You don’t score a perfect combination of massive big game trophies and scrumptious bottom fish every day—unless you’re fishing in Oceanside, that is. Here you can indulge in some of the best deep sea fishing off the coast of California. Tuna, Halibut, Marlin, monster Sharks, and endless opportunities are all on the agenda. With prospects like these, it’s hard not to get hooked on the deep sea fishing Oceanside consistently delivers.

A full day trip (9 hours) is the perfect opportunity to see what’s biting around Santa Catalina and San Clemente Island. Located over 60 miles off the coast of Oceanside, these islands are productive hot spots for bottom fish as we all large pelagic game fish. You can catch Calico Bass, White Seabass, and Halibut here any time of year.

In April, the season for Rockfish and Lingcod opens. Around the same time, Barracuda and Yellowtail Amberjack start showing up. A variety of big game fish join them as summer gets underway, including Tuna, Marlin, and Mahi Mahi. Mega-sized Mako and Thresher Sharks also cruise the deep water surrounding the islands, giving adrenaline junkies plenty of reasons to head offshore.

If you’re just looking to test the waters, a 5-7 hour trip will do the trick. You can expect to travel roughly 30 miles offshore on these trips, fishing for whatever is in season at the time.

For hardcore anglers, the world of Oceanside deep sea fishing gets better with every extra mile. Twelve to 24 hour trips take you past the islands, or down into Mexican waters where you can hit infamous fishing grounds like the Coronado Islands. These deep waters are home to the biggest and baddest game fish, including Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, Marlin, Wahoo, and colossal Sharks. If you head far enough offshore, you might have a chance to hook into the Albacore Tuna run, as well.

Trolling will help you catch fast swimming pelagics like Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, Marlin, Tuna, and more. You can use bait and a wide variety of lures, depending your target species.

It’s common to chum for Tuna and Sharks, using either live squid or cut fish. Once you get a good feeding frenzy going, toss a baited hook into the mix and you’re hooked.

Bottom fishing produces virtually everything on the seafloor, from Halibut to Lingcod. Local anglers typically bottom fish near the coasts of Catalina and San Clemente Island or the area’s numerous artificial reefs. It’s common to fly line live bait in the same areas, which will help you catch Yellowtail, Barracuda, and other fish feeding closer to the surface.