The Dogtown Dispatch: Issue #06

This week on the sand was a study in extremes. LA gave us both silence and fireworks — a couple days of fish everywhere but not eating, followed by midweek sessions that lit up with some of the best action of the season, only to go quiet again by the weekend. Ventura felt like fall had already crept in — mellow surf, loaded crab beds, and steady windows for those willing to sit tight and wait for the tide to flip.

Highs, lows, heartbreak, and redemption. The corbina reminded us once again they don’t owe us a damn thing. Some days it’s refusal after refusal. Other days, one clean eat makes the grind worth it.

This was that kind of week.

Los Angeles County: August 11 – August 17, 2025

This week brought some real highs and some brutal lows — the kind of stretch that reminds you how quickly the surf can turn from gift to grind.

Monday & Tuesday had everything you could ask for on paper. Solid early lows rolling into respectable afternoon swings, good clean light most of the day, and not too many people cluttering up the sand. It should have been money. But the beans weren’t buying. Fish were scattered, cruising with no real intent, the occasional flash of interest but never a full commit. The afternoons were a shade better if you could sneak away and catch the second swing, but even then, it felt more like hope than opportunity. Water temps sat steady in the high 60s — perfect for mid-August — but it didn’t flip the switch.

Wednesday & Thursday finally gave us the juice. Easily some of the best action of the season so far. The morning tides brought traffic — pods of fish sliding through, looking the part — but they weren’t handing out eats. Every take had to be earned. Multiple fly swaps, endless tweaking of angles and strips, patience stretched thin. Eventually, a couple stuck. Went 2-for-5, and those two felt like trophies because of the work it took to get them. Nothing about those eats was casual — every one was a grind. The afternoons gave up the best sight fishing of the week. You had to commit to being out there in the mid-day heat, squinting through glare and wind, but the payoff was better visuals and fish that seemed just a little more willing to play.

Friday through Sunday fell off a cliff. The switch flipped and the water went quiet. The fish that had been showing midweek vanished, replaced by scattered singles that acted like they knew you were coming. Three beaches, miles of walking, maybe six fish total — none of them eating. The kind of weekend where you wear the skunk hat and remind yourself that this fishery doesn’t owe you a thing. Those are the days that test you most — not just your legs, but your head.

The dream setup. Photo by Bernard Yin

Key Takeaways – Los Angeles Beaches

• Monday & Tuesday looked good on paper — tides, light, and conditions lined up — but fish stayed cold.

• Wednesday & Thursday were the peak — lots of fish, but eats had to be earned. 2-for-5 on hard-won shots.

• Afternoons consistently produced better sight fishing than mornings.

• Friday–Sunday went cold. Scattered singles, few shots, no payoff.

• Water temps held steady in the high 60s, keeping the system stable but not sparking a bite.

Bottom Line

This was a week of peaks and valleys. Two days of some of the best action of the season sandwiched between long stretches of nothing. That’s the corbina curse — just enough payoff to keep you locked in, and enough silence to keep you humbled.

Ventura County: August 11 – August 17, 2025

Ventura felt like fall had already arrived. The surf stayed mellow and manageable all week long, giving anglers clean lanes and plenty of time in the skinny.

Mornings were steady. The AM tide schedule produced a good number of low- to mid-grade opportunities, with fish sliding back toward the ocean after their brief forays onto the inside. The up-and-back feeding pattern ruled the early hours — corbina would push in with the water, nose around just long enough to get your heart racing, and then ghost back out. For the patient, the moments came. If you were willing to sit, watch, and time your cast to the rhythm, the shots were there, and they were quality.

Falling tides were where Ventura really shined. For the anglers who stuck it out past the morning and waited for the drop, the reward was some of the best sight fishing the county has coughed up all season. Fish were sliding into the skinny with confidence, cruising crab beds and feeding lanes with purpose. Pods moved tight, sometimes three or four deep, and if you laid it down clean, you had a real chance at a proper eat.

The buffet was full. With bait life back in the skinny, the water felt alive. Sand crab beds covered the edge — nickel- and quarter-sized crabs carpeting the troughs — and fish were keyed in. Clousers got chewed regularly, adding variety to the usual crab playbook and proving that Ventura’s fish were paying attention to everything rolling in the surf.

The week didn’t hand out numbers like candy, but it gave consistent action to those who stayed disciplined. More than anything, it was a test of patience: waiting through the quiet spells, resisting the urge to cast blind, and holding off until the fish made their move.

Shop owner Trey Finton in those final moments

Key Takeaways – Ventura County Beaches

• Surf stayed mellow all week, creating ideal sight-fishing conditions.

• AM tides offered low- to mid-grade chances, with up-and-back feeding the dominant pattern.

• Falling tides delivered the goods — some of the best sight fishing of the season.

• Pods were visible and active; quality shots came to anglers who waited them out.

• The forage was thick: huge crab beds and bait schools made the skinny feel alive.

• Clousers worked alongside Merkins, proving versatility paid off.

Bottom Line

Ventura brought consistency in its own way. It wasn’t wide-open or easy, but for anglers who kept their patience, the week delivered classic corbina moments — fish cruising shallow lanes, feeding over crab beds, and eating when everything lined up. With mellow surf and a loaded buffet under their noses, the game was about discipline, not luck.

Looking Ahead

The season’s tipping. Crowds are thinning, mornings are quieter, and the sand feels more like fall with every tide. Last week’s big surf likely carved new troughs and crab beds across LA beaches, setting up fresh structure where things had gone flat. Ventura’s already showing those fall vibes — steady surf, heavy bait, and corbina sliding back into predictable lanes.

This coming week should offer manageable AM lows and falling afternoon highs — prime windows if the light holds. Soft water and structure will decide who scores. Fish are in the system, but they won’t hand themselves over.

Patience, persistence, and the right read will make the difference. The grind continues — but so do the opportunities.