January begins as unpredictable, but here is how the month usually plays out…This month often has large, prolonged storm periods, punctuated by absolute calm Santa Ana days.  I don’t see that changing much except for the wind component.  Winds, generally strong during storm periods have been very mild and there is no indication that this is going to change soon.

Big barred surfperch will roam the beach this month being found along both the beach and tucked into rock structure.  Sidewinder crabs, one of their favorite winter baits, will be on the menu but only for the largest perch.  Fish near and in the rocks with light weight, short leaders and a sidewinder and you may catch the state record.  Ultra-high tides and calm days will be perfect for fishing a variety of perch from the rocks.

Brackish water, created by storm runoff, will generate some great spots to target striper in the surf.  Culvert runoff pipes will flood the beaches, along with rivers and estuaries and expose massive amounts of clams, worms, crabs for fish to feed upon.  Almost like a giant chum line, surf fish will congregate in areas where runoff has pushed sand offshore.  Anglers fishing Lucky Craft/BattleStar hardbaits, Krocodile spoons and bait will have the best luck in brackish water both during the day, but especially at night during full moon periods, to bag a bucket list striper.

January’s “calm” periods have always been my favorite days to hit the beach around mid-morning (after a good sleep, coffee and a donut or two) and cast spoons like krocs and kastmasters for yellowfin croaker.  They often congregate in schools and chase bait fish.  When you find one, you’ll often find many and considering some get to eight pounds or more, they are one of the most fun fish to fight in the surf.

Last but not least, it’s time to work on your equipment, tackle and rigging for next Spring.  Don’t wait.  While watching games over the next month or two review your equipment.  Clean, lube and change the line on your reels.  Rub your rods down with a solution of water and vinegar on a cotton cloth (I use an old sock) to remove all the sand, salt and gunk from the beach.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, make a list of all the tackle you’ll need to be a success at the beach…so that when the Shows come up, you’ll execute your purchases with a “gorilla shopping” precision…that will even impress your friends!

                                               Article of the Month:

WHERE TO FIND FISH AT THE BEACH

_________________________________________

Surf Fishing

Now On RUMBLE.com!

Visit Rumble.com and type in fishthesurf into the search box to go to my catalog of fish reports and surf fishing how-to videos!

PLEASE FOLLOW

Please help me to spread the passion of surf fishing by subscribing to my RUMBLE page (fishthesurf). My weekly fish report videos are here along with an ever-increasing library of how-to surf fishing videos. CLICK HERE to subscribe and spread the word!

Good luck, tight lines and light winds,   Bill

I’VE SWITCHED MY VIDEOS TO RUMBLE.com

_______________________________________________________

OVER 50 HOW-TO SURF FISHING ARTICLES HERE

Article: What is Light-Line Surf Fishing

Have a great month at the beach and please send me your fish reports to: fishthesurf@mail.com

Santa Barbara/Ventura:  A big storm for sure but very little wind and no surf. Water should clean up quickly and again provide good fishing. Traditional storms in the Santa Barbara region push reeds, bamboo, oak into the surf…but thankfully, very little this time.  

Continued very good barred and walleye surfperch fishing all along the Ventura and Oxnard shores with fish in the 12-13” range.  Most effective baits have been grubs, Gulp, Lug and Bloodworms.

Tackle/Bait: Hook, Line and Sinker.  Ask for Ben

Malibu:   One angler reports that before the storm Will Rogers had good barred surfperch fishing for fish up to 12” and even a corbina. After the storm considerable runoff has turned the water brown and pushed fish toward the Santa Monica Pier. Fish the dirty edge for striper using hard baits and spoons. Important tip again, storm drains blow out tons of sand and bait during these events, all along the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The constant runoff dislodges all kinds of bait so be sure to fish the edges around any runoff area.

South Bay:  Hermosa Beach checks in this week with good fishing for nice sized barred surfperch to 13” and nice palm-sized walleye surfperch. Gulp and dried lugworms have been the go-to baits.  Fishthesurf reporter Lori, landed her second corbina on a dried lug in the last two weeks. Is it still summer? 

As a result of storm runoff, one Torrance angler (see above), using a Lucky Craft 110 Flash Minnow, hooked and landed a beautiful 32″ striper.  Yes anglers, they are out there and waiting for you!

