Regardless of the number, if we want to have a healthy Kelp Bass population, we must conserve or risk what has happened to many Atlantic species over the past several decades.

Kelp bass are found in and around kelp beds and seaweed flats, but this is not he only habitat that they can be found in. The Kelp Bass can also be found near the shore in rocky areas and around reefs as they all offer great sources of food. And despite their namesake, they can also be found around sunken debris.

Like all bass, they can be found near underwater structures such as sewer pipes, old tires, oil platfosrms, chunks of sunken street cars, rock ledges, sunken logs and other underwater structures. On the other hand, the young kelp fry prefer to stick around the kelp as it provides them protection and nourishment.

Even as the Kelp Bass grow into adults, they still prefer the cover of the kelp beds and will lay in wait to strike out at their prey. Many anglers prefer to lure the Kelp Bass outside of the kelp beds as it becomes a lot more difficult to catch them as the line tends to get tangled up as they dive down into the beds after striking the lure.

Kelp Bass, like all other bass, will move around depending on their source of food. If food is plentyful and there is good cover, there is no need to move about. However, if food is scarce, they will get up and find a new locale.

Popular Foods

Kelp Bass top foods include plankton, small invertebrates, algae, bait fish, octopi, squid crab and shrimp. All are very common along the coast of North America in their distribution area from the Oregon boarder down to and along the Mexico peninsula.

Popular Lures

Popular and successful lures for catching Kelp Bass include the Big Hammer, the Fish Trap and the Worm King. To function properly, these must be cast and retrieved continuously. Good colour schemes include olive and brown.

Sonar & GPS

The Kelp Bass can be found at various depths, going as deep as one hundred and fifty feet. Bass Fishing Gurus recommends the use of a sonar and GPS combo unit if you are or will be a regular angler of kelp bass. While they can be found all along the coast of California up into the state of Washington, the best fishing is along the coast of Mexico and the southern tip of California.

Threatened Species?

The Kelp Bass are very slow to grow and are adversely effected by cool temperatures. Forty years leading up to the 1970s, the global climate went through a cooling phase, much as today we are in a warming phase. Over the same time period, the number of anglers fishing Kelp Bass has increased putting pressure on the population.

California has even gone as far to place a ten fish limit on them in order to protect them. While the Kelp Bass is not endangered, most anglers and angler associations encourage the practice of the Catch and Release. Many go even further than argue that the 10 fish limit is too much.

Regardless of the number, if we want to have a healthy Kelp Bass population, we must conserve or risk what has happened to many Atlantic species over the past several decades.