Despite their great size and bulky appearance, giant sea bass have been known to move extremely quickly, outstripping bonito.

[11]: 150  Caught off the Central and Southern California coasts in the 20th century, the peak catch of the giant sea bass was in 1932.

[13] By the late 1970s, biologists with the California Department of Fish and Game, recognized that the local population of giant sea bass had declined.

[14] As of 2004, it is suggested that the population size of giant sea bass in California may be increasing as it is under protection; however, there is no hard data to support it.

[12] The total breeding population in California in 2018 is estimated to be around 500 individuals, of which 40 to 50 return to spawn around Catalina Island each year.

[15] Giant sea bass remain understudied in the Mexican portion of its range, although efforts are underway to monitor the population size, genetic connectivity, and fishing pressure along the Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula.

[11]: 209  In 1981, United States commercial fishermen were initially allowed to catch up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of giant sea bass per trip into Mexican waters, and no more than 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) per year; in 1988 the regulation changed to only allow a single giant sea bass fish to be taken in per trip if taken incidentally.

[18] Within those waters for over half a century the average catch of giant sea bass by Mexican fishermen has been 55 tonnes (55,000 kg).