Striped bass fishing in estuaries, bays and along the beach with Greg Silks

Striped Bass Fishing in Estuaries, Bays and Along the Beach

By Bill Varney Jr.

Over the last few decades there were so few stripers caught in the Southern California surf that catching one was almost considered a miracle.  Yet, over the past several years stripped bass catches have increased dramatically for anglers fishing estuaries, back bays and all along the beach.

S.W.A.T. team member Mikey of Santa Barbara takes a nice striper from the surf

S.W.A.T. team member Mikey of Santa Barbara takes a nice striper from the surf

 

Surprisingly, these fish have been caught up and down the coast rather than being relegated to one particular area.  The most notable catch in the past two years was a fish taken by Brad Baier in Newport beach just two summers ago.  Loaded with six pound test and a short strip of squid Brad landed a 40lb striper from the rocks in Newport Beach in the middle of the night.

Just last week another beautiful fish was taken along Dockweiler State Beach by Colin Rhodes who was also using a strip of squid that he had just launched into the surf.  It was about 3pm when Colin cast out into the surf.  As soon as his bait hit the bottom the fight was on.  After a couple great runs Colin brought the fish to the sand to the amazement of everyone around him.  These are just two of the dozens of reports I have received in just the last five years of striped bass catches.

I’ll admit that I’m jealous.  So to raise my chances of catching one from the beach (and striking it off my bucket list) I sat down with Cousins rod designer and professional guide Greg Silks to learn how to target this prized fish in the surf.

Striped bass are found in both fresh and salt water.  Besides being found inland, they can be caught along the West Coast in bays, estuaries and along the open beach.  Striper range from one to one-hundred pounds.  They often run up and down rivers and transit the coast looking for food.  Predatory by nature, they are always on the prowl for an opportunity to feed.

Transiting fish can travel as much as thirty miles per day in search of food and shelter.  From 1978 through 1980 Calfiornia Fish and Game stocked thousands of striped bass in Newport, Huntington and Long Beach harbors in hopes of introducing a new game fish to local anglers.

To take advantage of this great fighting game fish I sat down with Greg and asked him a few questions about how to get started.

What rod and reel combinations do you recommend for striper fishing?

“Always match the size of your rod and reel to the size of striper you are fishing for.  A good starting point is to use a seven to nine foot medium action rod matched to a four-thousand series spinning reel.  If you are fishing with live bait spool up with 6-12lb mono.

If you are fishing lures upsize your line to 20-30lb mono or a combination of braid with a mono top shot.  Lure fishing also allows you to use either a spinning outfit or a conventional outfit depending our what you like to use most.  You may want to downsize your equipment for fish under ten pounds and up size for those in the fifty plus range.”  Greg prefers monofilament to braided lines because of their stretch and their ability to be easily broken when snagged.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhat rigging setup do you use for striper?

“Rigging depends on the size of fish and where you are fishing.  For live bait fishing I like to use the Carolina Rig.  In light current areas I may use a short as a six inch leader and as long as three feet in spots with ripping current.  My sliding sinker will range from ½ ounce to three ounces depending on current and area I am fishing.  When fishing light current I recommend a light sinker and employ a heavier sinker when the current is strong.  For hooks I like to use the Gamakatsu Octopus hook in sizes 1 to 2/0.

When fishing lures for striper I will tie a 110lb crosslock snap swivel to my main line and clip the lure to it.  This rig makes it easy and quick to change lures.  Both of these setups work well in both fresh and saltwater applications.

What kind of bait do you like to use for striper in the surf?

“Both artificial lures and live/fresh dead bait work well for striper.  Some of the traditional lures used over the years have been krocodiles, kastmasters, Rapalla minnows and recently Lucky Craft Flash Minnows.  I have developed a line of striper lures which you may view on my site:  Zpluglures.com.  These lures are from six inches to twelve inches long and offer both straight one piece and broken back models.

When it comes to live and fresh/dead baits you have a number of options.  Squid, mackerel, anchovy, sardine, chunk baits, blood and lug worms, crawdads, sidewinder rock crabs all work great for bait.  Look for the forage that occurs naturally in the place you are fishing and use that—it’s probably what the fish are eating!

Ok, now for my most important question:  Where do you find striper and have the best shot at catching one in the surf?

“As you know, stripers have been caught all along the coast, outside harbors and estuary entrances.  These fish are varacious eaters and spend all their time looking for food.  Striper can transit up to thirty miles per day looking for areas to forage.  Once they find a bait source they may stay there for hours or days.

