San Pedro

Why it fishes

San Pedro is where LA sportfishing grew up — a working harbour with a straight, short crossing to Catalina Island, 26 miles out. When the yellows and seabass are on the island, this is one of the handiest ramps to reach them.

Closer in, the Horseshoe Kelp and the harbour flats are money in summer, when the barred sand bass stack up to spawn. Add breakwater calico and warm-water bonito and you’ve got a port that fishes something nearly all season.

What you’ll chase

Leaving San Pedro, on any given week you could tangle with:

The grounds within range

• Catalina Island

  A short, straight crossing to island kelp and boilers — yellowtail, calico and white seabass.

• Horseshoe Kelp

  A close deeper hard-bottom grounds — bass and, when open, rockfish, minutes from the harbour.

• The harbour flats

  Sand around the breakwater where barred sand bass gang up to spawn in summer.

• The breakwater

  Miles of rock holding calico and bass close to the ramp.

When it’s good

San Pedro’s signature is the summer sand-bass spawn on the flats and the kelp — the warm months are the peak. Catalina fishes best spring into fall for yellows and seabass, and bonito show on a warm push. Things slow through winter close to home.

Warmer means better. A rough shape of the year, not a promise — the ocean writes its own calendar, which is exactly why you check the daily read.