A small tuna relative that turns a sleepy pier into a circus when a school pins bait against the pilings.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Open water around bait schools — LA piers, harbor mouths, and nearshore boats when the water is warm.
Bag of ten. Minimum is 24 inches fork or five pounds, except five smaller fish may be kept. Chrome jigs, feathers, and a Sabiki for bait are the local kit. Santa Monica, Redondo, and Belmont see the most consistent surface boils.
Pacific bonito are tuna-like fish with dark, slanted stripes running along a blue-green back and silver sides. The stripes run diagonally upward and backward, unlike the wavy lines on a mackerel. They have a mouthful of small sharp teeth and fight hard for their size.
Bonito are fast-moving schooling fish. Around Los Angeles they show up in harbors and bays (King Harbor and the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors are well known), around the ends of piers such as Redondo and Santa Monica, and along kelp lines. Schools may arrive suddenly and leave just as fast.
Open year-round. Peak bonito action usually comes in summer and fall, when schools push into harbors and around piers to feed on bait.
Bonito have oily, darker meat that is best eaten very fresh, bled and iced right after the catch; many anglers smoke or grill it. Bonito is not named in OEHHA's LA coastal advisories, so use OEHHA's general guidance.
The minimum size is 24 inches fork length or 5 pounds, except that up to 5 smaller fish may be taken. The daily bag is 10 fish. No more than 10 bonito fillets of any length may be possessed on a boat, and those count toward the 5 undersize fish. The season is open all year.
No more than 10 bonito fillets of any length on a boat; they count toward the undersize tolerance.
CDFW ocean sport fishing — Pacific bonito (T14 CCR §28.32) →
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.
24 inches fork length or 5 pounds, with up to 5 smaller fish allowed in a 10-fish bag.
Yes, especially in summer and fall when schools come close. Redondo Beach, Santa Monica and the harbor piers are common spots.
Fast-moving lures: small jigs, spoons, and feathers behind a casting float.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
