How To Catch Any Fish
  How To Catch Any Fish
  • Home
  • Species Guides
    • Saltwater Fish >
      • Barracuda >
        • Great Barracuda
        • Pacific Barracuda
      • Barramundi
      • Bass >
        • Calico Bass
        • Sand Bass
        • Spotted Bay Bass
        • White Sea Bass
      • Billfish >
        • Black Marlin
        • Blue Marlin
        • Pacific Sailfish
        • Striped Marlin
      • Black Drum
      • Bonefish
      • Groupers >
        • Broomtail Grouper
        • Goliath Grouper
        • Leopard Grouper
        • Tropical Cods
      • California Sheepshead
      • Dorado
      • Emperor Fishes
      • Giant Needlefish
      • Halibut (California)
      • Halibut (Pacific)
      • Lingcod
      • Mackerels >
        • Cero Mackerel
        • King Mackerel
        • Pacific Sierra
      • Pink Salmon
      • Redfish
      • Rockfish
      • Snappers >
        • Barred Pargo
        • Golden Snapper (Fingermark)
        • Green Jobfish
        • Mullet Snapper
        • Mutton Snapper
        • Pacific Cubera Snapper
        • Red Bass
        • Red Snapper
        • Yellow Snapper
        • Yellowtail Snapper
      • Sheepshead
      • Silver Salmon
      • Snook
      • Speckled Trout
      • Tarpon
      • Trevallies and Jacks >
        • African Pompano
        • Amberjack
        • Blacktip Trevally
        • Bluefin Trevally
        • Brassy Trevally
        • California Yellowtail
        • Giant Trevally
        • Jack Crevalle
        • Longnose Trevally
        • Queenfish
        • Rainbow Runner
        • Roosterfish
      • Tuna >
        • Albacore
        • Bonito
        • Dogtooth Tuna
        • Skipjack Tuna
        • Yellowfin Tuna
      • Wahoo
      • Yelloweye Rockfish
    • Freshwater Fish >
      • African Tigerfish
      • Arapaima
      • Arctic Grayling
      • Arowana (South American)
      • Bass >
        • Hybrid Striped Bass
        • Largemouth Bass
        • Peacock Bass
        • Rainbow Bass
        • Smallmouth Bass
        • Striped Bass
        • White Bass
      • Catfish >
        • Blue Catfish
        • Channel Catfish
        • Redtail Catfish
        • Sharptooth Catfish
        • Suribim Catfish
        • Vundu Catfish
      • Clown Knifefish (Featherback)
      • Dolly Varden
      • Golden Dorado
      • Jacunda
      • Jaguar Cichlid
      • Machaca
      • Muskellunge
      • Nembwe
      • Panfish >
        • Bluegill
        • Crappie
        • Central American Cichlids
        • Yellow Perch
      • Payara
      • Pike
      • Piranha
      • Sardinata
      • Sheefish
      • Taimen
      • Tilapia
      • Trout >
        • Brook Trout
        • Brown Trout
        • Lake Trout
        • Rainbow Trout
      • Walleye
      • White Sturgeon
      • Wolf Fish
  • Tackle Tips
    • Lure Reviews >
      • Bomber Fat Free Shad
      • Heddon Super Spook
      • Heru Bobara Lure Review
      • Sebile Stick Shadd
      • Heru Cubera Popper
      • Surface Iron Review
      • Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow Review
    • Gear Selection
  • Fishing Tips
    • Why Do Fish Bite?
    • Fishing Knots
    • How to Release Fish
    • Lure Fishing
    • Bait Fishing
    • Intro to Fly Fishing
    • Pound for Pound Fight Ratings
    • Miscellaneous Tips
    • Seasickness
    • Getting Kids Into Fishing
    • California Party Boat Fishing
    • Float Tube Fishing
    • Fishing Travel Tips
    • Preventing Insect Bites
    • How Not To Catch Fish
  • Trip Reports
    • US and Canada >
      • San Diego 10 Day Long Range Trip
      • 100 Trout in Montana
      • God's Lake Canada - Pike, Trout, and more
      • Colorado Trouting
      • Admiralty Island, Alaska Lings and Things
      • Lake Tawakoni - Catfish and Stripers
      • Shallow Water Bull Redfish - Louisiana
      • Lake O the Pines Texas Crappie
      • Cocodrie Louisiana Marshes
      • Alaska Sportsman's Lodge - Rainbows, Salmon, and Bears
      • South Florida Freshwater Exotics
      • Aniak River, Alaska - Trout, Salmon, Sheefish
      • Calcasieu and Venice Louisiana - Redfish and Trout
      • Southern California - A Summer of Party Boat Fishing
      • White River Arkansas - Brown Trout
      • Dry Tortugas, Florida - Massive Reef Variety
      • Boca Grande - Goliaths and Much More
      • Hawk Lake Ontario - Bass, Pike Walleye
    • Central America >
      • Quepos Marlin and Roosterfish
      • Drake Bay, Costa Rica - Inshore Quick Trip
      • Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica and Punta Burica, Panama - Offshore and Inshore
      • Osa Peninsula Costa Rica - Inshore Pargo and Roosters
      • San Quintin, Mexico - Yellowtail and Calico Bass
      • Cebaco Bay, Panama - Inshore Popping and Jigging
      • Rio Indio Nicaragua - Tarpon, Rainbow Bass, and More
      • Lake Agua Milpa Mexico - Family Bass Trip
      • Puerto Vallarta - Marlin, Mahi, Tuna, Pargo
      • Puerto Vallarta - Big Offshore Giants and Pargo
      • San Quintin, Mexico - White Seabass and Barracuda
      • Puerto Vallarta - Roosterfish Mania and Freshwater Bass
      • Puerto Vallarta - Inshore/Offshore Slam
      • Puerto Vallarta - Summer Inshore Monsters
      • San Evaristo Mexico - Baja Inshore Variety
      • Rio Parismina, Costa Rica - Tarpon
      • Mariato Panama Fall Giants
      • Mariato, Panama Inshore Bonanza
      • Mariato, Panama - Wind and Tuna
    • South America >
      • Jurassic Trout in Patagonia
      • Amazon Arapaima and Peacocks in Brazil
      • Parana River Argentina - Golden Dorado
      • Colombia - Amazon Peacocks and Payara
      • Trinidad Tarpon Madness
      • Colombia Pacific Coast
      • Amazon Bolivia - Big Payara and Variety
      • Amazon, Brazil - Peacock Bass, Wolffish, and Catfish
      • Amazon Brazil - Peacock Bass and Exotics
    • Asia and the Pacific >
      • Mongolia - World's Largest Trout
      • Burdekin, Australia - Big Barramundi and Reef Variety
      • Great Barrier Reef Australia - Insane Reef Variety
      • Aitutaki, Cook Islands - Giant Trevally Popping and Napoleon Wrasse
      • New Caledonia - Popping Giant Trevally
      • Marshall Islands- Remote Reef Exotics
    • Africa and the Middle East >
      • Malagarasi Tigerfish
      • Zambia - Floodplain Tigers and Bream
      • Madagascar - Wild Reef
      • Tanzania Offshore
      • Tanzanian Tigerfish
      • Oman GTs and Inshore Variety
  • About/Contact
  • Videos
    • How To Videos
  • Best Places to Fish
    • Aitutaki
    • Amazon
    • Bolivia
    • California
    • Costa Rica
    • Florida
    • Great Barrier Reef
    • Mexico Fishing - Baja
    • Panama
    • Puerto Rico
    • Puerto Vallarta
  • Trophy Gallery
Picture
The author's Spotted Bay Bass caught in San Evaristo, Baja Sur, Mexico
Spotted Bay Bass
Paralabrax maculatofasciatus
HOME
Other Species


