Willy, I woulden't touch this with all the sticks Fishy has touching end to end. An that includes yours an Jim Halls.

Ray

 

Awe cmon Ray I know you have an opinion on this.Just tell me is it wrong? They sure taste good.

 

Can I morally eat a bass or does it conflict with Karma or JuJu?
Eat away, I eat it once in awhile with no karma or juju effects noticed so far


Can I feel OK about it?

Yes, you should feel fine. Ca DFG has not seen the need to put any stop on the take


Should I fillet or eat it Asian style?

However you like dude

Is one method of preparation OK or should I avoid it all together?

I've seen some of the long range boats get enough for a meal, and serve up a nice fresh lunch, yum!


If I fillet my bass the yield won't be as good as if I just gill and gut it?



Again, however you like dude


Is one way or another a waste of the resouce?

Well, I think trading for cans is out, and since you can't sell it, no way to put a dollar amount on donations@(

Or if I suggest eating a 5 pound fish am I morally bankrupt?

I prefer smaller, but whatever blows up your skirt


What do you all think, I just don't know the answer anymore.


Neither do I, thanks for the humorous thread

 

I think it is morally reprehensible and an outrageous use of the resource to eat a calico bass...........











.........unless it has been batter dipped and deep fried! They make great fish and chips! 8):tu:


FISH HARD!

 

some one is having some delicious bass, it dominates the fish counts year after year. Personally, I never kill a coastal fish, 5 max at Catalina only if no exotics, 10 at SCI and Channel Isles again only to save face and enjoy a few great fresh fish meals. Everyone that fishs Calico Bass needs to go swim with and feed them at the reserve at Avalon C.I. at times HUNDREDS of 3-10 LB fish to play with. If I have a fishing dream left it would be to fish a big ride in Baja with 20 Bro's and plug the boat with live Calicos and release them at lets say off of Laguna beach the 1st time.

 

Awe cmon Ray I know you have an opinion on this.Just tell me is it wrong? They sure taste good.

Lets put it this way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I take the 5th.

I do like those tiny frog legs.

Ray

 

Willy, HOW MANY ANGELS CAN DANCE ON THE HEAD OF A PIN?

Eat a calico. Like all such ethical dilemmas, it sorta depends on the associated details. (It ain't just black and white.)

You catch the calico down Baja way, in one of those areas where they are as thick as fleas? You are catching calicos from 3-8 pounds left and right? If you keep one or two in the 4-5 pound range to eat, it seems to me like you are ok.

I realize you are worried about their slow growth rate, as well as the fact that the reproductive ability goes as roughly the square of their size. (That is, a 8lb bass produces 4X the amount of eggs as a 4lb bass.) But down Baja way, I think that you can kill a few bass with equanimity.

Ok, now you are fishing a boiler off PV, on a good day. You are catching 30-40 bass this day, all 1lb to 4lb. Should you keep 2 or 3 to make calico sandwiches? Seems to me that, ONCE IN A WHILE, it's OK. Probably don't want to do it every time out, most folks couldn't, but if you are that good, then maybe every second/third time. If you keep the 2 pounders and let the 4 pounders go, you are doing it ethically, in my opinion.

I fished small trout streams where you could take 2 fish. I was pretty good a fly fishing. In a day, I might catch 12 trout, from 10-18 inches. If I really wanted to eat some trout, I'd keep 2 of the 10-12 inch fish. I never felt unethical.

Given what I've learned here at AC, I wouldn't ever take a whole limit of calicos in SoCal (it's 5 fish, right?). But to take 1 or 2 moderate sized fish, I don't see nuthin wrong w/it.

(I freely admit, I purely do enjoy the taste of calicos. I also happen to like sandbass, which for some reason, which I don't understand, folks seem to disparage. Also wierd, is that even tho sandbass have the same growth characteristics as calicos, they are considered acceptable to catch??)

Cheers.

