What is this fish?

I can't find my copy of Milton Love's book Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast, so can anybody tell me what this is?

I caught it in Monterey today, and it's only about 6 or 7 inches long. I caught one more that was a little bigger, and it appeared that there was a school of them...

 I am clueless!

Some type of shad?

Google lens says it's a largescale blackfish.  Whatever that's worth.. 
https://www.fishbase.se/summary/6537

How did it taste?

I've seen those off San Diego.  I think they're called blacksmith.

opaleye?

It's a species of damselfish. Most people call them blacksmith or blue perch.

https://www.pierfishing.com/blacksmith/

It's a species of damselfish. Most people call them blacksmith or blue perch.

https://www.pierfishing.com/blacksmith/

That's definitely it. It sounds like they are only common in SoCal, but the article does say "I have seen a few blacksmith landed at Monterey Wharf #2". It also says "An inshore species rarely taken from boats", which makes me feel special...

I agree with others ... Blacksmith Perch .. I've caught them in LA Harbor area and on local 1/2 day party boats.

I agree with others ... Blacksmith Perch .. I've caught them in LA Harbor area and on local 1/2 day party boats.

Perfect name for the fish, btw, as it looks like it was hammered out of metal…

Hah, Andy caught one by the Coast Guard Pier on Saturday claiming it was a tilapia 

Definitely blacksmith!
They were really run to catch off the piers growing up in socal.

Hah, Andy caught one by the Coast Guard Pier on Saturday claiming it was a tilapia 

Haha! Yes, I heard somebody chatting about that on the radio during the MBK tournament, and never realized that I too had caught the famous saltwater tilapia...