SAN DIEGO–The summer offshore trawl season is starting to affected full stride with bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, Dorado and bonito bite offshore. Anglers have a lot of types of fishing to choose from with calico bass, barracuda, bonito, yellowtail and rockfish nip at the Coronado Islands and with calico bass, rockfish, beach bass and occasional flurry of barracuda or yellowtail action to be found along the San Diego County coast.
The offshore fishing is grabbing most of the headlines with catches of 25 – to 200 -plus-pound bluefin tuna passing the behavior and with a mix of yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, dorado and a few bonito bite as well. The yellowfin tuna have been running from 15 to 60 pounds, the yellowtail have been in the 10 – to 20 -pound range and the dorado and bonito have been in the 5- to 12 -pound range.
Anglers wishing to target larger 80 – to 200 -plus-pound bluefin have been doing best while fishing localities up toward San Clemente Island such as the San Clemente Basin, the San Clemente Canyon, the 86 Fathom Spot, the 81 Fathom Spot, the 381 Spot, the 43 Fathom Spot and the San Clemente Basin Weather Buoy. The current best bite sphere for “the worlds largest” bluefin is the San Clemente Basin for barges fishing from 42 to 49 miles 252 to 257 degrees from Point Loma.
Anglers wanting to target more of a mixed bag of the 25 – to 80 -pound bluefin along with a mix of yellowfin, yellowtail, bonito and dorado have been doing well while fishing some of the offshore banks outside of the Coronado Islands such as the 371 Bank, the 230 Spot, the 224 Spot, the 302 Spot and the domain out to the west of North Island. Currently, the best zone for this mixed bag offshore net has you fishing between 20 and 30 miles 220 to 235 grades from Point Loma.
More northern offshore sprays in addition to the irrigates around San Clemente Island are starting to see improved offshore action. In recent days there was a report of good kelp paddie fishing for 12 – to 20 -pound yellowtail and 5- to 8-pound dorado in an area ranging from north of the 182 Spot to the area of the 178 Spot which is located above the upper demise of the 9 Mile Bank. There was also a recent report of a Skipper fishing around the upper end of the 9 Mile Bank that grab an 80 -pound bluefin and a 40 -pound yellowfin. Another recent report was from a skipper who had caught an 85 -pound bluefin while fishing up toward Catalina in the area to the west of the 181 Spot.
The larger sized bluefin tuna ought to have set by see distinguishes of transgressing, gale or foaming fish, meter assessments, sonar lines and occasional trolling strikes. The big-hearted bluefin have fleck well on kite fished drifted frozen flying fish, live mackerel and kite trolled Yummy Flyers with sardines, surface iron and Flat Fall jigs also causing some action.
The 25 – to 80 -pound bluefin and the yellowfin have been found by locating blots of cracking fish, rhythm stigmatizes, sonar marks, porpoise schools and trolling strikes. Once located, they have been biting on sardines, mackerel, face iron, poppers, Colt Snipers and Flat Fall jigs. Fishing live baits deep with a rubber band attached torpedo sinker will sometimes create action when flylined enticements are not producing.
There has been an occasional marlin seen in the region of the 43 Fathom Spot and a marlin was hooked and lost a couple of days ago. The marlin hookup came incidental to fishing for bluefin tuna and was stolen on a flylined mackerel.
The fishing around Los Coronado Islands has not been receiving a lot of attention lately because of the good tuna fishing offshore. The few reports seeping in from the Coronados have been of good mixed bag fishing for yellowtail, barracuda, calico bass, bonito and rockfish.
The most productive provinces at Los Coronado Islands have been Pukey Point at North Island, the north end of South Island, its area of the tuna pens inside of South Island, the Lighthouse at the south tip of South Island, the South Kelp and the South Kelp Ridge. Please keep in mind that when fishing around the tuna pens that Mexican law requires you to stay at least 250 meters away from commercial operations.
Private boater John Carroll of Huachinango is home recovering from surgery( please recollect him in your devotions) but Carroll’s friend, Mark Scott took the Huachinango out and fished a recent tour around Los Coronado Islands. Carroll reported about the jaunt and said that Scott knew very good mixed bag fishing for calico bass, barracuda, bonito and yellowtail.
Carroll reported that Scott started out the day fishing the Pukey Point area of North Island where there was 67.7 -degree water and where there were some barracuda and calico bass piercing on slow trolled sardines. They next tried the South Kelp Ridge where the water temperature was 69 measures and where the sluggish trolled sardines produced good calico bass action. Their best action of the day was attained while sluggish trolling sardines in 68.4 -degree water at the north end of South Island. They were gradual trolling in 40 to 50 feet of ocean, and they had wide open action on bonito, barracuda and calico bass along with boating one yellowtail out of three yellowtail hookups.
The fishing along the San Diego County coast has been good for a mix of calico bass, barracuda, sand bass and rockfish along with an periodic bonus yellowtail, white seabass or halibut. Recent periods have brought change though with the water temperatures falling into the low-grade to middle 60 ’s at the Point Loma Kelp Beds and La Jolla. The sea had been up over 70 positions in those areas and the abrupt drop in temperature slowed down what had been good fishing for calico bass together with an periodic commotion of yellowtail or barracuda action. With the slowdown in the calico bass fishing, some crafts have turned to fishing hard-handed foot domains for rockfish until the liquid necessities stabilize and the kelp bunked fishing rebounds.
Anglers are hopeful that the water in the Point Loma and La Jolla region will warm up again abruptly. Prior to the sudden drop in water temperature, La Jolla had been providing the best chance at a yellowtail. The kelp bunks at the lower end of La Jolla was an area where an occasional yellowtail was being caught while fishing a short way above the MLPA close zone.
The calico bass angling remains good in north San Diego County seas with kelp bunked spheres between Carlsbad and Solana Beach produce good activity. The kelp bunks outside of the Barn have also been develop good numbers of calico bass. The Box Canyon area has also been a beneficial zone for those targeting rockfish. Capt. Joe Cacciola of Sea Starwith Sea Star Sportfishing and the Oceanside Sea Center reported that they had been regard a continuous afford of 5. 5- to 6-inch sardines in their enticement supplying which were working well for the calico bass. Cacciola’s report was that Hookup Baits plastics were also working well for both calico bass and beach bass.
The summer trawl season is progressing delicately, and anglers “ve got a lot” of enjoyable fishing make their own choices be it offshore, at the regional Islands or along the coast. I hope and pray that you continue to stay healthful, safe and sound. Keep on fishing and I hope to see you out on the ocean sometime soon!
Bob Vanian is the voice, novelist and researcher of the San Diego-based internet fish report service called 976 -Bite which can be found at www. 976 bite.com. Vanian also provides anglers with a personal fish report service over the telephone at( 619) 226 -8 218. He always welcomes your fish reports at that same telephone number or at bob9 76 bite @aol. com.
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