If you caught a fish this pretty, would you eat it? Northern California kayak fisherman Gary Charles used a chrome jig to fool this Tiger Rockfish in 80 feet of water off the Sonoma Coast this October. Tigers are rarely seen in California, being more common to the north, and also more of a deep-water rockfish. Current California fish and game laws prevent rockfishing deeper than 240 feet in most areas.

Tiger Rockfish Sebastes nigrocinctus, are considered by some to be a subset of the similar banded Flag Rockfish. "Flags are one of the most elegant of the rockfishes." So said David Starr Jordan and Charles H. Gilbert, pioneering ichthyologists who published their Pacific fisheries studies as early as 1880. "In beauty of coloration it surpasses all other fish on the coast." Of all the Flags, the Tiger may be the most spectacular.

Described as growing up to 24 inches in length, the fish Gary is holding is likely 100 years old. Gary's note to KFM-

"Released unharmed."

Gary Charles (BullShark) of Sacramento
Sonoma Coast Oct 12th
80ft of water
8oz hammered finished chrome jig