Tag Archives: where to surf fish

Fall Fishing Road Trips

Fall Surf Fishing Road Trips

By Bill Varney Jr.

The warm days of summer is a great time to get out for a surf fishing road trip but the truth is, I really enjoy hitting the road in fall with cool mornings, warm days, empty beaches and great fishing.

Two of my favorite spots to camp and fish in fall have to be Leo Carrillo State Park and northern Santa Barbara’s Jalama Beach.  Both offer great camping, wide open beaches and some of the best surf fishing for calico, barred, walleye and buttermouth surfperch along the Southern California coast.

leo carrillo beachLeo Carrillo State Park is located just north of Zuma Beach and provides both sandy beaches and offshore rock structure.  The park is located 28 miles northwest of Santa Monica on Pacific Coast Highway.  Fishing here is different than most Southern California spots because the beach is orientated toward the south.  Summer south swells can wash Leo Carrillo out at times but it’s almost always a go-to-spot throughout the year.

Leo Carrillo provides good fishing for a walleye, barred, orange mouth, and calico surfperch.  In warmer months, corbina cruzes close to shore while yellowfin croaker school in the fall and spring along the beach.  The best fishing here is near and around large rocks piles just off shore.

To find some great fishing drive into the park, under PCH, and up the coast to the farthest north parking lot.  Walk along the shore either way and look for rocks or rock groups just off shore.  These spots are best fished at medium to high tide.  If the tide is low wait for the water to fill in around the rocks.

CALICO PERCH 1 4 14     Downsize your tackle to a light 1/4th ounce egg sinker and an 18” leader on the Carolina Rig.  Use lug/blood worms, ghost shrimp, fresh mussel or sand crabs.  Cast right up against the large rocks and stay tight to your sinker.  As soon as you feel the fish pick up your bait reel down fast and pull up.  You’ll need to get the fish out of the rocks if you expect to get them to shore.

Day use and camping are both available here, with the day parking $15 for those who have not purchased an annual pass.  Although there is some construction now going on, Leo Carrillo State Park offers 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. The beach also has tidepools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring.  Park Information: (310) 457-8143

  JALAMA CONDITONS 11 18 07

     Jalama Beach administered by Santa Barbara County is one of the most popular camping and fishing beaches on the West Coast.  Just one hour north of Santa Barbara, this beach is tucked in between Vandenburg Airforce Base and the Cojo Ranch.  The closest town is Lompoc home to the Air Force and civilians that work on ranches and the military base.

I’ve been camping here since 1975 and it has changed very little.  Because Jalama’s a very popular place to camp, if you find it full or you prefer to stay in a hotel the small town of Lompoc, just five miles from the turnoff (20 miles from the park), has everything you’ll need.JALAMA CAMP

Jalama offers a fully stocked store and restaurant, fire pits, hot freshwater pay showers, bathrooms, picnic tables, BBQ facilities, firewood, public phone (as cell phones don’t work here) self-contained and tent camping.  Jalama store offers the famous “Jalama Burger” the very best cheese burger on the coast.  There is no way you can come here without enjoying one—they are really that good!

We first came here to surf but quickly learned how good the perch fishing could be.  The beach offers both sand and rock areas that hold fish.  There are more than 4 miles of beach stacked to the gills with barred surfperch, bass and halibut.  Monster perch roam just in front of the campground—so come prepared for a fight!

Fish you’ll find here include barred surfperch, buttermouth perch, calico bass, rock bass, cabezon, halibut and smelt.

Both light to heavy tackle work here.  When fishing the beach I suggest 6lb mono on a light action 8’ rod.  If you’re fishing near or on the rocks move up to 12-15lb mono—and keep a lot of terminal tackle handy!

Fishing along the entire 4 miles of beach is spectacular—but here are a few of my favorite spots:  Just 1 mile south of the campground you’ll find Tarantula Point.  The point is a large mass of rocks that juts out into the pacific.  You may fish on both sides of it for perch, bass and halibut but be aware of the many snags.  I have had my best luck here during calm swells in the summer by using a partly water-filled bobber to keep my bait from snagging on the bottom.  Hard baits like Lucky Craft and Rapalla Xraps work great here for huge bull bass.

Farther South along the beach is Point Conception.  It’s a long 10-mile walk but along the way you will find many secluded beaches offering both open sand and rocky areas to fish.

