Southern California marine sport fishing from privately-owned boats: catch and effort for October-December 1981

Abstract

The catch landed and effort expended by private-boat sport fishermen were studied in southern California between October and December 1981, in order to determine the impact of one segment of the sport fishery on local marine resources. Fishermen returning from fishing trips were interviewed at launch ramps, hoists, and boat-rental facilities. This report contains quantitative data and statistical estimates of total effort, total catch, catch of preferred species, and length frequencies for those species whose catches are regulated by minimum size limits. An estimated 208,000 organisms were landed by 54,000 anglers and 4,500 divers. The major components of the catch were Pacific mackerel, Scomber japonicus, 50,200 landed; white croaker, Genyonemus lineatus, 35,000 landed, and Pacific bonito, Sarda chiliensis, 27,000 landed. Together, these three species made up over half of the total catch. Most of the size limit regulations were closely observed by anglers; the one exception was that of California halibut, Paralichthys californicus, of which only 65% met legal size requirements. Regarding invertebrates landed by divers, size limit compliance was 90% for red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, and 95% for spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus. (28pp.)