Blennies for science and getting ass kicked by the surf (7-6-2016)

[BenCantrell]

Went back to the Encino Public Fishing Area in Carlsbad last night to get some of those largemouth blennies for a guy who works at the Scripps institute.



It was low tide, and the hordes of opaleye weren't around, so the blennies were much easier to catch.  I ended up with six of them, and one was a colored up male!





If you held them under water, the cirri on their heads would stand up.



The annoying fish of the day were the garibaldi, which did not leave at low tide like the opaleye.  They're beautiful fish, and I released this one unharmed after taking a quick photo, but I hate catching them because I always feel like someone is going to yell at me.



There were California scorpionfish mixed in with the blennies.  As I caught the blennies I would swing them out of the water towards my hand so I could grab them in case they flopped off the hook, but I pulled my hand away pretty quickly whenever I saw one that looked different!



There were hordes of small bluish black fish that did not show any interest in my bait (small pieces of fresh mussel).  Blacksmith perhaps?  You can see a garibaldi in this photo as well.



As the tide started moving in, schools of small silvery fish showed up.  They were a giant pain to catch because the water was moving at a pretty good clip, and I was using super tiny baits, but eventually I got one.  At first I thought for sure I had a new lifer, but once I looked more closely I realized it was probably just a juvenile topsmelt.  Are there any smaller silverside species it could be?



Ruoxi and I grabbed some dinner and went to the beach just south of Oceanside Pier.  I had my first cast about a minute before the sun set.  In hindsight I wish I had started earlier, because it got dark quickly and the tide was coming in hard.  I really wanted a spotfin croaker or a corbina.  The waves pushed us off the beach a half hour later, so we set up on the rocks about ten feet above the sand.  Soaked some cut opaleye with my MH rod hoping for a leopard shark or smoothhound, but it didn't get touched.  Threw a chunk of mussel with my ML rod, and it got two hits - a yellowfin croaker and a round stingray.  Didn't take photos of them.  The waves were brutal, many of them going over the rocks and soaking us.  Went home feeling humbled by the surf but feeling good that I didn't skunk out!

[Latimeria]

Great report Ben.  Collecting fish in the name of Science is what got me my B.S. degree.

I may have to take one single session out of the year to micro fish.  It will have to be on a day that the surf is unfishable though.  lol

[BenCantrell]

I would really like to see some of those largemouth blennies used as live bait...

[sasquatch]

Really kind of sour on science right now. Well, scientists anyway.

Those are some cool fish pics though.

[BenCantrell]

I think I was mistaken on the ID of this one.  It fits all the characteristics of a grunion!



Here's my topsmelt from last week for comparison.



http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt2x0n99bq;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=d0e3547&toc.id=0&brand=calisphere

Description: See page 76. Body very slender (check), no teeth in mouth (check) (separating it from the jacksmelt and topsmelt); front of upper jaw (premaxillary) can be drawn out for a considerable distance to form a tube (check); front of first dorsal fin back of vent (unsure). Length to about seven inches (definitely under that). Color: Bluish green above, silvery below; a bright silvery band tinged with blue and bordered above with violet extends the length of the body (check, and you don't see the violet on the topsmelt photo).

[spideyjg]

Always check the seaweed line from high tide Ben. Many beaches with a high tide and some surf you can run out of land.

Had to put stuff up on rocks one night as I was pushed onto the last bit of land and still would get wash at my feet.

Getting your ass handed to you by the surf is part of the adventure.

Jim

[Pinoyfisher]

The blennies are purty. They would look cool in a native saltwater tank.

[LONGCAST JOE]

I was going to say that might be a juvi California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) before I read your secondary identification. That not an easy one to get on rod and reel! Technically I suppose you can't target them with or keep them if taken on hook & line as the regulations specifically state they may only be taken by hand...
Ben ,speaking of species difficult to catch on hook and line, without snagging, have you been able to cross off striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) from your species list yet?
You have know idea how many hours I spent trying to get one of them flycasting sight fishing,as I know they'd be a blast on a 5 wgt rod and 4X tippet if could hook into one. Very fustrating...
JOE

[BenCantrell]

I was going to say that might be a juvi California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) before I read your secondary identification. That not an easy one to get on rod and reel! Technically I suppose you can't target them with or keep them if taken on hook & line as the regulations specifically state they may only be taken by hand...
Ben ,speaking of species difficult to catch on hook and line, without snagging, have you been able to cross off striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) from your species list yet?
You have know idea how many hours I spent trying to get one of them flycasting sight fishing,as I know they'd be a blast on a 5 wgt rod and 4X tippet if could hook into one. Very fustrating...
JOE

Oops, well I didn't knowingly target grunion.  The good thing about lifelisting is you only need to catch one, so now when I see them I'll leave them be.

I have not caught mullet, and yeah I've heard they're a giant pain.  Last week I saw some jumping in the San Diego River by Sea World, but that area has a bunch of no trespassing and wildlife preserve signs so I didn't go down to the water to try for them.

I think I remember people in Florida catching striped mullet with clams either freelined or under a float.