No. It is NOT legal to fish for or catch white sharks, as they have been protected in California since January 1, 1994. White sharks in California are also protected by federal regulations and must be immediately released if caught accidentally. Under these protections, it is illegal to catch, pursue, hunt, capture or kill a white shark, which includes intentionally attracting white sharks with bait or other methods. Commercial fishing operations may not intentionally target white sharks, but are allowed to land sharks incidentally caught in some fishing nets.