North of the campground the beach stretches out for about a mile before you reach a large fence that secures the airbase.  Near where the fence begins, you’ll find good fishing right where rocks begin and sand ends.

Last, and probably most significant, is the beach right in front of the campground.  Fish both straight out and just to the North where the creek meets the ocean.  Some of our best fishing has been right in this area—and close to home!  For park information: (805) 736-3504

Both Leo Carrillo and Jalama offer great beach fishing and a fun camping experience.  Now that the weather is great and the beach uncrowded, it’s time to get back on the road!

 

Light-Line Tips for Winter Fishing

 

Surf Fishing:
Light-Line Tips For Winter Fishing
By Bill Varney Jr.

A long stretch of sandy beach rolls out like ribbon from beneath your feet. You can smell the crisp fall air and hear the warm clear water as it slaps the beach. Fall is here with winter on the way and while most offshore fishing has slowed down some of our coasts best surf fishing is about to begin.Fall and winter months bring many opportunities to the surf fisherman. With cooling water temperatures the summer corbina begin their annual migration away from the beach. Sand crabs dig themselves deeper into the sand and disappear until spring. Yet, with all that said, the best surf fishing is just beginning.

The fall months of October through December offer great opportunities to catch trophy size perch, walleye and yellow fin croaker. Local beaches from San Diego to Crescent City offer anglers the chance to cash in on the season’s first perch spawn.

With a few quick tips, the right equipment and a little luck you won’t need to wait out the winter to pull on a fish. With light crowds and beautiful days ahead, there’s no time better than now to head on down to the beach.

Long gone are the days of big sinkers, long rods and heavy line. Throw away your sand spike, now is the time to go ultra-light. Light-line surf fishing has become popular in the last several years and it’s by far one of the best and most exciting ways to fish the surf.

Start with a six to eight foot light action rod that handles two through ten-pound test. Match the rod with a small spinning reel, one with a capacity for 150 yards of four-pound monofilament. If this sounds like the trout rod up in the rafters of your garage, you’re probably right!

For terminal tackle you’ll need egg sinkers in 1/4th to 1 ounce, size 8-12 swivels, small red or clear beads and hooks. Depending on whether you’re using grubs or worms for bait you’ll need a good assortment of size four and size six worm and split shot hooks.

The Carolina rig is the most common surf setup and consists of nothing more than a sinker, bead, swivel, leader and hook.

CAROLINA_RIG

A long stretch of sandy beach rolls out like ribbon from beneath your feet. You can smell the crisp fall air and hear the warm clear water as it slaps the beach. Fall is here with winter on the way and while most offshore fishing has slowed down some of our coasts best surf fishing is about to begin.

Fall and winter months bring many opportunities to the surf fisherman. With cooling water temperatures the summer corbina begin their annual migration away from the beach. Sand crabs dig themselves deeper into the sand and disappear until spring. Yet, with all that said, the best surf fishing is just beginning.

The fall months of October through December offer great opportunities to catch trophy size perch, walleye and yellow fin croaker. Local beaches from San Diego to Crescent City offer anglers the chance to cash in on the season’s first perch spawn.

With a few quick tips, the right equipment and a little luck you won’t need to wait out the winter to pull on a fish. With light crowds and beautiful days ahead, there’s no time better than now to head on down to the beach.

Long gone are the days of big sinkers, long rods and heavy line. Throw away your sand spike, now is the time to go ultra-light. Light-line surf fishing has become popular in the last several years and it’s by far one of the best and most exciting ways to fish the surf.

Start with a six to eight foot light action rod that handles two through ten-pound test. Match the rod with a small spinning reel, one with a capacity for 150 yards of four-pound monofilament. If this sounds like the trout rod up in the rafters of your garage, you’re probably right!

For terminal tackle you’ll need egg sinkers in 1/4th to 1 ounce, size 8-12 swivels, small red or clear beads and hooks. Depending on whether you’re using grubs or worms for bait you’ll need a good assortment of size four and size six worm and split shot hooks.

The Carolina rig is the most common surf setup and consists of nothing more than a sinker, bead, swivel, leader and hook.

Start by tying several 18” leaders made of 4lb mono or 6lb fluorocarbon. Tie a swivel to one end and a hook to the other. Make sure you tie both worm and split shot hook leaders so you have one for each type of bait.

