California Fishing Report: Rockfish, Lingcod, and Bluefin Tuna Dominate the Central Coast Action

Artificial Lure here with your Pacific Ocean California fishing report for Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Dawn broke at 6:21 a.m., with sunset coming at 7:58 p.m. Conditions are classic mid-August: early fog burning into bluebird skies, light swell, and gentle breezes by midday. The nearshore water’s been hovering around mid-60s—the recipe for an active bite.

Tidewise, it’s a mixed bag today. Expect the morning low at 4:14 a.m., followed by a moderate high at 9:48 a.m., then another low at 4:08 p.m. Top nearshore action often comes just before or after those tide swings, so plan your casts around the 9:30 a.m. and late afternoon changeovers, especially near rock structure and kelp beds, as reported by Tide-Forecast.

Let’s talk fish counts. Nor Cal Fish Reports for yesterday show Monterey and Half Moon Bay absolutely loaded up with quality rockfish and lingcod—limits for most boats. The Queen of Hearts out of Half Moon Bay saw 280 rockfish for 28 anglers, while Chris’ in Monterey brought in 5 lingcod and 140 rockfish for 14 anglers. Berkley-based charters are mixing in halibut and lingcod, while Bodega Bay is kicking out solid albacore, with boats like Sorta Salty tallying 35 albacore in one run. If you’re chasing tuna, south of Point Conception, the long-range boys out of Fisherman’s Landing checked in with triple-digit bluefin tuna scores—Pacific Queen reported 107 bluefin and 21 yellowtail for 25 anglers just a few days ago.

Up and down the central and north coast, the best nearshore lures are shrimp flies, metal jigs, and swimbaits in white, chartreuse, or sardine patterns. Cut sardine, squid strips, and sand crabs are still premium baits, especially for surfperch, halibut, and rays. Wired2Fish and local anglers both favor the Fish Finder rig for the surf, baited with sand crabs or cut sardine; just upsize your hooks for halibut and rays. For the bluefin offshore, popular jigs include flat-fall and knife-style jigs in blue, silver, and glow, plus butterfly jigs dropped deep during slack tide for midday strikes.

If you’re on the pier—say, Huntington Beach—head out early with live bait for halibut and sand bass near the pilings. If live isn’t an option, cast slow-rolling swimbaits like the AA Cotee in white/blue or white/green. For sharks or rays, squid or chunked mackerel on a heavy fishfinder or high/low rig is standard. Don’t forget, the grunion run is winding down, but there can still be a halibut surge in the early morning hours.

Two hot spots to circle today:
- **Half Moon Bay shallow reefs**—light tackle and rockfish go hand in hand, with bonus cabezon and lingcod possible; shrimp flies, small metal jigs, and cut squid are the ticket.
- **Monterey Bay kelp edges**—particularly productive at first light and the evening tide swing; try a white swimbait for hungry flatties or a red/white iron for lingcod. Monterey boats have been regularly limiting on both species.

Wind usually kicks up late, so make the most of the morning window. Bring plenty of mackerel or shrimp, keep baits fresh, and pay attention to moving tides for the strongest bites. Offshore, chase bluefin with slow-trolled mackerel or flat-fall jigs—the big fish are still around and hungry.

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