LA's Crisp November Bite: Sculpin, Sand Bass, Sheephead, and More Await Anglers

Los Angeles woke up to crisp, cool air today with clear skies and a gentle breeze coming out of the north—ideal November conditions for local anglers. Sunrise broke at 6:29 AM, signaling a solid morning bite window, while sunset is expected around 4:48 PM. Temperatures will hover in the upper 50s early, climbing into the low 70s by midday, so layer up if you’re heading to the water. The tide cycle is shaping up nicely for prime-time action. According to Tide-Forecast.com, high tide at the Port of Los Angeles arrived at 6:57 AM and peaked at 6.46 feet. The low tide will hit at 1:53 PM with just 0.59 feet, followed by another high at 8:01 PM topping 4.49 feet. These big swings mean rock jetties and harbor mouths will have lively current, stirring up bait and hungry predators. Recent counts from Marina Del Rey boats like the Spitfire and New Del Mar show the late fall transition is in full swing. Over the past 24 hours, anglers brought in solid numbers of **Sand Bass, Sculpin, Calico Bass, Sheephead**, and **Whitefish**—with the Spitfire landing 14 Sand Bass, 55 Sculpin, 6 Sheephead, 14 Calico Bass, 15 Whitefish, plus a Petrale Sole. Sculpin are stacked up on the hard bottom near breakwalls and structure, while Sand Bass have been biting best at dawn and dusk. Sheephead have shown up in good numbers along rocky spots, especially with fresh shrimp or squid strips. Hot spots right now include: - **King Harbor in Redondo Beach**, for Sculpin and Calico Bass on swim jigs and cut squid. - **Cabrillo Beach Jetty**, where Sand Bass and Whitefish are staging near the rocks during rising tides. - **Marina Del Rey** breakwater, always reliable for mixed bag bottom fishing, especially around those tide changes. For lures, locals are sticking with **3- to 4-inch swimbaits in smelt or anchovy colors** for Calico and Sand Bass. Leadheads teamed with plastic grubs or tube baits are doing the trick for Sculpin and Sheephead—orange and red hues are especially productive. If you’re dropping bait, nothing beats **fresh cut squid**, but strips of mackerel or shrimp will also draw strikes, especially with Sheephead mixed in. With cooler water temps setting in, the bite window is brief but productive around slack tide and just as the current starts moving. Live bait is tougher to come by, so soak your offerings near rocky structure or kelp edges and let the tidal flow keep everything moving and appealing. Party boats are reporting full sacks even on half-day trips, so if you’re thinking of booking, do it early. Rockfish season continues strong just off the LA coast, so deeper reefs are still producing limits for those targeting the bottom. Halibut and Yellowtail sightings are down this week, but you could score a flattie slow-trolling near the harbor mouths with a whole sardine. Overall, it’s a great week to target **Sculpin, Sand Bass, Sheephead, Calico Bass,** and **Whitefish** throughout LA’s coastal piers and boats. The action is reliable, the crowds are light This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.