Good fish ID book ?

Can anyone recommend a good book for West coast fish ID'ing ?

I'm familiar with the common (and some not so common ones), but wouldn't mind finding a guide with accurate pics of what we can find out here.  In some of the field guides I've seen...the pics look nothing like the fish of that species I've seen.    Prefer photos over drawings. 

Surely theres a good one out there ?

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fishingpassport/idbook.asp

detailed illustrations by top artists (NCKA member doing the Albion Artwork this yearAmadeo Bachar),

Joseph Tomelleri and Jeremy Taylor

THE ROCKFISHES OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC

By Milton S. Love, Mary Yoklavich, and Lyman Thorsteinson

It doesn't get any more informative than this.

That book is great, with pretty pictures and all    There are also a lot of other ID resources on the DFG website too! : http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/fishid.asp

Like this one: http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/groundfish/RockfishGuide/index.htm   

But until I was comfortable id'ing fish for myself on the water I brought along a laminated fish id chart, that I am not sure who gave me, but they seem be handed out around the time rockfishing opens.  I've got one like this: http://www.rockfishid.com/JohnPRODUCT.html and be happy to pass it on to you if you like. 

Hey, what the heck?!?  Just notice our boy SinCoast is posted on this page here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/groundfishcentral/groundfishid.asp      Nice pic Pat!  Who's the other guy in the yak??

Oh ya hahaha I forgot about that. I have a couple other photo creds on there too. The pic of the guy in the yak isn't one of mine though--it's Blake bkayaking.

I got a couple of those laminated, foldable charts from rockfishid.com and they're great. Those DFG fish ID books are good resources too. But the Milton Love book is the best. 

THE ROCKFISHES OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC

By Milton S. Love, Mary Yoklavich, and Lyman Thorsteinson

It doesn't get any more informative than this.

It certainly does get more informative than this.  Milton Love has a new book out!!!

Certainly More Than You Want to Know About The Fishes of The Pacific Coast  by Milton Love

www.reallybigpress.com

-Allen

Good source for a few different books so many species so little room... 

http://www.rockfishid.com/JohnPRODUCT.html

I like to have a few different options, and the references I use are all here already! Anything by Dr Love (how cool a title is that?) is going to be quirky and packed with good info.

sometimes it's nice to have the illustrations and sometimes the photos work better, so having a couple of different books-ID charts makes the ID process more fun.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fishingpassport/idbook.asp

detailed illustrations by top artists (NCKA member doing the Albion Artwork this yearAmadeo Bachar),

Joseph Tomelleri and Jeremy Taylor

This is a free guide that covers many species including shellfish and invertebrates. But you might have to wait a while to receive one in the mail.

This is a very detailed guide. But it only contains drawings, no photos. And best of all, it is free!

http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt896nb2qd&brand=calisphere&doc.view=entire_text

Thanks all for the info !! 

"I've got one like this: http://www.rockfishid.com/JohnPRODUCT.html and be happy to pass it on to you if you like. "  -  PM me your address and I'll send a sase.  Thank you !

I just ordered a copy of the Rockfish of the Northeast Pacific.

I like to have an actual book in hand to flip through.  I live out in the country and internet service isn't the greatest, so I can't always get online to "study."

Ok, so rockfish I think I'm good on...how about something for fresh.....different trout, salmon, bass, panfish, blah blah, blah....
obviously the DFG site for free info, but what about an actual book ?

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/board,35.0.html

I like to have an actual book in hand to flip through.  I live out in the country and internet service isn't the greatest, so I can't always get online to "study."

Ok, so rockfish I think I'm good on...how about something for fresh.....different trout, salmon, bass, panfish, blah blah, blah....
obviously the DFG site for free info, but what about an actual book ?

The 2 guides I posted are actual books!

For single copies of the California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book, please contact the DFG Publications address below. To buy books in bulk and/or to become a distributor, please review our Partners, Sponsors and Supporters page for details.

DFG Publications
1807 13th Street, Suite 104
Sacramento, CA 95811
[email protected]
Phone (916) 322-8978

The other one is also a DFG publication.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Guide+To+The+Coastal+Marine+Fishes+of+California&hl=en&prmd=imvnsb&biw=1280&bih=864&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5738259568982961745&sa=X&ei=vsfWTuvhGKmqiQLphpXjCQ&ved=0CFcQ8wIwAA

But you can print out the 237 page book for free at

http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt896nb2qd&brand=calisphere&doc.view=entire_text

Thank you