To keep your leaders from tangling just cut a piece of 3×5 inch card board. Cut a slit on one side every inch. Place a hook into one edge, wrap the line around the cardboard and then pull the swivel and line through the slit on the other edge to hold it into place.

Once your leaders are ready it’s time to rig your rod. Slide a 1/2ounce egg sinker onto your main line. Now add a bead. Finally, tie on the leader you’ve made and you’re ready to fish.

Once you make it down to the beach pick a high spot above the water’s edge where you can see the lay of the land. If you’re on a sandy beach look for points of sand and bays where sand has been washed away. Between these points you’ll find inner and outer long shore troughs. These troughs form from the pounding surf at high and low tides.

The inner trough may be as close as ten feet and as far as sixty feet from the beach. Fish school in this area because it provides shelter, current and churning food. Troughs are easiest to find at low tide. Take an extra trip to the beach at low tide so that when high tide comes you’ll know exactly were the fish are.

INSHORE_TROUGH_1_op_800x599

The inshore trough is formed by waves and is the home to most surf fish

Other forms of “structure” at the beach include rip tides and wave edges. Rip tides are offshore moving currents generated by swells approaching the coast nearly head on. These currents carry extra water that’s been pushed ashore back offshore and create an eddy circulation that provides an inviting home for surf fish. Triangle edges created by breaking waves will also tip you off to where the water is deeper.

On beaches that have not been dredged (e.g. San Diego and Santa Barbara) additional structure includes rocks clusters and eel grass. These are also good edges to fish around because they attract fish for food and shelter.

Rock walls and jetties also offer some great surf fishing. Winter swells force sand to recede from beaches and expose rock structure where fish hide. Fan cast and retrieve you bait slowly along the edges of this structure. Also, look for small eddies that form on the leeward side of jetties. Characterized by foam and off color water, these eddies are caused by swells and also create a great place for fish to feed.

JETTIES_op_800x603

Rock walls and jetties make great places to fish around

When it comes to bait one axiom always comes to mind: Look for what occurs naturally around the area you are fishing. What’s between the rocks or in the sand beneath you feet? Look around and see what you think the fish have for food. If you see mussels on the rocks or crabs in the sand you can be sure that’s what their eating.

Common baits you’ll find at the beach include sand and sidewinder crabs. Sand crabs will be scarce at this time of year but can be found when digging near structure such as rocks and pier pilings. Frozen sand crabs, caught and stored in the summer months, also make a great winter bait. Add a bit of taco sauce to the crabs as they thaw and perch will find them irresistible!

Sidewinder crabs and rock mussel never take a day off and can always be found on your local rock jetty. Sidewinders, the size of a dime, make the best bait. Try not to feel too discouraged, catching sidewinder crabs can be a bit tricky and takes practice and patience.

06_18_06_SIDEWINDER_BAIT

Sidewinder rock crabs make great bait for perch and croaker

Once you’ve caught a sidewinder, place the hook through the rear leg socket and out the opposite side. Mussel should be wrapped around the hook using the rubbery lip membrane to hold it in place. Try collecting both mussel and crabs at low tide. Some of the largest perch and yellow fin croaker have been caught on these baits.

Year round, blood, lug and artificial worms work great in the surf. When hooking worms, thread the worm onto your hook and pull it up your line. Puncture the hook through their side and leave a two-inch “tail” below the hook. By using this method you can slide more worm down below the hook after each fish and continue to use it for bait.

GREEN_CAMOUFLAGE_GRUB

Swimtail Grub

CURLEY_GRUB

Curly Grub

Plastic grubs and artificial baits such as spoons and flies are very effective and easy to use in the surf. Grubs come in two common shapes: Stump tail and curly tail. Both work well when used with the Carolina Rig. Use a shorter leader and heavier sinker in large surf and a smaller combination when the surf is small.

Some of Southern California’s best surf fishing comes in the winter months. So break out your ultra-light gear, jump in the car, and head on down to the beach. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to pull on fish when the dark clouds of winter are still overhead.

To find more information on surf fishing, including tackle tips, beach condition cameras and fish reports check out these great websites:
www.allcoastsportfishing.com ,
www.scsurffishing.com and my site: www.fishthesurf.com