The Los Angeles and Orange County Forecasts are provided by Captain Bryan Webb of Pacific Coast Fly Fishing. All photos on this page have been provided by Captain Webb.

This section covers Malibu south to San Onofre and Camp Pendleton, Catalina and San Clemente Islands, and the northernmost offshore banks such as the 14 Mile Bank.

Spring (March – May)

As water temperatures rise in the Spring, we see all kinds of species getting active - calico and sand bass start moving into shallower water to spawn, and barracuda and schools of small yellowtail soon follow them onto the sand bass flats. Bonito will show up around May as temperatures continue to climb.

Offshore, at Catalina and San Clemente Islands, we'll start to see floats of squid in mid-March. This signals the start of some serious white seabass, yellowtail and calico bass fishing in these areas. A good trick is to watch the sport boat counts for early yellowtail and a consistent white seabass bite - big counts on the islands early in the season are often indicative of a good offshore year. Bonito and calicos are also usually on the chew around the islands this time of year.

Summer (June – August)

In the summer months, fishing will be going strong on all fronts. Along the coast, calico and sand bass will be hanging around the inshore waters, with bonito, barracuda and yellowtail cruising the kelp line. Offshore, yellowtail and dorado will be found under the kelp paddies, as well as the occasional striped marlin. The islands seem to have a little stronger yellowtail bite this time of year, and the bass, bonito and barracuda are very steady. When fishing offshore, always make sure you take a close look at temperature breaks and any floating debris.

Fall (September – November)

As water temps fall, the sand bass bite slows down and the yellowtail and dorado numbers dwindle. The good news is that we typically see a big push of yellowfin tuna around the 209 and 277 Spots, sometimes even up to the 14 Mile Bank. Striped marlin are usually on a good bite in September, and we may see a few into the beginning of October. However, by the first part of November, everything offshore has pretty much departed for warmer waters to the south.

On the other had, out on Catalina and San Clemente Islands there will still be a consistent bite from the calicos and bonito with the occasional yellowtail mixed in. There are also a few more white seabass in the counts at this time of year. So don't put the rods away!

Winter (December – February)

Winter brings low water temperatures and a mixed bag of fish. Calico bass are usually steady, but sand bass, barracuda, bonito and white seabass will be a bit more sporadic. The key to finding fish in the winter is a consistent weather pattern. Fluctuating water temps tend to shut the fishing down, but a few days of stable water temps turns everything back on.

In the last few years the winter bonito bite at the islands has been very reliable. The bite on all the other species tends to be erratic, even calicos, but not the bonito.

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