Stories, history & know-how from the SoCal Bight
Angler stories, the history of this fishery, deep dives on the fish, and straight talk on gear, from the people who run this coast.
History · FeaturedWhy the Coronados hold the longest season in Southern California
Warm water from the south, a short run from Point Loma, and a set of islands just over the line: why San Diego boats are still bent in the fall.
How to catch lingcod in Southern California: rock, swimbaits and live bait
Lings move up onto the rock in fall. Here is where they sit, what to drop on them, how to handle the hitchhiker, and how to get one in the boat with your fingers intact.
White seabass without squid: jigs, swimbaits and spoons for the daytime bite
No squid in the tank and no light boats on the grounds. Where white seabass hold in daylight, which jigs and swimbaits get bit, and the tackle to turn them.
Mackerel off the pier: catching Pacific mackerel from Southern California piers
Mackerel are the pier fish everybody catches. Where they hold around a pier, when they come up, what to tie on, and what to do with them after.
Halibut from shore: catching California halibut off piers, beaches and jetties
You do not need a boat for a big halibut. Where shore fish lie in spring, how to rig live bait on a pier and lures in the surf, and how to get one up the rail.
Winter fishing in Southern California: what still bites from November to March
The tuna boats stop, the counts get shorter, and a lot of rods go in the garage. Here is what is still worth chasing between storms, and how to pick the days.
Fishing out of Dana Point: the kelp, San Clemente Island and the blue water
Kelp and reef close in, the shortest Orange County run to the blue water out front. The landing, the grounds, the protected areas and how the year runs.
Fishing out of San Diego's Point Loma: the kelp, the Coronados and the banks
The warm water reaches San Diego first and leaves it last. The landings, the kelp, the Coronados and the numbered banks, and how the year usually runs.
Swordfish or marlin? How to tell a broadbill from a striped marlin
Two fins on flat water in October. Bill, dorsal, keels, color and how each fish shows on the surface, so you can call it before anybody reaches for a gaff.
How to catch sheephead in Southern California: reef, bait and the fall bite
Sheephead keep eating when the calico bite goes quiet. Here is where to drop, what bait stays on the hook, and how to win the first ten feet.
How to catch bonito in Southern California: breakwaters, bubbles and fast chrome
Bonito come close to shore when the water warms. Here is where to look, what light tackle to bring, and four rigs that get them to bite.
White seabass and the squid spawn: why the ghosts follow the squid
Find the squid and you have found the seabass. The island squid grounds, the night and grey-light bite, and the rigs that put a live squid in front of a ghost.
Thresher sharks in Southern California: the nearshore shark that hunts with its tail
Threshers stun anchovies with a tail as long as their body, a few hundred yards off the beach. How they feed, when they show, and the bait that keeps the hook out of the tail.