Visit to California - Newcomer Advice

[Mr_England]

Hi

I am new to this forum but I am a member of a similar setup here in the UK (WSF - World Sea Fishing). I am visiting California on vacation in May and I was hoping that I might get some advice about lure fishing??

Here in the UK I target European Sea Bass on all sorts of lures and spinners and I plan to bring my telescopic rod with me when I visit. I am doing the Pacific Highway drive from Monterey to Los Angeles, stopping at motels in Carmel and Santa Barbara on the way.

I was going to look for the nearest rocky ground near to where I am staying and have a few casts for the hell of it, but if I could get some pointers it might be worth a bit of a drive to make the effort a bit more worthwhile.

Here in the UK, fishermen are very guarded about there fishing places so I wont be offended if this post comes across as a bit forward. But any kind of rough guidance would be appreciated.

I don't know what species I would be targetting, but any predetary fish that would take a lure (especially off the top which is so spectacular) would be my aim.

I've included a couple of photos from the last year's album so give you an idea of what I'm hoping for.

Thanks - Will - Manchester (UK)

[SP Dan]

Hi Will and welcome to Socal, USA!

I like your plan to spot some boilers and just start tossing at em' ..... ya never know what Poseidon may toss your way?

That's a great looking ESB! How long and heavy can the European Sea Bass get?

We normally throw Lucky Craft 110 lures, Krocodiles and swimmies and we target a wide range of species such as:
Halibut, White Sea Bass (ghost), Striped Bass (very rare), Barred Surf Perch (BSP), Wall-eyed Perch, Barracuda, Shovel Nose Guitar Fish (SNGF), Yellow Fin Croaker (YFC), Leopard shark, Calico Bass, Sand Bass (turd roller) ..... etc.

Heck ... I've been known to even catch a bird or two on the LC 110! Ha ha ha! (by accident of course)

Will ... just do what comes natural and everything else will follow, just like it does back home ... and remember ... have fun!

Good luck and please post a report of your sessions at the end.

PS .... Don't forget to purchase your fishing license for salt water fishing if you plan to fish on the beaches .... it's not worth the $ fine from the Warden.
Fishing on piers, man made jetty's will not require a fishing license.

PSS ... BEWARE of the MLPA areas ...... now protected wildlife reserves with limitations to fishing and or NO fishing.

Best success is usually at first light in the morning.

Good luck Will!

SP Dan <"))><

[trail blazer]

You came to the right place for great surf info Mr ENGLAND.

Im sure that the S W A T bunch will be able to point you in the right direction . No body knows the surf like they do!

I for one would like to welcome you to the west coast of our country and hope that your stay and trip here is a memorable adventure.

Welcome to FNN.




Is that a zara spook,,,,,,,,night time topwater action WOW! nice!
TRAIL BLAZER

[bones]

I can't say much for a top water bite in our region primarily because we have a huge population of coastal birds that would attack your bait before you get the fish to hit but shoot me a PM when you arrive and I will try my best to point you in the right direction. I'm only familiar with the region from Santa Barbara moving south to LA though. In the northern region you might want to repost this inquiry in the "Northern California" section to get the help you desire from the guys who have the experience with that area.

Pointer....

http://fishingnetwork.net/forum4/for...ishing-Reports

[shiromaguro88]

I would suggest you hopping on one of the 1/2 day 3/4 day trip. You probably have better odds on catching fish than from shore.

[shiromaguro88]

You may want to stop by the central coast and try this pocket fishing.
Look up www.jurassicsportfishing.com

[City Dad]

yeah, what Bones and Dan said. sounds like a fun trip. leopard sharks tend to show up in numbers on So Cal beaches in May and it can be startling to suddenly find oneself in the midst of a dozen or so of these fish as they swarm the shallows. Fortunately, they are only dangerous to sand crabs and juvenile perch and are known to take lures and flies from time to time.

a couple bits of advice:

there are many places that claim to serve "fish tacos" but the only real fish tacos are batter fried white-fleshed fillets served on a corn tortilla (henco a mano is best) with shredded cabbage, the white sauce and three lime wedges on the side. grilled salmon is not a fish taco ingredient.

as you move north you will begin to encounter San Francisco Giants fans. try and remember it's not their fault - they are most likely born with that deficiency.

[simijab]

yeah, what Bones and Dan said. sounds like a fun trip. leopard sharks tend to show up in numbers on So Cal beaches in May and it can be startling to suddenly find oneself in the midst of a dozen or so of these fish as they swarm the shallows. Fortunately, they are only dangerous to sand crabs and juvenile perch and are known to take lures and flies from time to time.

a couple bits of advice:

there are many places that claim to serve "fish tacos" but the only real fish tacos are batter fried white-fleshed fillets served on a corn tortilla (henco a mano is best) with shredded cabbage, the white sauce and three lime wedges on the side. grilled salmon is not a fish taco ingredient.

as you move north you will begin to encounter San Francisco Giants fans. try and remember it's not their fault - they are most likely born with that deficiency.

hahahahahahahaha!!!!!

[fishinone]

Our striped bass are in the same family as the ESB. I think that you'll do well fishing for them. It looks like many of your lures are just right.

The striper in the Ocean are more common up near San Fransisco in the Sacramento Delta and the Ocean. On the southern coast they are less abundant. They are also Landlocked in the California Aqueduct and in most of the lakes attached to it.

There are lots of other fish that will hit in the same zones where you would expect to find Sea Bass.

Enjoy your trip!
Tight Lines!

[Mr_England]

Hi everyone! I've just logged back into your forum and I'm amazed at the friendly responses to my question. Thank you. I plan to respond to each of your messages individually. Here goes....