April Surf Fishing Report – So Cal Season Preview
It’s time for another April surf fishing report here in Southern California. I was hoping to get this out earlier in the month, but things got busy and other topics came up. But, nonetheless, let’s talk about what’s biting and what to expect as we get deeper into the season.
What a strange start to the year it’s been. We’ve had everything from quick bursts of rain to long dry stretches, along with some unusually hot days in February and March. On top of that, water temperatures pushed into the mid to upper 60s as early as March, which is well above average. Since then, water temps have remained elevated, although they slightly pulled back from the recent highs, settling in the mid 60’s. The overall weather seems to have normalized to what you’d typically expect for this time of year but that doesn’t negate what’s already happened.
Last year started off notoriously slow through the winter but ended up turning into a solid year overall with fairly normal patterns. This year feels different. Light tackle fishing has actually been more in line with what you’d expect in a typical year, especially with the return of larger model surfperch. At the same time, corbina and spotfin croaker were a bit scarce through the winter months, though a few were still around.
Lure fishing has been a bright spot, particularly for those targeting halibut, while shark fishing has been hit or miss depending on who you talk to.
With a potential El Niño setting up, there’s a lot of uncertainty but also a lot of opportunity. Let’s get into this month’s April surf fishing report and what to expect moving forward.
What’s Been Biting in April
Light Tackle
Light tackle fishing has been a bit slow for me personally this month, with most of the action coming from smaller surfperch. That said, it hasn’t been dead by any means.
Fellow anglers have been seeing and catching spotfin croaker and corbina in the shallows, along with a handful of yellowfin croaker and steady numbers of surfperch. The fish are there, but it hasn’t been wide open – although my most recent intel says we’ve had a couple “wide-open” days in the past week.
Grunion runs are also underway, which always adds another layer to the bite. As always, it depends heavily on the specific night and beach, but when they show up, things can get interesting quickly.
Lure Fishing
Lure fishing has probably been the most consistent bite this month.
Halibut have been the main target and a reliable one for anglers throwing swimbaits and jerkbaits. There haven’t been many reports of seabass just yet, but that should start to change as we move deeper into spring.
If you’re covering water and fishing structure, this has been one of the better ways to get bit lately.
Sharks
Shark fishing has been slow for me personally. I had two sessions in late March and early April that didn’t produce.
That said, it hasn’t been slow across the board. Several friends have landed leopard sharks, soupfin sharks, and even a couple sevengill sharks. So the fish are clearly around, just not consistently for everyone.
Sand Crab Status
Sand crabs have been hit or miss so far.
The times they have shown up, they’ve been the right size and fairly easy to find. That’s a good sign. We’re right on the edge of things turning.
I’d give it until the first week of May. By then, we should start seeing sand crabs consistently in good numbers. They’ll likely still be on the smaller side, but more than usable. Central to north county is where I’ve seen crabs so far.
Conditions Report
Conditions have been pretty favorable overall.
We’ve had a warm start to the year with water temps sitting around 64 to 67 degrees, which is well above average for this time of year. Surf has been manageable for the most part, and seaweed has been minimal.
There was one decent push of kelp that hit the San Diego beaches in early April, but outside of that, conditions have been clean and fishable.
Forecast
Looking ahead, the forecast shows relatively mild conditions over the next 10 days.
Winds look average, surf has a couple small bumps but nothing major, and there are no prolonged surges on the radar. Overall, it looks very fishable.
One thing I’ve been thinking about is how this warmer winter may affect seaweed this summer. Warmer water can limit kelp growth, and with last winter also being on the warmer side, there’s a chance we see lighter seaweed conditions in the surf this year.
That would be a big plus for surf anglers.
On the flip side, that could mean fewer kelp paddies offshore, which isn’t ideal for kayak and boat fishermen. That said, if El Niño develops the way some are predicting, it could offset that and create some strong offshore opportunities.
As for us in the surf, it’s still too early to say exactly how it will play out. Every year is a little different, and that’s part of what makes it fun.
Final Thoughts
This April surf fishing report shows a mixed but promising picture.
Light tackle fishing has been steady but not wide open. Lure fishing for halibut has been strong. Sharks are around, just not consistently for everyone. Sand crabs are starting to show, and conditions have been very fishable.
If things continue on this trajectory, May and early summer could shape up nicely.