Bass Boom : A plentiful season and resulting good market prices are predicted by a local commercial fisherman.

As sure as the seasons come and go, so do the fishing seasons, which decide whether or not a particular species can be harvested.

For local commercial fishermen, June 16 means the opening of the white sea bass season. Sea bass fishing has been closed along the California coast for the past three months during spawning season.

And if local fisherman Bill Sutton’s projections are right and there is an abundant catch this year, sea bass devotees should benefit from good market prices.

Sutton commandeers his fishing vessel to help fill the shelves of his Seafresh Seafood markets. He owns two--one in Ojai, the other in Ventura.

“It looks like it might be an excellent season for sea bass,” Sutton said. “Because of the cold water tides and a large amount of bait fish, we could see some really nice catches.”

Like other game fish, Sutton said, sea bass will follow and feed from large bait fish schools, such as anchovies. “They also love to feed on squid,” he said.

Although some local sea bass is taken right off Ventura County’s shore at the Channel Islands, fishermen will also be traveling farther south to Catalina Island for their take.

“There really isn’t a specific place to find the fish,” Sutton said. “The name sea bass implies it will swim all over. But basically we catch it around the islands.”

Harvested with the use of nets, strewn out from fishing vessels at depths of 10 to 120 feet or more, commercially caught sea bass will average between 10 to 12 pounds.

“A white sea bass will get up to 60 pounds,” Sutton said, “but normally you won’t catch one that large because they just break through the web.”

And while the law binds a fishermen to release back to the sea all sea bass less than 28 inches long, Sutton said it’s unlikely that a fisherman will catch one that small anyway. “The mesh size of the net can be no smaller than six inches,” he said. Hence, the smaller fish swim through the netting and are left to mature.

And what type of fish-finding gadgetry do Sutton and others employ to stalk the white sea bass?

“The water color is one indication of where to find sea bass and other fish,” he said. “For example, a kind of dark, milky chocolate color is good for salmon; sea bass like it a little lighter, a little cleaner,” Sutton said.

The color of the water, he said, is one indicator of a plankton population in the area. A basic understanding of the food chain explains why the sea bass--or any other predator--would be found there.

Bait fish--including the sea-bass’ delicacy, squid--feed on the microscopic animal and plant life floating in the water. The larger fish--such as sea bass--feed on bait-fish types.

As Sutton explains it, “The fish follows the bait fish, which follows the plankton. And we’re the real big fish that follows everything.”

The ‘water color indicator’ is simply a clue to where the bass are, not the answer, of course.

“No matter what, though, they’ll roam the islands,” he said. And so go Sutton and his fishing brethren.

Now you may have noticed fish at your local seafood outlet marked “white sea bass” and indeed it was probably just that. But, according to Sutton, it probably came from Mexico.

“They catch a different variety of sea bass in Mexican waters,” he said. Although a cousin of local sea bass, Sutton said it is not quite so tasty as the variety caught off the California coast.

“Local is better because it will get to the market sooner,” Sutton said. “You don’t have the shipping at the border. Here, it will go from the boat to the market in most cases.”

“Sea bass are highly prized,” Sutton said. He said this is one fish that you should not use for just any utility recipe.

“You don’t want to deep-fry it,” he said. “Make it simple like you would halibut.”

MARKET NOTE: The Oxnard Downtown Certified Farmers Market will celebrate its grand opening today. The market, at the corner of 7th and B streets, across from Heritage Square, will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays. The year-round market will feature local fresh-picked produce, a variety of plants and cut flowers, and weekly entertainment.

* WHERE AND WHEN

Seafresh Seafood markets are at 533 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 646-7747, and 9278 Telephone Road in Ventura, 647-2000.

SERVING SUGGESTIONWHITE SEA BASS

We called on Bill Sutton’s wife, Mayra, for this week’s white sea bass serving suggestion.

“One of our most popular ways to prepare sea bass is a Mexican seafood salad called Ceviche,” she said. Seafresh customers gobble it up quickly. “We can’t keep it in the store.”

Conspicuously missing from this recipe is the time allotment for cooking, for good reason--there is none. Serve it up fresh.

“Marinating in lemon juice for 24 hours cooks the fish,” she said.

Ceviche

1 pound fresh white sea bass, cubed into half-inch pieces

1 cup lemon juice

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

3 whole green onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

Tabasco sauce

Salt

Pepper

Marinate cubed fish in lemon juice for 24 hours, mixing occasionally. Drain. In large bowl, mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Add Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled with crackers or tortilla chips. Use as you would regular salsa or serve as an appetizer.