About San Mateo Point

San Mateo Point is an outer-exposed sand flat off Dana Point, California, sitting in 20 to 60 feet of water where open bottom shapes the fishing. California Halibut lead the spring run with a peak from March through June, overlapping with White Seabass, which stay active March through July, while Barred Sand Bass fill the summer window from June through August. Drift fishing over the flat with live anchovies, live sardines, or swimbaits covers halibut and sand bass across the sand, and live squid, sardine, or mackelrel worked on the bottom targets White Seabass through their run. As water cools, Lingcod take over from October into February, responding to vertical jigging with heavy iron or metal jigs, and Cabezon hold through November and December on drifted squid strips and swimbaits. Leopard Shark round out the summer from June through September, taken by soaking squid or mackerel on the bottom across the open flat.