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Real catches, real tactics — from the FFO crew. Hover to preview, click to lock your selection.
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Species Spotlight
🎣 The Rig
Hookup Baits on a light Carolina rig or split shot have been dialed in — the Calico can't resist them. Plastics are another go-to: swimbaits, grubs, and paddle tails all produce on structure. And don't sleep on the Pickle Kick — that lure is a sleeper hit, especially when fish are being finicky and you need different action to trigger a bite.
🐟 Best Bait
Live sardines are the top live bait. Fishing artificials? Hookup Baits swimbaits in sardine or mackerel colors are hard to beat. The Pickle Kick shines when fish are pressured — its unique profile gets bites when everything else gets ignored. Keep a variety and let the fish tell you what they want.
📍 Where to Fish
Calico are one of the most accessible bites in SoCal year-round. Rocky structure, kelp edges, and reef systems from San Diego to Santa Barbara are all holding fish. Catalina and the Channel Islands are always productive. Find rocks and kelp — you'll find bass.
🕐 Timing & Conditions
Early morning and evening are prime, but Calico bite all day on the right structure. Slack tide and the first moving water after slack are your best windows. Clear water is your friend — these are visual hunters. Drop your bait through the kelp canopy and let it fall; most bites come on the drop.
📡 Stay Connected
For Calico reports, hot kelp bed locations, and lure tips, check the FFO Live Blog and connect with our experts. Browse the Shop for Hookup Baits, Pickle Kick lures, and the plastics Mike recommends.
Species Spotlight
🎣 The Right Rig
Start with 30 lb test for your leader — that's the sweet spot for most halibut. If fish are running bigger, bump it to 40 lb. Keep it simple and strong.
🐟 Best Baits
Live sardines are the gold standard. A big mackerel is a close second and can be absolutely deadly. Keep them lively — halibut respond to natural movement more than anything.
🚤 Technique: Cover Ground
Covering ground is everything. Slow troll with a bouncer rig — heavyweight, long leader, crawl speed — until you locate fish. No troll motor? Use the wind to drift. Once you find an area holding fish, keep repeating that drift.
🕐 Timing Is Everything
Get there at first light. Halibut are most active at dawn. Tides matter too: slack tide and max high tide both tend to turn the fish on.
📍 Where to Fish — SoCal
Along the beach, target 65 to 80 feet of water near squid beds. At the islands, focus on sandy areas along rocky structure. Santa Rosa Island has been biting hard. Catalina, off the V's, has also had a solid halibut bite.
🌕 The Grunion Connection
Full moon + grunion running = fish shallow along the beaches at night. Halibut stage in the shallows to feed on grunion — one of the most underrated opportunities of the season. Watch the grunion run schedule and be ready.
📡 Stay Connected
Check the FFO Live Blog for local intel from the crew, and browse the Shop for the gear Mike recommends.
Species Spotlight
🎣 The Rig
Three rigs producing right now: dropper loop, fly line with live sardine, and surface iron. Finding fish deep? Yo-yo iron is the move. Keep all three ready and match your approach to how the fish are acting.
🐟 Best Bait
Squid is #1 — find a squid nest and snag fresh squid if you can. Can't get squid? Fin bait (sardines) has been working well. Fly-lining a live sardine is money when fish are up and moving.
📍 Where to Fish
🔍 Finding Fish
Meter around until you find a squid nest, bait mark, or fish breezing. White birds working = yellowtail pushing bait up underneath. Find the birds, find the fish.
🕐 Timing & Conditions
First two hours of morning are the most consistent — dropper loops in the water at first light. Slack tide is prime throughout the day. Water clarity matters; dirty water equals tough bite.
📡 Stay Connected
For squid nest locations and school reports, check the FFO Live Blog at flyingfishoutdoors.com — the community posts real-time intel daily.
Species Spotlight
🎣 The Rig
Dropper loops have been working really well right now. Bucktail with a squid hooked on is deadly. Hookup jigs are producing, and really any squid imitation is getting bites. Match the bait that's in the water.
🦑 Best Bait
Squid is the top bait — live or fresh if you can get it. Fin bait also works. Note: squid counts are running lighter than normal this year and smaller in size, so take what you can get.
📍 Where to Fish
🌊 Depth & Timing
Target 80 to 100 feet in the morning. Set up at Santa Barbara Island anchorage first, then move around. Morning bite is most consistent. Watch your tides — slack tide turns the fish on, even in the middle of the night.
🔭 Reading Conditions
You want current moving and squid in the area. Work your sonar and look for fish marks. Keep your eyes up for birds working — that's your sign bait and fish are close.
