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LA Fishing Report Oct 15: Halibut, Calicos, Tuna Biting, Rockfish & Whitefish Stacked Up
It’s Artificial Lure here, your boots-on-the-dock fishing buddy with today’s Wednesday, October 15th, Los Angeles area fishing report—let’s get right into it.
Weather this morning is shaping up mild and crisp, with temps in the low 60s at sunrise, climbing to the mid-70s by midday. Winds are light early, picking up a gentle westerly push by afternoon, and the marine layer is burning off quickly. Marine forecast from the National Weather Service mentions seas running 3 to 5 feet, mostly SW swell, making for a decently fishable ocean if you’re headed offshore.
We’ve got a waxing crescent moon working in our favor, and tidal swing is moderate today. Sunrise came at 6:57 AM, and we’ll lose the light just after 6:19 PM. That means your classic dawn and dusk bites might be short but sweet—prime time for getting a line in the water, especially around those tide changes. For more precision, check your local marina’s posted tides or use the Tides4Fishing and FishingReminder charts which show low tide rolling in late morning and a healthy incoming tide right through sunset.
Fish counts from San Pedro and Long Beach boats have been solid: Monte Carlo’s 1/2 day trips are hammering the bottom, landing up to 147 rockfish and 75 sanddab this past weekend, with whitefish and a few chunky halibut mixed in. Native Sun’s 3/4 day scored 13 halibut, 11 calico bass, and a notable 97 ocean whitefish, plus some bonus bonito and sheephead, all within a single trip—good variety for this time of year. According to the 22nd Street Landing tally, catches are dominated by rockfish, ocean whitefish, sanddab, and lately, calico bass and halibut numbers have ticked up meaning those species are on the chew.
Offshore, 1.5-day charters from San Pedro over the weekend scored bluefin tuna up to 56 per trip and handfuls of yellowtail—if you’ve got the range, tuna and yellowtail are still hanging around the outer banks.
Best lures for today’s conditions: Drop shot rigs with Gulp! or live anchovy for rockfish and whitefish, or try plastic swimbaits fished with a slow, low retrieve for calicos if you’re tight to kelp edges. Bonito are chasing flashy Kastmasters and small surface irons. For halibut, nothing beats slow-trolled sardines or a lead-head with a fresh anchovy bounced along sandy drop-offs.
Hot spots to circle on your map: 1) The Horseshoe Kelp just outside Angel’s Gate offers a smorgasbord of calico bass and ocean whitefish, particularly around the kelp stringers. 2) Santa Monica Bay piers—like Venice or Manhattan—are producing good sanddab and perch numbers if you’re shore-bound, with a chance at a mid-morning halibut on the rising tide, especially near the inshore troughs.
And if you’re headed to Marina del Rey, hit the harbor mouth on the outgoing tide for a shot at bonito and the odd schoolie barracuda.
In summary—rockfish and whitefish are stacked up if you anchor on structure, halibut and calicos are hot on the bite, and there’s still a pulse of tuna and yellows offshore for anyone looking for a bigger brawl.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Published on 2 months, 1 week ago