Fishing in Central California saltwater

San Luis Obispo to San Simeon.  It is estimated that only about 10 percent of the beachfront area above Santa Barbara is ever fished, yet it can produce great fishing. Notable are rock cod and late-season albacore in the 30- to 50-pound range out of Avila Bay. Inside Morro Bay try for smelt, halibut, mackerel, or sand bass. Outside Morro Bay, rockfish are plentiful; these include blue, gopher, and copper rockfish, and also lingcod and cabezon. North of Morro Rock is a beach with excellent barred perch potential. Try the blowhole near Morro Rock for fork-tail and barred perch, as well as cabezon and starry flounder.

At Pismo Pier, fish for barracuda, halibut, corbina, and mackerel, plus barred, fork-tail, and walleye perch. Avila Pier and San Luis Pier are best for tomcod, shiner perch, and jack smelt. Offshore waters can sustain a good run of both king and silver salmon at times.

Cayucos, Moonstone, Sandstone, and San Simeon Beaches have great perch action. San Simeon Pier has barred, walleye, rubberlip, and piling perch, plus halibut and jack smelt. From Cayucos to Piedras Blancas, shallow-water rockfishing can be sensational for small-boat anglers. Lingcod, cabezon, halibut, flounder, petrale sole, and even salmon can be caught off the nearshore reefs.

Monterey and Carmel Bays.  Because of the broad variation in ocean conditions contained within this unique bay, Monterey-area fishing ranges from shallow-water rockfish to deep-water pelagics. The many piers, landings, beaches, rocks, and sloughs of the Monterey Bay area hold a variety of coldwater treasures, among them salmon, striped bass, perch, sanddabs, halibut, petrale sole, flounder, lingcod, cabezon, greenling, kelp and grass rockfish, sculpin, jack smelt, sablefish, and sharks. Party boaters, skiff anglers, surf casters, and rock hoppers alike can share in the bounty.

Rock anglers can also find abundant inshore rockfish. Greenling; olive, grass, and blue rockfish; cabezon; lingcod; and surfperch are all within casting range at 17-Mile Drive and Asilomar State Beach. Smelt, perch, and shallow-water rockfish are taken off the pier at the eastern end of Monterey Harbor. Occasional striped bass also show up here. Skiff operators can target rockfish, lingcod, and sanddabs inside both bays. In warmwater periods, bonito and barracuda can be an unexpected treat.

Salmon frequent the bay from early spring through fall. One good area is the mouth of the Salinas River. Albacore can occasionally be located in late summer as close as 10 miles offshore.