SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA F3AXINE SPORT FISHING from PRIVATELY-Objbted BOATS; CATCEI and EFFORT for JANUARY-MARCH 1981

Southern California marine sport fishing from privately- owned boats; Catch and effort for January-March 1981

Item Type monograph

Authors Wine, Vickie; Racine, Denyse

Publisher California Department of Fish and Game, Marine Resources Region

Download date 25/09/2021 03:13:24

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/18388 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA F3AXINE SPORT FISHING FROM PRIVATELY-ObJbTED BOATS; CATCEI AND EFFORT FOR JANUARY-MARCH 1981

Vickic Wine

and

Denyse Racine

MARINE RE SOURCES

Administrative Report No. 81-6 SOUTIJERN CALIFORNIA IItZlIINE SPORT 171 Slif NG EI?OM PR TVATELY-OWNED BOATS ; CATCH AND EFFOR'I' FOR JANUAKY-NAlICI-I 195 1 -1/

Vickie Wine -21 and Denyse Racine -3 /

ABSTRACT

The catch landed and effort exrended by ljrivate-boat sport fishermenwere studied in southern California between January and Flarch 1951, in order to determine the impact of one segment of the sport fishery on local marine resources. FisElermcn returning froln fishing trips were interviewed at launch ramps, hoists, and boat rental facilities. This report contains quantitative data and statistical estimates of total eCfort, tot:il catch, catch of preferred species, and length frequencies for tilose species xrhose catches are regulated by minimum size limits

An estimated 139,000 organisms were landed by 45,000 anglers and 1,900 divers. The major components of the catch were Pacific mackerel, Scornber japonicus, 29,000 landed ; white cro~lccr, Genyonetnzis Lineatus, 27,000 landed ; and Pacific bonito, Sard? chiZiensis, 13,000 landed. These three species con~prisedone-half of the total catch.

Anglers' compliance with size limit regulations was variable. Approximately 87% of all measured bass, Pm~aZabraxspp.,,were legal size, but only 60% of the California halibut, Paralichthys californicus, were legal size. Divers showed much better compliance with the size limit regulations: 96% of all red abalone, HaZiotis rufescens, were legal size.

-I/ Marine Resources Region, Administrative Report No. 81-6

-2/ Marine Resoiurces Region, California State Fisheries Laboratory, 350 Golden Shore, Long Beach, California 90802.

-3/ ~arineResources Region, 1350 Front Street, Room 6042, San Diego, California 92101. hCKNtll.?L,E CGPII': MT

This worlc was performed as part of Dingell-3okin:;on project F-35-R, the Southern Ca1iforrli.a Marine Sportfish Monitoring Progz.:?rn, which was supported in part by Fccleral Aid to Fish Restoration Funds. 1NTRODUCICIO;J . . l?rcreriti.ons~l. flsh~ngnct:i.vities i.n sou!:licrn C.llifornia inarirlc waters ai;?ecil the aLunilancc of 1cic:il Eisll populatioris artd also i1.1Eluencc r,1igr,tr?rg

Ei.sh populations. ' To dctecmi.ne the extent of these fishing activities the

Cepzr t:ae:it: of F i::h and (kine stucli.cd onc segnleut of the recrcati.o~lal Ei:;i-iery: fislierrneil 11si-rtg p7.-ivatcly--o:'rncii, trai.1.crabl.e boats. The s trrdy b!.gzn ir; 1975 anti cor~ti~-,uedf(?c i-'rlrce years. During t:'n;i fi?l.l.oviing tbro ye.?rs lack of pe~-soi-~~clcai:seJ temporary cc?ssation of the study. fiowevec, in 1980 this con:straint was rr-:niovt.t:l arid the silutly began again.

Tlic major p:rrposes ot' the .stud;( ci~?i:e ti, t?st-:i,!a te effort ?cv-?l.s expended by ailglers ar:d divers, to estimate the magnit~tdea~i~l sp?cie?.s cc~!-[~posi:tion of the catch 5y 'shesc: fishermen, arld to assess the degree of sport: f.lshern:enls coapl-iance with size linit regi~lations.

