Joe Sarmiento, Author at BD Outdoors

Trip Report: Bay Of LA

Bahia de Los Angeles or Bay of LA (BoLA for short) is a small, remote fishing village located on the Sea of Cortez side of Northern Baja Mexico. I had the pleasure of going out there for the first time in September 2019, and just …

Fishing Reports

When The Fishing Is Slow

None of us go out thinking, “This trip isn’t going to go well.” There are many times that I may go out without high expectations. I just need to get out for my sanity. That said, I always hold out hope that something awesome could …

Fishing Reports

Channel Islands Fishing – Overnighter

When I was in the Pacific Northwest last year developing tennis elbow from jigging for salmon everyday, I vowed to myself that I’d get in as much island fishing as possible when I returned to Southern California. I just love poking around our islands, fishing …

Fishing

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Fishing

I didn’t fish this week. I got back from Seattle on Thursday night, and I’ve just been happy to be back home for a bit. So I’m going to have to reach back into my blogger bag of tricks and draw on something I learned …

Fishing Reports

Salmon Quest 2021

My very first sportboat caught fish was a salmon. I was 10 years old. Up to that point, I’d only caught fish from the pier or shore. It was my first opportunity to fish from a boat. It was magical. The fish was a 12-pound …

Fishing Reports Saltwater Fishing

Trip Report: Offshore On The Legend

I had mentioned in last week’s post how I wasn’t ready to go offshore immediately after getting back from my trout trip. Fishing the bay was the perfect setting to get in the right frame of mind. I was ready to go back out and …

Fishing Reports

SD Bay Feels Like Home

While I had an enjoyable trip trout fishing in Montana, it felt really good to get back home. As always, I wanted to get back out fishing. I had gotten invited to fish a private boat in the Channel Islands this weekend, but I didn’t …

Fishing Reports

Budget Montana Trout Fishing

I had visions of being in waders, fly fishing streams teeming with trout, and catching them thanks to the expert advice of a local guide. My trip didn’t quite turn out that way… In the end, it worked out well enough. Despite not being able …

Fishing Reports

Blue Frustration – But Yellow Is Coming

Bluefin tuna hate me. It wasn’t always this way. There was a time that I had confidence throwing 40# flyline, I’d get bit and land tuna. Then somewhere along the way it got complicated. First it was light line, 20# (or even 15#) was what …

Fishing Reports

Blue & White, Part II – Tuna & Seabass Report

I had a pretty full week this last week. Lots of ground to cover, so I’ll be brief. I had a couple of industry events last Sunday (June 27th). There was the BD Outdoors – Yellowtail Shootout. I talked to BD boss Ali Hussainy there. …

Fishing Reports

Local Fishing…Mexican Style

When I fished on the New Lo An a few weeks ago, the bite was just off Ensenada. We could clearly see Todos Santos, the island that protects the bay in front of Ensenada, from the boat. At times we were so close, I actually …

Bottom Feeders How To Fish

How To Tie and When To Use The Trap Rig

The trap rig is a presentation that I like to use for live or dead fin bait when I’m trying to target lingcod or halibut. It’s used to target bottom-dwelling fish and you fish it the same way you’d fish a dropper loop. The trap …

Fishing Reports

Finding My Footing On The Sand

Surf fishing when sand crabs are abundant on the beach is high up there in terms of my favorite kinds of fishing. Last year, I didn’t get a very long surf fishing season though. I had about 2 weeks in July while visiting from Seattle. …

Fishing Reports

Giving Back- Fishing For A Cause

I think about my dad often. When it comes to matters regarding my mom, I always ask myself, “Would Dad approve?” I’ve had to make a lot of difficult decisions since he passed, and asking myself that question gives me peace no matter the outcome …

Fishing Reports

SoCal Fish Reports – White & Blue

Two weeks ago, I was in Louisiana fishing for redfish. This last week, I fished for white seabass and bluefin. Red, white and blue…here’s how it went. Bluefin On The New Lo-An Tuesday (June 1st), I boarded the New Lo An for a 1.5-day trip. …

Fishing Reports

Just Go Fishing – SoCal Reports On Fire

A lot goes into deciding when to fish. Regardless of where you are going to go fish…in the surf to offshore, it’s good to understand the tides, how moonphase affects the tides, wind, weather, recent fish counts vs. signal etc. All of these things play …

Fishing Reports

Venice, Louisiana Redfish – Destination Report

My buddy Tony Caira and I met several years back fishing offshore on the New Lo An. Although we were both not too far along in our fishing journey, we knew enough to know we wanted to stay away from the crowd at the stern …

Fishing Reports

SoCal Bluefin Are Back & Biting!

One time, on a boat I won’t name, a long time ago when I first started fishing the sportboats, I went offshore in June. The weather was horrible. We hit empty kelp after empty kelp. And when all was said and done, the net output…for …

Fishing Reports

Ghost Hunting In The 805 Channel Islands

I’ve often said that when the white sea bass start biting up in the Channel Islands, it’s a good idea to drop whatever you are doing and get in on the action. It may be your best opportunity of the year to catch sea bass. …

Fishing Reports

SoCal Fishing Season Is Heating Up

So I was talking last week how things seemed to be kind of slow. Then as soon as that publish button was hit, news started coming in about some of the great goings on that were happening… Let’s start with The San Diego, I reported …

Fishing Reports Saltwater Fishing

Just For The Halibut – SoCal Fishing

The yellowtail bite at the Coronados seems to have shut off for the time being. Maybe white seabass is in play, but the full moon was Monday, and I’m not seeing any white seabass catches posted. I was invited to go offshore on Friday (April …

Fishing Reports

Trip Report: Santa Cruz On The Graylight

I caught my first white seabass ever by accident. It was June of 2011, and I was riding the New Del Mar in Santa Monica Bay. Barracuda was the target species of the day. There were a bunch of kids on the boat that day …

Fishing Reports

New Adventures Await

I didn’t get out last week…at least not on a boat. I hit my favorite South Bay (Santa Monica Bay) surf fishing spot. My surf fishing sensei, Randy Toji, told me that he went the previous weekend and saw the elusive ghosts (corbina) swimming in …

Fishing Reports

Trip Report: Santa Rosa Ghost Hunt

With all the rockfishing that I’ve already done this year, I have yet to catch a legal lingcod. Other than a couple shorts that I caught at Punta Colonet in January, I’ve blanked. It’s been kind of perplexing because it’s not like I haven’t had …

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Joe Sarmiento

Joe Sarmiento Articles

Trip Report: Bay Of LA

When The Fishing Is Slow

Channel Islands Fishing – Overnighter

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Fishing

Salmon Quest 2021

Trip Report: Offshore On The Legend

SD Bay Feels Like Home

Budget Montana Trout Fishing

Blue Frustration – But Yellow Is Coming

Blue & White, Part II – Tuna & Seabass Report

Local Fishing…Mexican Style

How To Tie and When To Use The Trap Rig

Finding My Footing On The Sand

Giving Back- Fishing For A Cause

SoCal Fish Reports – White & Blue

Just Go Fishing – SoCal Reports On Fire

Venice, Louisiana Redfish – Destination Report

SoCal Bluefin Are Back & Biting!

Ghost Hunting In The 805 Channel Islands

SoCal Fishing Season Is Heating Up

Just For The Halibut – SoCal Fishing

Trip Report: Santa Cruz On The Graylight

New Adventures Await

Trip Report: Santa Rosa Ghost Hunt