My wife has to travel to San Diego in late June for work.  This is awesome for me because we recently wrote out our separate travel "bucket lists" and high up on my list was the San Diego Zoo.  I was thinking about down time while she is working and started looking at bass fishing guides but I'm wondering if it's worth it that time of year.  I am willing to spend $$$ for an epic bass fishing trip, however, standing on the bow and playing a fishing video game with live bait is NOT an epic bass fishing trip.  I don't care if the bass is 20+ pounds.  I am totally unfamiliar with the lakes in Southern Cali so some info about the summer bass fishing there would be much appreciated.   

The San Diego Zoo is world famous but don’t over look the Wild Animal park in North county. This water front sea food restaurants, Old Town Mexican food and Little Italy. When at the Zoo have lunch or dinner at the Prado.

Fishing in June is the summer period with good fishing. My suggestion is San Vicente for a taste of SoCal deep structure bass fishing. Very few anglers use live baits outside of Threadfin Shad during the summer. A good guide will be on fish and worth price. You don’t need to take any tackle.

Another fishing choice is the local salt water charter boats, June is good surface fishing for Yellowtail and tuna.

Tom

9 hours ago, WRB said:

Wild Animal park in North county

Yes!  Thank you. 

 

9 hours ago, WRB said:

Another fishing choice is the local salt water charter boats, June is good surface fishing for Yellowtail and tuna.

This was my backup plan.  I'm not a "deep structure" bass fisherman but I should probably bite the bullet and go learn from a good guide on an epic lake.  Thanks very much, Tom.  I almost messaged you directly as I knew you would have the goods on So Cal.  

Also don’t forget you can also target Spotted Bay Bass in San Diego bay…look on YouTube for some ideas

On 3/18/2022 at 8:38 PM, WRB said:

but don’t over look the Wild Animal park in North county.

This ^^^^ Have deep ties to the park and much of my family works at the park specifically, its very nice although hot in the summer. Deep history in the area as well.

 

 

You also have Otay,  El Capitain, Murray which you can fish from shore. And San  V you don't have to fish deep. 

For spotted bass in the bay, look up this guy https://www.youtube.com/c/BearzFishing

He has great content. 

https://sdfish.com/bass-fishing-guides/ You can start here for guides 

You didn't mentioned how many days you going to be here, You can visit lake casitas as well, Your chance to get monsters is there(as much as I know).

Anyways @WRB is my source always and I am glad I know him, So do what he said

If you want to get your string stretched, and being you're from Illinois, I would opt for an overnight tuna/yellowtail trip out of San Diego (if the tuna are here) and recover while touring the wild animal park. The animals, just like fish, get more active the last hour or so of the day, and the line to ride the train around the perimeter isn't as crowded as it is earlier in the day. I would not fret if I didn't get there right when the gates open.

Let me know if you need any guide recs in the SD area.  We have gone about 4 times with this a guy and not only is he super fun to fish with, the guy is super laid back.  He lets us throw baitcasters which is a plus.  Some guides only have you throwing drop shot on spinning set ups.  On the trips we have gone on, we have averaged about 40 fish.  On one trip we caught over 80 between my 12 yr old son and I, but nothing huge.

 

San V is a crazy lake unless you know it well.  The bottom is like a huge forest and easy to get hung up.  Best of luck.