Surf Help

[Thisfool]

I have never done surf fishing before and i have been doing lots of reading up on it and i think i know what im going to need as far as gear and baits go i just dont know where or when to go.

i live in pomona so any south LA beaches or OC beaches is where id like to go. I am almost a 100% CPR guy id be a lair if i said ive never kept one or two before. If any one would be willing to give me any info some good beaches to start my search or times of day that would be awesome im also tottaly up for meeting up id love to be taught the ropes first hand lol. but any way any info would be a great help thanks very much in advance guys.


oh mostly just want to target surf perch to start

[bassmeister]

PM sent.......

[fish_sauce]

Hey TF,

From Pomona, the shortest route to the water is probably Huntington Beach or Newport Beach.
A good spot to start is south of the Santa Ana river, where Huntington beach ends and Newport Beach begins.
It's sandy and shallow there, so the surf perch won't exactly be monsters, but it's a beginner-friendly place to start. I've caught a wide variety of species there.
You can google map the area for parking areas. There are a few meters near the south side of the river mouth that are within walking distance to the beach.
Plan to go early in the morning, as lifegards around the Newport Beach area may bug you for fishing on the surf, so go early to avoid the crowd.



Best of luck out there bro, and let us know how you do!

Andrew

[EfrenM]

Ocean side on long beach if u want a pancakes action

[ErikAllen17]

If you ever want to make the drive to Ventura County, I go out at least 1-2x a week and am always happy to have a fishing buddy.

[Thisfool]

Hey TF,

From Pomona, the shortest route to the water is probably Huntington Beach or Newport Beach.
A good spot to start is south of the Santa Ana river, where Huntington beach ends and Newport Beach begins.
It's sandy and shallow there, so the surf perch won't exactly be monsters, but it's a beginner-friendly place to start. I've caught a wide variety of species there.
You can google map the area for parking areas. There are a few meters near the south side of the river mouth that are within walking distance to the beach.
Plan to go early in the morning, as lifegards around the Newport Beach area may bug you for fishing on the surf, so go early to avoid the crowd.



Best of luck out there bro, and let us know how you do!

Andrew


awesome thanks for the info. is there a particular part of the year that is better then others? like should i wait a month or two or am i missing out on the bite right now?

[Thisfool]

If you ever want to make the drive to Ventura County, I go out at least 1-2x a week and am always happy to have a fishing buddy.

hmm i could do that from time to time its a bit of a drive for me right now but in three months my truck payment drop off

[DockRat]

awesome thanks for the info. is there a particular part of the year that is better then others? like should i wait a month or two or am i missing out on the bite right now?

Depends on what you want to target. Big bait sharks, rays, halibut. Small bait, perch, YF croaker, corvina ? Live bait, dead frozen, gulp ?
Halibut, perch ect ? LC's, lures, crocks, kastmasters, (big or small) ?

There is lots of options when shore fishing.
Gear, big or small ?

You can fish the surf year round and catch fish. Read the surf fishing sticky's and go for it.
You do not need to go out and spend lots of money on gear to try out fishing the surf.
Certain fish are easier to catch during certain months.
Good luck, DR

[Thisfool]

Depends on what you want to target. Big bait sharks, rays, halibut. Small bait, perch, YF croaker, corvina ? Live bait, dead frozen, gulp ?
Halibut, perch ect ? LC's, lures, crocks, kastmasters, (big or small) ?

There is lots of options when shore fishing.
Gear, big or small ?

You can fish the surf year round and catch fish. Read the surf fishing sticky's and go for it.
You do not need to go out and spend lots of money on gear to try out fishing the surf.
Certain fish are easier to catch during certain months.
Good luck, DR

im looking to take my 6lb drop shot set up and hunt down some BSP that all i really want to do as far as surf fishing goes for right now. i intend on using plastics

[fish_sauce]

awesome thanks for the info. is there a particular part of the year that is better then others? like should i wait a month or two or am i missing out on the bite right now?

In the winter months the surf fishing may be a little slow, but BSP's will still be around. Near rock jetties, there is also a chance to catch walleye surfperch, corbina, small bass, and croakers with the setup that you mentioned. Just avoid going a week or two after a rain in the winter months, as the water chemistry near river mouths may be drastically different, making it much harder to come across a bite.

If you're gonna drive down here to fish, i highly recommend planning out your trip to do a session in the morning, leave to get a bite to eat, and then return for an afternoon session before the sun sets. You will come to appreciate how the time differential could affect so many aspects of the inshore environment.

Also, one last thing to remember--there are several State Marine Reserves in the Southern California area near Bolsa Chica, Laguna, Crystal Cove, and Dana Pointe, so consult the DFW page before you go. Here's the link: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=72262&inline=true

Hope the info helps, good luck out there bro.

Andrew

[Thisfool]

In the winter months the surf fishing may be a little slow, but BSP's will still be around. Near rock jetties, there is also a chance to catch walleye surfperch, corbina, small bass, and croakers with the setup that you mentioned. Just avoid going a week or two after a rain in the winter months, as the water chemistry near river mouths may be drastically different, making it much harder to come across a bite.

If you're gonna drive down here to fish, i highly recommend planning out your trip to do a session in the morning, leave to get a bite to eat, and then return for an afternoon session before the sun sets. You will come to appreciate how the time differential could affect so many aspects of the inshore environment.

Also, one last thing to remember--there are several State Marine Reserves in the Southern California area near Bolsa Chica, Laguna, Crystal Cove, and Dana Pointe, so consult the DFW page before you go. Here's the link: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=72262&inline=true

Hope the info helps, good luck out there bro.

Andrew

thanks i appreciate the info