STRIPER COLIN RHOADES 5 15One sure fire way to find them is to look for diving, feeding birds working areas of bait just offshore.  In cases like these I like to use a long rod and cast a lure into the frenzy.  Many times striper, in combination with other fish, will be pushing the bait up to the surface.  Because striper run in schools, if you find one you can be well assured others accompany them.

Another great area to find striper is near harbor and estuary entrances and near the end of jetties.  Fish these areas two hours before and after the high tide when large amounts of water are creating eddies where structure meets sand.

Without question the best time to fish for striper may be after dark.  Nighttime offers some cover for these fish and allows them to approach and forage on prey.  I like to fish them in any low light situation (sunrise, sunset and at night) and find that a high tide around 8pm is ideal for both low light and no light opportunities.

During the day areas that provide shade and a “light-break” over water are also good places to target.  Look for docks, bridges, overpasses and other structure which provides shade.  The right conditions here would include a combination of current and shade that set up a break or “wall”.  This is where fish will congregate.

Good stuff!  What tips would you have for anglers looking to catch a striped bass in the surf?

“ My first tip:  Be patient, look for the conditions we discussed above, learn the habits of these fish and pay attention to tide, light, bait and rigging once you begin to catch fish.

Once you hook a striper always keep you line tight to the fish.  Stripers have an uncanny ability to spit the hook–so any slack is your enemy–and will often allow the fish to disengage.  Accordingly, keep your line tight to the fish and fight it paying special attention to keeping the fish straight out in front of you.

Once you catch a striper remember to grip it by the tail and lift it from under the body.  Striper gill plates are very sharp and the larger fish will easily cut your fingers.

Last tip:  Striped bass are breeders and produce as many as 10,000 eggs per spawn.  They grow and reproduce quickly so go ahead and keep one—they make excellent table fare!

To learn more about striper fishing and Greg’s lures, rods and guide service visit his site: inlandguideservice.com or give Greg a call at (951) 443-6130.

Shore Fishing in the Bay

Shore Fishing in the Bay

By Bill Varney Jr.

Wind and waves pound the coast and make surf fishing difficult in winter.  It’s no fun for the fish either.  Both food and a safe home along the open beach are scarce in winter so most surf fish move inside bays, harbors and estuaries during these cold-water months.

The warm calm water of the bay offers a great place to hide and feed while fish wait for spring.  Warmer water allows them to spawn and find various food sources in the bay.  Most inner water ways are chocked full of ghost shrimp, worms, clams and crabs which keep most fish inside the bay until spring when sand crabs and other forage become available along the beach.

TRACY DECKER CORBINA wonDuring fall, surf fish transition from the beach to the bay.  The first sign of cool winter water sends most of the sand crabs and other food along the beach into hibernation and signals it’s time for fish to find their way into warmer water.  In the spring, as the water warms in the inner waterways, fish sense a change and make their way out into the open water and along the beach to forage on beds of sand crabs.

Winter is a fantastic time to target both corbina and spotfin croaker in the bay.  Some of the biggest “surf fish” I’ve ever caught have been in the bay—where they thought they were safe from me!  So here are a few tricks and tips I employ to find, bait and catch croakers in the bay.

First let’s rod and reel up.  I have two rod and reel combos I like to use in the bay.  The first combo is for fishing bait.  Find the longest trout rod (7’-9’ is best) in your garage.  Look for one with a lot of bend that’s lightweight and easy to cast.  Match it up with a 2500-size spinning reel loaded with 6lb monofilament.  For your lure-casting rod I use an eight foot casting rod matched with a small bait casting reel loaded with 10lb monofilament.  Because you will be casting over and over straight out from shore this setup works great with Lucky Craft and Rapalla XRap lures, Krocodiles and Kastmasters.

For rigging lures on your casting rod, just tie lures directly to your main line.  For bait fishing you will need to employ the Carolina rig (sliding egg sinker, 6mm bead, swivel, fluorocarbon leader and hook).

Here’s where you will have a few variations from surf fishing.  In the bay when bait fishing, you’ll always want to use the lightest sliding egg sinker possible.  I deploy a 1/4th ounce sliding egg sinker followed by a bead, #12 black swivel and thirty inches of 6lb fluorocarbon leader material.  My hook is a # 2 Owner Mosquito Ultra Light hook.  This rig will give you a very stealth presentation, which is exceptionally important in a bay setting where there is very little current and remarkably clear water.

