It thoroughly depends on the kind of fishing you want to do more than anything. If you are serious about the fishing and hiking in mountains the north fork of the kern river ten miles past the bridge in Kernville is coral creek (rural) campgrounds. I love fishing at Leo Carrillo on the ocean and hiking back up the mountain river bed to where there are pools you can dive off rocks into and the shore fishing for perch, corbina, halibut and even cabezon is perfect. Not to mention the waves breaking all night to relax even the most worthy hostilities. Further north past Santa Barbara is Refugio and there is great fishing, snorkeling, and hiking the tide pools to the north and south can only be done at low tides. Lake fishing is a beautiful thing and there are so many lakes: silverwood, cassitas, cachuma, not that morena isn't great bassing (I have had many bass over six pounds there) but what I don't like is the illegal aliens running through the campgrounds at night. Lake Wofford outside escondido, Lake santa margarita just past San luis Obisbo are two of my very favorites but for the sheer numbers of things to do while camping along the coast is the best. Not so hot days, cool evenings but not ice cold, surfing, snorkeling, fishing for delicious shoreline fish, hiking and take games that won't blow away in the wind like cards. take dice Yahtzee, dominoes, scrabble or whatever. Just near to Leo Carrillo on P C H is a market with fresh live seafood and hot clam chowder you can incorporate into a great dinner.
