Catching
dinner for your own table is an activity that has attracted divers to
the sport since its inception. Spearfishers are selective, they take
only what they eat and produce no by-catch. Although there are many
good eating fish in California waters, the most commonly sought after
fish are the rockfish.
There are some 30 species of rockfish along the West Coast and all are members of the genus Sebastes. Although the numbers vary a bit from year to year, they represent around 80 percent of the party boat catch (by numbers of fish) each year. Rockfish are good eating with large, firm flakes and a mild flavor.
Rockfish bear their young alive and are just under a quarter inch when they are released into the water. At that time they are planktonic and drift with the currents for several months. They then concentrate near-shore and seek shelter in rocky areas and kelp beds. After one year they may grow to about 6 inches and then take another 15 years to reach 15 inches. Fish larger than 20 inches may be quite old.
Although quite similar in appearance, each species has developed different behavior characteristics and food preferences. For instance blue rockfish (S. Mystinus) are mostly found swimming in open water near kelp beds. Blues are opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever drifts past them. They are particularly fond of jellyfish, crustaceans, and tunicates.
At the same time gopher rockfish (S. carnatus) prefer to inhabit the bottom around rocky areas and principally feed on crabs and shrimp. Kelp rockfish (S. atrovirens) will feed on planktonic creatures and do not swim very far from the kelp canopy.
Rockfish are generally less than two feet long and will normally let you get fairly close to them. Some species, such as the vermilion (S. miniatus), are quite shy so your stealth technique will have to be better for this colorful fish than others. Avoid looking the fish in the eye and approach in a tangential path rather than a direct one.
In general, you will not need a long spear gun with many bands. A short, one- or-two band gun or small pneumatic works well. These are often called "rock guns" because they are easy to maneuver around rocky bottoms. Many prefer a pole spear or sling because they are quickly reloaded. Once you are in a school of fish, a speedy reload will often make the difference between landing one fish or many. A paralyzer head or a trident head works well for these small fish. Choose a robust head since you will surely hit a rock if you miss your target.
Rockfish are often found in kelp beds along the entire California Coast. Areas near easy and popular entries are often over fished so you will need to venture out where there are fewer divers. Some species of rockfish have been severely depleted. For this reason divers should avoid silvergrey and canary rockfish, and bocaccio.
California law requires a sport fishing licence to take rockfish. There is no size limit on rockfish (except bocaccio must be at least 10 inches long), and bag limit for rockfish is 10, all of which may be of the same species (except bocaccio-3, cowcod-1 per person and 2 per boat, and canary rockfish-3).
The season is open all year, except rockfish may not be taken or possessed by a person aboard a vessel, or by spear fishing during the months of January and February in ocean waters south of 36 00' N. lat. at Lopez Point, Monterey County, and during the months of March and April in ocean waters from Lopez Point, Monterey County, north to 40 10' N. lat. at Cape Mendocino, Humboldt County.
My favorite way to prepare rockfish is to beer batter and fry them. Sift together 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. onion and/or garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp. baking powder. Whisk together one egg and 1 cup of your favorite, flat beer, and mix well with flour mixture. Dip rockfish filets into batter and fry in hot oil for 2 or 3 minutes per side. Bon appétit!
Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to CDN, as well as
author of the books A Diver's Guide to Monterey County and the newly
released A Diver's Guide to Northern California (both from Saint
Brendan).