species fishing (and snorkeling) Sept and Oct update

[BenCantrell]

Behind on the blog again, so here's a quick photo update from the past two months. 

Calico from La Jolla, kept a few legals to eat, they were really good.


Salema, LJ.


Whitefish, LJ.


Honeycomb rockfish, LJ.


Calico, San Pedro.


Sand bass, San Pedro.


Midshipman I found splashing on the surface in San Pedro. Scooped him up by hand to take a photo.


Blackgill rockfish, San Pedro. +1 to the lifelist


Shiner perch, Ventura.


White croaker, Ventura.


Pond Loach, freshwater stream in LA. Probably released by the Buddhist temple nearby. +1 to the lifelist


Arroyo chub, freshwater stream LA.


Giant kelpfish, snorkeling Catalina. Didn't end up fishing at all while I was there.


Halfmoon, snorkeling Catalina.


Trolled mackerel that got crushed in Carlsbad, probably by a yellowtail.


Jacksmelt, SD Bay.


Barracuda, SD Bay. My first from the kayak.


Round ray, Harbor Island.


Grumpy bass, Harbor Island.


Gray smoothhound, Harbor Island. I've been carefully checking each one I catch to see if any are brown smoothhounds.


Diamond ray, Harbor Island. Didn't weigh, but I'd guess 25+ lbs.


Moray, LJ tidepools.


Woolly sculpin, LJ tidepools.


Opaleye, LJ tidepools.


School of zebra perch and opaleye, LJ tidepools.


Zebra perch, LJ tidepools. I gave underwater microfishing a try. It's surprisingly fun. I need a thicker wetsuit though if I want to do more.


Rosy Rockfish, wreck alley out of MB.


Sheephead, wreck alley out of MB.


Swordspine rockfish, LJ.


Pinkrose rockfish, LJ. ID gets tough for these guys.


Greenblotched rockfish, LJ.


Longspine combfish, LJ. Caught by my friend, would love to find another!


Bay blenny, MB. Caught snorkel fishing.


Orange terror, snorkeling MB.


Dwarf surfperch, snorkeling MB.


Jacksmelt or topsmelt, snorkeling in MB.


Spotted kelpfish, snorkeling in MB.


Rockpool blenny, snorkeling in MB.


Sharpnose seaperch, wreck alley.


Blackeye goby, wreck alley. +1 to the lifelist.


Cabezon, wreck alley, +1 to the lifelist, and definitely a highlight for the year!


Olive rockfish / Johnny bass, wreck alley.


Pacific sanddab, wreck alley.


I told myself I'd dedicate more time to catching a yellowtail from the kayak, but as you can see that clearly didn't pan out, haha. I'm easily distracted by the little fish.

[skrilla]

Holy crap I need to pay more attention to anything red that comes aboard haha. Your pictures are way better reference than anything DFW puts out.

[Latimeria]

Damn Ben, you've been busy!  I've caught the blackeye goby before, but the combfish is wild!

Did you ever make another attempt out to the 9-mile?

[BenCantrell]

Did you ever make another attempt out to the 9-mile?

Nope, I paid the price for that 31 mile paddle, started having wrist issues a week later. I was going to do the Catalina trip wearing powerlifting wrist wraps, but as you know I called it off due to the wind forecast. Since then I haven't done any of those crazy long paddles.

[skrilla]

I use the Lilliebridge wrist wraps for lifting. I can't wait to take them off after a heavy set. But the support they give is worth it especially since heavy squat days are usually a day or 2 after paddling.

[BenCantrell]

I use the Lilliebridge wrist wraps for lifting. I can't wait to take them off after a heavy set. But the support they give is worth it especially since heavy squat days are usually a day or 2 after paddling.

Small world! I used to know the Lilliebridges when I went to college in Illinois. That whole family is built like tanks.

[jrodda]

Funny about the midshipman on the surface, a while back I  saw a tiny one in the back of CI harbor struggling on the surface as well. Started singing Circle of Life and a seagull came down and got it. Of all the fish in the world to corroborate a similar story, that's an odd one.

Those combfish are cool, I'm just starting to add a #14 hook to my dropper rigs in hopes of discovering a new motley crew of short biters.

[skrilla]

I use the Lilliebridge wrist wraps for lifting. I can't wait to take them off after a heavy set. But the support they give is worth it especially since heavy squat days are usually a day or 2 after paddling.

Small world! I used to know the Lilliebridges when I went to college in Illinois. That whole family is built like tanks.

Whoa haha right on!

[BenCantrell]

I'm just starting to add a #14 hook to my dropper rigs in hopes of discovering a new motley crew of short biters.

That's a great idea!