SoCal Autumn Bite: Rockfish, Calicos, Bonito Abound in LA's Harbors - Fishing Report 10/25/2025

Artificial Lure here with your Los Angeles area fishing report for Saturday, October 25th, 2025. Sun popped up right at 6:53 this morning with a mostly cloudy sky and cool, comfortable temps around 65 degrees. Winds are gentle out of the SE, just about 10 mph—ideal for small craft heading out early. You’ll have daylight till sunset at 5:16 PM, so plan those late-afternoon bites accordingly, especially with that golden hour lighting up the water before dusk. Tidal swings are mellow today: Newport Beach shows high tide hitting mid-morning and again in the early evening, so target the rock jetties and reefs as the water moves—it puts the fish in a feeding mood. Let’s dig into the scoreboards. Party boats up and down the coast have been hauling in big numbers of bottom species, but Los Angeles local catches are stealing the show. Friday’s counts from Marina Del Rey Sportfishing and 22nd Street Landing show monster hauls of **rockfish**—over 500 landed in combined trips, with bonus sacks of **calico bass** (up to 60 keepers on one ride), **sheephead**, **whitefish**, and piles of **sculpin**. San Pedro boats got into decent numbers of **sand bass**, more sheephead, and topwater **bonita** action. Further south, Long Beach’s Victory put together a mixed bag: limits of sculpin, 49 calico bass, 103 blue perch, a bunch of mackerel, 25 whitefish, and 8 sheephead, all good-sized and healthy. Reports from 976-TUNA highlight Friday as a banner day, with 15 boats boating 1765 rockfish and 184 bluefin tuna—most of those pelagics are still pushing offshore, but a few have crept inside on special trips. Bait and tactics? You want to be versatile. Dropper loops rigged with **fresh squid** and **shrimp** are irresistible for the whitefish, sheephead, and rockfish. If you’re working the shallow kelp and rocky edges, try **cut anchovies** or **live sardines**. Calico bass are hitting well on **plastics**—think 3-5" swimbaits in brown, green, or clear with flake. The bonus topwater boils—bonita, a few barracuda—are going for shiny **metal jigs** or fast-retrieved chrome spoons. Don’t forget a handful of size 2 hooks and 15-20lb test for flylining lighter baits, especially if the wind stays mild. A couple of red-hot LA spots right now: - **Marina Del Rey’s breakwall and kelp line:** Big stacks of whitefish and schooling calicos in the morning, especially as the tide drops after high. - **San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach Pier area:** Plenty of structure, and the sand bass and sheephead have been hanging heavy around the pilings and rocky sections. If you’re looking to stretch your legs, Redondo Beach’s charter scene is on fire too—report from the Redondo Special shows 129 rockfish yesterday morning. Don’t overlook the local surf either. Late October always brings a few surprise halibut and perch in the troughs. All in all, it’s shaping up to be another classic SoCal autumn day on the water. Fish are hungry, the conditions are fishable, and there’s opportunity all over t This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.