Diving birds are usually the best tip-off to the spawn event, but if you're fishing blind, know that squid spawn on sand and mud bottoms in 12 to 25 fathoms of water. When a fish hits, put your reel into free-spool and let the halibut take the bait before setting the hook. For the first time in the state's history, California rockcod fishermen face a fishery closure due to overfishing and ocean temperature changes. In the world of rockcod fishing, the lingcod is king. A fine eating fish, the ling prefers a wide range of habitats, including sand, gravel and eelgrass beds occurring in bays and estuaries out to 200 feet of water.
Lingcod are voracious predators.
Large scampi tails, iron jigs and diamond jigs are effective baits, as is hooked rockcod. A variety of gamefish are drawn each spring to the islands by squid spawns. March through July Drift cut herring, live anchovies, sardines and squid for the large Pacific or smaller California halibut. Look for fish as shallow as 10 fathoms and as deep as 60 fathoms. Albacore Southern California coast north to the Washington coast Begin to arrive by late May Live anchovies and cast-iron jigs.