Calif Pacific Coast Fishing Report: Tides, Tuna, Kelp Bite Heats Up 09/24/2025

Artificial Lure here, reporting live with today’s fishing conditions and action for the California Pacific coast, Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Let’s talk tides first—today we saw a pre-dawn high tide at 5:55AM, dropping to a late morning low at 11:53AM, then rising again to a high at 6:35PM. These mixed tides have energized early morning and evening bites, so plan your casts for dawn and dusk. Sunrise was at 6:55AM and sunset will hit at 6:59PM, giving you plenty of daylight to work the kelp lines or hunt offshore for the big pelagics, according to Tide-Forecast.com. Weather-wise, it’s typical late September: calm mornings, a steady west breeze by midday, and afternoon glass. The seas have been friendly, with moderate swells that shouldn’t keep even the small boats off the water. The inshore bite has been on fire. Long Beach Sportfishing's Eldorado returned September 21 with 48 red snapper, 160 rockfish, 25 bluefin tuna, a scatter of bonito, calico bass, and halibut—evidence that the entire water column is alive. Calico and sand bass are crushing swimbaits and anchovy-pattern plastics near rocky structure and kelp beds. Sculpin and sheephead round out the benthic species, especially at the reefs off Palos Verdes and Horseshoe Kelp, as reported by both 976-TUNA and recent 22nd Street Landing counts. For those headed offshore, bluefin tuna continue to steal the show. Charter trips from San Pedro, Point Loma, and Fisherman’s Landing are consistently reporting limits, like the Pacific Queen’s haul yesterday: 72 bluefin ranging 30–50 pounds, plus 127 yellowfin. The lucky private boaters and head boats working 25–50 miles out have connected at first light with flat-fall jigs, knife jigs, and fly-lined sardines. Islander and Tomahawk are scoring limits as well, per Fisherman’s Landing. Hot lures right now: - Flat-fall or knife jigs (glow for overnights, blue/chrome by daylight) - Sardine and anchovy-pattern swimbaits for coastal bass and rockfish - Dropper loop with squid strips or live anchovy for rockfish, sheephead, and whitefish Natural bait remains king—anchovy or sardine on a #2 or #4 hook, fished on a slider for deep species, or fly-lined for the surface eaters. Don’t forget to bring a squid, as sheephead and white seabass are moving into their late season patterns around Catalina and San Clemente Islands, according to both local skippers and the 22nd Street Landing daily updates. For hotspots, try: - Horseshoe Kelp, just outside Long Beach, for a consistent rockfish and bass bite. Drop down near the structure on the early morning slack. - Catalina’s East End, especially during the evening incoming tide. Both calico bass and yellowtail have been spotted boiling on bait balls, and the seabass are never far behind. - Offshore, work the Tanner and Cortez Banks for tuna, particularly at daybreak before boat traffic spikes. Before heading out, check with your landing or local tackle shop for the latest word on the bite and any hot tackle—t This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.