There are entire volumes written on offshore fishing in Southern California, each dissecting regional nuances, fishing techniques, and gear preferences. This is your crash course to get you up to speed; the gear checklist to get you offshore-ready with confidence. This article covers recreational saltwater fishing basics for Southern California offshore trips, making it a helpful starting point for beginners, experienced, professional, and recreational anglers alike. We’ve organized this article into categorized essentials and tips, highlighting must-have gear and product recommendations from Melton Tackle. Use this guide to learn what you need for a successful offshore trip, and adjust based on your preferred brands, species targets, and style of fishing.
Saltwater fishing presents a wide range of challenges and opportunities, and the choice between baitcasting and spinning reels can have a huge impact on your success. This in-depth guide explores the core differences between these two reel types through the lens of the Southern California fishery. Learn how gear design, casting mechanics, and retrieval control affect your ability to target species like calico bass, yellowtail, and spotted bay bass. From navigating heavy kelp beds with precision to casting light lures in breezy bays, knowing the strengths of each setup helps anglers fish more effectively and with greater confidence.
The saltwater sportfishing community has been buzzing with excitement over a potential new IGFA world record yellowfin tuna caught off the lower banks of Baja on a 10-day trip aboard the Excel, a sportboat out of San Diego, California. On November 11th, 2024, Earl Gill IV hooked and landed a massive yellowfin that weighed 448 pounds on the boat's scale. When weighed again six days later in San Diego on a certified IGFA scale, the fish came in at 443.5 pounds—still 15 pounds heavier than the current IGFA All-Tackle world record.
The Lobster season opening in California is a highly anticipated day for anglers, foodies, and outdoor enthusiasts. This opener is an excellent opportunity for experts and novice anglers to participate in trapping/fishing lobster for consumption at home in Southern California.
Gyroscopic stabilized binoculars should be an integral piece of equipment for every serious offshore fisherman around the country. They allow you to see far beyond what you might be able to pick up with the naked eye, and with the help of stabilization technology, gyro binoculars deliver the user a clear image of what’s on the horizon.
Well, it's that time of the year again... long nights, no sleep, and biting fish. Nighttime fishing for Bluefin Tuna is proving yet again to be one of the most consistent and productive ways to target these fish in our local waters. Over the past few seasons, it always seems like the first big hits of the year have come from boats searching down South during the late Spring months and finding schools of biting fish after the sun has set.
Our local Southern California bluefin fishery, specifically with the emergence of the "cow" tuna, has seen drastic changes in the way we pursue and target these big fish over the past decade. Bar none, the most thrilling methods used to target big bluefin have to be those which allow anglers to witness a visual topwater bite. Whether that be casting into foaming fish, kite fishing, trolling through a breezing school, or drifting a flying fish (flyer) with a balloon rig through the big fish zone, I would challenge you to find an angler who would disagree.
As fishing techniques continue to evolve and become ever more effective, have you honed in your craft on the latest styles of fighting and landing big fish from a small boat? Over the past decade, Southern California has become the mecca for targeting trophy Pacific Bluefin Tuna. For both seasoned anglers and weekend warriors alike, catching that once-in-a-lifetime cow Bluefin Tuna has likely become a reality in recent years.
Hands down, some of the most fun you can have as a Southern California angler is fishing kelp paddies. The process is exciting, from hunting down the floating paddy, setting up your drift, discovering its jugged with gamefish and life, and finally getting into a wide-open bite.
In 2023 all depths will be open to targeting Rockfish and Groundfish, so ensure you are well-versed with depth restriction dates for the SoCal management area.