The izlEorri:ati.on generated by this st:uily provides 1) a baseline study fo; furure comparison of catch and effort t~enJs,2) evidence for addi.ng, de- leti.rlg, or charigi.ng fishing regulations, 3) a11 -i.r!~.:!icatio:l of fishing pressllrz on vnr.i.ous spec+.cs, and 4) supportive nateri-1 for utller ,zgcncies to u,5e :;hen assessing pro;)osed acti.oi~ that co:~ldaffect soutliern C;ilifi?rnials living innrink. rec;ources. 'Tile results of tke study foc11s .qtteution on areas

OPF,I?ATT0bJS

Szilp ling Plan

The sampling plan co~nsistedof a program of raEdorn field sxrnpling at sc lccted lauilc.11 ramps, hoists, and bor;t reintzl Ear: ili ties i.u T,os Angeles,

Orang?, and S;in Diego Counties. S;;iuPl-ing was coiit1ui:tetI o-i ail weekends and l~ol.ida~s,,arid oil randomly chosen weekclays iil accorda~?cer.r ith avn i lable rnanpo1rc.r. Fi.eld s,-implers rcrilained at the sample 10c;itio~sf r~in1GOO hrs ' to 1800 hrs a-nd an attempt was made to interview 311 returning anglers an.1 di:rers. Information on. longth of angling tri-p, nii~nber of Ilours spent div- +

ing, .number of fishing poles used, ancl nurnber of people angl-ing or diving was gat:tir:recl along with the identiL'icatiou and enunlerati-on of all fishes, molluscs,

crabs, and 1-obsters in possession (no data were requested about species caught br~tnot kept). An attempt >>asmade to measure all spcci-es with lcgnl mi-nimum

sizc requirements.

Sarnpl ilig Locat ions

There are five counties noimnlly ccvered in the survey: Sants Barbara,

Ventura, T,os Angeles, Orange, and San Di-ego. We began sampling Los Angeles

Cout~tyin the sunmer oE 1980, and slo~qlyexpanded the sampling frame to in- clude other counties as additional personnel cornpletecl 111-a-ini-ng as field samplers

The information presented in this report is for Los Angeles, Orange, and San

Diego counties.

Statistical Ana1ysi.s

Data were +I-~ersgedon a daily hnsis for each county, then expanded to estimate the total catch or effort for each county, each month. Estimates were calculated scpacatel-y for ~~~eekendsa-iir! weekdays. Catch estirxates were made for each species which has a legal mi.nimum size l-irt~it,the twenty most ccjiiiinonly landed species, the Sebastes, genus, and for the to~alnumber of fish landed.

'll!ct 111rmber of hi>;lts tllat Ief t a santpl ing area .;iithou t be ing ii-iterviewed was recorded, providiag an adjust~uen~factor for the day's total catch or cffort.

aSUI,TS AND DILSCUSSION

Data Samples

Diii-i-ng the Jan~rary1 - Plnrcl~31, 1981 quarter, 15 1au11ch i-anips, 2 boat hoists, and 3 boat rental 1oc:itions were sampled 285 times. Samplers interviewed 10,115 anglers and 400 divers who spent 61,98O angler- trip-.hours--4 / ------4/ The unit of anslr~effol-t is one hour of trip-time per angler. Adjustments are made for those using more than one fishing pole concurrently. .-xa-rjnn-wpun 3ur;ds -xrlorl auo ST 3;roj;ga ;rar,? p 30 7 Tun aq;~ ---..__-___-._.-.----.------.-- -- ___/i-

' -dds .rvjcltq-u,I:')j 's seg *q33t?3 PS~SIBUI-LJS~aqj 21 o B~I~~~C~;J~LLU~ps;lui:-l:

SUM ' 'cldti s~?sD(~~s' SE)II::;.~~~~J 30 X~~TJCA;)QIT:I ti ' ~.?.S.~.!~?:Z:/.I/Z13pcri7s ' ~~-;un(!

