A schooling flats bass. Once you pin a school on a summer drift, the next dozen casts can all be fish — until they move.
Sand and mud flats next to structure, bay entrances, and the open flats between reefs in Santa Monica Bay and Long Beach Harbor.
Same Paralabrax bag as calicos: 14 inches, five combined, max four barred. Summer drifts across Santa Monica Bay and the Belmont/Alamitos flats are an LA rite. A 3–4 inch curl-tail on a 3/8 oz head, bounced on the sand, is still the local default.
Do not confuse with prohibited giant sea bass.
CDFW Southern ocean regs — barred sand bass →
Independent-site disclaimer: this summary is for orientation only and can change in-season. Confirm with CDFW before you keep a fish. Fish in LA is not affiliated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
