Discover the Largest White Seabass Ever Caught in California

June 20, 2020, may have begun like any other day for spear fisherman John T. Rieger. By day’s end, he had set a new California fishing record.

While diving off the coast of Santa Barbara, he caught a weighty white seabass. The scale at the first but unofficial weigh-in read 92.2 pounds for the five-foot-plus behemoth. A scale certified by Santa Barbara County recorded 94.4 pounds. The Current California Angling and Diving Records list Rieger’s catch measuring 63.4-inches long and weighing 94.6 pounds, thus making it the heaviest white seabass ever caught with a spear in California.

Justin Barry holds the California angling record for his 79-pound white seabass, which he caught using a lure at the Pajaro River Mouth in Santa Cruz County on October 14, 2011.

White Seabass

White seabass can be tricky to catch, regardless of whether you’re fishing with a rod and reel or a spear. Prized among fishermen for their mild flavor and thick, meaty texture, this fish enjoys a reputation for being a ghost. In fact, of its many nicknames, including white weakfish, seatrout, king croaker, and Catalina salmon, among others, one in particular highlights the fish’s elusive nature: “The Silver Ghost.”

While the word “bass”—a term used for many ray-finned fish—is in its name, the white seabass is a species of croaker, belonging to the family Sciaenidae. The largest member of the croaker family, Atractoscion nobilis, its scientific name, this fish species serves up excellent fillets, which hold together well for grilling, frying, and baking. It’s a popular fish for California’s fishermen, and while these fish can and do grow substantially large, any fish over 60 pounds is quite remarkable.

Description and Size

These fish feature elongated, bluish-gray upper bodies with dark speckling and flashy, silvery bellies. Juvenile white seabass sport dark vertical bars and countershading along their sides, which helps camouflage them in the ocean depths. As they age, these bars fade. Their mouths are large with a slightly larger lower jaw.

In southern California, spawning season occurs between April and August. Males and females will meet near rocky shorelines or by kelp beds. As broadcast spawners, female white seabass will release up to 1.5 eggs into the water. One or more males will release sperm over the free-floating eggs, thereby fertilizing them.

The eggs develop as they are suspended in the water column. Over the next several months, they will grow into fry (baby fish), capable of swimming, which allows them to travel to shallow, coastal waters with eelgrass beds for shelter.

On average, 1-year-old white seabass weigh about 6 ounces and are 5 inches in length. However, by age 5, they weigh around 7.5-8 pounds and are 28 inches long. Ten years later, at age 15, white seabass weigh 37-38 pounds and are 4 feet long. White seabass typically live 12-20 years.

White seabass weighing more than 90 pounds have been recorded in California, as the record shows, though most don’t exceed 60 pounds. The average length of an adult white seabass is between 24 and 60 inches.

Diet

On the marine food chain, there are primary producers, such as phytoplankton, which are eaten by primary consumers, such as zooplankton. Primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers, secondary consumers by tertiary consumers, and so on.

White seabass fall into the secondary and tertiary consumer or predator categories, so they eat smaller fish such as anchovies, sardines, and mackerel. Depending on availability, they also eat squid, crustaceans, and other marine invertebrates. Juvenile white seabass primarily survive on mysid shrimp.

While they prey on a number of creatures in the ocean, white seabass serve as dinner for predators higher on the food chain, such as sharks, sea lions, and people. However, their camouflage and behavior have made them an elusive fish to reel in; their countershading helps them to hide, and schooling together aids in their survival.

Habitat

White seabass travel along the Pacific coast, from as far north as Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, to the south, although they seem to congregate in the waters off California.

When they first hatch, white seabass dwell in shallow coastal waters, where they can hide in drifting debris and seaweed and algae. As juveniles, they relocate to bays with plenty of cover, such as eelgrass beds, kelp beds, or piers. Adults move into a wide range of habitats, including kelp beds, reefs, offshore banks, and the open ocean. It is not uncommon to find them at depths of 400 feet.

Status

The white seabass has had a rocky history in terms of its population, as this species is popular among both sports and commercial fishermen. According to the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER), “This susceptibility is likely due to a combination of factors, including relatively slow growth, the long-lived nature of the species, variability in recruitment success[,] and the aggregating behaviors displayed by white seabass during the spawning season.”  

Nevertheless, the population is doing well now. The Aquarium of the Pacific reports, “To increase their numbers, fish hatcheries were introduced and strict limits were placed on how many individuals could be taken [in California].” The success of these efforts is reflected in the fact that the white seabass is of Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.