Erik Landesfeind

Erik Landesfeind is BD's Southern California Editor and has over 30 years of experience saltwater fishing for a range of species in both California and Mexican waters. Erik is also an active freelance writer and the author of the weekly column So Cal Scene, which BD publishes every Friday. In So Cal Scene, Erik keeps all of the BD readers up to date on what's biting in Southern California. Erik divides his fishing time on local boats, long-range trips and Mexico excursions. For the past eight years, Erik has been competing in the SWBA (Saltwater Bass Anglers) tournament series and has multiple tournament victories to his credit. His sponsors include Batson Enterprises / Rainshadow Rods, Robalo Boats, Tilly's Marine, Abu/Garcia, Penn Reels, Navionics, Raymarine, MC Swimbaits, Uni-Butter Fishing Scent and Bladerunner Tackle.

Articles: 612

Erik Landesfeind Articles

Bluefin Close-up

Bluefin Close-up

Fishing Reports

Good Weather and Good Fall Fishing

It’s been another week of good weather and good fall fishing across Southern California and, with Santa Ana conditions through the weekend, that’s likely to continue. Before I get into the details of what’s been happening, I’d like to take a moment to talk about …

Pacific Bluefin Tuna

Pacific Bluefin Tuna

Fishing Reports

Bluefin Bite Rebounds

Though far from being wide open, the bluefin bite has rebounded at the Cortes and Tanner Banks. Sport boats fishing on 1 1/2 to 3 day trips had multiple shots at good size fish that have been biting both during the night and day. There …

Tuna Jumping

How to Become a Better Tuna Fisherman

Regardless of the species targeted, there are some fishermen who’s consistent success makes them stand out from the crowd. Among those who don’t experience the same level of success, it’s easy enough to attribute the track record of these better fishermen to the fact that …

Paddy Fishing - Liberty Sportfishing

Paddy Fishing - Liberty Sportfishing

Fishing Reports

Another Slow Week of Fall Fishing

While the fat lady hasn’t sung yet on our offshore fishing season, you can definitely hear her warming up in the background. It’s been a while since any big bluefin were landed at the outer banks and while there were a few smaller fish caught, …

Califco Bass Swimbait

Califco Bass Swimbait

Fishing How-to Videos Fishing Tackle

Modifying Lead Heads for a Better Hook Up Ratio

For as voracious as deep water bass and rockfish can be, anyone that’s spent time fishing them with a big plastic on a lead head can tell you that the bite to hook up ratio is often surprisingly low. While I’d always chalked that up …

Bight Sportfishing Swordfish

Bight Sportfishing Swordfish

Fishing Reports

Offshore Action Stumbles Along

Be it due to the weather or a lack of angler participation, our offshore season is starting to feel like it’s winding down. Aside from the bluefin biting out west, it’s been at least a month since there’s been anything worth targeting in US waters. …

Seasons Sportfishing

Seasons Sportfishing

Fishing Reports

Tough Fishing After Wind Storm

Well, we had our first dose of strong northwest wind of the season earlier this week, and as expected, it had a negative effect on the fishing. While there hasn’t been enough coverage since the wind to get a handle on exactly what’s happening, looking …

Fishing Reports

Oil Spill Closes Coast but Offshore Action Continues

It’s been a weird week on the water in Southern California, during which anglers had to contend with lightning storms, oil spills, locked down harbors and coastal fishing closures (Fishery Closure Information). I think that this may be the first time in Southern California that …

Fishing How-to Videos Fishing Lures How Do You Gulp!?

How Do You Gulp!? – Capt. Jimmy Decker

We asked Erik Landesfeind, saltwater bass tournament pro, and all-around avid angler how he uses Gulp! in his home waters. He turned to his good friend Capt. Jimmy Decker to demonstrate one of their favorite techniques with the Gulp! Jerk Shad. “The Gulp! Jerk Shad …

Southern California Yellowfin Tuna

Southern California Yellowfin Tuna

Fishing Reports

Yellowfin Show Up Late But Hungry

Just as it seemed that the offshore season was beginning to wind down for San Diego boats, the yellowfin tuna showed up en masse and biting. Boats fishing the inner banks below San Diego this week found good fishing for yellowfin, skipjack and even bluefin …

