Santa monica report and a question

[pasadenafishin]

Hey guys, so in my quest for my first halibut i went to santa monica saturday evening. Fished for like an hour without a bite, i barely made any casts tho. My question is how do you guys fish when there are some waves? I was wearing waders, but it was to hard to wade past the breakers without getting crashed on and i couldn't fish before them cause it gets shallow when the water recedes. And it in now way was crazy high surf. So my question is how do u fish when there is anything but flat calm water? just tough through the waves until you get behind the breakers? Hopefully someone can help me,
thanks, PF

[City Dad]

I'm by no means an expert, but I've had bit of luck by watching the water and timing my casts. I rarely wade out any further than knee deep, standing just a few yards from where the waves are breaking. Then I wait for wave or a set to go by and cast into the (relatively) flat water behind as it rises up. I work my bait or fly along until a wave puts slack in my line then I tighten my line up as best I can so that when the wave(s) pass I can resume working the bait along the bottom. I think it's kinda like fishing fishing a river in that in order to have any sucess you've really gotta "feel" your way along - the major difference being that the surf zone is like a stream that runs one way and then back the other. Obviously, in a regular stream there is whater where you want to place your fly - like a run or an eddy - and places you don't bother - like a churnining rapid... the surf is the same way.

And don't over look the shallow or "skinny" water. Anyone who's fished for a season or two can tell you stories about the fish they hooked right at their feet.

As in much of life, practice pays off. Good luck.

[DockRat]

When I was targeting Butts a couple years ago 90% of the time I would never get in the water.
Got 16 butts (2 legals) in a couple month period sometimes only fishing 1 - 2 hours a couple times a week.
DR

[lalo56]

I went to Malibu but i was not even able to get in the water. The conditions were too bad, so we just chilled on the sand.

[murrieta angler]

I have to agree with DR,
I rarely go in deeper than knee high and if I do it's cause I might be fighting a fish and not paying attention to the surf.
I also agree with City Dad. Time the sets and cast after the 2nd or 3rd wave break.
Shortly it won't even matter when the temps start hitting the 70's and you'll want to be in the surf.
Good Luck,
Robert