THE SIVIALL GAME FISHES 121 



the fish up with abalone or crayfish bait. They are 

 hard to lure, and you may have to jerk your bait 

 away from the omnipresent rock bass to catch the 

 dignified fish with a small mouth; which means, of 

 course, a very small but very strong hook. I think I 

 am not overstating it, when I say that unless you 

 have the right bait you will angle in vain all day 

 for these fishes. When they are hooked the fight is 

 on, and the rushing, plunging, and tricks that are 

 played, put to shame many a fish of twice their size. 



Here are the blacksmith and several small perch- 

 like fishes, which may also be taken, all deserving to 

 be called game. The common small fish is the rock 

 bass, which bears a close resemblance to the black 

 bass of fresh water. There are several species; all 

 in all, very attractive fishes, but not to be compared 

 with the blue-eyed perch. The rock bass requires a 

 three-ounce rod and a three-thread line, as it is a poor 

 fighter at best, though some of the larger ones afford 

 good sport. I have seen them weigh eight or ten 

 pounds, and specimens I took at San Nicolas were 

 larger that that. The vast numbers of rock bass at 

 times are beyond belief. A good place for them is 

 Ship Rock, off Cabrillo, Santa Catalina, where they 

 may be taken literally by the hundred; also at San 

 Clemente, at Rowland's at Anacapa, and Santa Cruz, 

 where they are of large size. But the pity of it is, 

 that no one cares for the rock bass; as game he is 

 considered a delusion and a snare. 



Some days at San Clemente when the professional 

 fishermen were in hard luck, and they had given us 

 bait, we caught rock bass for them, and it was merely 

 a question of baiting and hauling in. We never could 



