San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

SKUNKED!

I was due for a skunk session.

Lots of grass, weird tide. Nice weather, at least.

Guess I’ll just have to get back out there another day.

Sorry to hear about the conditions Joe. Seem its been off and on like that past few weeks at Mission as well as other beaches. I've been laid up with a sore back for a week so haven't been out. Hope to soon.

Perch killer wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 11:17 am Sorry to hear about the conditions Joe. Seem its been off and on like that past few weeks at Mission as well as other beaches. I've been laid up with a sore back for a week so haven't been out. Hope to soon.

Hope you’re back at it soon, too! We’re running out of summer!

But yeah, conditions have not been great recently. Mission Beach is easy for me since it’s such a straight shot down the 8 from where I am just east of SDSU, but perhaps it’s time to venture north just a bit for a change of scenery, at least once in a while.

Thanks for the report… Don’t feel bad, I’m on a roll with Mr. Skunk…
Butch

That's too bad. Kelp was nearly completely gone from much of Del Mar yesterday through high tide swing, even around the reefs. What a pleasure to fish without that. Fishing seemed down, but not out by any means.

Everydog wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 4:05 pm That's too bad. Kelp was nearly completely gone from much of Del Mar yesterday through high tide swing, even around the reefs. What a pleasure to fish without that. Fishing seemed down, but not out by any means.

Hopefully it’s just passing through down here

I’m always in awe at the power of the ocean and how the sand and water can be covered in the stuff one day and (sometimes) the next, it’s like it was never there. I was talking to someone on his way out who gave up much sooner than I did, I should have followed him out!!

Sorry about the skunk, I’ve been getting into freshwater bass and haven’t hit the beaches I’m new to surf fishing and was just starting to think about going surf fishing, my question is how long does the bite go on before it really shuts down?

There is no rule. The fish move in and move out, kind of like the weeds. One thing for sure, if the bite stops completely, you have two choices. Stay and wait for the next group of fish to move in. Leave that spot and try and find a new group of fish. This time of year, the fish seem to hang on the huge Sand Crab beds. Spot those and throw right outside and around the area. Don’t be afraid to fish light, just a hook and split shot, keeping the line tight. It helps to set the hook right before you feel a bite. Many times, by the time you feel them pecking on the Crabs, it’s too late. A conundrum that adds to the fun. Try to fish the calmer water between sets of waves. It just makes it easier and you get less leader knots, and it is mostly a waste of time to fish the rough water anyway.

The surf definitely has gotten tough this past week. Tons of weeds at Blacks too. If I let my line sit for more than 10 seconds I was pulling in a weed ball. I nearly skunked too. But ended up with 2 in the final hour. Hope the weeds get pushed out soon and the bite turns back on.

HK_Supermarket wrote: Mon Aug 04, 2025 10:20 am The surf definitely has gotten tough this past week. Tons of weeds at Blacks too. If I let my line sit for more than 10 seconds I was pulling in a weed ball. I nearly skunked too. But ended up with 2 in the final hour. Hope the weeds get pushed out soon and the bite turns back on.

Forums like these are nice because it at least reassures me (and others) that sometimes you just walk away with nothing and there's nothing you could've done differently. Funny because this happened to me often when I was more into freshwater fishing and it didn't bother me much but I've just had such better luck in the surf that I forget about those days. I'm sure the coming winter months will be humbling when/if the bite slows down.

It's like they say, misery loves company. If you posted limits on huge corbina and no salad then I'd be kicking myself.
We still got plenty of good months before we gotta worry about winter. If salad persist, I'll probably go back to the bays for some bass, cuda, halibut, macs. Those guys are always around and super fun on light setup.