Some months the fish make you fight for every bite, and July 2025 has been one of those grind-it-out months for NorCal striped bass. I’ve been fishing my whole life thanks to my dad, Manuel, who put me on my first striped bass from the surf in Pacifica, CA. My name’s Joel, founder of Vivid Snares & Fishing LLC, born and raised in the SF Bay Area, and I’ve been fishing these waters for two decades.

This summer, the bite’s been slow, but trust me—they’re still out there if you know where and when to look.

During June’s More Than Fishing Striped Bass Surf Fishing Tournament, even the OG surfcasters from Montauk back to San Mateo and up through San Francisco coastlines had a hard time matching last year’s numbers. But one angler, P-nut Khammao, showed everyone that persistence pays off. His trick? He chased diving birds on his e-bike, cast wherever the action popped, and when the birds stopped diving, he went to different beaches and stacked more than a handful of stripers while most stayed put and went home empty-handed.

The fish of the month for July? Jorge Barrera’s monster 37-inch striper, landed on a simple pink metal trout lure during low to incoming tide—proof that even in slow months, the big ones still chew. Sure, there are bigger numbers outside of NorCal, but here, they’re big.

While my dad and I skunked in the tourney, we’ve been hammering giant red rock crabs with my original lead-free Vivid Snares (vividsnares.com). From SF’s Crissy Field to Torpedo Wharf, the rock crab bite is straight fire since Dungeness crab season closed. Just bait up the crab snare with raw chicken, fish, or squid, cast with your fishing rod, and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Then set hard—if it feels heavy, it’s a crab—and reel in smooth. Want a guaranteed good time crab snaring? Book a trip with the professional crab-snaring guides at The Art of Crabbing (theartofcrabbing.com)—they’ll put you right on the crabs. Oh, and be sure to tell them Joel from Vivid Snares & Fishing sent you.