FS Digest

I started fishing at the beginning of the year and first off, I absolutely love it! The problem is, I’ve been out maybe 10 or 12 times and I’ve caught one single fish in that time (it was a little mackerel). I’m starting to get a little discouraged. I’ve done a bunch of research and tried a couple of different spots in Long Beach (mostly the Belmont pier and the jetty at the end of the peninsula) I’ve tried a bunch of different baits (anchovy, squid, shrimp, mackerel) different plastics like grubs, Berkeley gulp minnows, sabiki with feathers and a bunch of different techniques like jigging up and down off the pier, slow retrieves, faster retrieves, targeting rocks and structure, etc... I’ve tried different times of day (early morning, afternoon, evening). I always ask the folks near me what they’re using and how they’re doing it and I try to follow their advice. I’m not expecting to catch a bunch of fish every time I go out but I’m not even getting bites most times I go out. Is this normal? Is it the spots I’m going to? Is it the time of year? Do I just need to keep trying? Does anyone have any advice for a new SoCal angler? Does anyone have any words of encouragement? I love being outside and on the water and I love to read and watch and learn but I’d like to catch something someday lol.

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by spookyboots42069

D Tong Loc: San Francisco,Ca

Well skunked I live in San Francisco and I try to get out at least once a week to fish 🎣 this time of year is tuff and takes a lot of patience sometimes it’s not the type of bait but sometimes the size I do a lot of ocean perch fishing and I can fish 🎣 in a spot and not even get a bite🐠I’ll switch to a smaller hook and smaller size bait of the same type and right away start getting hits 🐠The same goes when I’m fishing 🎣 in the rocks a friend of mine would use a large piece of squid 🦑 and only get crabs 🦀 I’d fish 🎣 right next to him with a skinny strip of squid and catch rock fish 🐟 and eel

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Well, for starters, are ANY of the other guys out there fishin catchin any?
If not, then you probly aren't goin to either.
HOWEVER, IF any of them are catchin fish, then you gotta do whatever they are doin.
The old sayin, " If it ain't broke, don't fix it" really holds true for catchin fish.
If something is workin, don't change it up. On the other hand, if you're NOT catchin, then you need to change to find what WILL catch. Make sense?
Keep at it, you'll figger it out eventually.

D Tong Loc: San Francisco,Ca

Good advice saw like 👍 I said it takes patience and a whole lot of luck

Surf Fisher

Try fishing from the surf for perch aound this tike of yeah and check local reports. And at very least you may catch some yellow fin croaker, although i would throw them back due to paracites, they sure are fun to catch.

Surf Fisher

*time of year

Foodfisher Loc: SO. Cal coast

And tides. More water movement the better.

Smokestack001 Loc: San Diego, CA

Yeah, if you are on the pier with a sabiki rig tipped with shrimp, and you are not getting bit, it is definitely the time of year. Can be very slow in winter with just som jacksmelt around especially on cold rough water windy days. Good news is spring is a coming’. Stick with the sabiki and you will start catching toward the end of March.. the walleye perch will start showing up then and others will start to show too. And definitely following Surf Fisher’s advice for some winter action. A dropper loop with two #8 smelled hooks with a 2oz pyramid sinker on the bottom baited with a small piece of shrimp is simple and easiest for the surf perch to start. There are many ways to catch barred surf perch but this is a good start. Good luck!

kgsfish Loc: Charlotte, NC

Hello Skunked!
Long time surf fisherman on east coast here. I’ve had good success at Huntington Beach during winter with Berkeley Gulp San Worms (camo) on a small circle hook on Carolina rig. Cast just beyond first breaker and let tide take bait out. Good Luck!

kgsfish Loc: Charlotte, NC

Sand Worms... 2 inch chunk, small circle look with light line!