Pacific Coast Fishing Report: Rockfish Limits, Calm Seas, and a Prime Afternoon Flood Bite

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Pacific Coast fishing report for California. Let’s start with the ocean conditions. Along most of the coast, marine forecasts this morning are calling for **light to moderate northwest winds** with a typical afternoon bump as the sea breeze fills in. Swell is running **small to moderate**, generally from the northwest, with a bit of short-period wind chop by late morning. Water temps are sitting in the **mid- to upper‑50s along the Central Coast**, nudging into the **low‑60s around Southern California**. Sunrise is right around **5:45–5:50 a.m.** up north and a few minutes later as you slide south, with **sunset near 8:15 p.m.** Give or take a couple of minutes depending on where you launch. That sets you up nicely for a solid dawn and dusk bite. Tides are working in our favor for inshore action. We’re looking at a **pre‑sunrise high dropping to a mid‑morning low**, then a solid **afternoon flood**. That falling water early can really fire up the surf perch and halibut in the skinny water, and the afternoon push is prime for rockfish and lingcod on structure if you time it right. Recent reports along the Central Coast have been strong for **rockfish limits**, with boats working 80–150 feet over hard bottom picking up **mixed vermilion, blues, olives, and a few nicer lingcod**. Private boaters dragging **5–6 inch swimbaits in sardine and anchovy colors** or fishing **prawn-tipped shrimp flies** have been doing well. Rockfish numbers are solid, and most boats fishing the right structure are seeing close to limits by late morning. Down in Southern California, the story has been **calicos and sand bass** around kelp and hard bottom, plus a steady pick on **legal halibut** for folks putting in the time. Bass anglers tossing **5-inch weedless swimbaits in baitfish patterns**, **brown/green surface irons**, and **small paddletails on 3/8 oz heads** around kelp edges have reported steady action, with many fish in the 1–3 pound class and some better models mixed in. Night and gray‑light **squid strips** and **anchovies** have been good bait choices when plastics slow down. Surf anglers from the North Coast through Santa Barbara are still on a nice **barred surfperch** grind, with pockets of **spotfin and corbina** mixing in further south. Best producers have been **2–3 inch sand crab imitations**, **Gulp sandworms in camo or watermelon**, and live **sand crabs** when you can find them. Fish the **edges of holes and cuts on the outgoing tide**, especially the last half of the fall. For **halibut**, shallow inshore spots and harbor entrances have kicked out a modest but steady pick of fish, many shorts but enough legals to keep it interesting. Drifting **live smelt or anchovies** on a sliding sinker rig, or slow‑rolling **white and glow swimbaits** right on the bottom, has been the ticket. Focus around **current seams and sandy pockets near structure**. A few boats heading farther offshore have reported **scattered bluefin and yellowtail** when conditions line up, but that bite has been spotty and weather‑dependent. If you go wide, bring **Colt Snipers, heavy knife jigs**, and **fly‑lined sardines** when available. Best lures right now: - For rockfish and lings: **5–7 inch swimbaits** in sardine/anchovy, **chrome or blue knife jigs**, and **shrimp flies tipped with squid or prawn**. - For bass: **weedless swimbaits**, **spinnerbaits around kelp**, and **surface irons** in mint, brown, or scrambled egg. - For surf: **small grubs**, **Gulp sandworms**, and **sand crab imitations**, plus live crabs if you can dig them. Hot spot suggestions: - **Monterey to Carmel area**: Kelp edges and reefs in 70–130 feet have been kicking out consistent **rockfish and lingcod**. Work those structure edges on the afternoon flood with swimbaits and shrimp flies. - **Santa Monica Bay and Palos Verdes**: Good chances at **calicos, sand bass, and halibut**. Target kelp lines and rocky points at gray light with swimbaits, then slide deeper and drag live bait for halibut as the sun gets up. If you’re heading out today, fish that early falling tide hard Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn