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Quick and Dirty Guide to SoCal Regulations?

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maninatikihut

Member
Aug 30, 2018
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Hey folks,

Relative newbie here. I was wondering if anybody could point me towards a quick and handy guide to Southern California Fish & Game regulations. I've been through the PDF they put out and I've been cross-referencing it and marking up a field guide, but when you're not that familiar to begin with it all gets a bit confusing. Does anybody know if there's a straight(er)forward guide out there that's easier to reference than sifting through the state reg book? Thanks.
 
I wish I could offer an alternative but I’m afraid that state book is all I know of. It sure isn’t easy though. If it’s any comfort, after you find the part that is pertinent to where you hunt and the fish you hunt then you can pretty much ignore the rest. For instance I know that White Sea bass have to be 28” long, it doesn’t matter how long yellowtail are as long as I don’t shoot over 10 of them (and I’d never do that) and calico bass have to 14” long. I don’t know about sheepshead since I never shoot them but since beginners often do you should look that up. The daily limit of White Sea bass is three fish except for the period from March 15 through June 15 when it’s one fish. You can’t take abalone south of the Golden Gate. That’s about all I know because it’s all I need to know. Since you live in LA that should give you a running start. Maybe look minimum sizes for sheephead, halibut and possibly ling cod (if you’re lucky) and you should be good to go.
 
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Daily limit is 20 fish total, no more than 10 fish of one species.

Barracuda must be 28".

Sheephead limit is 5 fish, 12" minimum.

Ling cod limit is 2 fish, 22" minimum.

Halibut limit is 5 fish, 22" minimum.

Its illegal to shoot great white sharks (really) and black sea bass.
 
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You should also have a look at spearingforum.com which is a Californian based forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You should also have a look at spearingforum.com which is a Californian based forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
True. Its not going to list the regulations for you, but it will plug you into California action.
 
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Thanks to you both. Bill, you've been quick with information since I've joined the forum—thank you for that, and a similar thanks for laying out those few pertinent regs.

Kodama: thanks as well. I will check the site out, as I'm desperately trying to get plugged into more local spearing. DB seems to be well trafficked generally, but as far as geographically relevant stuff, I've been left a bit wanting.
 
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I wish I could offer an alternative but I’m afraid that state book is all I now of. It sure isn’t easy though. If it’s any comfort, after you find the part that is pertinent to where you hunt and the fish you hunt then you can pretty much ignore the rest. For instance I know that White Sea bass have to be 28” long, it doesn’t matter how long yellowtail are as long as I don’t shoot over 10 of them (and I’d never do that) and calico bass have to 14” long. I don’t know about sheepshead since I never shoot them but since beginners often do you should look that up. The daily limit of White Sea bass is three fish except for the period from March 15 through June 15 when it’s one fish. You can’t tske abalone south of the Golden Gate. That’s about all I know because it’s all I need to know. Since you live in LA that should give you a running start. Maybe look minimum sizes for sheephead, halibut and possibly ling cod (if you’re lucky) and you should be good to go.

Bill, in addition to my other comment, I have a question for you: why don't you shoot sheephead? I can certainly understand why novices do (they're pretty easy to recognize, for one, and make a decent sized target), but I would be curious to hear your thoughts.
 
Thanks to you both. Bill, you've been quick with information since I've joined the forum—thank you for that, and a similar thanks for laying out those few pertinent regs.

Kodama: thanks as well. I will check the site out, as I'm desperately trying to get plugged into more local spearing. DB seems to be well trafficked generally, but as far as geographically relevant stuff, I've been left a bit wanting.
You'll find Spearing forum to be the opposite. Its almost too focused on California. A guy posted a nice video of spearfishing in Brittany recently, and I was the only one who even commented. We used to get some posts from guys in Florida, but haven't heard from them lately. Its too bad we can't seem to develop active participation on DB from guys in California, but it hasn't happened yet. If you want California, Spearing forum is the place to be. Its not very active, but its almost all Southern California.
 
Bill, in addition to my other comment, I have a question for you: why don't you shoot sheephead? I can certainly understand why novices do (they're pretty easy to recognize, for one, and make a decent sized target), but I would be curious to hear your thoughts.

I just don't think they're very good to eat, but a lot of people apparently like them. They are almost too easy a target too. And while I'm not a scientist, many people feel that if you wipe out the sheephead on a reef, the sea urchins will multiply and eat the kelp hold fasts and destroy or at least thin out the kelp bed.

Of course I don't shoot calicos either. They are good to eat, don't eat sea urchins, and the big ones are harder to hunt than white sea bass. I guess I'm afraid that shooting them is going to scare the white sea bass out of the kelp bed, or maybe while I'm retrieving a calico a huge white sea bass is going to swim up and give me the finger.

But I'm in a different place from you. I've been shooting fish since the early 1950s. And I'm old and weak and don't want to cock my gun more than I have to. So I just save myself for the bigger species. They make a bigger target anyway. I can certainly understand why someone who is just starting out would have different priorities.
 
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Noted. I'll have to experience the eating for myself, before I make any judgements in that department, but the ecosystemic considerations are the kinds of things I need to learn. Sigh. Time and experience, time and experience. Pays to be patient.
 
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