Coronado Beach Open To Surf Fishing

Ever since the beaches in San Diego have “reopened” to the public, the regulations pertaining to surf fishermen have become increasingly blurred. Initially, it was stated by both the Governor and the Lifeguards that the beaches were to be open for a number of activities that explicitly included surf fishing.

Come day one of that so-called “reopening”, surf fishermen across the county of San Diego were booted from the beaches while walkers and [at times] even sun bathers remained.

Misinformation within beach reopening

The following days resulted in an abundance of misinformation. Whether surf fishermen were allowed to go about practicing their constitutional right to fish would depend on the Lifeguard or Officer they might run into on any given day. The extent of the misinformation being passed along by government officials to officers has been evident. At times, fishermen would be told by the SD Lifeguards or the SDPD that fishing was in fact permitted, only to get booted on the same day.

Is surf fishing permitted in San Diego?

For a while, it was almost pointless to call county officials for clarity on regulations; In truth, it still might be. While nothing is for certain, I’ve come to the belief that Coronado Beach is open to surf fishing.

Coronado Beach

After speaking to a warden, the Coronado Lifeguards, and the Coronado PD, all signs pointed that surf fishing was permitted. The most recent information from the city of Coronado indicates that the beach is open strictly from 6 am to 6 pm. Naturally, we set out for a morning session and made it onto the beach at 6 am sharp.

Conditions

We fished from 6 am to 11:15 am and the tides were as follows: (-0.8 ft at 3:08 am), (4.6 ft at 9:16 am), (0.4 ft at 2:54 pm). The sky conditions were sunny and clear as it was an absolutely gorgeous morning. Water temperature was listed at 67 degrees Fahrenheit and the swells were a manageable 2-3 ft. Kelp wasn’t an issue at all and the red tide seemed to be lingering just past the breakers.

Recommended Gear

• Rod: Shimano Clarus 8′ 6″ MH
• Reel: Penn Battle 4000
• Lure Choice: Lucky Craft FM 110 Metallic Sardine.

It was a slow start to the session as the only fish in the first hour was a foul-hooked stingray on my part. We fished on and in the next hour… two more sting rays (only one foul-hooked).

We continue to fish and my buddy gets solid hit which turns into a good fight. As he lands the fish, a good-looking 19″ halibut flops onto the sand! That’s the first Halibut for either of us since both the lock down and the red tide. So, it’s good to know they’re still here.

First of the season

About two hours in, I look across at my buddy and he lays into another fish! It looks like it’s a pretty decent fish as his rod tip is pointed out to sea. He gets the fish in shallower, still we can’t seem to spot the fish. At this point, it can really only be one of two things, a ray or a halibut. Once it’s on the sand, it’s clear what he’s got. It’s a guitar! Probably no longer than two feet, but the first of the season and hopefully the first of many more to come.

Many surf anglers across Southern California don’t recognize guitarfish as a desired catch. I’ve learned to love everything about the guitarfish from it’s thrilling fight, to its savory taste. That’s right, you might not have thought so, but guitarfish are quite tasty and pound-for-pound, you get a whole lot of meat of these guys.

I’ve put together a quick article on how to go about cleaning, filleting, and cooking guitarfish. There’s also a quick video linked within the page that shows how simple it is to fillet them.

Another first on the season

It’s now 11:00 am. The bite, although never really “on”, has further died down. I’ve scanned up and down the beach with no success so I decide to switch to some Gulp sand worms. A couple casts later, and one of the deepest casts of the day, I feel a pretty steady nibble, then I feel it take and I lay into it! Fish on! And it’s a solid one. I don’t think I ever really had it’s head turned because it definitely didn’t come in easily.

Maybe a minute and a half worth of a fight, and I’ve landed my first solid Corbina of the season. At 19.5″, it’s a dinner fish. But, with the red tide, I won’t be keeping it.

Either way, it was an awesome fight and it’s great to know that the marine life in San Diego is still pushing through this extended red tide.

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