Straight talk on tackle and technique
Jigs, bait, rigging and technique for Southern California, in plain language, from people who fish it.
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.
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.
Deep-drop swordfish in Southern California: the canyons, the rig and the drift
In 2019 local anglers started dropping squid a thousand feet down in daylight, and the swordfish catch went from a handful to more than a hundred. Here is how the rig works.
Spotted bay bass on light tackle: plastics, tides and structure in the bays
A light rod, a small grub and a moving tide. The gear, baits and structure that catch spotted bay bass inside the bays, plus why almost every one goes back.
Sculpin: rigging, handling the spines, treating a sting, and when they bite
The rig is simple and the fish is not picky. The spines are the hard part. A plain guide to catching, holding and unhooking sculpin, and what to do if one gets you.
Sanddab fishing in Southern California: where to drop and how to rig
Small, easy and some of the best eating in the ocean. The deep mud, the canyon piers, the small-hook rig and the trick of letting the other hooks load up.
Making bait: catching Pacific mackerel on a sabiki and keeping it alive
Half of a serious trip is getting bait. Greenback or Spanish, sabiki hook sizes, how to fill the tank without a bird's nest, and how to keep the bait kicking.
California halibut: drifting live bait and bouncing swimbaits
Halibut lie in the sand and wait. Drift speed, the Carolina and sliding sinker rigs, swimbait leadheads and why you should never pump a halibut to the boat.
How SoCal crews catch marlin: sight-casting, trolling and the release
Most local marlin are spotted before they are hooked. Reading the fish, the mackerel, the tackle, the trolling spread and the release.
Bluefin tuna tackle for Southern California: outfits from fly line to kite
Light enough to get bit, heavy enough to land the fish. The bluefin outfits SoCal anglers carry, and what to pack for an overnight or a multi-day.
Swimbaits and plastics for calico bass: weights, sizes, colors and retrieves
A plain guide to the soft plastic every local calico angler carries: what weight to tie on, how to rig it for kelp, how fast to swim it, and when bait wins.
Rockfish rigs: dropper loops, shrimp flies, sinkers and lingcod gear
The dropper loop, shrimp flies, squid strips and the right sinker: a plain guide to rockfish rigs, plus lingcod tactics and the descending device.
The iron: picking jigs that actually get bit in SoCal
Surface vs. yo-yo, weight and color: a plain-language guide to the jigs in every local's rail bag, and how to fish them.