MARINA DEL REY — A fishing trip out of Marina del Rey can mean buying a single ticket aboard a traditional Southern California sportboat, booking a six-pack for a group of friends, or stepping aboard a private yacht where fishing comes with a few more creature comforts.
The boats may leave the same harbor and fish many of the same Southern California waters, but the experience can be considerably different.
For anglers, understanding those differences before booking can help determine whether the best fit is a half-day open-party trip, a longer day chasing the best available bite, or a private charter tailored to a smaller group.
Marina del Rey provides examples of each.
For the traditional sportfishing experience, Marina del Rey Sportfishing operates from Dock 52 on Fiji Way and has been part of the harbor’s fishing community since Marina del Rey’s early years. Owner Rick Oefinger said the operation dates to 1965 and today offers both regularly scheduled open-party trips and private charters.
“Sportfishing, whale watching and nature viewing are all we do,” Oefinger said, adding that many of the operation’s captains and crew members are longtime employees.
The landing typically offers four to five regularly scheduled open-party trips each day, ranging from approximately four hours to eight or nine hours. The format allows passengers to purchase individual tickets rather than chartering an entire vessel, making it an accessible option for beginners, families, visitors, and experienced anglers alike.
No fishing experience is necessary, according to Oefinger. Rental tackle and fishing licenses are available aboard the boats when needed, while the public sportboats also have inspected galleys serving cooked-to-order food, breakfast items, drinks, and snacks.
Its 75-foot New Del Mar currently offers two half-day trips each day, from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. Adult tickets are listed at $60, with bait included.
Those shorter trips don’t necessarily mean anglers are limited to routine catches, particularly during this year’s warmer-water conditions.
Oefinger said the operation welcomes El Niño years because warm tropical water moving north can bring Southern California anglers increased numbers of familiar species as well as fish more commonly associated with waters farther south.
“We love El Niño,” Oefinger said. “Species we typically catch, like yellowtail and bonito, might come in triple or quadruple numbers, and exotics seldom seen in our latitudes, like mahi-mahi and yellowfin tuna, can become commonplace.”
However, the warm water can create a complication: finding live bait.
Oefinger said sardines and anchovies — staples of Southern California sportfishing — have been difficult to catch this year. Rather than disappearing entirely, he believes baitfish have been holding deeper in cooler or potentially more oxygenated water, sometimes beyond the reach of the roughly 90-foot-deep purse seine nets used to catch bait.
Even with the bait challenges, Oefinger said the New Del Mar and 65-foot Spitfire have recently been targeting yellowtail and bonito, with occasional mahi-mahi joining catches of calico and sand bass.
For anglers wanting to devote more of the day to fishing, the Spitfire runs three-quarter-day trips from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Depending on conditions and the bite, the boat can work waters from Malibu to Palos Verdes and, at times, Catalina Island.
“Freelance” is an important distinction on these longer trips. A captain doesn’t necessarily leave the dock committed to one species or fishing spot.
Water temperature, currents, weather, bait and recent fish reports can all influence the day’s plan. Fish also have the inconvenient habit of swimming somewhere else, meaning yesterday’s hot bite is no guarantee of today’s destination.
For anglers who prefer bottom fishing, the Betty-O provides another option from the landing. Oefinger said the boat fishes for rockfish and other bottom species year-round, offering a more targeted alternative to the freelance trips.
Most of Marina del Rey Sportfishing’s regularly scheduled trips remain local coastal half- and three-quarter-day outings, while offshore and island fishing is more commonly offered through its private charters.
Those private trips give groups another way to use the fleet. Oefinger said the company’s purpose-built Southern California sportfishing boats can be privately chartered for family outings, groups of friends, birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and corporate team-building events. Private charters also give captains greater flexibility to pursue offshore and island opportunities when conditions and fishing warrant the additional travel.
Location is another part of the landing’s appeal. Marina del Rey Sportfishing is just a few miles from Los Angeles International Airport and Santa Monica, with free parking available at Dock 52 on Fiji Way. For Southern California residents and visitors who may not immediately associate Los Angeles with sportfishing, the landing provides direct access to Santa Monica Bay and, depending on the trip, waters farther offshore.
But Marina del Rey Sportfishing’s fleet is only one way to fish from the harbor.
For anglers looking for a smaller and more personalized experience, LA Sportfishing Fishing Charters offers private fishing aboard the MARSEA, a 32-foot power catamaran certified to carry up to six paying passengers. The operation offers trips ranging from half-day local fishing to full-day island and offshore outings.
That six-pack format changes the dynamics considerably.
Rather than fishing alongside a larger group of passengers, up to six anglers have the boat and crew to themselves. A smaller group can also provide more opportunities for individual instruction, making private charters an option for families or parties containing anglers with different experience levels.
LA Sportfishing’s longer offerings demonstrate another difference between simply booking “a fishing trip” and deciding what kind of trip an angler actually wants. Its advertised options include full-day outer-island and extended offshore trips, giving anglers the opportunity to spend considerably more time traveling in search of fish.
Sea Esta Charters provides another private option from Marina del Rey. The operation offers sportfishing along with coastal sightseeing and whale-watching trips, giving smaller groups another alternative to the larger open-party format.
Then there is the option of combining sportfishing with something closer to a yacht-charter experience.
The Duchess Yacht Charter Service offers private fishing charters from Marina del Rey, which includes fishing equipment, bait and tackle. Its fishing trips primarily explore Santa Monica Bay, with potential catches including rockfish, whitefish, lingcod, sole, sanddabs and bass. Food and beverage service is also part of the experience.
That illustrates just how broad the term “fishing charter” can be.
One angler may simply want an affordable ticket and a few hours at the rail. Another may want six friends, a captain, and an entire boat for the day. Someone else may prefer fishing from a larger private yacht with additional amenities.
None changes the most unpredictable part of the equation: the fish.
Southern California fishing changes throughout the year with water temperature, currents, weather and the movement of bait. This year’s warm-water conditions and unusual bait situation are an example of why the trip a captain runs in September may look considerably different from one offered earlier in the season.
That makes a phone call before booking particularly useful.
Anglers should ask what the boat has been targeting recently, whether the trip is expected to remain within Santa Monica Bay or travel farther, how much travel time to expect and whether rods, reels, tackle and bait are included. They also should ask about fishing-license requirements, fish-cleaning services and what food and beverages are available or permitted aboard.
Families with young anglers should ask another question: Is this the right trip for a beginner?
A four- or five-hour coastal trip and an extended offshore run are very different introductions to sportfishing. Longer range does not automatically make a trip better, particularly for someone who has never spent a full day aboard a fishing boat.
The same consideration applies to anglers susceptible to seasickness. Santa Monica Bay can look inviting from the dock, but conditions outside the harbor entrance may tell another story.
Ultimately, choosing a fishing trip out of Marina del Rey comes down to what kind of day an angler wants.
Open-party boats provide an accessible way to buy a ticket and get onto the water without assembling a group. Six-pack charters trade the larger crowd for privacy and flexibility. Other private operators combine fishing with sightseeing or additional amenities, while longer trips give captains more range when conditions warrant traveling farther.
All of them begin with the same basic objective.
Leave out of Marina del Rey, find the fish, and hope they’re hungry.