The 2026 CCA Sportfishing Calendar

9″x 11″ Full Color, Hole Punched, Heavy Stock

This year’s calendar has world-class photography, important dates, graphic tide charts, West Coast tide adjustments, moon phase, How-to tips for rock fishing, knot tying, world record catches, landing facts and more. This is the tool you need to plan the very best time to fish and make the most of your day!

Calendars make great gifts too!

PURCHASE HERE

Purchase Surf Fish Tackle HERE

Need advice or have questions:  Email Bill at: fishthesurf.com

Orange County:  Before the storm, Huntington State Beach kicked out some big 2-4lb yellowfin croaker and a legal halibut. Halibut anglers, using hard baits fishing near outlets along this stretch, were having the best luck. Down in San Clemente, one angler using a dried lug worm landed yet another nice corbina.  Is it still summer I ask again!

Tackle/bait:  Big Fish Bait and Tackle, Seal Beach

San Diego:  Torrey Pines was the hotspot in San Diego this week with decent water conditions. Anglers using flukes and hard-baits had several sub legal halibut and one angler using cut raw market shrimp had a great bite on sand bass and barred surfperch to 12”.

Tackle/bait: Pacific Coast Bait and Tackle/ Seaforth Landing

This NOAA illustration shows us how storms that originate near the Aleutian Islands are dropping south toward Hawaii…then coming in straight from the West into California.  This pattern reduces both wind and swells and creates stable water temperatures.

Conditions To Watch This Month

Synopsis: I would normally tell you to stay warm and dry and away from the beach as storms blow by…but this January may be a bit different.  Although we expect this month to have storms, surf and wild winds…it may not, or at least have less than average.  So, what does that mean for me…It really looks like we may have calm periods during some of the storms, and although precipitation may be heavy, both wind and swell will be light…holding both warm water in the California bight and slowing down the reshaping of beaches.

Some of the largest tidal swings of the year come this month and provide a variety of opportunities to fish, catch bait and explore the beach and tide pools.  Look for beach topography to change this month and produce new holes and troughs where you’ll find fish.  Find these new areas during low tide, mark them by lining them up with something permeant behind, then come back to the beach at high tide, line yourself up and fish them.

Water Temp:  61-62 from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Still, steady Eddy. Looking at my notes Newport Beach was 58, 4 degrees cooler on this day last year.  Don’t know exactly what to say about water temps… very warm for this time of year and not sure if the westerly storm patterns are going to change.  Warmer temps mean more corbina in winter, and less large spawning barred surfperch.

Tides:  2026 greets us with a very full moon today, with a massive 9.1′ tidal swing from the morning high to a massive afternoon low. These morning high tides will mitigate throughout the week with great tidal movement through the entire period. Fish and explore during these massive low tides and don’t be surprised, during peak high tide and low tide, that the bite doesn’t die for an hour or so.

Note: this weekend’s tide swings will be some of the biggest of the year.  I know it may not be the best weather at the beach but if you can go there to fish look for areas around rock structure (like jetties, harbor entrances, etc.) where you can walk out at low tide and cast in areas you normally cannot reach.  This is also a great time to take kids to the beach and check out all the cool creatures that live on the jetty rocks…a good time to catch bait too.

Swell:  Our coast continues to have swells from storms to our Northwest, that originate in Alaska…but nothing with big surf is on the horizon. Look for the surf to increase to chest high on most West facing beaches on Sunday, then return to waist high surf…to at times flat, through next week.

Wind: We are in the pattern now, so expect SSE morning winds (side shore on South facing and offshore on West facing beaches). Expect afternoon winds from 10-15 knots from the Northwest. 

TIP: Rivers, culvert pipes and estuaries that drain on to the beach and into the ocean expose all kinds of food for surf fish.  Look for areas where rainwater has flushed out sand (and thereby exposed clams, worms, crabs) at the beach and fish the edges here. 

     ____________________________________________________________________

GRUNION RUNS coming in MARCH 2026

____________________________________________________________________

This week’s Video Surf Fishing Report

CLICK ON PICTURE BELOW TO WATCH

Thank you to Nicolas, Reno, Rick, Andrew, Lori, Eric, Jeff, John, Mike, Steve and Brian for your surf fishing reports!