i Xq P~~LLVL~J~LI sw;;;uz>~o 001 '5 pa~~v.~>:is~up PLIU SJ~I-L?.LL$? E~UICIJ-! TVL) UJJYJII"~ E I dq paliuri aJam SIUS?~~P~.IOday20 piIc says !J 9~0'4~11JO ~E'JOJ 1)alt'~uf:lsauy I i

u~ *sJ.:)ii;p dcl ~ilZno:: sa'raacls asoil2 or] pa2~t:s~s2q a-xaria :?LJ-;C!Fii axoq::g 70 t ; b atiq ;)sIIv~~~i;2~1no3 oh'syu ueS uf pa~eu-~2:lor)zo33a S'u-!:.rl? aqz 30 jlori laA0 i I .(+l-C S"j;0,L'J4) X7ur:03 02i3~~UP:; u? (jg0' c-i pL1:: IXr)i1""3 ;I~u:??-IO IT-! g(~()' Id~~?irc)~ f -- 4 - accounted for 11Z of the catch; while other preferred sport fish species

such as California halibut, Pil:-ralichthys craliffirnicus; Californ-ia bnrra-

ct~da,,7phy.rae~zt,z nj.gal,z-tea ; white scabass, ~t-?~actocc?~u%nobizis ; ant1 lingcod,

0ph.iodon elonga-tus, con.tributed only I% of the catch.

The most co~~~nonlylanded species in the diver catch was red abalone, ilnlio-tis r~~fe:;cens,with an estimated 1,600 landed. Abalone season was

c los cd be tvecn inid--Januiiry asld mi.d--$farcll , ancl ITew abal.one were landed d-i~r-

ing this time. Divers also landed an estimated 1,000 rock scal.l.ops,

:k:7?nites rnul-l-irt~gosus;7130 Ca1.i fornia sheepliericl , S

600 Cailfornia spiny lobs i:er, iDniiulirt{,s-inte;~i*tipt-1.1s (before the lobster season cl-osed in mid-~arch).

Variation- by County

More than twice as inany fishes were I-atlded By anglers in Los Angeles .

Coun%y (85,000) than in. either of the other two counties sampled.

IJhite croalcer and Paci-fic mackerel. were tied for- first place in the catch, both coiltributing 23%. Rockfishes and Pacif.i.c bonito eath contr<'buzc:d app.c3xi- mately 15% of the catch. The rc~nainin~244 of the catch was cornposed of a large variety of species. A-pproximsi:eJ.y 6,000 preferred game fishes were landed, three-Eourths of w11ich were bass. Since two-thirds of the Z,os

Angeles County coast was closed to abalone fishing, most divers scught

California spi~iylobster, sca.llop, arltl sheephead. An estirnat~edtotal of

1,300 organisms was landed by divers.

Orange Col~i~t:.yanglcr landings were the I.CJILTCS~in the san~pledarea. Half of the csti-inated 16,500 fishes laladed by anglers w fishes, and Pnci fic ~nac.kt=:rcl. I,esl-; th.311 3,1100, preferred game fishes were l.=tnded, nearly all oE whi.cI1 were bass. Very little diving activity o.rigin-

. , atcd in Orar;gi! County, hut tile most coinn1on catch of the few ~1ivi.n~parties was rock scallop.

Rn estirnntcd 32,200 fishes were landed by anglers in Sarl Diego County.

Unlilce the otl~ertwo counties, white croaker was not the most conm~only

'31 List: of Species S:lmple:( Lrom Southern C'ilifclrnia Private Boats; Janudry t!iroirgh Ci,~rcll 1981.

