Authored by Douglas Mefford in Fishing
Published on 05-09-2009
The determined angler will enjoy a world of excitement off the coast of California by taking on the challenge of fishing for the wide variety of outstanding deep sea fish to be found teeming in the Pacific. The opportunities to enjoy such exciting sport can be found all along the 1,100 miles of coastline through the many charter boating services both large and small, or even with a private, but properly equipped boat.
Charter service will provide the best possible experience as the captain and crew should be knowledgeable of the game fish as well as ocean conditions that would indicate a potential for trouble. Be sure your Charter is registered in the port of departure. This way you can investigate the ethics and skill of the boat and crew. An unregistered boat may lead you anywhere with no assurance that the crew is at all skilled in locating deep-sea game fish.
With the majority of deep sea fishing in the United States being done off the coast of California, it is easy to see why there are so many charter services available. As it is so popular, some species of fish have been hunted almost to the point of becoming endangered species. This is another critical reason to charter a well-know professional service as they will be knowledgeable of the increasing conservation laws that affect deep sea fishing in California and can keep you from running afoul of game laws. Deep-water fishing requires knowledge of special regulations. Unlike freshwater fishing, deep sea fishers are not allowed to “catch and release” as the deep water fish would not survive being brought up and then released on the surface.
This would also include knowledge of such places as the four thousand square mile conservation area created in the 1990’s for the species cowcod. With their population and that of the bocaccio rockfish so depleted, this area will be off-limits to fishermen for many years to come. Deep sea fishing in California was almost stopped in 2003 due to a drastic drop in the number of game fish. There are now specific seasons for fishing the deep-water species. This does not mean that deep sea fishing in California is so restricted as to be no fun. Such species as marlin, tuna and swordfish are still plentiful and put up such a fight as to be well worth the effort to seek them out in the depths of the Pacific.
Another aspect of deep sea fishing in California does not involve a pole and a hook. Increasingly, the call for eco-tours and wildlife sightseeing journeys are being made to the professional charter services. Whale watching is only one aspect of these no-kill hunts. Although seeing these great beasts in their natural habitat is a great drawing card for no-kill deep sea tours, dolphin spotting and swimming with these friendly sea going mammals adds a further element to the rich diversity of activities one can find in the deep waters off the California coast.
