LA Fishing Report: Rockfish, Halibut & Gamefish Bites in the South Bay

Hey, this is Artificial Lure with your Los Angeles fishing report for Monday, November 24, 2025. The sun poked up at 6:33 a.m. this morning, with sunset coming early at 4:45 p.m. We’re working with a cooler November morning out there—clear skies and mild Santa Ana breezes, just about perfect for spending some time on the salt or the local piers. According to CBS Los Angeles’ morning report, it’s mostly clear and dry, so layers are your best bet as those temps swing throughout the day. Looking at the water, the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach Inner Harbor tidal charts show a 3:34 a.m. low tide at 3.0 ft, with the big morning high hitting around 10:16 a.m. at 5.2 ft, then a minor low returning at 6:24 p.m. at about 0.2 ft. That means you’ve got great moving water through the prime mid-morning hours—always a solid bet for a bite window. Let’s talk fish counts: 976-TUNA’s report for yesterday tallied 804 anglers across 36 boats, pulling up 2,713 rockfish, 1,222 whitefish, and 1,085 sheephead, plus healthy numbers of lingcod, sculpin, and a smattering of halibut and yellows. Bottom fishing continues to deliver the goods—limits of rockfish aren’t uncommon, and most boats are reporting steady catches across the board. Species-wise, this time of year sees everything from rockfish and whitefish to sheephead and stubborn lingcod holding deep around structure. Don’t overlook the occasional big halibut—cuts of sardine or mackerel dropped to the bottom can yield a doormat or two. Surface bites are slower, but there are still some quality calico bass and sand bass in the kelp and artificial reefs between Redondo and Palos Verdes. For those chasing gamefish, a few yellowtail are lurking on the deeper hard-bottom spots off the Santa Monica Bay and Catalina front, often on the slide after first light before boat traffic ramps up. On lures and baits: - **For bottom dwellers like rockfish and lingcod**, dropper loop rigs with fresh-cut squid or strips of mackerel remain unbeatable. Jigs in the 6 to 10 oz. range—think luminous white, glow, and chrome—are producing well, especially when bounced near rock piles. - **For bass and inshore species**, swimbaits in sardine or anchovy patterns and hard jerkbaits in natural colors have been getting the job done. Berkley’s new bass lures dropped in October and are drawing a lot of chatter from local anglers—soft plastics in green pumpkin and smoke colors are favorites. - **If you’re targeting halibut on structure or sandy patches**, slow-troll a live sardine if you can get one, or cast a white leadhead with a curly tail grub. Hot spots you’ll want to check today: - The Horseshoe Kelp and adjacent artificial reefs off San Pedro are loaded with rockfish and whitefish. - Up north, Rocky Point near Palos Verdes is another go-to, especially with this morning’s higher tide; try casting along the kelp edges for a chance at quality calicos or a surprise yellowtail. - From shore, Redondo’s breakwall and the pier at Venice b This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.