Ep. 94: Luke Dean of Artemis Charters on Night Fishing the Long Beach Breakwall

Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Episode 94, recorded live on July 22, 2025, was an Artemis Charters deep dive — Time on the Water co-host Luke Dean runs the only charter program in SoCal solely focused on the Long Beach breakwall, and Daniel handed him the episode to break it all down. Nearly nine miles of wall, a different bite every night, and trophy calico and sand bass after dark. This is Luke’s home water.

In This Episode

• The Long Beach breakwall by the numbers — 8.5 miles of outside wall, another 8 on the inside, oil rigs nearby. Why this beats MDR’s quarter-mile wall for charter fishing
• Inside wall vs. outside wall vs. oil rigs — how Luke decides where to fish and when to make the call to move
• The oil rig strategy — why Luke saves it for the end of the night and what happens when he leaves the wall too early (a story worth hearing)
• Bait pattern shifts at the wall — patterns can flip night to night, even mid-session. Why staying on the craw just because it was working an hour ago can cost you
• Size shift toward 4-inch presentations — Luke’s jump-off point used to be 5 inches, now it’s 4. Smaller bait in the water, less fin bait around
• Rod and reel setup for the breakwall — 8 to 17lb rod as the light end, Fathom 150 DC, why Luke has been fishing lighter and lighter as his time on the wall adds up
• Fly fishing charters — how it works, why it’s a different price point, and what Luke ties for the wall specifically
• Charter logistics — what to bring, daytime vs. nighttime trips, open party format, left-handed gear (tell him ahead of time)

Beyond the Rod & Reel with Artemis Charters

Luke discussed fishing near the offshore oil platforms as a late-night option when the wall is slow. Recreational fishing access around Long Beach oil platforms may be subject to specific regulations or restrictions — confirm with California DFW and/or the relevant platform operators before including this detail in the published post. The story below can run once confirmed, or can be reframed around the decision-making principle without referencing the oil rigs specifically.

Luke had clients on the boat, slow bite, nothing clicking — they pushed to move to the rigs. Luke obliged. The next night he went back to the exact spot they left and a client landed a new PB. Six pounder, caught about a hundred yards from where they’d decided to call it. His takeaway wasn’t regret — it was a system. He saves that move for the end of the night now and leaves from there. Every move costs time on the motor, and sometimes the wall just needs more time.

The bait pattern conversation was equally practical. The wall fishes faster than shore structure — patterns that hold for a week in MDR might flip night to night at the breakwall. Luke’s approach is to keep an open mind mid-session. If someone on the boat gets three bites in a row on a fluke when everyone else was on the craw, that’s the information. Everyone switches. That willingness to call the change — and to recognize when someone else found it before you did — is a big part of what makes a productive night at the wall.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.