Southern California Fishing Report - Bluefin Tuna

Southern California Fishing Report - Bluefin Tuna

Fishing Reports

Offshore Fishing Action Improves Around Full Moon

With yellowfin showing back up in the counts and bluefin popping up in new areas, the September full moon proved a good one for tuna fishermen. Better yet, the couple days of wind that cam with the moon will have ended by the time you …

Pacific Queen bluefin

Pacific Queen bluefin

Fishing Reports

A Slower Week of SoCal Fishing

It’s getting to be that time of year that not every week of fishing is going to be a good one, but we’re still early enough into fall that a down week doesn’t mean that the season is over. That being said, we’re pretty much …

Fishing Fishing News Saltwater Fishing

Regulations Threaten Fishing Boats

While I’ll spare you the details of the mentally exhausting 135-page report entitled, Evaluation of the Feasibility and Costs of Installing Tier 4 Engines and Retrofit Exhaust Aftertreatment on In-Use Commercial Harbor Craft, suffice it to say that the report’s findings are not fishing boat …

The San Diego

Fishing Reports

Steady Fishing Across the SoCal Scene

I apologize for missing last week’s column, due to the fact that I was traveling home from nine days of incarceration in upstate New York, and while I suffer the occasional flashback to the stupefying level of boredom I endured during the visit to my …

Fishing Reports

Good Inshore and Offshore Fishing

Greetings from the overgrown, and extremely humid, hinterlands of upstate New York. Despite being forced to languish at my wife’s parents house in the hippy infested wasteland that is modern day Woodstock, I’ve kept my finger on the So Cal fishing pulse and am happy …

California Yellowtail

California Yellowtail

Fishing Reports

Island and Offshore Bites Improve

After spending several weeks tightly grouped along the beach, the big schools of tuna dissipated last week and have spread out into smaller groups of fish in multiple areas. While that’s bad news for all the guys using AIS to chase gang bangs, it’s great …

Tuna Boils

Fishing Reports

A Week of Inconsistent Offshore Fishing

I’m not sure if it’s the new moon, the amount of bait in the area or the fluctuating water temperatures, but the offshore bite was anything but consistent this week. With one day feast and then next famine, the difference between success and failure this …

Bluefin Tuna jumping

Bluefin Tuna jumping

Fishing Reports

Bluefin Bite Heats Up in Orange County Waters

It’s been another really good week of bluefin tuna fishing in US waters. Both private boaters and sport boats got into the action this week from the local banks off Orange County up to Catalina Island. As has been the case, the first day that …

Fishing How-to Videos Fishing Videos

Keeping Yourself in Position When Fishing Offshore

Finding fish is everyone’s top priority when fishing offshore, but being able to stay on top of them is the key to continued success. This video describes the common mistake made by even the most seasoned offshore anglers, driving away from the fish while looking …

Fishing Reports

Offshore Bite Continues

It’s been another week of good offshore fishing in Southern California and the big news continues to be the bluefin tuna bite. While some days and some zones have been more productive than others, the volume of fish off our coast is just ridiculous. There …

Fishing Reports

Bluefin Fishing Options Looking Good

With bluefin spread from the Channel Islands to below the Mexican border, finding fish to target is easy enough right now that I’m going to forego breaking down this week’s bite zones and instead focus on the different tuna fishing options available to anglers. If …

fish report

Fishing Reports

Bluefin Bite Spreads Up SoCal Coast

It’s been another great week of fishing for anglers across Southern California and it seems like everything is biting. The boats fishing the Channel Islands are slaying the bass and getting occasional big scores on halibut. Meanwhile, the boats fishing the Dirt Clod were loading …

Fishing Reports

Bluefin Surge into U.S. Waters

If you caught last week’s column, you read about the bluefin tuna that had moved in along the coast last week. I kept the details vague as it wasn’t my information to share. Now that the cat is out of the bag, we had some …

Fishing Reports

Big Bluefin Bite Continues In SoCal

It’s been another week of really good tuna fishing really close to home for San Diego anglers. The bluefin schools continued to creep north this week with the fish that were outside the Coronado Islands currently sliding up to and across the border. With fish …

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