 

Willy, I woulden't touch this with all the sticks Fishy has touching end to end. An that includes yours an Jim Halls.

Ray

Awe cmon Ray I know you have an opinion on this.Just tell me is it wrong? They sure taste good.

Yo Willy!

Ray's still trying to get past your's and fishy's, and Jim's "sticks" all touching! 8@


FISH HARD!

 

Lets put it this way,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I take the 5th.

Me too! (hic!) In sour mash or (hic!) single malt! :tu:


FISH HARD!

 

I am a Calico fin-attic.

With that said here's my take on the subject matter....

I practice catch and release most of the time especially when I'm fishing local with rubber.

But.. certain times (once or twice a year) I actually target the sportcoats with one thing in mind.. eating them because I love eating calico bass more than any other fish. There simply is no better eating fish IMHO!

Hey, it's not like I'm putting a dent in the population like the cattle boats for crying out loud.

I recommend CPR but if you want to eat a few then keep the smaller models and have yourself the best fish fry there is!!

For example I caught this nice limit of checker's off of platform Emma on flylined 'chovies with a coffegrinder and it was some tasty eats...

Slow to grow so let them go but if you must then only keep a few dozen for table fare during the year and let the big girls go.

CK

 

Yes it is morally right to eat calicos.....a perfect calico is about 4# to 5# steamed rubbed with brown bean sauce and stuffed with fresh ginger and cilantro......sear with smoking hot oil. If you have a lot of guests like 6 people a 8# calico would do.

I don't understand the release all calicos cult...:?

If you don't waste them and you stay within the legal limit why not eat them....yum!!!

 

Sure seems to be 11 calicos laying there, so do you know the limit, if not it's 10, 12" or more in length.

 

I never knew Calico Bass was such a universal fish, we have an opinion from a corn field and a recipe from Hong Kong

 

(since I don't eat fish) can I donate the Calicos to charity and deduct the market value off my taxes?

 

(since I don't eat fish) can I donate the Calicos to charity and deduct the market value off my taxes?

Only if that charity is based in Arizona and also accepts chicken feet!

FISH HARD!

 

Yes it is morally right to eat calicos.....a perfect calico is about 4# to 5# steamed rubbed with brown bean sauce and stuffed with fresh ginger and cilantro......sear with smoking hot oil. If you have a lot of guests like 6 people a 8# calico would do.

I don't understand the release all calicos cult...:?

If you don't waste them and you stay within the legal limit why not eat them....yum!!!

I have some fillets in the freezer if you would like to come over for dinner fishy. You have to cook though.

 

Willy is a very well experienced and intelligent fisherman, and I'd guess this post is partially tongue in cheek, and partially to see the current thinking of other anglers. In might be useful for less expereinced anglers, especially those who don't know a lot about calico bass (aka "kelp bass"). For those less expereinced people, the issue is that calicos are very slow to grow and reproduce, which added to the facts that they consistently live near structure (which means its easier to locate likely habitat thatn with migratory fish) and there are a lot more anglers now than a couple of generations ago, coupled with the fact that they are extremely tasty, means that there are lot fewer of them along the coast than there were in times past. The daily limit is 10 fish, all of which must be at least 12" long. At 12", they are just starting to reproduce and are 6-7 years old (might be off a bit on the age, I'm doing this from memory). Some people are of the opinion that since the legal limit is 10 a day, then there is nothing wrong with taking 10,under the belief that the law reflects what is ok and if it were a problem they'd change the law. My own belief is that one only need very briefly consider how many laws on the books are questionable, and all the laws that don't exist but that should, to realize that what is legal is not necessarily what is right. My own take is that I usually have 1-2 calico meals a year and throw back the rest. I pretty much automatically throw back any larger models, and the ones I keep are roughly 12-15". If it looks like it won't survive, I keep it regardless. As for methods of cooking, I'm with Fishy--I like them Chinese style. They're indeed delicious breaded too, but then they could be just about any type of fresh rockfish and be equally tasty, I like the Chinese style to really taste the fish more. Often I just take a gill and gutted fish, cut some slits in the side, and stuff the slits with slivers of fresh ginger and garlic, pour on a little soy sauce and sesame oil and steam them whole. Hmmm. Any recipe for rockfish can work with calicos of the same size and vice-versa. All JMO.

