Description of Calico Bass

The calico sea bass (also known as kelp bass) lives in the kelp forests primarily in Southern California and Baja. They are a rare fish averaging around 1-3 pounds and reaching a low double digit high. They hit hard for their size and if you’re not careful they will go back to the algae and engulf your line. I have fond memories of battling the rocks in Southern California and Baja Mexico trying to find good places to pitch for these guys. Later I caught them on party boats in Southern California and pangas in Baja.

Calico seabass taste good, but grow slowly so I usually release them. You can easily handle them by grabbing your lower jaw in a similar way to what you would do with a largemouth bass. They have teeth that are larger than largemouths, so if you plan on handling a lot of them, you might consider wrapping your thumb in a special band-aid or tape created for this purpose so that your thumb doesn’t get crushed. They have sharp spines on their back so watch out for them.

Low Calico Tackle

I typically use a medium weight saltwater baitcasting setup. I like to use a 7′-8 ‘rod with a 15-30 pound capacity and a good baitcasting reel with a fast recovery ratio like a Daiwa Pluton or a Shimano Curado. I always use a braided line as this can sometimes cut through the algae if the bass gets back there and wraps you around. A 30-50 pound fluorocarbon leader can be helpful at times if they don’t bite into the braid straight. If you’re not fishing alongside the seaweed, you can get away with a 12- or 15-pound leader.

Calico Bass Techniques

Calico sea bass can be easily caught with both baits and lures. You can catch them from shore, but like most anglers, your chances are best from a boat. Chuming with small anchovies is an effective method of getting them to feed if you have a large bait tank. Once they are actively feeding near the boat, you can cast lures or baits at them.

Calico Bass Lures

Calicos easily bite into a number of artificial lures that mimic small fish, but I have caught most of my Calicos using 5 “plastic swimbaits. My favorites are made by a company called Big Hammer. I like them in the colors of Halloween, Mackerel and Sardine. Just plug them into a 1 / 2oz-1oz head of lead or so and drop them into the seaweed. Let them sink a bit then pick them up steadily. When something bites, set the hook right away and twist it like crazy to catch them. of the algae before they engulf you. Don’t fall asleep in the sink as they will often bite into each other as they sink. A weed-free lead head can help reduce snags in the algae You should vary the time you let them sink until you find the depth of the water where the fish hang.

I’ve had luck catching Calicos in Krocodile spoons when they feed on anchovies. However, I generally prefer to fish for plastics because the single hook makes it easy to release.

In recent years, many skilled calico fishermen have used large plastic slugs to target trophy fish. I haven’t tried this yet, but I plan on doing it next time I go to Baja.

Calico Bass Baits

For the smaller Calicos, one of the best baits is a live anchovy. Find a live one and drop it in the seaweed. If the calicos are around and you’re hungry, you shouldn’t have to wait long to eat. Attach the hook immediately to prevent the fish from swallowing the bait and catching on the gut.

Sardines also make a good Calico bait. If you are only targeting the larger ones, a live mackerel is a good option. Many large calico hunters like to fish for “brown baits” – larger perch, croaker, and other fish that are sometimes mixed with anchovy or sardine baits. Stick a bigger hook on one of these, cast it to a promising spot, and get ready.

If there are squid around, these are good Calico baits, either live or freshly killed. You can stick them on a lead head.

Where to get the great Calico Bass

Some large fish are caught in Southern California each year (San Clemente Island can be good), but if you want to maximize your chances, you should fish in Baja locations, such as the seaweed south of San Quentin, Cedros Island, and further south. Any area with seaweed should contain some large Calicos.