Forecasts for Oxnard and Points North are provided / reviewed / editted by Captain Robert Cooper, of Skys The Limit Guide Service. STLGS operates out of Ventura Harbor, and offers conventional and fly fishing trips cover the Channel Islands, Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara areas. Fall albacore trips out of Morro Bay are also available. Contact Capt. Cooper at captrcooper@aol.com, or (805) 653-0447. Capt. Cooper also offers dive and surf trips.

Spring (March - May)

As water temps start to warm up in March, shallow-water rockfishing will pick up in the waters around the Channel Islands. These fish are usually too deep to effectively fish with a fly (60 - 120 feet), but offer great sport on light conventional tackle. Santa Rosa Island is especially good, with Red rockcod up to 6lbs not uncommon, and there are an abundance of other types of rockfish as well. In late Spring, as soon as the water temperatures get above 60 degrees, just about everything gets more active, with halibut, calico bass, white sea bass, barracuda, and bonito to be found both along the coast, and out near the Channel Islands. Occasional wide-open yellowtail bites can occur, and in some years, King (Chinook) salmon show up. These are big fish, but it doesn’t happen every year.

Summer (June - August)

Fishing for all of the species mentioned above will continue to get better and better as the water temperatures rise, and the fish will be found in shallower water or on the surface, chasing bait. This is the prime time for fly fishermen, with calico bass, bonito, and barracuda being the main targets. This time of year also sees large numbers of spawning sand bass in the Channel. These guys will typically be about 20 feet down over deeper water, so they don't present the best opportunity for fly fishermen, even with hi-density sinking fly lines, but they are great fun for light-tackle conventional anglers, or fly fishermen patient enough to wait for their flies to sink into the right zone. Yellowtail and white seabass will also make some major appearances in the Channel, and when they're on top, they can be caught on fly.

Shark fishing for blues, makos and threshers comes on strong in the summer. The blue sharks and makos are found offshore, and are eager takers of the fly when drawn to the boat with a chum slick. Steve Abel of Abel Reels caught his former world record mako in this area. Thresher sharks will be found in close to shore, but to date, no one has really had much success catching them on a fly. They will hit big sardines or mackerel fished under a balloon behind a driftting boat, if you're interested in using conventional tackle.

In good years, the late Summer - Fall period will see schools of large albacore swing in close to shore a bit further north, at Morro Bay. When these fish are working on top, they are a salt water fly fisherman's dream, as they are big, strong, hungry fish that will hit almost anything thrown in front of them.

Fall (September – November)

As the waters cool down, the emphasis shifts away from warm water pelagics like yellowtail, bonito, and barracuda. Calico bass and shallow water rockfish get more attention, and when the squid are in, White Sea Bass become the major target along the coast. The calico bass and rockfish bite will continue to be strong until the water gets extremely cold in December.

Winter (December – February)

Winter is downtime in this neck of the woods. With water temperatures dropping below 60 degress, the fishing becomes very slow. This is usually a good time to work on the boat and tie flies, or go diving or surfing instead of fishing. If you do go out, look for squid boats and fish near them very early for white sea bass. In February, fishing will start getting better as water temps approach 60 degrees. The calico bass and shallow water rockcod will perk up first, although they will tend to be in deeper water (120+ feet).