684 | Surf Fishing California with Tyler Vanosdell - Mission Bay Fly Fishing, Corbina, Halibut
Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast
Dave Stewart
4.7 • 530 Ratings
🗓️ 25 November 2024
⏱️ 64 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/684
Presented By: Grand Teton Fly Fishing, Heated Core, Waters West, Angler's Coffee
Today, we're surf fishing California, home to some of the toughest surf fishing spots in the country. Southern California also boasts one of the largest manmade bays and some of the best weather and fish species around.
Tyler Vanosdell from Mission Bay Fly Fishing takes us from his roots on a cotton farm to becoming a San Diego fly fishing guide. Tyler shares the top three things you need to do before hitting the surf, the best apps to use, and essential tips for casting a full sink line.
Plus, you'll learn why the strip set is critical and how walking your line can make all the difference.
Show Notes with Tyler Vanosdell on Surf Fishing California.
02:10 - Growing up on a fifth-generation cotton farm in western Arizona, Tyler started fly fishing on the muddy Gila River, catching largemouth bass, catfish, and even carp before it became popular.
03:42 - Tyler spent time in Montana, Utah, Colorado, and even traveled to Mexico and Costa Rica before landing in San Diego. It was a chance offer from a friend needing a roommate that brought him to San Diego, and he's been there for almost 18 years now.
Surf Fishing California: Where to Begin?
05:24 - The first thing Tyler teaches new surf anglers is understanding the conditions. The waves are constant in San Diego, so knowing how to read the waves, tides, and wind is key. Tyler also emphasizes showing beginners the right structure and how to use apps and gear.
Must-Have Apps for Surf Fishing
06:43 - Tyler recommends starting with free apps for tides and wind. For waves, he suggests paying for Surfline, which costs about $10 a month. The cool part? Surfline offers live video feeds of different beaches, letting you scout out fishing spots before heading out.
Surf Fishing Species
07:51 - Tyler talks about the top fish species to target in Southern California.
Corbina - The most popular by far is corbina (or "beans"), which come into shallow waters in the summer to feed on sand crabs.
Halibut - Tyler also loves fishing for halibut, especially the big ones. There are two types of halibut:
Pacific halibut
California halibut
Croakers (like Yellowfin and Spotfin)
Corvina - a toothy fish similar to white sea bass.
Ideal Fishing Conditions and Timing
Tyler explains that fishing in San Diego is possible year-round, but winter is his favorite time. It gets crowded in summer, so Tyler tries to fish early to avoid the crowds.
When it comes to conditions, he looks for low-energy waves, around zero to two feet. For tides, he prefers lower ones, especially around zero to two feet, which helps him find good structures for casting. He also likes light winds, ideally 3 to 5 knots, for a smooth experience.
Tyler encourages anyone interested in surf fishing to give it a try. The conditions might be tough some days, but other times, it feels like everything just falls into place. He believes if he can do it, anyone can.
Gear and Casting Tips for Surf Fishing
18:57 - Tyler talks about the gear he uses for surf fishing. He usually takes one rod, sometimes two, with a backup just in case. He recommends a full sinking line of around 250 grains to handle the strong surf and currents.
He explains how casting with a heavy sinking line takes a bit of practice but it's all about letting the rod do the work. Tyler also suggests using a wider casting stroke and double hauling for distance. Start close, work your way out, and you might even catch fish right in front of you.
24:18 - Tyler says low tide is the best time to spot fish-holding structures like rocks, holes, or steep beaches. These areas give fish a place to feed or wait for prey. Tyler also recommends checking out river mouths, which are great spots because they bring in brackish water full of baitfish that predators love.
29:15 - Tyler sticks to a few key flies like the Clouser and Surfin' Merkin, which are great for catching fish in Southern California. He uses size four hooks with medium dumbbell eyes, and colors like red and white, chartreuse, or olive. Tyler also likes red flies because they're popular in the area.
Chasing Corbina and Other Fish
38:56 - Tyler talks about how fishing for corbina can be a mix of blind casting and sight fishing. Sometimes the fish are right at the water's edge, and you can literally see their backs and tails. To catch them, you often have to wade out into the water depending on where the structure is.
Mission Bay Fly Fishing
44:11 - Mission Bay is the heart of fly fishing in San Diego. It's the largest manmade aquatic park in the U.S., offering 34 miles of fishable shoreline. You can walk around, cast, and explore different areas, making it super accessible.
One of the coolest things about fishing there is the spotted bay bass. It's a unique species to the area, and you can catch them year-round. Tyler likes fishing at lower tides with an intermediate sinking line for better results.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/684
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today we're heading to one of the toughest places to surf fish with a fly in the country. |
| 0:05.7 | This location also boasts one of the largest man-made bays in the country and is also home to some of the best weather and species you should be thinking about fishing this year. |
| 0:16.0 | We're heading to Southern Cow and today you're going to become a better surf angler for multi-species. This is the Wet Fly Swing podcast where I show you the best places to travel to for fly fishing, how to find the best resources and tools to prepare for that big trip and what you can do to give back the fish species we all love. How's it going? I'm Dave, host of the Wet Fly Swing podcast. I've been fly fishing since I was a little kid. I grew up around a little fly shop and have created one of the largest fly fishing podcast in this country. I've also interviewed more of the |
| 0:41.4 | great I've been fly fishing since I was a little kid. I grew up around a little fly shop and have created one of the largest fly fishing podcast in this country. I've also interviewed more of the greatest fly anglers and surf fishermen than just about anyone out there. Tyler Vanisdell from a kid on the cotton farm to a San Diego fly guide is going to show us how to find and hook up with fish in the surf. |
| 0:56.1 | You're going to know which are the three things to make sure you do before heading out. |
| 1:00.8 | We're going to find out which apps are the best and some of these are going to be free. |
| 1:04.9 | There's one paid one you're going to have to have if you want to know about hitting the right conditions. |
| 1:09.3 | We're also going to get some casting tips on casting a full sync line |
| 1:12.7 | and why you shouldn't forget the strip set. |
| 1:15.8 | Plus, you're going to find out how to walk your line for success. |
| 1:19.7 | He's going to talk about walking the line. |
| 1:21.1 | This is a big one today. |
| 1:22.2 | Let's find out how they do it in San Diego. |
| 1:24.5 | Here he is. |
| 1:24.9 | Tyler Vanisdale from Mission Bay Flyfishingco.com. |
| 1:42.9 | How you doing, Tyler? I'm doing good, Dave. How about yourself? Not too bad. Did I blow that one on the last name? No, that was perfectly. That was perfect. Good. My last name's kind of a strange one, but yeah, you nailed it, man. You got you did it. Good, good. So I'm doing good to start here. |
| 2:02.6 | So we're going to jump into a little on Southern California, which is great because I think, you know, there's lots of people in California, probably maybe more in north that are listening, but I think you are in a place. We're going to talk surf fishing. We're going to get into some of the species that you have down there. And we've done a couple episodes over the years on kind of the surf, not as much down south. |
| 2:03.6 | So this is going to be cool today. |
| 2:01.2 | Before we jump into all that, that you have down there. And we've done a couple episodes over the years on kind of the surf, |
| 2:04.9 | not as much down south. So this is going to be cool today. Before we jump into all that, |
| 2:08.5 | why don't you take us back to fly fishing? How did you get into all this? What's your first memory? |
| 2:15.5 | Man, for me, it was around in sixth grade. My best friend at the time had decided that he was going to get into fly fishing. So I just followed in suit |
... |
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