SAN DIEGO LOCAL — The local ½-day runs were experiencing some of the best bass fishing in a while, a notch above last season’s summer bass bite with up to triple digit keeper bass scores on ½-day runs. Again, exceptional bottom biter opportunities this season are on tap as compared to previous years, with the upper 9-mile bank available and even the coastal grabber spots biting well.
CENTRAL COAST — Morro Bay and Avila halibut chewing for local privates and 6-pack operations. Partyboats doing well on rockfish as usual. There was an up-tic in results for the Avila fleet while Morro Bay anglers worked to keep the pace.
SANTA BARBARA/VENTURA COAST — Phenomenal coastal surface fishing, barracuda and bass, both sand and calico. It’s game-on! One of the best summer bass – barracuda bites in several years – especially down the coast from Channel Islands Harbor where those boats got a taste of big bluefin tuna just off the coast. Counts were an interesting mix, sand bass with bluefin to 150 pounds.
SANTA MONICA BAY — Bass bite on enough to keep some of the pressure off the rockfish and sculpin grounds now. There were plenty of rockfish and sculpin on tap, but the bass bite just got good enough to bypass them on even ½-day runs.
LONG BEACH/SAN PEDRO LOCAL — Phenomenal bass bite rages, mixed with barracuda which have set up residency over the Shelf. It’s full-on big partyboat style, limits of keepers in a mix of sand and calico bass, with a heavy sand bias. This is the best it’s been in many seasons – perfect time to take a kid local fishing. The right setup is whatever your favorite saltwater bass tackle and method is.
ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL — Here again there’s a definite split, north and south. From Newport Beach the sandbass bite was the big local story, with big-boat limit-style sand bassing like the “good-old-days.” The Mexican sand bass migration has arrived. Even ¾-day fishing is coastal, and there they’re also tapping into the barracuda bite. South, out of Dana Point, the inshore calico bite is on as ever, lots of catch and release action with a few keeper calico in the mix, all methods, but light line and small hook with a lively anchovy drew the most bites. Just offshore, the bluefin and yellowfin tuna are around, and dedicated private boaters a getting a sample.
OCEANSIDE LOCAL — Both landings were busy this past week, lots of fishing going on. Targets and catches were a modest and mixed bag, some bottom biters, and inshore catch and release bass fishing.