San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Started the day at 4P.M. and fished for around 2 hours racking up a total of 2 very small calicos for myself (thank you man in the boat who told me exactly where to cast). Sadly my friend didn't get anything. He was using a jerkbait and I was using a metal jig.

I'm also quite new to (San Diego) fishing and I don't have any water transport, so I do everything from shore. Everything I've caught in mission bay is super small! Am I fishing the wrong area's or is mission bay just full of smaller fish?

Sorry this is my first post here just looking for cool people and to share a love for fishing

Mission Bay can be tough from shore. I believe a lot of spots in Mission Bay can get overfish. I would try somewhere like Spanish landing or Harbor island.

Check out Seaforth boat rental. They have skiffs that are $75 half day and $95 full day. Rental locations on Mission and San Diego Bay.

https://seaforthboatrental.com/fishing-boat/bay-skiff/

Welcome to the forum... I don't fish the bay, so I can't be of much help... Good luck...
Butch

Try using 1/4 - 3/8 oz texas rigged Gulp Jerkshads in Nuclear Chicken or New penny. Also try from sandy shorelines with access to eel grass. 1/4 oz jigheads with 3 inch swimbaits fished slowly through the eel grass has worked great as well.

Dana Landing also has skiff rentals. Ski beach as well as the point directly across from Dana Landing off of Vacation island has been decent spots in the past.

https://www.actionsportrentals.com/dana-landing-marina/

Thanks for the suggestions!

I definitely want to try to rent a skiff or something one day, sadly it is definitely a good chunk of cash for me to rent. I'll definitely try some other spots around mission bay. Jerkshads definitely look really fun to fish.

I'll also keep hitting the surf with metals, stickbaits, and paddletails, etc. Really want to hook up at the surf eventually.

fglover wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2026 11:40 am Thanks for the suggestions!

I definitely want to try to rent a skiff or something one day, sadly it is definitely a good chunk of cash for me to rent. I'll definitely try some other spots around mission bay. Jerkshads definitely look really fun to fish.

I'll also keep hitting the surf with metals, stickbaits, and paddletails, etc. Really want to hook up at the surf eventually.

I will tell you one of my spots I like to fish. Santa Clara point. Go to the north parking lot. Looking east there is a wall that goes around the point. You can fish there. Incoming tide is your best time. Have not been there in a long time. It was pretty good fishing. Morning before it gets crowded.

Nelson 1 wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2026 12:12 pm

fglover wrote: Thu Jul 02, 2026 11:40 am Thanks for the suggestions!

I definitely want to try to rent a skiff or something one day, sadly it is definitely a good chunk of cash for me to rent. I'll definitely try some other spots around mission bay. Jerkshads definitely look really fun to fish.

I'll also keep hitting the surf with metals, stickbaits, and paddletails, etc. Really want to hook up at the surf eventually.

I will tell you one of my spots I like to fish. Santa Clara point. Go to the north parking lot. Looking east there is a wall that goes around the point. You can fish there. Incoming tide is your best time. Have not been there in a long time. It was pretty good fishing. Morning before it gets crowded.

I caught a massive spotty at that same spot, company summer party at the Tower Beach Club. Fresh mussels plucked from the wall as bait, and sure enough it was the incoming tide. DO NOT try to walk down the stairs by the lawn, they are like ice mixed with snot and you will do a looney tunes slip and fall! My left index finger will always be slightly numb from the nerve damage I got from tumbling down.

I've done ok with small calico bass and spotted bass on kastmasters at Ventura Pt. There is a lot of fishing pressure there, many people live in their vehicles there and fish. You have to slow down your retrieve on metal lures there to get bites.

I haven’t fished SD bays, but have up here in LA/OC…. My go to was ghost shrimp and blood worms…. I’m more of a bait guy than lure anyway, but they have been productive for me…. What do fish eat?.. Crustaceans, worm and fin fish… Not so much, plastic, wood or metal….
Butch

Something else to consider. Larger bass will regularly move in closer to shore after dark when they feel safer. Gotta be real careful on the rocks though.