Scientific r-iame Con~nlon n.acie No. sz~nplcd -.. . _l__-A-_-ll------.._-___^-----. ---Fishes

.A lopias VLLdpii~u:; corneon thresher il:l;pi~,i.steiczi:; b:i-gerttez~s l~arredsr1.r :r,t:rctl 12 iiisot-.cmzis dmic :son,i,i ,sargo Anilp loponm f7i;.iliic,ia sablefish A2,~tc:d.izisno-l;osps!: lo-l;zas bonyhead sculpin i? thcrinops affii~is to~>~i>l"I.t fl t3z~:~i;zop.s~iseaZi,cci2-r7.ia;z.s.Zs jaclisrricl t ;l%i?czctoscioni~ch.iZis' bihite seabass 1:aZ.istes pozjj %qi.Zs f irlescale trigger fish CauZo%at*i2zi.s piqinceps c;cenzi r~I~i~eEish Chilo ti.ei-?n sa tui-.nzui? b l.aclc croaker C'hi.>ol-lisp~~~~ct.ip+~nis tl laclcsmi th Ci-tlii,~rickithys :r;o~didus Pacific s,?nddab C::i,lai;ogastci. iii]!giqegnLa shines su-i-ilperch D~:1ni~Zie3~th;jsvnccn pile surfpercll ,%cap tei+iis hgpoi?z!s tIcxi.c:in scad Ilhi'; io i:oca ;jacksoizi black surfpcrch L?, T.a%er~alis striped sur Epcxch cn o;cse i;ka jooi~daus-i petrale sole i,!cileaz.,hii:~i::::y opi;eiqus sou?£i11 shark Ge~zyc?:em~i.sZ.i:zeattis 1,ih.ite croaker Cii.eZ Zu iz13..7 f'Y"iCaYIS ' opaleye Hn Z.?:choz~essemic-i'.;.zctus rock wrasse i!c-Lerodoiztul; francisci horn sllark iigi;erosi;ic?~us~ostratzts giant keIpEish i!-/~pp~~Z~ssii~stomata l~igmxthsole TILI~Y?OZabpts CCI2 Ziei ratfish 5'?ii.e~~prosnpo?l., , cri.g@z-tezmz v~al.leyesurfperch i!. eiZipt ietu~z silver sur £perch iI?!psopsetta gz.~ttuZata diamond turbot Hzi~sur7zis cai-y i rainbow sur f perch L. n,:jpr:ipops7 7 r~ibicum?~is garibaldi I .- .-i-Yoeottz.~s amnutus Pacific staghorn sculpin i'jedict Z~i~racaZi.fo~?iz*iensis ha1fmoo 11 .?,"e?;ticirr32us . ~ozdz~lntus California corbi-ns :!(;.rluccii~sproclucttis P~cific hake !i?!gi 7, cep!~al.u.s str-iped clrrllct !??is.$e%:is cali-f(>l~izicus gray smoo tllhound Ir!. kl~i~lei brown srnoo tliliound i'.j;i ;.Lo batis ca lifo~?izica bat ray Oi~Y;:Ioii'o?~ el~;:~~ntzls 1in gcod OZL{ jzi Zis ca %i,torn.ica senorita Pa~-a%nbrmclntbatus kelp bass F. rnnctiZatofclsc iatzis spotted sand bass P. ileb~~Zifel- barred sand bass .?l'tri.a Zichthgs caZifoi?nic~ts California halibut F7mnerodon nkripes s ha1:pnose sur fperch P. furcntzds white 'surfperch PZaLgr?z*i7zoidis trise~~iata tliornback '7 SDGTG szda2 oa~a~~ 0 6 SW?,Y~UW32)Sn2 2)?tbs LZ naqua6m manGxfiydS 9sz sn?;2 20d slz~;dz,ra~ '7Z5 ~ayqnd snydAssoayiaS T snquaax3z .S -* Z'7 snso,xqunz -S Z S; s .S 989 sapzoumrdas -S F Snq3U~~O~lU,7S'S z I D./daz3;~7.3 'S 6T snJ77" 'S IZI snqaz4zn:~~qiz~.s 1 snuz?,uaq?z,T 0 5 gq?qquaso'c .S L+7 snaa~so~-2 ZF ~aBz22a,xqsz>,s.S f/ ~a6zuu;zd -S ~EZ'T snu?.ds~an~d.S G8 s;zIwno .S 981 srzuysfililii .S Z5Z snqD?uy 9 m~opaoui .s t7 Z sznai] +S 1 ~21.VpJ0~'s 99 ~~~zqdoii'S ZLZ .;tap006 'S Z ?21?-fi 'S Z 2 s~zp1-nqJ -S L soa +S s su2azJloqzLa *S 9 T ~aJ~sua 26.f snqnfiuo~a .S 5 wo,xdo2d?p I7 2222D17 'S 5z T snpq~aqszio~ -S T T 1 SS~~%U/OS~JY:I',s EF;S sn?qqsoczoI ya -S 9 '7 ST2'l.L: J?1U3 'S 1s sn? m~vo.s z0 1 sn~w~na~,az'S z9 szcaq,nod? D saqsvqas L 8 slqn,roLuzr)vi slizlqy~;zuavdbrn~ 699 D?~qq MG DU~D~~ZD~S 685'5 snq.uodwr;' ~aqi!lon,r z sna? n,ra wa 33qG.~s sdou~p,rv,: OSI 'c szszla~2~ya.V~CT.DS Z 1 zzsmnaqs ~opvauo,y $7 S?I~~D.TDSsnonoil 6 7: snqonpod SO~D~OIL?~~ 9z saqoxoq snl ~z~so~nzlrj 6 1 ~an~2Gaawzlo;~~;id i: 639 SD?,S~U ~fili?2/32r~~d szlwa?'j.,ran sfiy?yazuo,ana --- 76 amuu ~T~-;JU~T~S -8-

