San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Been itching to get out, arrived around 6:30 and fished until 9:30 or so. Took a while to get any bites although I was feeling lazy and didn’t move much from where I set up. Ended up with three small perch on Gulp sandworms (blood) all caught very close to shore.

Still looking for my first fish that is NOT a perch but I’m not at the phase where I’m ready to be picky just yet!

Beautiful morning otherwise and smaller crowed than I thought there’d be but alas, the people coming and setting up at 9:30 were my cue to head home for the day.

So you were fishing Mission Bay not Mission Beach I’ve never caught perch in the bay it’s always been in the surf?

vito1023 wrote: Sun Jul 06, 2025 1:34 pm So you were fishing Mission Bay not Mission Beach I’ve never caught perch in the bay it’s always been in the surf?

Oops, my mistake and post updated. It was indeed Mission Beach, and not a bunch of lost perch on the bay side

Hah! I too was a little surprised that you caught perch in the bay. Gulp sandworms are "perch crack", if you want to catch something else, put some sandcrabs on your hook!! You'll get (in order of likelihood in my experience): yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker, white croaker, perch, black croaker, [thornback ray, guitarfish, shark(s)]

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 12:02 am Hah! I too was a little surprised that you caught perch in the bay. Gulp sandworms are "perch crack", if you want to catch something else, put some sandcrabs on your hook!! You'll get (in order of likelihood in my experience): yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker, white croaker, perch, black croaker, [thornback ray, guitarfish, shark(s)]

Don't forget corbina...

Nice you got out and got some fish.... Like FND said, try live bait... Sand crabs, blood worms, ghost shrimp, clams or mussel...
Butch

Midnightpass wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 8:39 am

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 12:02 am Hah! I too was a little surprised that you caught perch in the bay. Gulp sandworms are "perch crack", if you want to catch something else, put some sandcrabs on your hook!! You'll get (in order of likelihood in my experience): yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker, white croaker, perch, black croaker, [thornback ray, guitarfish, shark(s)]

Don't forget corbina...

Nice you got out and got some fish.... Like FND said, try live bait... Sand crabs, blood worms, ghost shrimp, clams or mussel...
Butch

Thanks all for the advice and encouragement. I need to adapt to a more "quality over quantity" approach! Sometimes it's just too fun to not pull in perch after perch. One of these days I'll catch a perch in the first few minutes, get it out of my system, and then focus the rest of the session on trying to catch something else.

From reading various surf, pier, and jetty threads, as well as recent experience, losing my first big, quality fish in the surf(actually a reef section), but getting the bite and a temporary hookup, I've come to realize that quality is primarily about conditions. Without going into specifics, conditions were right to get that bite. How much am I willing to, or does my acquired information, schedule, and energy allow me, to get in the right places at the correct times for spots where the conditions are right? And then take some skunks, lose fish, or experience no significant fish results, and stay committed to the goal? I am asking the same questions about that versus a casual and convenient session of whatever is biting, which is also quite enjoyable.


One of the posts was by Blackcloud. It sounded to me like this frequent big fish catcher acknowledged that at any given spot, conditions are optimal on a relatively scarce basis for saltwater shore fishing for quality fish of various species. It makes for a pretty exciting hunt? I'd love to learn more about the best conditions at more local sites.

I’m not a hardcore kinda fisherman… I do it for fun, and don’t make it work… I’ve fished my whole life, but have never been fanatical about gear or methods… Most of the guys I know that catch big fish regularly aren’t like that.. They work hard for their fish… I’ve caught my share of large fish, but it’s mostly from dumb luck and hardheadedness… If I think there are fish in a spot, I’ll fish it to death..Sometimes, I’d be better off moving on down the beach… I rarely fish more than one beach per session… Just too lazy to make a move… I do cover some beach usually… I also don’t like to drive far, it’s usually the same beaches in NOC or south LA.. But if I happen to be staying away from home, near a beach, a rod goes with me… I’ve had some great fishing in PB or N. Mission Beach…
Boy, what wound me up?.. I guess it’s just what type of fishing you like… Casual or hardcore… Me, I’m lazy, so you can guess which I do. …
Butch

Midnightpass wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 8:39 am

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 12:02 am Hah! I too was a little surprised that you caught perch in the bay. Gulp sandworms are "perch crack", if you want to catch something else, put some sandcrabs on your hook!! You'll get (in order of likelihood in my experience): yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker, white croaker, perch, black croaker, [thornback ray, guitarfish, shark(s)]

Don't forget corbina...

Nice you got out and got some fish.... Like FND said, try live bait... Sand crabs, blood worms, ghost shrimp, clams or mussel...
Butch

I don't know why, but I've still never caught a Corbina!!!!

jwacky wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 8:49 am

Midnightpass wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 8:39 am

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 12:02 am Hah! I too was a little surprised that you caught perch in the bay. Gulp sandworms are "perch crack", if you want to catch something else, put some sandcrabs on your hook!! You'll get (in order of likelihood in my experience): yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker, white croaker, perch, black croaker, [thornback ray, guitarfish, shark(s)]

Don't forget corbina...

