FishingWife Loc: Orange County California

Anyone fishing in Mission Bay CA? How’s the bite today?

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Lived in San Diego for over twenty years and never fished Mission Bay. What kinda bass do you catch there?

FishingWife Loc: Orange County California

Spotties

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

No idea what a spotty is. We got spotted bass up here but they don't live in salt. Last time I was in San Diego Mission Bay was right on the Pacific Ocean.

JB134 Loc: Montana

Fished Mission Bay for spotted bay bass for decades. It’s not an exceptionally big fish, but it’s mean as heck. They primarily live in the harbors and back bays from Santa Barbara south into Mexico. They seem to like eel grass, which is abundant in mission bay. A 2-3 lb fish is considered a really nice fish. Anything 3 lb plus is an exceptional fish. Basically use light bass gear, and a lot of the same lures. Very fun to catch. Strongly urge folks to catch and release as they are very slow to grow and over-all fish populations are reducing primarily because of pollution.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Thank you. Never have caught one. Used to catch kelp and calico bass out of the ocean. Are these any good to eat?

Fishandrods Loc: Alpine Ca foothills of San Diego

You can catch spotties and other fish on kaylins lunker grubs 3" or 5".The best color is Rons Craw and the blue pearl with light gear using 3/8 oz floursencent Orange jig heads. If you fish the South Bay with a boat launching at Pepper park and go north of the channel and fish the east side staying out of the deep channel all the way to the Coronado bridge. Last time out 2 of us caught 85 up to 2 lbs. I wouldn't eat anything out of South Bay other than Halibut.

JB134 Loc: Montana

I’ve heard not really. Remember, they live in a lot of these big harbors and back bays, all of which not only get polluted with all the boat traffic but also all the run off everytime it rains. Example: Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors are basically one extremely large harbor. One of the main water catch basin I call cement river beds that all the rain in LA County flows into, dumps directly into the harbor. Those river beds are homeless camps for thousands, and all their crap frequently ends up floating into the harbor. Spotted Bay Bass are open water spawners. Those harbors were once great SBB fisheries… not so much as the increase of pollution in the last several decades has destroyed the existence of any new fish. So long story short, eat if you want… I wouldn’t recommend it… and if I still lived in California, I would buy you a nice fresh seafood dinner if you would let those little guys loose. 😁

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I ate one of those kelp bass once just to see. Mild, mild, mild. So mild it didn't teste like much of anything. Same with the calicos. Only difference I see in those is the calicos seem to run a little bigger and they prefer deeper water.

FishingWife Loc: Orange County California

Thank you all for your responses. We are strictly catch & release except when fishing trout in the Sierra”s.
We fished Mission Bay on Sunday & it was a little slow, but always a good time.