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California Coast Fishing Frenzy: Epic Bass, Halibut, and Rockfish Action
Published 11 months, 1 week ago
Description
Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Pacific Ocean, California fishing report for this beautiful Monday morning, May 19, 2025.
The bite is absolutely on fire right now along the California coast! Over the weekend, we've been seeing some stellar action that should continue today. Weather-wise, we're looking at mild conditions with light morning winds - perfect for getting out on the water.
Bass fishing has been lights out in recent days, with multiple boats reporting limits. Just this past weekend, the California Dawn out of Berkeley loaded up with 40 striped bass, including some lunkers up to 36 pounds! Mike Rescino on the Lovely Martha has been consistently putting clients on bass, reporting "LIMITS OF BASS!!!" in his latest report from the 12th.
Halibut action is picking up too. The California Dawn II had 20 anglers land 11 California halibut up to 15 pounds on their full-day trip.
For you rock cod enthusiasts, boats out of Morro Bay and Avila Beach are crushing it. The Starfire out of Morro Bay Landing had anglers pulling in 100 bocaccio, 17 lingcod up to 12 pounds, along with a mixed bag of other rock fish varieties. The Coral Sea operating out of Santa Barbara Landing had an impressive haul of 248 rockfish and 25 white seabass on their 3/4 day trip.
For those looking to target lingcod, the Santa Barbara area has been hot, with the Coral Sea reporting 50 lingcod in a single outing.
As for hot spots, Berkeley Marina is firing for stripers, while Santa Barbara is your best bet for a mixed bag of rockfish, lingcod, and the chance at white seabass. Morro Bay is also producing consistent action for rockfish enthusiasts.
Bait and tackle recommendations: For bass, fresh anchovies and sardines are working well, but don't overlook swimbaits in white or chartreuse. For halibut, try slow-trolling live bait near the bottom or bouncing jigs tipped with squid. Rock cod anglers are doing best with dropper loop rigs baited with squid or strips of mackerel.
The tides today should give us a nice morning incoming push that typically turns on the bite. Get out early and take advantage of the morning bite before the afternoon winds kick up.
For those looking to book a trip, plenty of landings have availability this week, including a charter on the Searcher that's running through today.
Remember to bring your camera - these aren't just fish stories anymore with the quality of catch we're seeing!
This is Artificial Lure signing off - tight lines and see you on the water!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
The bite is absolutely on fire right now along the California coast! Over the weekend, we've been seeing some stellar action that should continue today. Weather-wise, we're looking at mild conditions with light morning winds - perfect for getting out on the water.
Bass fishing has been lights out in recent days, with multiple boats reporting limits. Just this past weekend, the California Dawn out of Berkeley loaded up with 40 striped bass, including some lunkers up to 36 pounds! Mike Rescino on the Lovely Martha has been consistently putting clients on bass, reporting "LIMITS OF BASS!!!" in his latest report from the 12th.
Halibut action is picking up too. The California Dawn II had 20 anglers land 11 California halibut up to 15 pounds on their full-day trip.
For you rock cod enthusiasts, boats out of Morro Bay and Avila Beach are crushing it. The Starfire out of Morro Bay Landing had anglers pulling in 100 bocaccio, 17 lingcod up to 12 pounds, along with a mixed bag of other rock fish varieties. The Coral Sea operating out of Santa Barbara Landing had an impressive haul of 248 rockfish and 25 white seabass on their 3/4 day trip.
For those looking to target lingcod, the Santa Barbara area has been hot, with the Coral Sea reporting 50 lingcod in a single outing.
As for hot spots, Berkeley Marina is firing for stripers, while Santa Barbara is your best bet for a mixed bag of rockfish, lingcod, and the chance at white seabass. Morro Bay is also producing consistent action for rockfish enthusiasts.
Bait and tackle recommendations: For bass, fresh anchovies and sardines are working well, but don't overlook swimbaits in white or chartreuse. For halibut, try slow-trolling live bait near the bottom or bouncing jigs tipped with squid. Rock cod anglers are doing best with dropper loop rigs baited with squid or strips of mackerel.
The tides today should give us a nice morning incoming push that typically turns on the bite. Get out early and take advantage of the morning bite before the afternoon winds kick up.
For those looking to book a trip, plenty of landings have availability this week, including a charter on the Searcher that's running through today.
Remember to bring your camera - these aren't just fish stories anymore with the quality of catch we're seeing!
This is Artificial Lure signing off - tight lines and see you on the water!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.