SoCal Fishing Report: Mixed Bag Bites, Kelp Edges Produce Calicos and Bonito

Artificial Lure here with your Friday, June 20th Los Angeles area fishing report. Early summer is shining through with classic SoCal weather: we’re starting today off under a bit of marine layer, but expect that to burn away fast, giving us blue skies and highs pushing the mid-80s right at the coast. Sunrise hit at 5:42AM, and sunset will be at 8:06PM, so you’ve got a long window to chase a bite. The water temps are hovering around the high 60s to low 70s—perfect for a mixed bag of species up and down the coast. The tides set up nicely for both the a.m. and evening sessions. Low tide arrived early at 12:02AM, with a moderate high at 5:46AM (3.3 feet), another low at 11:03AM (1.5 feet), and a strong evening high tide peaking at 5:50PM at 5.75 feet. That late push has been firing up the bite, especially for inshore species according to Tide-Forecast.com. Let’s talk action. The sportboats out of Long Beach and Newport are seeing classic summer action—rockfish limits are still coming over the rail, but the surface bite is heating up. Freelance and Western Pride reported recent catches including sand bass, calico bass, bonito, barracuda, and even some barracuda in the mix, especially around the artificial reefs and kelp lines. The sculpin bite remains reliable, but anglers tossing surface irons, Lucky Craft jerkbaits, or Krocodile spoons are tangling with bonito and the odd barracuda. The afternoon high tide has been a sweet spot for these surface feeders, particularly as the sun warms things up and bait becomes more active. For freshwater fans, nearby reservoirs like Castaic and Pyramid are yielding good numbers of largemouth bass and the odd striper. Early and late are key; Roboworms on a dropshot or small swimbaits are drawing strikes tight to cover. Over at Temescal, rainbow trout are still in play surprisingly late in the season, especially around deeper points, according to FishCaddy’s June update. Hot spots today? Hard to beat the Horseshoe Kelp off San Pedro—calico and sand bass are schooling thick where the baitballs show. Further in, the breakwall at Cabrillo is producing legal calico and the occasional white seabass for patient anglers soaking fresh squid or sardines. For land-based action, Redondo Pier and Venice Pier started producing more mackerel, with some short halibut in the mix for folks working smelt and grunion imitations near sunset. Bait and lure tips: Live sardines and cut squid remain the go-to, especially for the party boat crowd. For artificial action, toss surface irons like Tady 45s or Shimano Coltsnipers in chrome or sardine pattern for bonito and barracuda. For the bass, go with 5-inch swimbaits in anchovy or sardine colors, or try a weedless jig in the kelp. That’s all for today. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for daily SoCal updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.