Southern California anglers can look forward to another year of tides, tips, and tradition with the release of the 2026 Bill Varney Sportfishing Calendar. The twelve-month calendar has become a staple for local fishermen, offering a blend of practical tools, helpful insights, and coastal inspiration designed to guide anglers through every season on the water.
For Varney, the calendar has been a true labor of love. “This is our ninth year of producing the calendar,” said Varney. “Over the years, it’s always been a challenge to put the calendar together but especially challenging to find amazing photography that captures the essence of our sport. Thankfully, we have a wide-ranging team of photographers from Costa Rica to Alaska that continue to provide amazing photography. In addition, each year our graphics team of Tom and Sherry Waters scour the books to find important dates, undeniable quotes, how-to instruction, moon phase, tide information and a myriad of important tips that help make anglers more successful on the water.”
Each month of the calendar features detailed Tidelines Tide Charts showing the high and low tides for every day of the year, based on Los Angeles data. For those fishing north or south along the coast, adjustments can easily be made to stay accurate. Alongside the tide tables are sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, and reminders for upcoming fishing and boating events.
The calendar goes beyond basic data by including information about the fish species and conditions anglers can expect each month. Readers will also find helpful illustrations on topics such as knot tying and measuring catches, along with scenic photos, fishing humor, and inspiring quotes from the docks.
Varney explained that his goal has always been to provide anglers with a tool that combines practicality and inspiration. “Anglers often approach us with their gratitude for the calendar,” he said. “In order to be a successful angler, you always need to be in touch with ocean and atmospheric conditions. Graphic tide charts, moon phase, how-to instruction and even positive quotes, like the one from Jimmy Glass sitting patiently in the Louisiana electric chair, ‘I’d rather be fishing,’ provide information and motivation to help every angler be a success on the water. We love to produce the calendar and are delighted that anglers find it to be essential and helpful every time they go fishing.”
A tide calendar is more than a reference tool. For many anglers, it’s the foundation of every successful trip. Tides influence nearly every aspect of fishing. They determine when fish feed, where they move, and how accessible certain areas become throughout the day. By planning around incoming and outgoing tides, anglers can take advantage of those short but productive feeding windows when baitfish and nutrients stir the water and gamefish turn active.
The calendar also benefits boaters by helping them plan safe launches and returns. Tides affect water depth at harbors and ramps, and knowing the daily highs and lows can prevent grounding or prop damage. Inshore anglers rely on tide timing as well, since low tides may expose rocks and sandbars while high tides open access to flats and estuaries.
Varney’s calendar serves as a trusted companion for anyone who enjoys life on the water. It helps fishermen understand how species respond to tidal movement. Halibut often feed best on incoming tides, surf perch stay active as the tide rises, and bass and rockfish follow current shifts to ambush prey.
For those who plan multi-day trips, the calendar also helps identify the best times for favorable water movement and safer offshore conditions. In short, it keeps anglers aligned with the rhythms of the sea, turning every outing into a smarter, more efficient, and more rewarding experience.
The 2026 Bill Varney Sportfishing Calendar is available now, helping anglers prepare for another year of fishing success, memorable days on the water, and a deeper understanding of how the tides shape the Southern California coast.