GHOST SHRIMP BAITLive bait choices vary in the bay but your best bet are lug/blood worms, clams and ghost shrimp.  All three work great on the Carolina rig and should be cast from shore and slowly retrieved along the bottom.  Although you can cast out and leave your bait in the “dead stick” position this method assumes the fish will find your bait.  Using a cast and slow retrieve motion allows you to cover more surface area where you are in charge of finding the fish rather than them finding you.

Finding fish in the bay involves location, location, location.  Fish tend to congregate near rocks and troughs in the bay.  Unlike the beach, bays tend to have very few changes in bottom structure.  In spring and fall, when fish are transiting into and out of the bay, fish near the opening/exit of the bay along areas where rock, piers, pilings and structure meet sand.  Look for swirling, foaming off-colored water as these current areas attract fish.

Fish also congregate near beds of eelgrass.  Finding these spots is a bit more difficult but pay special attention to areas where you become snagged and then unsnagged or even bring in a bit of eelgrass.  Make note of those areas and fish their edges.

Walk the bay at low tide and find the areas where a trough or ridge has formed.  Line that area up with something permanent and come back at high tide, line yourself up with the landmark and fish there.  Fish tend to feed in these areas as they make great ambush locations when edges are brushed by current and often expose crabs, clams and ghost shrimp—a bay food favorite.

DRE_HALIBUT_06_26_08The last piece of the puzzle is how tides effect fishing the bay.  Incoming and outgoing tides help move water and work by bringing forage to fish.  But some areas fish much better at a high tide or a low tide as determined by where the troughs, holes or structures are located.  Visit the bays you wish to fish at both tides and look for structure to see what tide works best in creating currents where water covers all the places fish call home.

When winter winds and waves move you off the beach try hitting the bay.  Down-size your rig and use baits like lures, worms, clams and ghost shrimp that big fish eat.  Find structure and moving water and make your cast there.  Then spread your feet and hold on cause big fish would like to see you wet too!

What is Light-Line Surf Fishing Anyway?

WHAT IS LIGHT-LINE SURF FISHING ANYWAY?

By Bill Varney Jr.

Every week my mailbox is flooded with questions about surf fishing.  Surprisingly, a good number of folks often ask me the difference between light-line and the old fashioned style of surf fishing we once practiced.  So I’ve put together a few of the questions anglers have asked to hopefully answer a few of everyone’s questions.

What is light-line surf fishing ?

Light-line surf fishing first hit the beach back in the early seventies when surfers turned fishermen tried lighter gear to catch surf fish.  Over the years, surf fishing has become much more refined as equipment manufacturers have put some great rods and reels on the market.  New lighter equipment along with a wide variety of baits has helped make light-line surf fishing popular.

What equipment do you use ?

When talking about light-line surf fishing there are two types of rods.  One rod is for the open beach and utilizes a spinning reel loaded with six-pound monofilament.  The other surf rod is used exclusively for throwing lures like kastmasters, korcodiles and hard baits.  This casting rod uses a conventional reel loaded with ten to twenty-pound monofilament.

For my beach spinning rod I prefer a seven to nine foot rod with parabolic to medium action.  Rods rated for four through sixteen-pound test line and a lure weight of one-half to one ounce all work well.  Many rods in the “steelhead” category fit these specs.

When it comes to a casting rod I prefer a seven to eight foot rod rated for ten to twenty-pound test monofilament.  Medium to heavy action is required of this rod for casting and retrieving lures.  The casting rod uses a small conventional reel and handles lure weights up to one ounce.

What is the best rig for the surf ?

Most of the time I just use one rig in the surf—the Carolina rig.  It’s very simple and effective way to present your bait.  The Carolina is made up of a sliding egg sinker, a bead, a swivel, eighteen-inches of leader and a hook.  You may vary the leader length and sinker size depending on the size of surf and the strength of the current.  For days with big surf and strong currents use a shorter leader and a heavier sinker, then you would on a calm day.  Always keep in mind how important it is for your bait to always be in contact with the bottom—as this is where the fish feed!

A second common rig for the surf is designed especially for fishing the elusive corbina.  This rig is a simple uni to uni knot that attaches thirty-inches of six-pound fluorocarbon leader to your main line.  With this rig just pin on a sand crab and fly line the bait into the surf.  If you need a bit of weight use a pinch on weight like a water gremlin.  Allow your bait to wash in and out with the surge of the waves and hold on—there’s a corbina on its way!

What baits work best in the surf ?

