Marlin and striper action stretches through the SoCal Bight

What's biting

What's next

Tide swings from a low near 2:32am to the next high around 8:44am local, a solid morning push worth timing a dawn session around.

With water still sitting in the mid-70s and the moon waxing toward full, expect the warm-water mix noted this week to hold through the weekend rather than taper off; striped bass and bluefish following bait pushed by the tide typically stay active as long as temperatures don't drop. Watch for any cooling trend over the next few days: a dip toward the low 70s would be the first sign this pattern starts to fade.

Until then, working the morning tide change around the Channel Islands stretch of the Bight is the highest-percentage window this week.

Context

Late September in the Southern California Bight typically marks the tail end of the warm-water season, as summer pelagics and inshore species begin easing back before the fall transition. Water in the mid-70s is on the warmer side for this point in the calendar, consistent with an extended warm stretch this year. Striped bass showing up alongside marlin and bluefish in the same waters suggests the seasonal shift hasn't fully taken hold yet, typical of a later-than-usual turn toward fall conditions.