Whoever coined the term "Sunny Southern California" was not a coastal or offshore fisherman. Despite what you may have heard, the reality is that during our prime fishing months (June - early September), the weather along the coast or offshore can often be downright depressing.

The problem? A phenomenon called the "Marine Layer", a dense cloud layer that often blankets the coastal and offshore areas much of the day. Caused by the meeting of relatively cold ocean water with warm air, the Marine Layer starts building in the afternoon, as daytime air temperatures cool. It reaches its maximum thickness during the night, then dissipates during the day as the air warms up.

Along the beach, the shoreline landmass warms the air quickly, and the Marine Layer is usually gone by late morning. The skies stay sunny until late afternoon, when the cycle repeats. But move a few miles offshore, and the story changes. The Marine Layer often sticks around until early afternoon, and may clear for less than a hour, if at all. This makes for a gray-sky environment that would do Seattle proud.

So...when you go BTB, be sure to take at least a sweatshirt or light fleece jacket with you. Don't overdo it - we're not talking ice-climbing here! We like a jacket with a full front zipper instead of a pullover because it's easier to adjust the ventilation. And we like Polar Fleece or similar synthetics over cotton fabrics because they don't readily absorb water and will still insulate when wet.

If you're a shorts-and-flip-flops kind of guy like us, you may also want to take along a pair of wind pants.