Where is the best place to go out deep sea fishing in the Los Angeles area?

There are landings all along the coast from San Diego up to Santa Barbara. In the LA Area, I'd count Newport (2 landings), Long Beach (3 landings), San Pedro (2 landings), Redondo, and Marina Del Rey. The trips offered vary from 5-hour "half day" trips, 8-12 hour "three-quarter day" trips, and overnight "all day" trips. In the summer some landings offer longer trips as well. (The schedule depends on the landing and the boats that are running out of there -- some places only do day trips.) Anyway, the "best" really depends on what you're looking for. I've had good trips out of a dozen or more landings over the years. If you're just starting out, I'd suggest a half-day trip to get the feel for the fishing. (An overnight trip is not the time to learn you get seasick or you don't know how to catch the fish or enjoy the trip.) Pick a landing near where you live, call up and make a reservation (weekdays will be less crowded), and go. Right now, in the spring, the catch will be mostly bottom fish (rockfish, sculpin, etc.); as the water warms into the summer there will be bass, barracuda, and yellowtail, and offshore albacore and tuna. The weather will be basically as comfortable as it is on the beach, so temperature isn't a problem. However, the waves and swell take some time to die down after a storm (which affects both your comfort and the fishing), so plan accordingly.