BajaNomad

Baja Fish Id Book

Allwaters - 4-21-2021 at 05:06 PM

Aloha all, I have recently returned from a three month dirtbag camping trip to Baja. So if you have any questions please feel free to ask me either here or pm me... Anyhow, I had three different Fish identification books with me but they were on Pacific Sportfish thus somewhat generalized, they were okay but still did not have some fish and not very detailed from my perspective... So whilst down there someone showed me one that was a dedicated Baja Fish ID book but I neglected to write its name down... general searches for me online have not resulted in what I am looking for. I am a Sportfisherman so like it when they mention the eating qualities f fish. Any recommendations anyone has out there that I can research for the future?

mtgoat666 - 4-21-2021 at 06:05 PM

I have a few of the laminated sheets for fish ID, and a book for ID. But sometimes the actual fish just doesn’t look like the pics,... that’s when I ask a local fisherman, they always know.

vandy - 4-22-2021 at 03:47 AM

"Fishes of the Pacific Coast" is the one I use.
It mentions edibility for a lot of species.

Nothing approaches the wonderful site DavidK
mentions, but you don't have the convenience
of paging through pictures.

If mexfish.com published their fish IDs in
book form, I would gladly buy a copy.

David K - 4-22-2021 at 08:29 AM

We are just lucky Mexfish.com is still online! Gene retired long ago and I don't know if he is active anywhere on the Internet (or his health)? He lives (or lived) in Valley Center, not far from me.

jamiec - 4-22-2021 at 09:55 AM

I picked up a used copy of the Baja Catch which has great fishing info as well as the commonly caught fish and if they are good for eating. It seems like it is out of print now but I was able to get a good copy from a used book store for about $20, looking at Amazon or eBay, this was a bargain. It took some hunting to find this deal.

I second vandy's suggestion on Fishes of the Pacific Coast

My go-to book for IDing fish is Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes of North America by Eschmeyer, but I don't think it has eating qualities.

For general knowledge of fishes, one of my favorite books is Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast by Milton Love. His writing is hilarious as are his stories about common fishes. Heavily sarcastic with some info on eating fish.

Allwaters - 4-24-2021 at 05:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by Allwaters  
Aloha all, I have recently returned from a three month dirtbag camping trip to Baja. So if you have any questions please feel free to ask me either here or pm me... Anyhow, I had three different Fish identification books with me but they were on Pacific Sportfish thus somewhat generalized, they were okay but still did not have some fish and not very detailed from my perspective... So whilst down there someone showed me one that was a dedicated Baja Fish ID book but I neglected to write its name down... general searches for me online have not resulted in what I am looking for. I am a Sportfisherman so like it when they mention the eating qualities f fish. Any recommendations anyone has out there that I can research for the future?


Online, is Gene Kira's site with Fish ID photos: https://mexfish.com/fish/fish.htm



Pretty much looking for a field guide that I can have on my trips down there. No internet or cell service ((for P hotspots) in most places I go. I know one exists, like a dummy i did not write down or photograf it when I saw it...

David K - 4-24-2021 at 05:18 PM

Tom Miller's book (pictured above) and the more detailed Ray Cannon book 'How to Fish the Pacific Coast' c1964.

Allwaters - 4-24-2021 at 05:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by vandy  
"Fishes of the Pacific Coast" is the one I use.
It mentions edibility for a lot of species.

Nothing approaches the wonderful site DavidK
mentions, but you don't have the convenience
of paging through pictures.

If mexfish.com published their fish IDs in
book form, I would gladly buy a copy.

This is one of the ones I and I do like it but there are fish missing and too generalized as to species...

Allwaters - 4-24-2021 at 05:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Tom Miller's book is very good and very handy in size...






[Edited on 4-22-2021 by David K]


I'll have to look at this one... thnx.

David K - 4-24-2021 at 05:22 PM

Tell me what fish variety-ies you want to see and I will show you them in both the Ray Cannon and Tom Miller books, so you can compare and order the one you like best from a used book source.

Ray Cannon's 1964 book:

David K - 4-24-2021 at 05:29 PM

Allwaters - 4-24-2021 at 05:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by jamiec  
I picked up a used copy of the Baja Catch which has great fishing info as well as the commonly caught fish and if they are good for eating. It seems like it is out of print now but I was able to get a good copy from a used book store for about $20, looking at Amazon or eBay, this was a bargain. It took some hunting to find this deal.

I second vandy's suggestion on Fishes of the Pacific Coast

My go-to book for IDing fish is Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes of North America by Eschmeyer, but I don't think it has eating qualities.

For general knowledge of fishes, one of my favorite books is Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast by Milton Love. His writing is hilarious as are his stories about common fishes. Heavily sarcastic with some info on eating fish.



Thanx, I will look into the Eschmeyer one... Forgot about the Baja catch, although that is the fourth fish book I did carry and invaluable info on spots, general fishing, camping areas and roads, it has terrible diagrams and is poor for fish id. Looking for a dedicated in depth field guide for fish id, the Pacific one I have covers the edibility and is close but leaves me wanting... I come from a Scientific background and maybe I am just too picky. Haha, Amazon showed the Esch one for $809 new! Oh yea I'm getting that one 🤣!
They did have some used for $20... 😃

[Edited on 4-25-2021 by Allwaters]

Allwaters - 4-24-2021 at 05:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by vandy  
"Fishes of the Pacific Coast" is the one I use.
It mentions edibility for a lot of species.

Nothing approaches the wonderful site DavidK
mentions, but you don't have the convenience
of paging through pictures.

If mexfish.com published their fish IDs in
book form, I would gladly buy a copy.


Thanx, that is one of the ones I did carry and is the best one I had but still leaves me wanting more detail and some fish are not in there.

Allwaters - 4-24-2021 at 06:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by jamiec  
I picked up a used copy of the Baja Catch which has great fishing info as well as the commonly caught fish and if they are good for eating. It seems like it is out of print now but I was able to get a good copy from a used book store for about $20, looking at Amazon or eBay, this was a bargain. It took some hunting to find this deal.

I second vandy's suggestion on Fishes of the Pacific Coast

My go-to book for IDing fish is Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes of North America by Eschmeyer, but I don't think it has eating qualities.

For general knowledge of fishes, one of my favorite books is Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast by Milton Love. His writing is hilarious as are his stories about common fishes. Heavily sarcastic with some info on eating fish.



Thanx, I will look into the Eschmeyer one... Forgot about the Baja catch, although that is the fourth fish book I did carry and invaluable info on spots, general fishing, camping areas and roads, it has terrible diagrams and is poor for fish id. Looking for a dedicated in depth field guide for fish id, the Pacific one I have covers the edibility and is close but leaves me wanting... I come from a Scientific background and maybe I am just too picky.