Fishing in Southern California 



These delightful waters abound in small fry that 

 afford excellent sport. There is the sheepshead, 

 ranging up to fifteen pounds, caught within one hun- 

 dred feet of the rocks, on a twelve-ounce rod; the 

 whitefish, calling to mind the weakfish of the East, 

 a famous fighter, especially in a tide run when the 

 bait can be cast down the tide. With them is the 

 rock bass, almost identical in shape to the black bass, 

 as gamy for a while, but without endurance. They 

 attain a weight of ten or twelve pounds and afford 

 fair sport. At San Nicolas Island the rock bass are 

 very large and gamy, and there are several kinds. 

 San Clemente is famous for its whitefish, yellowtail 

 and sea bass. In these waters is found the barracuda, 

 smaller than the Gulf of Mexico form, rarely exceed- 

 ing twelve pounds. They are taken slowly trolling, 

 and with an eight- or ten-ounce rod sometimes afford 

 excellent fishing. 



The vicinity of Monterey is a famous locality for 

 angling. The streams abound in trout and the bay 

 in salmon from early spring until late in the fall. 

 The latter fish appear in a series of runs, governed by 

 the bait supply sardines and anchovies. The tackle 

 must, in the majority of cases, be a stiff rod, as a 

 heavy sinker, weighing from a quarter to half a 

 pound, is often used to take the bait down to the level 

 of the salmon, which do not play on the surface like 

 the yellowtail, but lurk beneath the big school of sar- 

 dines. Fairly smooth water is found in Monterey 



