Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure reporting from the California coast, bringing you today’s fishing update for the Pacific Ocean and surrounding waters on Monday, May 5, 2025.We’re coming off a cooler, windier stretch, with an overnight low in the upper 50s and a high today expected in the low 70s. Water temps are ranging between 67 and 70 degrees along much of the coast. Sunrise was at 5:59 am and sunset will hit at 7:46 pm, so you’ve got plenty of daylight to wet a line.Tidal swings are moderate today, with an early morning low followed by a building high that should peak mid-afternoon. This tide movement, combined with the cooling trend and some lingering murky water from recent rains and sand pumping, means fishing’s been a little inconsistent, especially at some of the piers.In the northern and central sections, party boats are seeing solid action. Bass and barracuda have been the main draw offshore, with boats loading up midweek. There’ve also been good counts of vermillion red rockfish, lingcod, and California whitefish reported deeper, especially when yellowtail action slows down. If you’re heading over to the Channel Islands or up the coast toward Avila Beach, expect similar catches as the boats are putting up strong numbers for anglers putting in time at depth.Nearshore and on the piers, things are a bit tougher. Oceanside Pier and Harbor Pier have seen slowdowns due to murky water and a lingering red tide. Most recent catches here are perch and the occasional halibut. Sharkers are having to work hard, occasionally connecting with bat rays or shovelnose guitarfish, though the action is slow. Sand pumping and river runoff mean these spots might remain sluggish for another week or so.Moving offshore and down toward the Baja border, the variety is still good. There’s been a mix of sierra, yellowfin tuna, roosterfish, jack crevalle, bonito, and an odd dorado or wahoo showing for the lucky boats. Striped marlin are around in the deeper blue as well, keeping things interesting.For your tackle box, best bets right now are plastics and swimbaits for the bass, and deep-drop jigs for the lingcod and reds. Bonito and barracuda are hitting fast-moving spoons and surface irons. If you’re soaking bait, cut squid and anchovies are the top producers, especially when the fish are finicky in off-color water.Hot spots this week are the reefs off Palos Verdes and the deeper structure off Catalina for rockfish and lingcod. For pier anglers, Santa Monica Pier and Ventura Pier have had more consistent action on perch and corbina thanks to cleaner water.That’s your Monday report from the coast. Tight lines, and here’s hoping the water clears and the bite heats up heading into summer.