Species index · Saltwater + Freshwater
California fish species
Identification, current regulations, seasonality, habitat, and tactic notes for every species in the GhostFingers Fish catalog. Public domain rule text from CDFW, paraphrased for clarity. Always verify against cdfw.ca.gov before keeping fish.
Inshore saltwater
Sand-and-kelp species along the southern + central California coast. Most accessible from shore, pier, kayak, or inshore boat.
California halibut
Sand-bottom ambush predator. Spring + summer surf-zone bite. Drift live bait or slow-grind soft plastics on the bottom.
Calico bass (Kelp bass)
SoCal's marquee inshore bass. Lives in kelp and hard structure. Surface iron at first light, plastics through the day.
Barred sand bass
Sand-bottom cousin of calico. Summer spawning aggregations on hard-bottom flats are the half-day boat fishery's bread and butter.
California corbina
Summer surf-line sight-fish trophy. Cruises the wash at low tide hunting sand crabs. Closest CA has to bonefish flats fishing.
Barred surf perch
The everyday CA surf fish. Year-round, accessible, fun on light tackle. Sand crabs are the killer bait.
Yellowfin + spotfin croaker
Coming with the V1 catalog.
Offshore + nearshore saltwater
Channel + island species. Boat, kayak, or spear. Some have closed seasons or strict bag limits.
White seabass
The grail species. Big croaker that holds at kelp grounds and feeds on grunion in spring. Most prized trophy of the SoCal nearshore.
Yellowtail
The trophy nearshore pelagic. Powerful fighter that holds at kelp paddies and structure spring through fall. SST-driven seasonal run.
Pacific bluefin tuna
The SoCal big-game grail. Summer pelagic. Recreational regulations change every year. Verify before fishing.
Rockfish complex
Genus Sebastes, 60+ species in CA. Bread and butter of California bottom fishing. Management complex; live regulation overlay essential.
Lingcod
Big-headed bottom predator. Spring spawn shallow-water bite is the iconic shore-accessible window. Excellent eating.
California spiny lobster
The most-targeted recreational crustacean. Season opener early October is the iconic SoCal calendar event. Report card required.
Freshwater
Sierra trout, Central Valley bass, Delta stripers, coastal steelhead. Regulations vary by water body. Fly is a first-class mode.
Rainbow trout
Coming with the V1 catalog.
Steelhead
Coming with the V1 catalog.
Largemouth + smallmouth bass
Coming with the V1 catalog.
Striped bass (Delta)
Coming with the V1 catalog.
What each species page contains
- Identification: distinguishing marks, similar species to avoid confusion with
- Current regulations: size limit, bag limit, season status, gear restrictions, special-water rules
- Seasonality: months when fishable, peak windows, water-temperature preferences
- Typical habitat: depth, bottom type, structure
- Tactic notes: bait, lure, fly patterns that work, presentation
- Where caught: spots in the GhostFingers Fish catalog that hold this species
- Link to CDFW source for full regulation text
The full species library lands with the app.
Plus live season + bag overlay on every catch entry. Closed-species hard gate. No accidental tickets.