Good day for firsts

[bwana]

I hate to bust your cherry excitement BUT...

Per DFG website: "California Sheephead

This fishery is currently closed for boat-based angling.

The recreational fishery for California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is open year-round to divers and shore-based anglers. The fishery is closed to boat-based anglers as of January 1, 2017, and is expected to reopen on March 1, 2017. California sheephead may only be taken or possessed in waters less than 360 feet (60 fathoms) deep. The daily bag and possession limit is 5 fish, with a minimum size limit of 12 inches total length."

As Jorge said.. best to release everything you don't know what it is or what the rules are.

A week before year end I caught the biggest sculpin I have ever seen. I had to let it go as the season was closed until January 1st. I knew this because I had checked before heading out that day.

Throughout the year I refresh what seasons are open and what are closed by checking with DFG: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/...g-Map/southern

Originally Posted by Dark_Knight_9C1

Did my first beach launch and landing today from CDM.
The waves were ankle high going out and waist high coming in. Waist high that is when your sitting in the kayak. Did get sideways a little on the landing but managed to pull it out.
Went out to the deep water outside of Newport harbor looking for rockfish. Didn't have a fish finder so went out about 3/4 a mile. I dropped my first line just as a crabber went by pulling up his cages so I knew I had found some rocks. Dropped down squid and mackerel. The first fish came up on the mackerel... a mackerel.
The next one hit the squid. It was a good size sheepshead, my first sheep head and my first decent fish while rockfishing.
Had a pretty constant nibble the whole morning. Managed a unidentified fish (another first) and another mackerel. Had something else too which was big but only got it half way up.

Can anyone identify the smaller fish? It was unusual because it had skin like a shark. Smooth one way and sandpaper the other.