This post edited by Brad_G 08/13/2008

 

No problem with the Calico population, so long as people don't go for muliple limits per week they should be fine.
Be aware that DFG has contamination warnings in some areas.
Point Fermin/Whites Point San Pedro for one area. DDT sewer outfall.
They list 'Safe Levels' 6 onces every 2 weeks max, I think.
It is in the back of the DFG regulations handbook.

Do you guys 'Trust' DFG with the 'Safe Levels' and there advice :?
DR

DR

 

Was it morally right for that Calico to eat that Sardine in the first place?

I have a friend who is a diver. I used to tell him about catching Calicos and one day while on a fish/dive trip with him on his boat for lobster opener, I caught one and showed it to him. His comment was, "You mean that's the highly prized Calico Bass? Those things are as thick as fleas on a hound dog down there in the kelp."

I usually catch one or two as an incidental catch when at Cedros. I let them go, but that's just me. They sure are pretty.

 

Was it morally right for that Calico to eat that Sardine in the first place?

I have a friend who is a diver. I used to tell him about catching Calicos and one day while on a fish/dive trip with him on his boat for lobster opener, I caught one and showed it to him. His comment was, "You mean that's the highly prized Calico Bass? Those things are as thick as fleas on a hound dog down there in the kelp."

I usually catch one or two as an incidental catch when at Cedros. I let them go, but that's just me. They sure are pretty.

Steve when I catch an incidental one, I take it to the cook and have him make it for me for lunch. Freash Calico is mighty tasty!

 

"""" Brad said""My own take is that I usually have 1-2 calico meals a year and throw back the rest.""""

Brad we have seen you fish. I didn't know you caught that many fish.


as stated take only what you can eat. If you kill it you eat it.

Cooked in Garlic and butter with an alfredo sauce over noodles.

bry

 

Calico has never been my favorite---but Spotted Owl and California Condor are unreal good. Garlic and butter is all you need.

 

Willy, A very good and insightful thread but for this fisherman I have the following story that pretty well sums it up. This one time in band camp......... No thats not it. Oh yeah, The Russians just finished a 3000 metric ton super sucker/kelp cutter to catch and process Calico Bass. This amazing Cannery on the water can wrap or suck large quantities of calico bass from within the kelp beds and I have heard that in one set (Also known as a suck) can yield up to 400,000 cans of 6 oz. calico bass. Apparently the bass, upon being caught in the great suck simply shed their own skin from fright and from the thrashing about after the skin is shed the bass somehow rub the meat from each others bones, falling gently into the gathering and canning tanks at the bottom of the holding pen. Thus, No hydrolic fluid or other environment contaminating substances are used in the processing of the fish. For those of you who are concerned with the possibility of the fish feeling pain from this process please be aware the owner of the ship has an LSD manufacturing plant aboard which is released into the water to assure these wonderful and long lived fish only see a beautiful array of colors on their journey into the cans. This disproves the absurd notion fish are color blind. It is believed the meat removing thrashing is really an orgasmic reaction to the LSD absorbed by the fish through their gills and thus the fish may come as it goes. Since the ship is considered to be a "Green" ship since it runs solely on the oils that are produced by the caught and processed bass it is accepted by all nations of the planet and welcomed in every port as a testimonial to what humans can do if they just put nature first and use their technology for good instead of evil. Even the hull and infrastructure of the ship are made from the by products(The bulkheads are from the ground bones of the bass sintered into an ultra strong webbing with layers of the skin of the fish criss crossed and bonded to create the skin of the hull) all combining to create a class 5 sailing vessel capable of withstanding the hurricanes felt along the coasts of many bass producing nations. I will post pictures of this marvelous ship still fishing for bass in Malaysia during the big storm a few years ago. In fact, it was used as a jumping off point for those incredibly brave surfers who attempted to be the first to ride those Tsunamis from the break all the way into town. I have been informed that if you stand behind the exhaust stacks you might smell something like the aroma's that came out of moms kitchen. For me, I hope that is not the case as my mother was a terrible cook. Bill, I hope this helps in answering the question that seems to be keeping you awake at night and soothes any concerns or fears you might have had in your previously noted consideration for the health and welfare of Calico Bass as well as your own person be judged by this esteemed and well informed fishing community. As long as your cooking for the fish is done with "Green" in mind then you have not violated any laws or moral obligations the fishing community might have set up. In short, may all your Calico bass turn green before you eat it. See ya in November Jamie

