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UPDATED: May 6, 2026

VENTURA/OXNARD — Boats fishing the local island have seen just a couple of seabass but quite a few halibut. The Aloha Spirit had 10 one day and the Gentleman put on a dozen during a targeted ¾-day effort with 25 anglers. Otherwise it was all about rockfish and whitefish by the hundreds, with the outer island overnight boats getting close to 20 fish per person.

The Endeavor out of Ventura Harbor Sportfishing was ust back from a 2 dayer with 18 anglers getting 72 lings for limits, plus rockfish and whitefish to bring the catch to 20-fish-per-angler each day. But outer islands weren’t always in the line-up as a few windy days caused those trips to cancel here and there. The inner island full-day trips and coastal ¾- and ½-day trips saw ¾- to full limits of rockfish for their anglers and a smattering of whitefish too with a sampling of lingcod and sheephead. The Aloha Spirit also saw a yellowtail on deck, a sign of the very early warm waters in the Bight. Saturday the Pacific Eagle, Ventura Harbor Sportfishing, full-day had bags full at 10 fish per angler including nearly limits of rockfish. The Island Spirit added 70 whitefish and 7 halibut to their rockfish limits for 17, ½-day anglers.

SANTA MONICA BAY — Private boaters are making their way all to the BKR and finding some bass fishing and halibut while the sport boats continue to seek rockfish on the local reefs with good success. There are some smaller whitefish taken on some trips too. Anglers are finding success – 5 to 10 fish per person generally. There are sculpin on the pipe but the partyboaters haven’t been fishing them much.

LONG BEACH/SAN PEDRO — Over at Long Beach Sportfishing landing manager Steve Phelps reported “The overnight boat Eldorado had an excellent April fishing San Nicolas Island. Sack limits were the norm, with rockfish, sheephead, whitefish, and lingcod hitting the deck consistently. For May, the Eldorado has switched over to Island Freelance trips, targeting white seabass, yellowtail, calico bass, and falling back on rockfish if needed. They depart every night at 8:30 PM and are priced at $270 per person. The 3/4 Day boat Victory has been loading up on local cod since the opener and will continue fishing cod through May. Once the surface action picks up, they will switch gears, and it feels like it is only a matter of time. The Victory departs daily at 6:00 AM and is priced at $80 per person. The Full Day boat El Patron has also been loading up on cod at Catalina Island in the morning, then sliding inside to pick away at calico bass and sheephead, with the occasional white seabass and yellowtail hitting the deck. They depart daily at 7:00 AM, and return at 6:00 PM, and pricing varies depending on the day. The Ahra-Ahn will be running 1/2 Day local trips for us this season, targeting sculpin, whitefish, rockfish, and more. The boat departs Thursday-Monday at 10:00 AM and returns at 4:00 PM. The cost is $75 per person.”

Over at Pierpoint Sportfishing the Options has consistently put anglers on some big game, including halibut and seabass. The Toronado overnighters have easily bagged rockfish limits for all anglers including limits of reds. There were good numbers of sheephead and lings in the bottom biter mix from the outer islands, San Nicolas and/or San Clemente Island. Out on the local Shelf zone sculpin fishing remains full-limit style and rockfishing out on the Southeast Bank and other areas providing near limits of a mix of rockfish, from squares to chilis to reds, banks and Mexicans. Over at LA Waterfront the Gail Force and Sport King have been fishing Catalina and more recently encountered a pile of eager bonito. A few barracuda and bass added to the catches. Fly-lined live baits and small heavy iron are best bets for those. In addition there have been yellowtail splashing in the chumlines and a few lucky anglers managed to boat one. Alternatively the rockfish opportunities remain good off the west end.

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