How common are Blacksmiths?

I just saw them for the first time over the weekend.  Around 20FOW, mixed into a school of blues.  Looks like a hybrid between a blue rockfish and a garibaldi.  I was tempted to take one, but the big scales reminded me of a perch, so I passed.

In the ~100 hours of bottom time I have on the central coast, I haven't seen them before.  A sign of warmer waters?  Or maybe I'm just blind?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromis_punctipinnis

they are very common in SoCal, especially at the islands.
Could be that warmer water temps have brought them farther north this year.

I see em off and on up here...have seen more of them and halfmoons in the past 12 months or so but have seen them before...

  http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=40108.0

I put em in the same category as sheephead and opaleye and calicos...SoCal transplants that if you spend enough time in the water up here you will see...

 

Sincerely,

Jim

how do they taste?

how do they taste?

Meh.

I haven't shot another one and that was three years ago.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I see em off and on up here...have seen more of them and halfmoons in the past 12 months or so but have seen them before...

  http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=40108.0

I put em in the same category as sheephead and opaleye and calicos...SoCal transplants that if you spend enough time in the water up here you will see...

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Glad I didn't take one then, if you haven't eaten one since!  I also saw a school of MASSIVE opaleye near the same spot.  Much bigger than I've seen in SoCal.