​Spotted bay Bass Description

The Spotted Bay Bass, as the name suggests, is found throughout bays and harbors in Southern California and Baja.  It has been heavily fished in Southern California and is not nearly as abundant as it used to be, but if you know what you are doing you can still land a good number of them in Newport Harbor and other harbors down the coast.   They are also very prevalent in some parts of Baja. 

This is a great fish to target if you don’t have a boat because you can catch them from shore or from float tubes.  They are a scrappy fighter for their size, although they only get to a few pounds.  A 4lber is a nice size fish and puts up quite a fight on ultralight tackle.

I have no idea how they taste because I have always thrown them back.  I encourage everyone to do the same.

Spotted Bay Bass Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 5 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale

Spotted Bay Bass are very scrappy for their size.  However, they don't get all that big.  They fight a bit harder pound for pound than Calico Bass or Sand Bass in my opinion.


Spotted Bay Bass Culinary Rating - Medium

I have heard they taste ok, but I have released all the ones I have caught.

Spotted Bay Bass Tackle

This is a light tackle fish.  I would use a light spinning or baitcasting setup rated 4-8lbs.  I usually use 6lb test line.  A Daiwa Certate in the 2000 size would be perfect. 

Spotted Bay Bass Techniques

I recommend targeting obvious structure in bays and harbors such as pilings.  They eat a variety of baits and lures.  Make sure you fish when the tide is moving.  Let your bait or lure drift the same direction that the tide is flowing past structures.

Spotted Bay Bass Lures

Most of the Spotted Bay Bass I have caught have been on 3” plastic swimbaits such as those made by Big Hammer.  A variety of colors will work; personally I like lime green with a brown back.  Cast them towards structure and let them sink.  The bite is often quite subtle so you have to watch the line for any indication that something has stopped the lure.  When in doubt, set the hook.  You will catch a lot more fish that way.

Trolling small crankbaits such as Rapala DT6 in shiny colors works well although I’m not usually a big fan of trolling.

Spotted Bay Bass Baits

Small anchovies work very well.  Just cast them towards structure without any weight and set the hook as soon as something hits.  I have heard they eat ghost shrimp and blood worms as well although I have never used those. 

Where to get the big Spotted Bay Bass

I have never fished for them on the Pacific side of Baja, but I have heard that there are some big ones in the lagoons near Mag Bay and La Bocana.  Newport and San Diego harbor still have some, although you have to work harder to get them than you used to.
Picture
A photo from the author's youth, caught in Newport Harbor, California.

Click a pic below to enlarge