The Giant Seabass may be thought of as the West Coast Goliath Grouper. It's a humongous inshore bottom dweller, easily harvested and severely overfished.

How big

It's estimated that these fish can grow to over 7ft and up to 800lbs. They are also very long lived, able to reach up to 75 years.

Distribution

The species is endemic to Californian and Mexican waters, ranging from Humboldt Bay, CA to the Gulf of California. They are found over rocky or sandy bottoms or around kelp beds normally between 30 and 100ft deep.

How to catch

Fishing-wise, any baitfish such as anchovies, Pacific mackerel, croaker, or squid or crabs should work fine. However, this species is considered critically endangered and has been protected in California since 1981. Fishing is only allowed in Mexico, where the limit is two fish per angler per trip.

Good to eat?

Yields tasty flesh, but release is recommended, even if fishing is allowed.