Pursuing an Inshore Favorite:
A Calico Primer
by Craig Smith
An introduction to chasing one of our favorite fish. All photos by author, except where noted.
When and Where
One of the common names for calico bass is “kelp bass” and this gives the angler an obvious starting place to search for fish. But do not limit your search to the kelp forests. Calico bass can be found around all types of structure: jetties, rock piles, wrecks, reefs, man-made platforms, and so on. Just about anywhere you find structure, down to 150 ft, in the waters off Southern California, you are likely to find calico bass.
Calicos are resident fish, and can be found in local waters year-round. The fish may move from place to place to find locations more to their liking due to water temperature or food availability, but they still remain in the region.
Late Spring through early Fall are the most productive times, because warm water temperatures make the fish active and bring the fish higher up in the water column. Early and late in the year, when water temps are low, the fish move deeper and become less active.
Calicos may be caught any time of the day, but low-light periods, including night, with some current or tidal flow tend to be the most productive. The fish will be more likely to be near the surface during periods of low light, and the tidal flow will bring food to the structures where the bass prefer to hang out. The low overcast sky (often referred to as the "Marine Layer") present along much of the Southern California coast from late Spring through mid-Summer often contributes to long periods of productive fishing.
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