TADLE I. -contd .

.------.------^_------_----_ ____-)---.--"---~-~- I_.-.

Scientific---.-----.-.--.-..--.------narr~t? ------..-Cor;$noi:i nairie------Xo. sampled I__ St~07!5yZtira mi%is Ca1iforni.a rree6:llrc-f ish SynoJus Zz~cioceps California 1i~za~:cIfish 7'arpccio cix ZiJ'ori.zicn Pacific electric ray .T27,2c h?i~w~sgrrmzt? %TY;CUS j acl: rnacltcrel 'l'ri:c-ric.,is.ssn~ifc;::ciutn leopard shark U~,vbrii.?(nro:r,i?adoi- ye1lc;wf in croaker U~J~?,:~~I!ZLLShalleri ronr~dstingray ZLJS LY?~Z{TJ~S2in;Sspi.s fantail. sole

- unidentified fish - ~3nidontifiedfilleted fish 939 Seba-;ter; s pp . unLder1ti.f ied rockfish fillets 155

uni-dentif ieJ sandab

>lo1luscs and Crustacea.ns

As trtzeix z.l~c!osa wavy top C:zizcer a71.ten~li2~1;ii~ rock crab c. antho;zyi yellow crab I!aZiotis coszlz~gcrta pink ab a 1one H. eracherodii black abalone H. fulgens green abalone i!. i~:~fesce;zs red abalone H. sorenssni white abalone Riizni te.9 rim 2 -l;-i-rizcgosus roclc scallop LD:COF?Z~~C~I~.SgrawJis sheep crab I"8!sya"c3.iurnci.em~Zata giant keyhole limpet Octopus h irnacu Ln tus twospot octopus '-Pc;nL.tZirus inte12ruptus California spiny lobster il'fuelii sill 2toru.n pismo clam

Echinoderms and Coelenterates

S6roqy Zocentrotzis franciscanus giant red urchin ilnthozoa sea auernone

- 10 -

TABLE 3. Catch and Effort Estimates for Anglers; January through March 1981.

