San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Fishing San Diego Bay: Figure Out The Bite!


Hey all I hope you’re getting out there and finding the fish wherever you are. I did get out Sunday to tidelands to launch the float tube. I had an idea in mind to fish Corvina and BFS bass. That being said, I threw out my BFF with a mini chatter bait and was rewarded quickly by a mackerel. Not the targeted species but still fun on 5 pound test. Quickly continue to move to the area south of the Coronado Bridge and once again began to hook up, but this time on crank baits. Again not what I was trying to target so instead of sticking it out and catching those bass I continued to move on after catching five quick bass on the crank. Headed around the corner looking for the Corvina and they showed up for about 30 seconds on top water, but we’re gone before I even got my rod out there

You know the Saying never leave fish to catch fish? I hate it when I can’t follow the rules. I had a good bike going on the crank bait, but I left it to go in search of ghost fish. After about an hour of slow fishing, I pivoted and headed back to the area where I caught fish earlier. I met up with a guy named Dan who gave me a. ZMan Ned Shrimpz in the new penny color. I put that on a tiny under spin and was immediately rewarded. I’d never use that bait before, but I will definitely use it again in the future and can see it working for bonefish as well. I did end up finding the fish and ended up with around 20 spotties, three halibut, the mackerel, a lizard fish and a 23 inch barracuda. Not a bad morning for a few hours of fishing but once again I realize I should never leave fish to catch fish. If you’d like to check out more details on the video feel free. See you guys out on the water! Cheers!

You are having a couple of eventful trips... Nice Fishing... 5 species..
Butch

Hey I wanted to ask out there about something mentioned multiple times in the comments of the video. They said I was using a bad type of net for the halibut that damages their tails. I looked it up and I guess there is something to that. Does anyone have a net recommendation for use for halibut that can be used from a tube? I just don't have the space for a giant net. All thoughts welcome. Thanks!

Looks like a fun day on the bay, love your videos.
I’ve been using Owner single hooks for awhile now and have put them on almost all my lures,, I don’t feel like it hinders hook ups in fact I think it increases my hookups because as you said you can slip them through grass and rock cover without getting snagged and besides makes it much easier and a better chance of survival for the fish.
I think you recently started using them, do you find them overall a success?
Thanks for your posts, and the beer sections, keep on ticking for the licking

vito1023 wrote: Fri Apr 18, 2025 7:01 am Looks like a fun day on the bay, love your videos.
I’ve been using Owner single hooks for awhile now and have put them on almost all my lures,, I don’t feel like it hinders hook ups in fact I think it increases my hookups because as you said you can slip them through grass and rock cover without getting snagged and besides makes it much easier and a better chance of survival for the fish.
I think you recently started using them, do you find them overall a success?
Thanks for your posts, and the beer sections, keep on ticking for the licking

Thanks so much! I agree, those hooks are awesome! I just want to find them in smaller sizes as well.

Pourboy wrote: Fri Apr 18, 2025 12:53 pm

vito1023 wrote: Fri Apr 18, 2025 7:01 am Looks like a fun day on the bay, love your videos.
I’ve been using Owner single hooks for awhile now and have put them on almost all my lures,, I don’t feel like it hinders hook ups in fact I think it increases my hookups because as you said you can slip them through grass and rock cover without getting snagged and besides makes it much easier and a better chance of survival for the fish.
I think you recently started using them, do you find them overall a success?
Thanks for your posts, and the beer sections, keep on ticking for the licking

Thanks so much! I agree, those hooks are awesome! I just want to find them in smaller sizes as well.

BKK makes the Lonesniper down to size 8 if you're looking for smaller stuff for in the bay/freshwater. If you're looking for trout stuff, the Vanfood PLB-49F single medium wire micro barb is probably what you want, down to size 12 I think.

I made it out for a short session in the tidelands-ish area myself this week. Only had a couple hours to fish but it was my first decent session in a while. Sunny and beautiful skies but wind was rough so I had to fish heavier than I wanted; a 3 inch smelt pattern swimbait still got it done. 1 on the ned shrimp. All spotties with a couple very solid ones.

Pourboy wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:52 am Hey I wanted to ask out there about something mentioned multiple times in the comments of the video. They said I was using a bad type of net for the halibut that damages their tails. I looked it up and I guess there is something to that. Does anyone have a net recommendation for use for halibut that can be used from a tube? I just don't have the space for a giant net. All thoughts welcome. Thanks!

The split tail on halibut is a concern . Rubber coated snag free netting is the stuff to use . The plain old green net twine is the bad stuff . Hard to tell in the video , yours looks to be plastic or rubber most the rubber ones are black but clear would work . You can more than likely get a replacement net bag to put on the one you have if it works as far a fit goes . Thanks for the Video and report . I have read that the split in a halibuts tail is an eventual death sentence as the fungus that can happen just rots the entire tail off eventually . WR

Pourboy wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:52 am Hey I wanted to ask out there about something mentioned multiple times in the comments of the video. They said I was using a bad type of net for the halibut that damages their tails. I looked it up and I guess there is something to that. Does anyone have a net recommendation for use for halibut that can be used from a tube? I just don't have the space for a giant net. All thoughts welcome. Thanks!

The clear snag free rubber one in the "figure out the bite" video is the halibut friendly net of choice. If you meant the finer mesh looking black one you used in the previous video, that one was almost surely fine too. Internet people are just complainers. People should avoid the old timey twine ones and rubber coated twine ones because the thin and coarse stuff shreds halibut tails easily. If your halibut's tails don't look like they've been through a paper shredder when you're releasing them, your net is just fine.

Thanks for the input all. I ordered another bigger soft rubber net with smaller holes. We will see how that one works out!

William Ritchie wrote: Mon Apr 21, 2025 9:24 am

Pourboy wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:52 am Hey I wanted to ask out there about something mentioned multiple times in the comments of the video. They said I was using a bad type of net for the halibut that damages their tails. I looked it up and I guess there is something to that. Does anyone have a net recommendation for use for halibut that can be used from a tube? I just don't have the space for a giant net. All thoughts welcome. Thanks!

The split tail on halibut is a concern . Rubber coated snag free netting is the stuff to use . The plain old green net twine is the bad stuff . Hard to tell in the video , yours looks to be plastic or rubber most the rubber ones are black but clear would work . You can more than likely get a replacement net bag to put on the one you have if it works as far a fit goes . Thanks for the Video and report . I have read that the split in a halibuts tail is an eventual death sentence as the fungus that can happen just rots the entire tail off eventually . WR

Wow, got to know about the halibut tails! Thanks!