Summer Saltwater Species: Surf Fishing Opportunities in Southern California

Loads of different fish swim in the warm saltwater of the Pacific and offer awesome fishing opportunities during the warm months of summer in Southern California. These fish are great fun for young and old alike to catch and often do not require much special equipment to catch. Head out to your favorite beach in SoCal and catch these fish today! Here are several species that are often caught in the summer from the beach, jetty or pier.

Halibut are a fairly rare catch in the surf, but persistent anglers still catch keeper ones near the shore. Slightly heavier gear is needed for tangling with the flat brutes, quite heavier than tackle used for surf perch or mackerel. One of the most popular lures for halibut are the expensive Lucky Craft jerkbaits from Japan. They are fairly more pricey than other jerkbaits on the market but dedicated halibut anglers usually have several of them, in various colors and patterns.

Surf perch are a common catch along most SoCal beaches in the summer and often at other times of the year. There are several species of surf perch, ones often caught include red-tailed surfperch, walleye surfperch, shiner surfperch, and barred surfperch. One of the most popular ways to catch them is to use a Carolina rig with a Berkely Gulp style worm, clam neck, or small piece of squid. Cast out into the surf as far as you possibly can, keep the line tight and surf perch bites will feel like little tap-tap-tap-taps. Instead of giving a strong yank to set the hook, try just reeling in, which is often enough to drive the hook home. I have also caught surf perch by casting jigs tipped with various types of bait (pieces of muscles, clams, etc) into the ocean waters). Surf perch often travel in schools and a successful hit at one area may lead to many other bites and caught fish in the area.

Spotted bass and calico bass are often caught from the shore, especially in harbor areas with lots of cover. These guys, averaging a foot or less (although larger species, even pushing 5lbs, have been caught), fight incredibly hard for their size, similar to freshwater smallmouth bass. Try using typical bass tackle with bass plastics (dropshot or wacky rigs). Swimbait (soft plastic ones) are another popular choice. Please do not keep these fish, catch and release them, because they are a real treat to catch and are much better alive than dead. Too many anglers keeping these fish will totally destroy the fishery for them.

Mackerel are a popular catch from most piers in SoCal. Small hooks, often rigged in multiples on a line, with different types of bait on them, are one of the best ways to catch them. Mackerel are used for bait (dead) by some anglers, while many others enjoy just eating them right away.

Opal eye are often caught from jetties and piers during the summer in SoCal. They are named opal eye for their truly "blue" eyes. They have incredibly small mouthes but can reach several pounds in weight. The small ones can be fairly annoying for anglers targeting larger fish, as they will often nibble and tear the bait off of the hook. Still, using small enough hooks, these fish can be a real treat for anglers just learning to fish.

There are many other species of fish caught in the summer off of the beaches, piers and jetties in SoCal. However, the macks, opal eye, surf perch, halibut, and bass are some of the most commonly caught. For first-time anglers and experienced sportsmen alike, SoCal offers loads of great summer saltwater fishing fun. Try catching some of these fish while enjoying the generous sunshine today!