The fish that makes every LA pier a bait shop. Fast, schooling, and the live bait you need for halibut and yellowtail.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Open water around piers, harbors, and bait receivers from Malibu to Long Beach.
CDFW general ocean bag (T14 CCR §27.60(b)) lists Pacific mackerel and jack mackerel among species with no bag limit. No minimum size. A Sabiki dropped around the bait receiver or the end of Santa Monica, Redondo, or Belmont is the whole method.
Pacific chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) have a green-blue back with wavy dark lines and silvery sides, and a series of small finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins. Jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus), also caught locally, have a row of bony scutes along the lateral line and lack the wavy back pattern.
Mackerel are schooling fish that appear around almost every LA pier and harbor: Santa Monica, Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan, Belmont, Cabrillo and the Long Beach piers. They also swarm around boats and kelp beds.
Present year-round in many years; abundance depends on water temperature and bait.
Mackerel are oily fish with strong flavor, best eaten very fresh or smoked. OEHHA's LA coastal advisories recommend up to 2 servings a week for women 18–49 and children 1–17, and up to 4 servings a week for women 50+ and men, for Pacific chub mackerel.
Pacific mackerel and jack mackerel are on the general ocean no-limit list (T14 CCR §27.60(b)), so there is no bag limit and no minimum size. Even with no limit, pier anglers may use no more than two rods or lines. A license is needed on beaches and boats.
Pier anglers are still limited to two rods (CCR §28.65(b)).
CDFW general ocean bag — no-limit species list →
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.
No. Pacific and jack mackerel are listed as no-limit species in the ocean regulations.
Jig a sabiki rig or use small hooks with squid strips.
OEHHA advises up to 2 servings a week for women 18–49 and kids, up to 4 for women 50+ and men.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Rules, stocking and access change; confirm with the agency linked above before you go.