Nice you got out and got some fish.... Like FND said, try live bait... Sand crabs, blood worms, ghost shrimp, clams or mussel...
Butch

Thanks all for the advice and encouragement. I need to adapt to a more "quality over quantity" approach! Sometimes it's just too fun to not pull in perch after perch. One of these days I'll catch a perch in the first few minutes, get it out of my system, and then focus the rest of the session on trying to catch something else.

I have arrived at the same place. I was thrilled to catch YFC and spotfins, but after a while, I wanted bigger rarer fish, so I started using different lures to go for halibut and striper. Of course, I catch much, much fewer fish, but when I do get one... woowee!!!

Midnightpass wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 12:19 pm … I rarely fish more than one beach per session…

It’ll be a long time before I have the time/energy to beach hop, especially in San Diego in the summer. I’ll commit to one in the morning but the last thing I feel like dealing with after a couple hours of standing in the ocean is finding parking somewhere else. If the fish arent biting, I’m happy to just sit in my beach chair and people watch for the rest of the morning, and pick up fish tacos on the way home

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 6:49 pm I have arrived at the same place. I was thrilled to catch YFC and spotfins, but after a while, I wanted bigger rarer fish, so I started using different lures to go for halibut and striper. Of course, I catch much, much fewer fish, but when I do get one... woowee!!!

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 6:47 pm I don't know why, but I've still never caught a Corbina!!!!

And you aren't as likely to, using lures over bait... They do get caught on lures, but not nearly as often as with bait... I'm surprised you haven't caught any corbina, but have spotfins... I usually catch may corbina between spotfin catches..
I've only caught one striper in the surf but many halibut... Mostly all on bait... I have used lures and caught some halibut, but no stripers... I'm pretty content just just walking the beach using a C-rig with bait...
Butch

Midnightpass wrote: Tue Jul 08, 2025 9:08 am

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 6:49 pm I have arrived at the same place. I was thrilled to catch YFC and spotfins, but after a while, I wanted bigger rarer fish, so I started using different lures to go for halibut and striper. Of course, I catch much, much fewer fish, but when I do get one... woowee!!!

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 6:47 pm I don't know why, but I've still never caught a Corbina!!!!

And you aren't as likely to, using lures over bait... They do get caught on lures, but not nearly as often as with bait... I'm surprised you haven't caught any corbina, but have spotfins... I usually catch may corbina between spotfin catches..
I've only caught one striper in the surf but many halibut... Mostly all on bait... I have used lures and caught some halibut, but no stripers... I'm pretty content just just walking the beach using a C-rig with bait...
Butch

I usually use bait, sandcrabs mostly. That is when I get all the yellowfin croakers and spotfin croakers. No corbina!

On a lure, all I've ever caught were bass, halibut, and the one striper of my life.

There was at least 1 striper 30" taken from Mission a week ago. Maybe more, who knows. It seems, at least to me, guys that get 'em won't usually talk about it or location.

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 6:47 pm I don't know why, but I've still never caught a Corbina!!!!

I usually use bait, sandcrabs mostly. That is when I get all the yellowfin croakers and spotfin
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That is odd that you don’t get corbina… Maybe you are fishing too deep?

Butch

Midnightpass wrote: Thu Jul 10, 2025 11:51 am

FishNdive wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 6:47 pm I don't know why, but I've still never caught a Corbina!!!!

I usually use bait, sandcrabs mostly. That is when I get all the yellowfin croakers and spotfin

That is odd that you don’t get corbina… Maybe you are fishing too deep?

Butch
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Probably. I usually cast out a bit, I never fish super close to the sand. Are there fish that close, say 10-25 feet out?

If you spend enough time on the beach, you’ll see corbina practically beach them selves in the whitewash, eating sand crab. My buddies and I joke around when Perch fishing to see how close to the water’s edge you can catch a perch. You’d be surprised. If your toes are touching the water, they will be all around your feet.

Probably. I usually cast out a bit, I never fish super close to the sand. Are there fish that close, say 10-25 feet out?


Yep… I’ve caught the majority of my corbina within that 10’ range… And the same with perch and SFC… YFC might be a little farther out…
Butch

camobass wrote: Thu Jul 10, 2025 2:50 pm ...If your toes are touching the water, they will be all around your feet.

Just yesterday, I had a 15" corbina swim into my crab rake. Of course I wasn't looking and jumped a bit when my rake started rattling.

I've observed that corbina, say over 14" have noticeably larger pectoral fins. I think these bigger fins help them steer and stay upright in the skinny. So, at least at my local beaches, bigger corbina are generally in close during the summer time while the smaller corbina are farther out.

Midnightpass wrote: Fri Jul 11, 2025 6:11 am Probably. I usually cast out a bit, I never fish super close to the sand. Are there fish that close, say 10-25 feet out?


Yep… I’ve caught the majority of my corbina within that 10’ range… And the same with perch and SFC… YFC might be a little farther out…
Butch

I feel like half the perch I catch are when I'm reeling in to check if my bait is still on the hook