The first day of spring is not until March 19, but Southern California anglers have started to see spring-like surface fishing prior to the actual arrival of spring with a good yellowtail bite at the Coronado Islands and some bluefin chew offshore.
Bluefin have been around for much of the winter and the past few weeks has determined some bluefin work being reported within 20 miles of Point Loma for barges fishing the domain to the west of North Island and the orbit to the southwest of South Island. Not much is being caught from this area but there have been some recognizes of ending bluefin seen within this zone.
Where there have been recent catches of bluefin tuna has been at the offshore waters outside of Punta Colnett. Sportboats fishing 1.5 – and 2-day trips to the Punta Colnett arena during the winter season commonly target wines, rockfish, lingcod and yellowtail but the past couple of weeks have also been some bluefin tuna biting offshore. At times, some of the sportboat junkets running down this practice have wasted part of their day focused on fishing offshore seas and have caught bluefin up to 120+ pounds.
The past Saturday of fishing determine Tomahawk out of Fisherman’s Landing out on a 1.5 day trip with 19 anglers who caught 13 bluefin tuna, limits of rockfish and 8 lingcod up to 22 pounds. Pacific Queen out of Fisherman’s Landing had 33 anglers fishing on a 1.5 day trip that capture 240 rockfish, 60 blood-reds and 8 lingcod. The bluefin caught on Tomahawk were reported to be in the 70 – to 90 -pound class.
What has been another significant early signed of springtime has been the improving yellowtail trawl around Los Coronado Islands. The yellowtail gnaw had slowed down but took a big turn for the better on Thursday, Feb. 27, when San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing fished a full day trip and had 14 anglers catch 63 yellowtail, 10 crimsons and 1 bonito.
Private boater, Captain Bob Fletcher of Fletch reported that he was fish aboard San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing when they offset the catch that included 63 yellowtail. Fletcher reported about the journey and called it an excellent date of fishing in delightful forecast and said that the yellowtail were get caught from stopping on sonar symbols and that most were caught on yo-yoed iron that was being fished right near the bottom. Fletcher said that it typically did not take long to find another school of fish to stop on and he was indicated that the yellowtail were often terms responding to the chummed sardines and would come up and boil around the boat.
The Rockpile area has been best for the yellowtail while fishing the area of the Rockpile proper and while working to the southwest, south and southeast of the Rockpile. Most of the yellowtail have been in the 14 – to 18 -pound class and the golds have arrayed in width to 20 pounds.
Seaforth Sportfishing reports there were also a few yellowtail caught on surface iron on Thursday’s trip aboard San Diego. Good hand-pickeds for skin-deep iron include Tady 45 ’s and Salas 7X daybreaks in blue and lily-white, spate, and sardine colourings. Good selections for yo-yo iron include Salas 6X, Salas 7X heavy and Salas 6X Jr. jigs in off-color and white-hot, blue and chrome and scrambled egg colors.
In addition to the yellowtail bite at the Rockpile there has also been additional yellowtail action in the liquids around and about Los Coronado Islands. There was a recent report about a productive yellowtail kelp paddie in the area below the Coronado Canyon while fishing to the north of North Island and there have also been some yellowtail chewing on trolled Rapalas at the lower end of the 9 Mile Bank.
The rest of the fishing around Los Coronado Islands has been good for an assortment of ruby-reds, rockfish, an occasional lingcod and a few bonito. Productive orbits for the bottom fishing include hard tush areas to the north , northeast and northwest of North Island while working in 25 to 55 sees of liquid. Likewise fertile has been fishing the lower end of the 9 Mile Bank while keeping on the Mexico side of their own borders and fishing in the 60 to 80 penetrate depths. Another fertile rockfish area around Los Coronado Islands has been fishing places along the South Kelp Ridge below South Island in the 20 to 40 penetrate depths.
The rockfish opener in Southern California water was on March 1, but a good deal of anglers stood dwelling due to the poor weather forecast with Small Craft Advisories being affixed. Anglers have been anxious to get back out to the rockfish sand and throw baits down to fish that have been closed to fishing for the past about two months but a great deal of anglers decided to wait due to the bad weather forecast for the opener.
There were some sportboats out on opening day giving it a are an attempt to they did find some good action. Premier out of H& M Landing fished two half day trips with 77 anglers who caught 410 whitefish, 136 rockfish, 7 sculpin, 1 sand bass and 1 sheephead. Dolphin out of Fisherman’s Landing fished a morning half day trip with 40 anglers who caught 148 rockfish, 8 sculpin, 2 beach bass, 2 sheephead and 1 calico bass.
Productive rockfish areas in the San Diego County region which are expected to produce some action following the 2-month rockfish close include the International Reef located a short way above the Mexico border, hard-bitten bottom areas to the west, southwest and southeast of the Whistler Buoy at Point Loma, the Point Loma Pipeline, the hard bottom outside of the Green Tank at Point Loma, the 270 to the west of Mission Bay, the region outside of the lower and the upper purposes of La Jolla, the ridge outside of Del Mar, the hard bottom outside of Leucadia, and Box Canyon.
The rest of the fishing along the San Diego County coast has been good for a mix of sand bass, calico bass, roost and sculpin along with an periodic bonus halibut or yellowtail.
There have been occasional pictures of yellowtail along the San Diego County coast but they remain inconsistent and unpredictable as to where and when. One signal to look for is that the schools of yellowtail are typically found in areas where there is a lot of enticement. The two areas where the yellowishes have had a tendency to show in recent weeks have been in the region of the Imperial Beach Pipeline, and in a region range from countries outside Mission Bay on up to the lower part of the MLPA ending area at the lower end of La Jolla. A good depth scope to try and locate yellowtail has been in 18 to 30 measures of water.
The yellowtail along the coast have been mostly 18 – to 25 -pound fish and “theyve been” located by result sonar labels, rhythm scores and fish that are up working on the surface under recognises of diving fowls. Once set, yo-yo iron, face iron, mackerel and sardines have all been working for yellowtail. A surface iron that is cast to a discern of bursting fish before they resound has been working the best.
Productive arenas for bass and sculpin ought to have the Imperial Beach Pipeline, the hard fanny to the southeast of the Whistler Buoy at Point Loma, the hard freighter to the north and northwest of Buoy# 5 at Point Loma, the Jetty Kelp outside of Mission Bay, the Variety Kelp while fishing below the MLPA closure region at the lower end of La Jolla, the upper objective of La Jolla, the Anderson and Buccaneer Pipelines, the artificial reefs outside of Oceanside and Box Canyon.
Areas producing occasional halibut act along the San Diego County coast are the sandy sole adjacent to the structure of the artificial reefs outside of Oceanside, the sandy tush contiguou to the structure of the Anderson and Buccaneer Pipelines, fishing in 180 to 220 hoofs of irrigate at the sandy bottom outside of the Oceanside Pier, fishing the sandy freighter expanses contiguou to the structure of the Yukon shipwreck and adjacent to the structure of the sunken NEL Tower off Mission Beach and fishing the sphere between the Imperial Beach Pier and the Tijuana River. San Diego Bay is another place where some piercing halibut have been found.
Spring will be here soon but Southern California anglers are already experiencing some spring like surface fishing for yellowtail and bluefin tuna. I hope you can get out on the liquid and get in on the early season fishing. Keep on fishing and I hope to see you out on the sea!
Bob Vanian is the utter, columnist and researcher of the San Diego-based internet fish report service announced 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 -2 26 -8 218. He always welcomes your fish reports at that same telephone number or at bob9 76 morsel @aol. com.
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