Thank you!

That is kind of a complicated question. Live bait is often the best and in California that usually means either Sardines or Mackerels. However certain times the fish will prefer artificial lures as well. A lot of big fish were caught on top water lures called poppers last year, and that would be awesome because you get to witness the fish exploding on your lure on the surface. This year a lot of them were caught on slow pitch jigs - basically big hunks of metal that wobble as they fall in the water. The most common we use here is called a flat-fall jig made by Shimano.

I guess to answer your question though it's whatever bait will give me the best chance that day!