I break surf baits down into two general categories:  Live bait and lures.  With lures you have many choices.  For halibut hardbaits such as Lucky Craft Flash Minnows, Rapalla, Sebile, Yo-zuri and several other “sitck baits” work exceptionally well.  For other surf fish (like corbina, spotfin croaker and halibut) try three-fourths ounce Krocodiles and Kastmasters.  Both of these lures work well in the surf and attract a wide variety of surf fish.  When fishing for perch and the occasional corbina a Carolina rigged Gulp! sandworm or a one and one-half inch plastic grub seems to work great too.

For natural live bait the list is almost endless but the most common choices would be: Sand crabs, lug and blood worms, ghost shrimp, sidewinder crabs, mussels and clams.  Some of these baits can be purchased at your local tackle shop.  Others must be collected at the beach or in nearby marine areas near harbors, jetties and estuaries.  My suggestion is to call one of the many great tackle shops near the beach and ask them what bait they carry and where to use it.  You may also pick up a copy of my book, which gives details about how to find, catch and keep bait alive.

How do I find fish at the beach ?

There are a great many places to find fish at the beach but here are a few of my favorites:  When you first get to the beach find a high spot on the sand where you can see waves crashing on the beach.  Look up and down the beach for off-colored, foaming and swirling water.  This is where a rip current has formed.  If you find this you will find fish.  Approach the rip current from the side and fish it’s edges where clean water meets turbid water.

Another place for fish to hide at the beach is in the long shore trough.  When waves break, both an inside and outside troughs are formed.  The inside trough is just a few feet from shore.  You have seen it before (or even experienced it) when you see a surfer walk out and then drop into neck deep water.  Fishing is good here at high tide because forage is churned up in the trough and it is also a safe place for fish to hide.

Similar to the trough that forms near the beach, the outside trough forms beneath waves that break the farthest from shore and is a productive spot to fish at low tide.

My favorite place at the beach to fish during winter is around any rock structure.  Looks for jetties, harbor entrances and rock outcroppings.  This is where fish feed and hide during the winter months.  When first approaching a jetty or rock structure pay special attention to the direction of the swell.  Normally you will find that fishing on the opposite side of where the swell meets the rocks is most productive.  Fish use the eddy current, which is produced on the opposite side by the swell, to help them find food, air and a safe place to live.

Where can I learn more about surf fishing ?

There are countless places on the internet to find surf fishing information.  Start by looking at these sites:  www.socalsurfrats.com, www.scsurffishing.com , www.fishthesurf.com also check out surf fishing videos at www.youtube.com.  But without question, the very best place to find information about surf fishing is from your local beach tackle shop.  These shops speak with surf fishermen every day and know what bait, tackle and area have the best fishing.

Finding The Perfect Surf Rod

Finding The Perfect Surf Rod

By, Bill Varney

BEHDAD HOOKED UP 09

Over the years we’ve had some great on-the-beach surf fishing seminars and have seen thousands of different rod and reel combinations make they way to the sand.  Some have been right on the money and others, well let’s just say, were a bit lacking.

When it comes to surf fishing there are two basic surf fishing setups.   Long rods with heavy line used for casting and fishing outside the surf line.  You know the one’s you usually see in a sand spike along the beach.  And, light-line surf rods designed so surf fishermen can easily move along the beach and fish the inshore troughs, holes and rip currents.

Long rod surf fishing has been around for decades and many surf fishermen (including myself) started this way with twelve to fourteen foot Calcutta rods and Penn “Jigmaster” reels loaded with thirty-pound mono.  Although these rods were way too much overkill for fishing perch and corbina, they were essential equipment for fishing big sharks after dark.

In the 1970’s my buddies and I started fooling around with lighter equipment and fishing much closer to shore.  Although we still fished the sharks at night with heavy gear the lighter gear seemed to help us catch more fish and have a lot more fun during the day.  Since then, light-line surf fishing has become immensely popular, as folks have figured out how much fun it is to catch fish on light gear in the surf.

So let’s take a look at what characteristics make for a good rod and spinning reel for light-line surf fishing.  First, let’s start with picking the perfect rod for the surf.  There are four things I look for in a surf rod: weight, action, balance and sensitivity.

Rods come in three basic types or actions: fast action, medium action and parabolic or slow action.  A fast action rod has a very short taper near the tip (it’s very stiff) and is best suited for tuna or large game fishing.  A medium action rod bends from the middle up and is useful for heavier surf fishing and fishing from the rocks.  While a parabolic action rod has a tremendous amount of bend (all the way to the reel seat) and is very limber.  Parabolic rods work great for fishing the open beach, especially when a longer or more accurate cast is essential.  So for light-line fishing I prefer to use both a medium action seven to nine foot rod and a parabolic rod depending on the application. COUSINS SPINNING ROD PICTURE FOR STORE

The second item that is essential to a good surf rod is it’s weight—or lack of weight.  Unlike heavy rod fishing you will be walking the beach looking for fish and the best fishing conditions.  So a lightweight rod is essential.  Rod weight can vary based on the materials used to build the rod.  I prefer to use rods made with a graphite blank, cork grip and an ultra light plastic reel seat.  A nine-foot rod made with these components can weigh as little as six ounces which means less weight to carry and a lower amount of fisherman fatigue—especially after dozens of casts.

