Offshore Hot Bites: Lingcod, Rockfish, Seabass Limits for California Anglers

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Sunday, May 18th Pacific Ocean California fishing report. We’ve got cool spring weather holding along the coast with some early fog and light winds that should clear by midday. Sunrise came around 5:52 AM and sunset will hit at 7:59 PM, giving us a full day of good light to work the water.

Tides are moderate today, with a low tide in the early morning and a high swinging in during the late morning and afternoon. This means the bite should pick up as the water moves, especially around rocky structure and kelp beds as bait stirs.

Let’s get into the fishing. Up north around Fort Bragg, party boats had an outstanding half-day trip pulling in 22 lingcod and 105 rockfish for just 15 anglers recently, showcasing how solid the groundfish bite is[3]. Further south in the Santa Barbara and Ventura area, Stardust and Coral Sea boats reported full limits of white seabass—26 fish for a 26-angler trip—plus a couple of halibut, 13 lingcod, and close to 200 rockfish. These catches have been consistent this week, with hefty bags of reds, vermilion, and quality lings almost every trip[4].

Bay Area boats are finding halibut and striped bass, with some scores showing 4 halibut and 17 stripers for 10 anglers on the C Gull II, and the California Dawn II producing 3 halibut up to 18 pounds plus 32 stripers for 25 anglers. Down San Diego way, rockfish are steady, and calico bass have been active with reports of up to 65 caught and released in a single outing. Sculpin and sheephead round out the mix with some nice whitefish mixed in[2].

Best baits and lures right now are swimbaits and iron jigs for lingcod and rockfish, with sardines and squid strips working wonders on deeper reefs. For seabass, white flukes and mackerel are the go-to. If you’re targeting halibut, try drifting a live anchovy or shiner perch near sandy drop-offs or bay mouths. Stripers are hitting well on anchovies and chartreuse soft plastics near structure and current breaks.

For hotspots, Fort Bragg reefs are on fire for lingcod and rockfish, and the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara are the real deal for limits of white seabass and mixed cod. In the Bay Area, try the flats around Alcatraz for halibut and striped bass. Down south, Point Loma kelp and La Jolla reefs continue to be solid for mixed bag bottom fishing.

Overall, action is red hot on the reefs and the early coastal gamefish bite is in full swing. Watch that tide for the best window, and be sure to check current regulations, especially for salmon—season won’t open again until June and September. Tight lines and see you on the water.