California Department of Fish and Game, Marine Resources Region
Abstract
The catch landed and effort expended by private-boat
sport fishermen was studied in Los Angeles County
between October and December 1980, 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 94,000 organisms were landed by 22,000
anglers and 1,200 divers. The major components of the
catch were Pacific mackerel, Scomber japonicus, 29,000
landed; white croaker, Genyonemus lineatus, 17,500
landed; and Pacific bonito, Sarda chiliensis, 11,500
landed. These three species comprised two-thirds of
the total catch.
Anglers' compliance with size limit regulations was
variable. Nearly 80% of all measured bass, Paralabrax
spp., were legal size, but only 50% of the California
halibut, Paralichthys californicus, were legal size.
Divers showed much better compliance with the size
limit regulations: 96% of all California spiny
lobsters, Panulirus interruptus, were legal size. (14pp.
