Yellowtail Blitz and Halibut Action Heat Up the SoCal Bight

What's biting

What's next

With a new moon in play, expect stronger tidal swings over the next few days, which should keep bait moving and extend the window captains are working for yellowtail. Afternoon low tides sit around 3:10-3:15 PM for both the LA Harbor and Santa Monica stage this week, a useful anchor for timing structure and kelp-line stops around the bite.

If the Daily Double's results per Western Outdoor News hold, more Point Loma-area boats should start posting similar yellowtail counts into the weekend. Inshore, the halibut and mixed-bag action described out of Newport Harbor should continue as long as bait stays stacked in the harbor mouth, with early morning and the afternoon low the better windows to fish structure along the edges.

Context

Early-to-mid October is a transition window for the LA Bight and Channel Islands, with surface water still carrying summer warmth while bait begins pushing toward harbors and nearshore structure, typical of the shift into fall patterns. A yellowtail bite persisting into October is on the later side of typical but not unusual when warm water lingers into fall. Halibut fishing from skiffs and kayaks inside Southern California harbors is a reliable fall pattern as flatfish follow bait into protected water.