California Coastal Spring Fishing Report: Halibut, Bonito, and Stripers Biting Strong

Artificial Lure here with your April 18, 2025 fishing report for California’s Pacific coast. The conditions are shaping up for an excellent spring bite, so if you’ve got the itch to wet a line, now’s the time. First, let’s talk weather. We’re enjoying mild spring temperatures across the coast with highs in the low 60s and light winds out of the northwest, typical for this time of year. Skies started off cloudy this morning but are burning off for a partly sunny afternoon. Sunrise was at 6:19 a.m., with sunset hitting right around 7:38 p.m. Tidal movement today features an early morning low, building into a late-morning high tide—prime feeding windows on both ends. In the surf and nearshore, California halibut are the main prize right now, and the bite has really picked up with warming water. Anglers are reporting solid numbers around Santa Monica Bay, Huntington Beach, and the north jetties of San Diego Bay. Most halibut caught are between 20 and 32 inches, but a couple of slabs pushing 38 inches came in this week. For bait, live smelt, anchovy, sardine, or mackerel are tough to beat, especially on a stinger rig to counter their notorious short strikes. If you can’t get live, fresh frozen or even fresh-dead works well. Squid strips and salmon belly are also proven winners, particularly on days when the halibut seem picky[3][5][7]. Lure anglers are doing damage with sinking hardbaits like Daiwa Salt Pro Minnow and Rapala X-Rap, especially in green mackerel and sardine patterns. Soft plastics are a must—paddletail swimbaits in white, rootbeer, and chartreuse, rigged on 1-ounce jigheads, are drawing some aggressive strikes. Don’t overlook curly-tail grubs or the classic Gulp! swimming mullet dipped in some fish attractant or even hot sauce for an extra edge[1][2][3][4][7][8]. Bonito are inshore in numbers this week, especially around Newport and Redondo piers. Fast retrieves with metal spoons like Krocodiles or P-Line Lazer Minnows in anchovy or blue mackerel patterns have been producing. Bring some splashers if you’re pier fishing and keep an eye out for surface boils—when you see them, cast past and rip through quickly[6]. Striped bass are showing in the surf from Ventura down to Seal Beach, and they’re hitting the same hardbaits as the halibut. Early morning topwater action has been hot—try walk-the-dog plugs at first light. If you’re looking for hot spots today, check out Huntington Beach just south of the pier for halibut (look for the inside trough on a rising tide), and the beaches around Pacifica for stripers. For bonito, Redondo’s breakwall and Newport Pier are your best bets. In summary, live baits or well-matched artificial lures are both effective right now. Match the hatch, fish the tides, and don’t be afraid to experiment with scents or different retrieve speeds. Bite windows are best around the high tide and the hour after sunrise. Good luck out there, keep your lines tight, and I’ll see you on the water. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.