Chris,
Welcome to California. I'd hook up with ya for a fishin' trip but I live 500 miles north of you. I did live in your area for 5 years though.
Where in England are you from? My family is from the Stockton area which is in N.E. England along the coast... more or less.

We do have cod albeit a different kind of cod than you probably have back home. Well, ours aren't really true cod but they taste similar. They're called rockfish here.

If you're fishing from shore or from a tube, a lot of guys like to catch live smelt for bait, then drift for halibut. You can get info on catching the smelt and 'buts on www.baytubers.com. They get some really nice ones. Another option is surf perch fishing. Use small plastic grubs or sand crabs to catch them.

There's a lot of options available here. E-mail me if ya want more info. I've fished this state for 30+ years and will tell you anything you want to know.

Chris Youlden