📡 Stay Connected
Post questions in the FFO Live Blog and one of our experts will get back to you with real-time conditions and tips.
Species Spotlight
🎣 The Rig
Kite fishing is the top setup — dead or live flying fish under a kite when the wind cooperates. No wind? Floater-rigged flying fish about 200 yards out. Live mackerel on the kite also works, and slow-trolling into a visible school is deadly. Spreader bars and the Mad Max — get them 200 yards back. These fish spook from boat noise.
🐟 Live Bait
Live flying fish is the top bait — kite-rigged or floater-rigged. Live mackerel is a close second. Keep bait 150–250 yards from the boat. These fish are extremely sensitive to noise and pressure.
🚤 Trolling Speed
Match speed to fish behavior. Fish feeding on top: troll fast — up to 12–13 knots. Fish lolling around: slow it down to 7 knots. Read the fish and adjust on the fly.
📍 Where to Fish
Main bluefin bite running below Colonet on the Baja side. Some fish at Tanner Bank — friends reported 100+ lb fish on live flying fish. Yellowfin showing in the same zone. Follow the fish reports for current locations.
🌡️ What to Look For
Find bait and birds and you're close. Even when sonar isn't marking fish, put baits out and be patient — fish may be there and not showing. Set baits in good-looking water and wait.
📡 Stay Connected
For live questions and up-to-the-minute reports, head to the FFO Live Blog and start a conversation with our experts and fellow anglers on the water right now.
Species Spotlight
🎣 The Rig
Run 2 outriggers, a couple flat lines, and one whiskey line down the center. Match your lures to what bait you're seeing. Favorites: bleeding mackerel down the center, purple and black on the outrigger. Keep it simple and adjust to conditions.
🐟 Live Bait
Catch live mackerel for casting at fish you spot finning or tailing on the surface. When you see a fish up, get that mackerel in front of it — that's the moment you've been waiting for.
📍 Where to Fish — SoCal
Warm-water high spots: the 14, Avalon Bank, 286, the 17, Condom Bank. Most of the best fishing will be between Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands — just like the epic 2015 season. Fish already spotted jumping off 2 Harbors.
🌡️ What to Look For
Water clarity and temperature are everything. Find warm, clear blue water and you'll find fish. Watch sea surface temp charts and look for bait — the Marlin will be close behind.
🕐 Season & Timing
Slack tide is consistently the best bite window. Season kicks off around July 1st and in a strong El Niño year can run through October into November. This year, expect something like 2015 — 76 Striped Marlin and 6 Blue Marlin off SoCal. If you've never fished Marlin, this is your year.
🌊 Right Now — Cabo
The bite is going off in Cabo San Lucas right now. Boats averaging 4–5 fish a day trolling jigs and casting mackerel. That's your preview of what's heading north this summer.
📡 Stay Connected
For real-time SoCal and Channel Islands reports, check the FFO Live Blog and connect with our experts. Browse the Shop for the lures and gear Mike talks about.
Mike • Flying Fish Outdoors
🌡️ What Is El Niño?
The so-called Super El Niño means very warm waters pushing up into Southern California. That brings exotic species north — more Marlin, possibly Blue Marlin, and possibly Wahoo in our area. The water is already unusually warm for this time of year, and it’s only going to get better.
📅 Historical Context — What Happened Before
The El Niño of ’82–’83 was legendary — loaded with Marlin and Big Eye Tuna we rarely see anymore. Then in 2015–2016, we had Wahoo at the rigs, Blue Marlin showing up alongside Skipjack, and Striped Marlin coming in en masse. Boats were averaging 2–3 fish a day. Flying Fish Outdoors tagged 76 Striped Marlin and 6 Blue Marlin that year — including a 400 lb Blue.
📍 Where the Fish Were in 2015
Most of the fishing was up on the Channel Islands as the El Niño progressed. Marlin ran from the west end of Catalina all the way out to the Osborne and up to the Channel Islands. If this year follows the same pattern, that’s exactly where you want to be set up by late summer.
🌟 What to Expect This Year
It’s shaping up to be a great year. The development is already happening down south — Cabo has been fishing incredibly well. Expect Marlin showing up around July, with a few already spotted. As the season progresses, the bite should build all the way through fall. Get ready.
📡 Stay in the Loop
As this El Niño develops, real-time updates will be posted in the FFO Live Blog. Ask live questions about presentation, baits, techniques, depth, and the current bite. Also check the Shop — we’ll be stocking the gear you’ll need for this season.
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