The third component of a great surf rod is finding one which is designed to have the rod balance over the reel.  That is, when holding the rod, the tip and the butt are at the same level when your hand is gripping where the reel meets the rod.  By having your rod balance over the reel seat it reduces the amount of stress and weight of the outfit and works in conjunction with a lightweight rod to reduce fisherman fatigue and improve castability.

The final and most important characteristic of the perfect surf rod would be its level of sensitivity.  When using graphite for building a rod blank you pick up a much greater amount of sensitivity not afforded to rods made exclusively of fiberglass.  Although graphite is in no way close to the strength of fiberglass, graphite is ultra lightweight and has a sensitivity that is unmatched by any other material.  Being able to feel every bite, every type of bottom and even the size of your catch during the fight gives you a clear advantage over fiberglass or other woven rod blank materials.

Now that we know how our rod should be built what about size and length as determined by the kind of surf fishing we do?  I generally break light-line surf fishing down into three categories: Open beach, sight fishing and fishing from the rocks.

When it comes to open beach fishing I’m generally walking the beach and casting off shore to find fish in the offshore trough on in near shore holes.  This would be about eighty percent of the time and in these cases I would employ a nine-foot rod with a very limber tip.  As rods are rated by line class and lure weight this nine-foot rod would have a line rating of four through twelve-pound test and a recommended lure weight of no more than 5/8 ounce.  Parabolic rods will allow you to cast long or short distances with extreme accuracy—which is essential when you are trying to drop your bait near a submerged rock on in a small offshore hole.

COUSINS ROD SHOT RON ALL RODSDuring the summer months when corbina swim in just inches of water I like to use a much shorter seven foot surf rod to sight fish.    When sight fishing, corbina swim very close to shore and a short accurate cast of ten feet or less is essential.  With a longer rod this is extremely difficult.  A shorter rod gives you the ability to aim and land your bait in a confined area at a short distance.

When it comes to fishing from the rocks I prefer to use a stiffer and longer rod.  Big fish come from between rocks and the certainty of landing one with a parabolic rod is extremely questionable.  In this case I prefer a nine-foot medium action rod.  Look for one that is rated eight though eighteen pound test with a lure weight capacity of about one ounce.  Longer, stiffer rods used from the rocks will allow you to direct fighting fish away from the rocks and help you with landing the fish once it makes it to the rock jetty’s edge.  One last benefit of the longer rod is the fact that it will be much easier for you to “un snag” your rig when it inevitably gets wedged between the rocks.

Unlike choosing a surf rod, spinning reel selection is quite a bit easier.  One rule seems to hold true when it comes to surf fishing: The sky is the limit when it comes to the price of a rod but when buying a reel don’t break the bank.  Modern surf rods are built to stand up to the harshest environments and when taken care of will last for decades.  Spinning reels on the other hand just need one splash of sandy salt water, one drop in the sand, one very windy day and they will seize up like your parents did when they saw your high school report card.

BRAD SPOTFIN 9 17Look for a spinning reel in the 2,000 to 3,000 size.  Shimano (Sedona/Sienna), Diawa, Okuma (Rox series) and Penn (Battle II series) make some excellent reels in the $35 – $100 range.  Shimano’s Senora and Sienna are great examples but I’d also take a look at Penn’s new Battle II 2500 spinning reel.  Penn has been working for years to perfect salt water reels used by fishermen in the Northeast who think nothing about wading out into ice cold sand filled water to fish.  The Battle II offers stainless steel and anti-reverse bearings that are shielded for improved corrosion resistance—essential to keeping sand out of your sensitive bearings.

When it comes to spinning rods for the surf Shimano, Phoenix, Lamiglas and Okuma offer several acceptable models.   Go out to your local tackle store and take a look at the rods yourself.  Use the guidelines that I’ve laid out and you’ll find a great rod for the surf.  And if you’re just starting out with surf fishing and it’s not quite time to drop a load of cash on a new rod take a look through your garage, dust off your longest trout rod and make your way down to the surf.  I guarantee you’ll catch fish and pray Santa brings you the perfect surf rod.

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!