This post edited by fishordie 08/13/2008

 

Willy, A very good and insightful thread but for this fisherman I have the following story that pretty well sums it up. This one time in band camp......... No thats not it. Oh yeah, The Russians just finished a 3000 metric ton super sucker/kelp cutter to catch and process Calico Bass. This amazing Cannery on the water can wrap or suck large quantities of calico bass from within the kelp beds and I have heard that in one set (Also known as a suck) can yield up to 400,000 cans of 6 oz. calico bass. Apparently the bass, upon being caught in the great suck simply shed their own skin from fright and from the thrashing about after the skin is shed the bass somehow rub the meat from each others bones, falling gently into the gathering and canning tanks at the bottom of the holding pen. Thus, No hydrolic fluid or other environment contaminating substances are used in the processing of the fish. For those of you who are concerned with the possibility of the fish feeling pain from this process please be aware the owner of the ship has an LSD manufacturing plant aboard which is released into the water to assure these wonderful and long lived fish only see a beautiful array of colors on their journey into the cans. This disproves the absurd notion fish are color blind. It is believed the meat removing thrashing is really an orgasmic reaction to the LSD absorbed by the fish through their gills and thus the fish may come as it goes. Since the ship is considered to be a "Green" ship since it runs solely on the oils that are produced by the caught and processed bass it is accepted by all nations of the planet and welcomed in every port as a testimonial to what humans can do if they just put nature first and use their technology for good instead of evil. Even the hull and infrastructure of the ship are made from the by products(The bulkheads are from the ground bones of the bass sintered into an ultra strong webbing with layers of the skin of the fish criss crossed and bonded to create the skin of the hull) all combining to create a class 5 sailing vessel capable of withstanding the hurricanes felt along the coasts of many bass producing nations. I will post pictures of this marvelous ship still fishing for bass in Malaysia during the big storm a few years ago. In fact, it was used as a jumping off point for those incredibly brave surfers who attempted to be the first to ride those Tsunamis from the break all the way into town. I have been informed that if you stand behind the exhaust stacks you might smell something like the aroma's that came out of moms kitchen. For me, I hope that is not the case as my mother was a terrible cook. Bill, I hope this helps in answering the question that seems to be keeping you awake at night and soothes any concerns or fears you might have had in your previously noted consideration for the health and welfare of Calico Bass as well as your own person be judged by this esteemed and well informed fishing community. As long as your cooking for the fish is done with "Green" in mind then you have not violated any laws or moral obligations the fishing community might have set up. In short, may all your Calico bass turn green before you eat it. See ya in November Jamie

You know I really poured my heart and soul into this thread, I just didn't FEELthat it was OK. I will sleep well tonight for the first time in a long time. All this ethics talk about ones catch and what to do with it made me FEELso out of sorts. Now for the first time in a week I feel like less than a heartlessbastard. LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This post edited by willy 08/13/2008

 

Jamie, did you have a cpl cans of that laced LSD bass this morning? Please send me a case. This is the funniest piece that I have read in a long long time.

Ray