Anyone catch croakers in Northern Cal?

"In 1978 the California Department of Fish and Game carried out a major, independent sportfishing survey in southern California. The results of that survey indicated that approximately one million angler-trip hours per year were spent fishing and that one in three fish caught was a white croaker (Genyonemus lineatus). There was no attempt by the Department of Fish and Game to determine the disposition of caught fish. We conducted a subsequent survey in 1980 which included 12 popular sportfishing sites in the Los Angeles area. Our results also indicated that one in three fish caught was a white croaker. In addition our survey showed that 82% of the sportfishermen ate the white croaker they caught and the median consumption was 14.8 g day−1 person−1. White croaker were then sampled by hook-and-line from 11 of the 12 survey sites plus two control sites and analysed for PCB, DDT and BaP. Median PCB levels ranged from 0.014 to 0.41 mg wet kg−1; median DDT from 0.059 to 7.5 mg wet kg−1 and BaP was below detectable limits of 1 ng for all sites."

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PCBs cause tumors in laboratory animals. EPA lists PCBs as probable human carcinogens.

Studies suggest that PCBs are also toxic to the immune system, reproductive organs, and thyroid."

PCB's have a very long persistence, and cycle through the food chain.

Nuff info?

So, don't eat croakers in La?

+1 to the SC/Cap areas, usually find them when I want no part of them and they end up stealing all my bait.  Have tried several times to use them for bait but nothing to show for it for me. 

Used to always catch them right off the warf in SC.  One day I was tossing one back and a guy walked up and saw what I had in my hand.  He got on his phone and in an hour there were like 20 guys rolling up with rods and buckets and started to keep every single one they could catch.  They had about 5 buckets full by the time I left and I asked them what they were good for...  His answer was: Soup. 

I caught one of them in Santa Cruz this weekend and used it for bait but no taker.