The small croaker LA pier rats call herring. Not a true herring. They school by the thousand under the lights.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Mid-water around pier lights and bait receivers — Santa Monica, Redondo, Shoreline Village, Cabrillo.
Listed with the no-limit species in T14 CCR §27.60(b). No minimum. A Sabiki is the tool. They make excellent live bait for calicos and halibut if you keep them alive.
Queenfish (Seriphus politus) are small, silvery croakers often called herring or brown bait by pier anglers. They have a large, upturned mouth, a widely separated first and second dorsal fin, and no chin barbels, which helps separate them from white croaker.
Queenfish school near sandy bottom and around piers. They are one of the most frequent catches from LA piers, including Santa Monica, Venice, Hermosa, Manhattan, Redondo and the Long Beach piers. Schools often move up into the water column at night.
Present year-round. Night fishing under pier lights is often best.
Queenfish are small and bony but edible. OEHHA's LA coastal advisories rate queenfish at up to 2 servings a week for all groups.
Queenfish are on the no-limit list (T14 CCR §27.60(b)), so there is no bag limit or minimum size. The two-rod limit still applies on public piers.
Many LA pier anglers catch queenfish not to eat but to use as live bait. A lively queenfish on a light Carolina rig or a sliding sinker rig is a classic halibut bait from piers such as Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan. Keep bait alive in a bucket with fresh seawater and change the water often.
White croaker have small barbels under the chin; queenfish do not. Queenfish also have a widely separated first and second dorsal fin and an upturned mouth. Getting the identification right matters south of the Santa Monica Pier, where OEHHA says no one should eat white croaker, but queenfish are rated at 2 servings a week.
Queenfish are small and bony, so most people fry them whole after scaling and gutting.
Still subject to two-rod pier gear rules.
CDFW general ocean bag — queenfish →
Independent-site disclaimer: this summary is for orientation only and can change in-season. Confirm with CDFW before you keep a fish. Fish in LA is not affiliated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A small croaker that LA pier anglers often call herring or brown bait.
No. Queenfish are a no-limit species under the ocean regulations.
OEHHA advises up to 2 servings a week for all groups along the LA coast.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
