Mission Bch 3-16-2026

[kastmaster]

Personal best jacksmelt! Glassy gentle conditions from 0645 to 0820. Salad become moderate to heavy halfway into session. A few perch bites, one dink landed. All action on the chrome and orange kastmaster.

[Calmwater]

That's a pretty large jacksmelt! No skunk is a good thing; especially when salad is on the menu. Thanks for the photo!

[Perch killer]

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

[kastmaster]

Jacksmelt was not among my initial guesses when it hit! Decent fight. Maybe they are more common than we think (?) but the strategies / baits / lures surf fishermen normally throw at them doesn't result in many catches? They do occur in the diets of CA sea lions at the Channel Islands, though in relatively small numbers compared to squid, anchovies, sardines.

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

[Jusbigguns]

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

I caught one fishing with you Bill.

[Perch killer]

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

I caught one fishing with you Bill.

Yes Tom, I remember. Believe it was last December, my last session before knocking off for the winter.

[jwacky]

Jacksmelt was not among my initial guesses when it hit! Decent fight. Maybe they are more common than we think (?) but the strategies / baits / lures surf fishermen normally throw at them doesn't result in many catches? They do occur in the diets of CA sea lions at the Channel Islands, though in relatively small numbers compared to squid, anchovies, sardines.

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

I don't have the extensive surf fishing experience that many others here do, but the handful of jacksmelt I've caught this winter have all been on days with little to no wave action and minimal swells. My crackpot theory is that this tricks fish into coming in my closer than they otherwise would, or perhaps they have more room to "run" from larger predators.

They're a fun fight. Harder than a large perch but not quite the strength of a corbina, and obviously not the weight. I was surprised the first time I caught one because it wasn't on my radar as a possibility at all.

Added bonus, they're quite tasty! In my opinion, anyway. The internet seems divided on that one

[Midnightpass]

Congrats on your PB... I can't remember if I ever caught one down there... I've caught a ton up here in OC/LA... I couldn't get away from them at Alamitos Peninsula... Got so I hated them... Slimy, stinky and small mouths that swallow your hook... My fishing buddies dubbed me "Smelt Boy" .... I have caught them as far north as Pismo Beach... They fight pretty decent, but flop around like a mackerel when they hit the beach..
Butch

[Midnightpass]

Added bonus, they're quite tasty! In my opinion, anyway. The internet seems divided on that one

I haven't eaten one, but I, like you, heard both ways on taste...
Butch

[kastmaster]

My calm water theory dovetails with yours. Since I have ever only caught them within a few feet of the surface, I was wondering if only calmer conditions in ocean surf allow for my typical kastmaster strategy to work on them.

Jacksmelt was not among my initial guesses when it hit! Decent fight. Maybe they are more common than we think (?) but the strategies / baits / lures surf fishermen normally throw at them doesn't result in many catches? They do occur in the diets of CA sea lions at the Channel Islands, though in relatively small numbers compared to squid, anchovies, sardines.

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

I don't have the extensive surf fishing experience that many others here do, but the handful of jacksmelt I've caught this winter have all been on days with little to no wave action and minimal swells. My crackpot theory is that this tricks fish into coming in my closer than they otherwise would, or perhaps they have more room to "run" from larger predators.

They're a fun fight. Harder than a large perch but not quite the strength of a corbina, and obviously not the weight. I was surprised the first time I caught one because it wasn't on my radar as a possibility at all.

Added bonus, they're quite tasty! In my opinion, anyway. The internet seems divided on that one

[Jusbigguns]

Over the past 10+ years fishing Mission & PB beaches, never caught or seen one caught from the surf until the past 6 months or so. Perhaps the warmer than usual winter water temps ? Anyone care to opine ?? Thanks for sharing also !

I caught one fishing with you Bill.

Yes Tom, I remember. Believe it was last December, my last session before knocking off for the winter.You mean before you entered the PGA?