Need some help/tips on fishing Malibu area

[mattahmadi62]

Hi all,

Just got back into fishing with my girlfriend and could use some helps/tips. I live in Malibu right by Pepperdine University and was wondering if anyone can help me out with some tips or tricks for surf fishing Malibu area. I've fished freshwater in the past many times with my dad, but this is the first time I've tried surf and it didn't go too well. Over the course of an hour we got 0 fish and lost about 4 rigs. We tried fishing surfrider beach at around 7pm. The weather & tide seemed ideal for fishing, but once again I honestly had 0 idea on what I was doing. Any insight on surfing this area, or locations to fish would be greatly appreciated. Also wouldn't mind meeting up with someone if anyone is in the area during the evening or weekend.

Thank you,
Matt A.

[City Dad]

In most cases, I've had my best luck about an hour-and-a-half before high tide until about an hour-and-a-half after high tide.
It's helpful to check surf conditions too - I use this one http://forecasts.surfingmagazine.com/#place=33.715201644740844_-119.575195_7_1422_height_none_Sat_-1

In most cases calm conditions mean better fishing and it's helpful to understand swell direction and wave period when determining if/when to fish.

There was a time when I knew for certain what spots would produce and when - but the last couple summers have thrown me for a loop and favorite spots have been dead while other spots I just seem to stumble across. I don't get out all that much and so haven't been able to find much consistency.

The only certainty is that more casts give me more shots at good fish.

There are a million ways to rig up, but for my money, I'd bet a guy could fish most conditions and spots successfully with a 7' - 8' med action spinning rod, 8lb line.

I only fish a few different set ups - 1/2 .oz Carolina, long-ish leader, 3" camo gulp for croaker, perch and the odd short halibut, 3/8 oz. drop-shot w/ fluke for hali and croaker, 1/2 oz Krocodile spoon for everything including macs and bonito and the ever loving Lucky Craft for anything with gills.

You reside near some great water. One suggestion - consider catch & release when you're killing it (and even when you're not). As most surf junkies will attest, inshore fisheries are easily devastated... if we want any kind of future fishing the So Cal coast we all need to check ourselves and value/conserve what is there.

[mattahmadi62]

Thanks for all the info! I'll definitely continue to give it a shot and try different spots/rigs. We'll most likely release most of the fish we catch as we're doing this more for the sport, than for finding dinner.

[fishshep]

Thanks for all the info! I'll definitely continue to give it a shot and try different spots/rigs. We'll most likely release most of the fish we catch as we're doing this more for the sport, than for finding dinner.

Yeah, well, you could try Samo Or Will Rogers too, That way you don,t have to worry about accidently killing the fish in that Hood !!!

[camdozer]

Like City Dad said you really do live near some sick fishing, it's just a matter of finding the honey holes. I got into surf fishing a year ago or so now and spent my first few trips getting skunked but now when I go out I am always confident. (Doesn't work out every time but the thought is there lol!)

A few things that helped me a lot:
-a naturally colored Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110SP will basically always produce some bites. When you feel the take on the "LC" give the fish a second to turn around with it before you set the hook. This will make it more likely you get a good hook set if he was trailing behind and only bit the rear hook. Make sure you have some good pliers and gain some confidence in handling the animals as there are lots of hooks on the LC and you want to keep your shorties alive and out of water for as short a time as possible.
-a little smelly jelly smeared on your lures always seems to help. Anchovy flavor is my preferred as those are pretty abundant baitfish in our waters.
-get in google earth and scope some spots there. Typically the harder to get to with the most structure has worked best for me. Hard to get to = rarely fished. Structure = holds fish.
-go out for a nice stroll with the lady at low tide and scout for structure that gets hidden by the water at high tide. These spots will likely hold fish once the water level rises.
-when you find a good spot, guard it. There are some, like city dad mentioned, who don't respect the size and bag limits and will lurk these forums searching for a spot and then go ruin it in a single season. Even be careful when you post your photos here as they may give away your location. Easiest is the fish in the sand next to something that indicates its size (a boot, your rod butt, a tape measure, etc.). This will only give away that you were in the sand and is also the quickest photo op method for releasing the fish healthy.
-the trickiest bit, which really just comes with experience, is actually knowing when you're on. Occasionally a monster will rip you so hard it's undeniable, but most fish in the surf zone won't take that hard as they aren't typically huge fish. You can miss feeling a bite if your lure was in a wave for example that created slack, so keep your line tight at all times. You can also trick yourself into setting the hook on 20 lbs. of kelp since the waves make it fight back, lol. You'll get the hang of it.
-I am a huge subscriber to the solunar theory and fishing with the right tides. Tides4fishing.com and look up your beach. Everyone of my best and worst days have been reliably predicted by this theory. Typically a moving tide is best, whether on its way in or out will produce fish, and a slack tide will be very slow fishing, likely a skunky day.
-last tip, and maybe the most important for me: have fun! A friend recently reminded me of a quote by Henry David Thoreau: "Many men go fishing all their lives with the mistaken belief that it is fish they are after." Find your peace, share it with your woman, and you can't go wrong!

Cheers,
Cam

[danw]

Just had an epic sundown few nights back for 3 wsb 1 being legal & 3 nice calicos Give me a call i would be happy to meetup and share some info with you. 424.216.2225
Peace.

Hi all,

Just got back into fishing with my girlfriend and could use some helps/tips. I live in Malibu right by Pepperdine University and was wondering if anyone can help me out with some tips or tricks for surf fishing Malibu area. I've fished freshwater in the past many times with my dad, but this is the first time I've tried surf and it didn't go too well. Over the course of an hour we got 0 fish and lost about 4 rigs. We tried fishing surfrider beach at around 7pm. The weather & tide seemed ideal for fishing, but once again I honestly had 0 idea on what I was doing. Any insight on surfing this area, or locations to fish would be greatly appreciated. Also wouldn't mind meeting up with someone if anyone is in the area during the evening or weekend.

Thank you,
Matt A.