I don’t venture into this forum very often, but I thought you guys might be able to help me out. I’m going to be in San Diego sometime in '07 (don’t know just when yet) and was wondering about the surf and/or bay fly fishing opportunities. I have 6,8,and 9wt rigs with saltwater friendly lines (I’ve done a little flats fishing in Florida), but know very little about the species available of fly selection for Southern Cal. Any help I could get would be greatly appreciated. Also, since I don’t know when I’m going yet, when would be the best time to be there fishing-wise?
Southwest Flyfisherman did an excellent article on surf fishing around San Diego during the past year. I can not remember the month right now but when I get home I will try to remember to let you know.
Last Saturday, a couple of friends and I fished San Diego bay and caught spotted bay bass, sand bass, smelt, bonefish (yes there are bonefish in southern california - no flats though), yellowfin croaker, halibut, bonito, and shortfin corvina. This was not an unusual day. Other species that can be caught in the local bays and surf include calico bass, white sea bass, mackeral, baracuda, needle fish, lizard fish, spotfin croaker, rays, walleye surfperch, barred surf perch, opaleye, corbina, leopard shark, shovelnose guitarfish and a few others. The spotted bay bass will be the most common bay catch and the surf perch the most common surf catch.
Best time of the year is any time, though winter storms, such as they are in southern california are more likely to lead to poor conditions in the November - April time frame. Surf is good year round. Dinner plate size perch are more likely to be caught December through March. The very difficult corbina are more likely to be taken during the summer. The bays are most productive for the fly angler May through October but any time can be good. Note the local boat rental operation on San Diego bay is closed through April while the marina at Glorietta Bay, Coronado, is being dredged. Rentals on Mission Bay are still available. Best way to fish either bay is by boat. Four hour skiff rentals run about $50. There is some foot access on San Diego Bay. Mission Bay has much better foot access. Surf areas are easily accessible. There are a couple of guides locally that run about $250 a day for bay trips but they often need to be booked well in advance.
For both the bays and the surf anglers use 5 through 9 wts with a 7wt being a good all around stick. Most fish are small, but there is always a chance of hooking up with a big ray, a good size bonito, or a hefty bass. A 6 and an 8wt would be a perfect pair of rods.
The water here only reaches 70 degrees F during the summer so tropical lines are not needed, and in fact are not an ideal solution to our local conditions. For floating line situations, and standard WF freshwater line is just right. Most generic SW lines (non-tropical) will be fine much of the year.
For most bay and almost all surf fishing you will need a sinking line. In the surf, you need the line to get your fly to the bottom where the surf is churning up food. In the bay you will want to be prepared to fish depths of 4 to 25 feet. Interchangeable shooting heads or, alternatively, integrated lines like Teeny, S.A Streamer Express, Orvis Depth Charge, Cortland Quick Descent, etc. are used most often. In the surf you want your presentation down on the bottom, as you do on the bay most of the time. These lines are also ideal for casting long distances. While surfzone casts are typically 50 ft or less since you can catch fish almost to the sand, in the bay the ability to toss a long line will keep your fly fishing longer. The ability to cast long is not essential though, just beneficial. I like to have two rigs available for the bay and surf. One with a line that sinks at about 4" per second and another that sinks at about 7" per second. Leaders can be short and level. Four feet of your favorite 6 to 10lb mono.
A floating line setup comes in handy when fishing the beach areas of the bay from shore, or the shallow eel grass flats from a boat at depths of less than 6 feet. As noted before, I use a standard WF line. I complement it with a leader running from 12 to 20 feet. The purpose of the long leader is to keep the fly away from the end of the flyline which may spook fish in shallow water. It also allows you to get the fly deeper with a floating line. An intermediate line can be useful if there is a breeze on the water so you can get your line just below the surface current.
As far as flies go, our fish are not for the most part particular to pattern. If all you had was a box of chartruese/white clouser minnows, size 4, you would catch lots of fish. Smaller flies on size 2, 4 or 6 hooks will catch more fish. I rarely use anything more that 2.5" long. Besides clouser minnows, any sort of small streamer pattern will work, as will most types of crab patterns and bonefish flies. Flies with some orange incorporated do quite well. The orange immitates the row sacs of many of the crab species. I like a mini-puff with orange head for the surf and the shallow muddy areas of the bay. Many local anglers have devloped their own “special” patterns, but they are not necessary.
When fishing from shore, you will want a stripping basket of some sort to keep control of your flyline and keep it out of the sand. Most anglers also use them in the surf. Most locals wear stocking foot waders with dive or float tube booties when fishing the surf and even the bay. Even during the summer, when water temps approach 70 degrees, the typical night and morning marine layer and accompanying breeze can lead to a chill.
Let me know when you are likely to be here and I can point you to some good areas to fish and possibly even meet up.
Tailingloop…when you get some more info could you please get back to us 
…seriously that was great…impressive 8)
A few of the locals:
A Spotted Bay Bass. The most common catch in San Diego and Mission Bay. A three pound fish is a trophy. One pound fish is about average. They are much stronger than largemouth bass of the same size.
A typical San Diego Bay bonefish.
A Sand Bass. Typcially around a pound. They reach 7 or 8 lbs. A 5 lb fish is a trophy for the bay.
Shortfin Corvina. Reaches 6-7 lbs.
Yellowfin Croaker.
And a bonito
tailingloop–
Thanks for all the great info, and the intro to the “locals”. That will help a bunch. Still not sure when I’ll be out that way, but will post closer to when I do know.
Thanks again!!
Here are three websites that have local San Diego information. You may want to check them out.
http://sdfish.com/forums/dcboard.php
TL,
Wow, are the details excerpts from your book? Pics are great examples of game in our surf too.
Well, done and causing me to think about visiting family on Coronado Isl.
Wonder what they’ll say to the rest of the family when I invite myself and showing up first time in nearly 2 years then fishing the entire weekend. :roll: