Monday Fishing Report: Halibut, Sharks, and Surf Perch Biting Along the California Coast

Artificial Lure here with your Monday fishing report for the California Pacific coast. Conditions are shaping up nicely today. Sunrise came up at about 6:20 AM, with sunset expected around 7:40 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to work those beaches, jetties, and harbors. Early morning saw a light marine layer but otherwise clear skies, with calm winds following a mild overnight. Tides today are moderate, with a mid-morning incoming tide that should have inshore species on the move and feeding. Expect a soft outgoing tide around midday, which is usually prime for halibut and surf species to push up. Recent catches have been solid, with good numbers of California halibut reported from Santa Monica down to Huntington Beach. Most halibut have been in the 22 to 28-inch class, with a few pushing legal size. Leopard sharks and bat rays are also showing in good numbers right off the surf, while perch and a few striped bass have made surprise appearances up toward the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas. For those targeting halibut, live bait is tough to beat. Local hot baits include small live smelt, anchovy, sardines, and small mackerel. If you’re working the beaches, a Carolina rig with a fresh chunk of mackerel or surf smelt is the go-to. For artificial fans, diamond jigs and long-casting sinking twitch baits are drawing reliable strikes. Soft plastics on heavy jig heads, particularly in white or sardine patterns, have been killer as well, especially around drop-offs and the mouths of bays and harbors. Jerkbaits like the Gulp Jerk Shad are a hot ticket for shallow flats and structure fishing, with a simple twitch and pause retrieve[1][2][3][4][5]. Leopard sharks are best targeted with fresh cut bait—think mackerel, croaker, or surf perch—pinned to a 6/0 or 8/0 circle hook on a wire leader, especially when fishing the open sandy stretches from Ventura to Orange County[5]. If you’re looking for a hot spot, check out the sandbars around Bolsa Chica State Beach for halibut and surf perch, or hit the jetties at Redondo Pier for a mixed bag of halibut, calico bass, and croaker. Santa Monica Bay is also fishing well right now, with cleaner water and plenty of bait in close. Water’s warming up, the bite is solid, and this is prime time for our spring/summer run. Good luck and tight lines! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.