San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Thinking about heading that way again for a couple of days. I was wondering from the people with experience, how does the fall season effect the species of fish that you catch, sand crab availability, different baits etc. One of the most interesting things about the ocean to me is how different species move around in different seasons.

This is also my first Fall. I fished year-round and sporadically when I was a kid/teen, but this is the first time I have been fully engaged in Surf Fishing mentally in San Diego. It's starting to have an effect. Crab beds are shrinking, and they are no longer available at as many tide levels in the places I have found them. I haven't caught a Yellow Fin Croaker in weeks, but they may come back around. Leopard sharks and stingrays also disappeared from areas where they were as abundant as surfperch in the reefy/sandy interfaces. There's a lot more to it. I have read up on the subject and have some theoretical background, but I don't want to regurgitate information that is only from reading. I hope people bring some comments. I almost always get some grocery store shrimp even when sand crabs are there... Now I won't leave home without it unless I plan to fish only lures. Locally, Many people gravitate to Freshwater bass fishing and/or the bay as the year progresses, but surf fishing still occurs.

Thanks, that is the kind of thing I was asking for. Always interesting to see the seasons change. I am torn between heading up to the mountains for some creek fishing, or heading back to the surf. I like fishing the bay too. Spotties are great fighters.

I have caught some of my largest corbina in the fall.. They may not be as fat as summer corbs, but they are still around...Can't say I've caught as many SFC as in the spring or summer, but the perch and YFC still seem to be as abundant.. And as it cools even more the large, mama perch start showing up... I've wasted my whole summer because of traveling and health issues, so I'm looking forward to some fall fishing...
Butch

Past years I've had some good sessions in October into Nov for corbina & spot fins. Haven't been out for over 2 weeks due to conflicts on the home front so can't give you any fresh intel. Hope to soon.

I did catch a nice spotfin around 20 inches this morning, and other than that, all perch.

Everydog wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 1:41 pm I did catch a nice spotfin around 20 inches this morning, and other than that, all perch.

There you go, nice ! What did it bite on ? With crabs all but gone, I'll be armed next time out with mussel & clam meat, maybe some freeze dried lug worms also.

Hi PK, There are still crabs in Del Mar, at least with today's tide. They are thinning out, though. That's what caught it. Also, throughout the summer, I have not caught a spotfin, of 15, or one corbina, of about 25 or so (small to large), on shrimp. Everything else eats the shrimp, or robs it.