MINIMUM SIZE
14 in total length
Species · Bass
Calico bass fishing in Southern California
Paralabrax clathratus
The green-and-gold ambush king of the kelp forest, SoCal's home-team fish that lives here all year.
TYPE
Calico (kelp) bass
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Paralabrax clathratus
TYPICAL SIZE
1–4 lb (grade fish 5–7 lb+)
LIVES IN
Kelp forests & boiler rocks
STAYS PUT
Year-round resident
BEST MONTHS
Late spring – fall
calico bass regulations
DAILY BAG
5 bass, all species combined
OPEN SEASON
Year round
The five-fish limit is shared with barred sand bass and spotted bay bass, and no more than four of the five may be barred sand bass.
14 CCR 28.30, as read on October 9, 2026. Limits, seasons and marine protected area boundaries change, so the CDFW ocean sport fishing regulations are the authority, not this page. Check them before you keep anything.
Meet the calico
The calico, kelp bass, is the fish SoCal grew up on. You don't need a long run offshore; calicos live right along the coast and around the islands, all year. They're a green-and-gold ambush predator that hides in the kelp and pounces, then tries to wrap you in the stalks.
Where calico bass hang out
Right in the kelp forest and the boiler rocks: the thicker and gnarlier the structure, the better. Calicos are homebodies, not migrators, so a good reef holds fish reliably. That said, they bite best when the water's warm and slow down when it gets cold.
How big calico bass get
Most calicos are 1–4 pounds of scrappy fun. A “grade” fish over 5 pounds is a real one, and a genuine bragging-size calico over 7–8 pounds is old and wise, which is why so many anglers let the big ones go to keep the fishery strong.
How to catch calico bass
Throw a swimbait or plastic right at the kelp and swim it back, or soak a live sardine on the edge of the structure. When one bites, lean on it hard and pull it away from the kelp fast, give a big calico any slack and it's gone into the salad.
Where to catch calico bass
The grounds that hold calico bass within reach of each home port, south to north. Follow a port through for its season, the rest of the water it reaches, and the rules that apply there.
- Point Loma
- THE CORONADO ISLANDS
- LA JOLLA KELP & CANYON
- Oceanside
- SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND
- CARLSBAD & OCEANSIDE KELP
- Dana Point
- SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND
- DANA & SAN ONOFRE KELP
- Newport Beach
- CATALINA ISLAND
- Long Beach
- THE BREAKWATER
- CATALINA ISLAND
- HORSESHOE KELP
- San Pedro
- CATALINA ISLAND
- HORSESHOE KELP
- THE BREAKWATER
- Marina del Rey
- THE BREAKWATERS & JETTIES
- HORSESHOE KELP
- Channel Islands Harbor
- ANACAPA ISLAND
- SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
- Santa Barbara
- SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
- ANACAPA ISLAND
- THE CHANNEL KELP
Seasons, depth limits, size and bag limits and marine protected area boundaries are set by CDFW and change from year to year. Check the current rules for the ground you are running to before you keep anything.
🐟 FUN FACT
Calico bass grow slowly and can live 30+ years, so that trophy is decades old. Check current CDFW size and bag limits, many anglers release the big breeders on purpose.
More species
Bluefin TunaYellowfin TunaYellowtailDoradoRockfishMarlinWhite SeabassBarred Sand BassCalifornia HalibutCalifornia BarracudaPacific BonitoLingcodCalifornia SheepheadSculpinOcean WhitefishSpotted Bay BassPacific MackerelAlbacoreShortfin MakoCommon ThresherGiant Sea BassOpahSwordfishSkipjack TunaCabezonPacific Sanddab
From the logbook
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