Marina del Rey Sportfishing is the open party landing on the Westside, the most convenient way onto the water for anyone staying near Santa Monica or the airport. It sells seats per person on a small fleet of half day and three quarter day boats, and it has the largest, most broadly positive review base of any landing in our Los Angeles field, built on an affordable, beginner-friendly day rather than long offshore trips.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 6.3 the landing is a mixed pick and the seventh ranked operator on the Los Angeles ranking, the first of the two landings we score in the mixed band. Book it with caveats. Its strengths are a patient, well-liked crew, low prices, and convenience. Its limits are real: the landing is cash only, the popular boats get crowded, and the trip menu stops at the three quarter day, with no overnight or offshore option. It works for a casual, low-cost few hours of local fishing. It does not work if you want a Catalina full day, a tuna trip, or to pay by card.
The fleet
The landing runs the New Del Mar on the half day, the Betty-O and the 65 foot Spitfire on the three quarter day, and the Tourist alongside them, all Coast Guard inspected passenger vessels. These are working open party boats rather than new ones, sized for a busy rail, and they fish close to home. The Spitfire, captained by a long-time owner-operator, is the pick of the fleet for a three quarter day. There is no big offshore boat here, which is the structural limit on what the landing can offer.
The fishing and what you target
The fishing is close-in and seasonal: rockfish when the state season is open, calico and sand bass, mackerel, and whitefish on the local reefs and flats, with barracuda, bonito, and the occasional halibut as the water warms. It is bottom and inshore fishing, not a pelagic program, so the catch is about a cooler of bass and rockfish rather than tuna. The rockfish season and its depth limits are set by the state and change through the year, so check the current rules with California Fish and Wildlife before a bottom-focused trip. The bonus on the way out is wildlife: dolphins and sea lions are common in the bay.
Trips and prices
Seats are sold per person and the landing is cash only, which is the single most repeated complaint, so plan for it. A half day on the New Del Mar is $60 for adults and $50 for children, the Betty-O three quarter day is $75, and the Spitfire three quarter day is $90. Bait is included, tackle rental is $15, and a California one day license is sold aboard. Whale watching runs alongside the fishing for $50 for adults and $25 for children. This is the cheapest tier of trip on the Westside, and the value is genuine for a casual day. Our cost guide sets these seats against a private boat, and the party boat versus private charter guide covers the choice.
The crew
The crew is the reason the reviews run as well as they do. Across a large base, the steady themes are attentive, patient deckhands who help beginners and kids, fair treatment, and a clean boat and galley. The flip side of a popular landing shows up too: a crowded rail on a full boat, and a minority of sharply negative reviews. Because the captains rotate by boat, the day varies a little with which boat and crew you draw, but the overall record is positive and consistent over a long run.
Booking and what to know
Book online or by phone, but bring cash for the trip, the galley, tackle, and any filleting, since the landing does not take cards. Arrive early to park on Fiji Way and check in. Bring a cooler and motion sickness medication if you are unsure of your stomach. No advance license is needed, since the one day license is sold aboard.
How we scored it
The Westside landing scores 6.3: a patient, well-reviewed crew, low prices, and a convenient Westside dock, with a large and broadly positive record. Captain and crew and track record are its strengths. Trips and access is its weakest factor, on a close-in menu with no full day, overnight, or offshore option, and the cash-only policy and crowding hold value and service down. See how we scored this landing, and compare it with the rest of the Los Angeles charters.