LA Coastal Fishing: Perch, Halibut, and Harbor Bass in the Morning Light

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Los Angeles coastal fishing report. Marine weather first. Along the Santa Monica Bay and down toward Long Beach, the marine layer is hanging in early with low clouds and patchy fog, light wind under 10 knots in the morning, bumping up with a westerly breeze this afternoon. Air temps are running mid‑60s at first light, pushing into the low 70s near the water and warmer inland by afternoon. Swell is modest: mixed south and west, 2 to 3 feet on most open beaches, a little more energy on south‑facing points. Sunrise is right around 5:40 a.m., sunset close to 8:05 p.m., so you’ve got a long window of low‑light bites on either end of the day. Tides today are running a pre‑dawn high dropping to a late‑morning low, then building to an evening high. That falling tide mid‑morning can spark the surf bite as water drains off the bars and troughs, and the evening push is prime around docks and harbor mouths. Nearshore fish activity has been solid. Anglers along Dockweiler, El Porto, and up toward Malibu have been reporting steady barred surfperch, yellowfin croaker, and a few corbina in the skinny water tight to the foam. Halibut are still around in the cuts and along the inside edges of deeper troughs, especially where bait is stacking up in the current seams. Best surf baits right now: sand crabs dug on the spot, lugworms, and ghost shrimp where you can get them. For artificials, a 3‑inch to 4‑inch swimbait in sardine or smelt pattern on a light ball head has been putting halibut on the sand, and a Carolina‑rigged Gulp! sandworm in camo or bloodworm is money on perch and croaker. Keep it light: 6‑ to 10‑pound fluoro, small sliding egg sinker, and work those inside lanes. Inside the harbors, both Marina del Rey and Long Beach have been giving up mixed bags: spotted bay bass, sand bass, short barracuda, mackerel, and the usual smelt. Night and first light around lighted docks, bridges, and rock walls have been best. Live anchovies or small sardines—if you can find a receiver with good bait—are still the top ticket. When you’re throwing artificials, 3‑ to 5‑inch paddle‑tail swimbaits in olive, baitfish, or plain white, plus small metal jigs and Krocodile‑style spoons, are drawing strikes from bass and cuda. Drop‑shot with a small fluke or jerk shad along pilings can be deadly when the tide starts to move. Offshore and local islands are seeing a mix of calico bass, rockfish, and occasional yellowtail when the water temps bump up and bait balls show. Party boats out of San Pedro and Long Beach have been reporting limits or near‑limits of rockfish on the deeper stones, with a few lingcod mixed in. Best offerings out deep remain squid strips, cut anchovy, or sardine on a double‑dropper loop with 8‑ to 12‑ounce sinkers, depending on current. If you’re hunting yellowtail or surface biters on sport boats, bring surface irons in mint, blue‑and‑white, and scrambled egg, plus flyline setups with 20‑ to 30‑pound fluorocarbon. Couple of hot spots to keep on your radar: Santa Monica Bay, especially the stretch from Venice Pier up to Santa Monica Pier, has been quietly consistent on perch, halibut, and the occasional legal seabass cruising edges in the gray light. Work the low‑tide structure: rips, deeper holes, and any patch of darker, nervous water. Inside Long Beach Harbor and the breakwall is another strong bet. Fish the up‑current sides of the rocks on the incoming tide, or tuck into the marinas and target shadow lines after dark. Calicos and sand bass stack in tight, and a slowly crawled swimbait or live bait just off the bottom can turn that graph into bent rods. Overall, fish activity is good if you time the tide and lean into that early and late light. Midday can get slow and crowded, so either fish deeper, fish the shade, or take a break and wait for that evening tide swing. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn