I recognized him from all of those ballast point labels :cheers1:

Little guy didn't lack for attitude though-
Actually had the nerve to hit an 8oz bucktail jig with a swimbait on it.

Nice! They are very cool fish. I got my first sting by one the other day. I was being careless since I’ve handled many without incident. Big mistake. Luckily was more of a grazing wound rather than a deep stab. Still hurt like crazy and wouldn’t stop bleeding for about 15 minutes. I think if my finger had been cut off it wouldn’t have hurt much more. I do not want to find out what a nice deep poke would feel like.

Told you to pee on it. But noooo...

I caught 3 over the weekend. They are one of my favorite fish to eat. I’ve been hit 2 times by sculpin spines but only small grazes and stuck once by a small stingray.

I took a pretty good sting from a Portuguese Man-o-war, when I was about 10 years old. We were on South Padre Island, playing in knee deep water, and I got tentacles wrapped around my calf. Was like burning knives being drug across my leg. They used paper napkins to pull them off my legs and then my uncle pee'd on my leg. The burning knives cooled off right away. Pee Rocks!!!!! (for bad stings):D

I have also heard that, for Sculpin, mash up some tobacco with a bit of water and apply to sting.

Problem is trying to find a smoker these days.:sifone:

My dad has always been a skoal man, and I can attest this worked on yellow jacket stings pretty well for swelling

Wait, when does/did the season close on Sculpin?

Out of season? Since when?

From regs:

California Scorpionfish (a.k.a. sculpin)

The recreational fishery for link opens in new windowCalifornia scorpionfish (PDF) (Scorpaena guttata) is closed as of September 1, 2017. The fishery is expected to reopen on January 1, 2018. For more information about California scorpionfish, visit the California Marine Sport Fish Identification web page.

Periodically check https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/...ns/Fishing-Map. Click on the area of the map where you're fishing to see the current closures.

I've caught my fair share of them, good eating, but be careful handling those biters.

I've been stuck by them so many times I think I'm developing a resistance. That or I am permanently feeling the pain but am used to it.

Thanks for that, I had no idea (I fish for bass and don't keep by-catch, so I never really pay that close attention.)

This link is awesome. I don't recall ever seeing this page and its SUPER easy to use. Thanks Alan!

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/...g-Map/Southern

No problem. It's probably the best page on their site because along with closures it has the possession and size limits all on one page.