Kelp Bass

About Kelp Bass in Mexico

How to recognize it

Southern California anglers call it calico bass, and the look explains the name: a brown to olive-green body with a pattern of pale, squarish blotches across the back and upper sides. The dorsal spines are fairly even in height, unlike the tall third spine of the barred sand bass, and the mouth is large with a projecting lower jaw. Big males can turn darker and show an orange tint on the chin.

Where and when in Mexico

Known officially as cabrilla sargacera, the kelp bass is tied to the giant kelp forests and rocky reefs of the Baja Pacific coast, from the Coronado Islands and Ensenada south toward Isla Cedros. Kelp bass are a regular in Mexico Fish Reports' Ensenada counts, with records running back to 2004. Punta Banda, the Todos Santos Islands, Isla San Martín and the San Quintín kelp lines all produce. Fishing is good much of the year, but late spring through fall, when the water warms and bait is plentiful, is the peak. Typical catches run 1–4 pounds.

How it's fished

Casting is the name of the game. Swimbaits on leadheads, surface iron and topwater plugs are worked along kelp edges, while live anchovy or sardine fly-lined into the kelp draws bites when the fish are finicky. Pull hard once hooked, or the fish will wrap the line in the stalks.

Good to know

Kelp bass are slow-growing, and large fish are many years old. Releasing the big ones is common practice among Baja kelp anglers.

Fishing rules in Mexico

• General limit: 10 fish per angler per day, max 5 of one species

Source: NOM-017-PESC-1994 §4.9.1 (2013 mod.). Rules change; confirm current limits, seasons and permits with CONAPESCA before you fish.

Where Kelp Bass are caught in Mexico

• Ensenada 1,885 counted · last Sep 2026

Fish counts by year

From fish counts posted by the Mexican landings on Mexico Fish Reports. Years with no posted counts are not shown.

Boats catching Kelp Bass (2025–2026)

• El Cazador Ensenada 100 counted on 7 trips
• Sammy Ensenada 58 counted on 4 trips
• Horse Ensenada 48 counted on 3 trips
• Don Jesus I Ensenada 15 counted on 3 trips
• Coco Loco Ensenada 7 counted on 1 trip
• Yaz - Itzi Ensenada 4 counted on 2 trips
• Azteca (MX) Ensenada 2 counted on 1 trip
• El Guero Ensenada 2 counted on 1 trip

Kelp Bass photos from Mexico

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