Los Angeles Orange San Diego County County County Total . Angler parties weekend weekday total Angler days weekend weekday total

weekend weekday total Total fishes landed weekend weekday total No. rockfishes landed weekend weekday total

Atractascion nobi Zis (white seabass) CauZo Zati Zus princeps (ocean whitefish) Citharichthys sordidus (pacific sanddab) Embiotoca jacksoni (black surfperch) Geny onemus lineatus (white croaker)

Media Zuna ca Ziforniensis (halfmoon) Oncorhynehus tshamjtscha (king salmon) Los Angeles Orange San Diego County County County Total ~phiodonelongatus 11 14 5 2 7 7

1,733 808 1,299 3,840 P. macu Zato faseiatus (spotted sand bass) 12 376 1,913 2,301 P. nebuZifer (barred sand bass) 2,822 1,235 4,175 8,232 Paralichthys caZifornicus (~alifornia halibut) 1,133 9 2 313 1,538 Sarda chiliensis (~acific bonito) 12,558 440 326 13,32L Scomber japonicus (pacific mackerel) 19,399 2,564 6,568 28,531

2,288 2 17 771 3,276 Sebastes atrovirens (kelp rockfish) 3 7 0 306 343 S. auricu Zatus (brown rockfish) 189 24 175 388 S. caurinus (copper rockfish) 132 29 102 263 S. chZorostictus (greenspotted rockfish) 1,520 292 1,109 2,921

379 374 359 1,112 S. miniatus (vermilion rockfish) 344 112 826 1,282

1,080 60 195 1,335

3,475 604 1,054 5,133 S. rastre ZZiger (grass rockfish) 110 - 41 35 186 - S. serranoides (olive rockfish) 1,332 211 763 2,306 Semicossyphus puZcher (California sheephead) 508 328 597 1,433 Sphyraena argentea (California barracuda) 3 7 2 5 4 9 111 Trachurus symetricus (jack mackerel) 321 9 19 349 - 12 -

TABLE 4. Standard Error of the Estimates for Anglers; January through March 1981.

Los Angeles Orange San Diego

Angler art ies 918 220 590 1,113

Angler days 2,387 556 1,424 2,835

Total fishes landed

No. rockfishes landed barred sand bass black surfperch blue rockfish bocaccio brown rockfish California barracuda California halibut California sheephead chilipepper copper rockfish grass rockfish greenspotted rockfish halfmoon jack mackerel kelp bass kelp rockfish king salmon lingcod ocean whitefish olive rockfish opaleye Pacific bonito Pacific mackerel Pacific sanddab sablefish sculpin spotted sand bass vermilion rockfish white croaker white seabass LJ -

TABLE 5. Catch and Effort Estimates for Divers; January through March 1981.

Los Angeles Orange San Diego County County County Total Diver par ties weekend I weekday i total Diver days weekend weekday total

Diver-hours weekend weekday total

1 No. organisms landed I weekend weekday total

HaZiotis corrugata (pink abalone) H. cracherodii (black abalone) H. fuZgens (green abalone) H. rufescens (red abalone)

I Hinni tes muZtirugosu.s I i (rock scallop) 281 681 41 1,003 PanuZirus interruptus (~aliforniaspiny lobster) 501 2 1 9 4 616 Para labrax ctathratus (kelp bass) Sernieussyphus puZcher (California sheephead) 164 160 3 68 692 - 14 -

TABLE 6. Standard Error of the Estimates for Divers; January through March 1981.

Los Angeles San Diego Orange County County County Total

Diver parties

Diver days

No. organisms landed black abalone California sheephead California spiny lobster green abalone kelp bass pink abalone red abalone rock scallop

TABLE 8. Occurrence of Sublegal-size Fishes in Examined Catches; January through March 1981.

No. % - Scientific name Common name examined legal- Fishes

Atractoscfon nobizis white seabass 18 Para Zabrax c Zathratus kelp bass 601 P. nebulifer barred sand bass 1,246 P. nlactiZatofasciatus spotted sand bass 369 ' Puraiicl~thyscaZifor?zicus California halibut 245 Sphy raena c~gentea California barracuda 24

Molluscs and Crustaceans

HnZiotis rufescens red abalone Pan.uZirus interrz~ptus California spiny lobster sseq dioy jo KauanbuaJl 4atiue-l -1 3un3i3

GI- FIGURE 2. Length froquoncy of spotted sand bass