Bluefin, Yellowfin, Yellowtail and Marlin Highlight Late Summer Angling!

The late summer fishing season turns into fall on September 23 and there is good reason to think that the fine fishing anglers have been enjoying throughout the summer season will run through the rest of the summer and deep into the fall. To this point, anglers have been enjoying a very good 2024 summer season that has been highlighted by good catches of bluefin tuna, striped marlin, calico bass and yellowtail. Favorable water conditions with water as warm as 74 degrees recently being reported gives reason to hope for continued good fishing for those same species and for improvement in the fishing for some of the warm water species such as yellowfin tuna and dorado.

 

Much of the offshore fishing continues to focus on bluefin tuna that have gone to 200+ pounds. The main area of bluefin activity continues to be out westerly of San Diego with productive areas being the Cortes Bank, the Tanner Bank, the area off the upper part of the back side of San Clemente Island, the Snail Bank, the 499 Spot, the 711 Spot and the area easterly of San Nicolas Island. A new development is that there have also been some of the larger sized bluefin biting in the Redondo Canyon, the Santa Monica Canyon and off Palos Verdes.

 

Most of the bluefin being caught around the Cortes and Tanner Banks have been in the 20 to 50 pound range and those banks have also been producing some pretty good numbers of 15 to 25 pound yellowtail. The best chance at some of the bigger bluefin that have gone to 200-plus pounds has been in the area off the back side of the upper part of San Clemente Island and at the 499 Spot, the Snail Bank, the 711 Spot, the area easterly of San Nicolas Island, the Redondo Canyon, the Santa Monica Canyon and off Palos Verdes.

 

Bluefin have been biting on a variety of baits and jigs with sardines, frozen flying fish, live flying fish, California Flyers, knife jigs, Colt Snipers and trolled Nomad Madmac jigs being among the favored baits and lures. Anglers have been encouraged to include within the tackle that they bring a 30 pound test outfit and a 40 pound test outfit for flylining live baits and a rail rod outfit spooled with at least 100 pound test line for fishing for the bigger bluefin with the sinker rigged sardines, the sinker rigged frozen flying fish, the kite fished baits and the knife jigs.

 

The fishing for kelp-paddy yellowtail, dorado and tuna at the more local offshore banks within 30 miles or so of the coast has been slowing down for boats fishing from the Catalina Channel on down to the waters below and outside of the Coronado Islands. While this more local offshore fishing has been slowing down what looks like it has some exciting potential is that there are increasing numbers of yellowfin tuna being found with porpoise from the Catalina Channel on down to the local offshore banks below and outside of the Coronado Islands. Yellowfin are regularly being seen and metered around porpoise schools but it has been difficult to get the yellowfin to bite. Anglers are hoping that the yellowfin will soon be changing their habits and that they will start biting better sometime soon. The few yellowfin that have been caught have been in the 15 to 80 pound range and have bit on trolled cedar plugs and Rapalas as well as on flylined sardines or small mackerel. Recent reports of yellowfin activity with porpoise have come from the 14 Mile Bank, 2 to 5 miles off the coast between Newport Beach and San Diego and in the area to the west of North Island. The late afternoon and evening hours seem to be providing the best chance at finding a biting yellowfin.

 

The fishing for striped marlin has been good to sometimes very good in the Catalina area with the best zones being the 286 Spot that is located above and inside of the West End of Catalina and the area 1 to 3 miles off the Island between Avalon and Church Rock.  My estimate is that there were 25 marlin caught and released from these two areas over the past weekend. Most of the bites are being found on the trolling jigs or on dropback mackerel presented to fish that are chasing the trolling jigs or the teasers. There is also an occasional feeder, tailer or jumper being seen.

 

The marlin fishing in the San Diego region continues to be scratchy but recent days have seen some improvement with a marlin caught and released at the La Jolla Canyon and by a boat that was fishing 4 miles outside of Mission Bay.

 

The surface fishing at Los Coronado Islands has been good to sometimes very good with a mix of yellowtail, calico bass and barracuda biting to go with a the chance at a bluefin tuna or halibut. In addition, the bottom fishing for a variety of rockfish species remains very good.

 

As an example of the recent fishing a full day trip aboard Mission Belle out of Point Loma Sportfishing had 28 anglers catch 46 yellowtail. Another recent fish count aboard San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing was a full day trip with 34 anglers catching 93 yellowtail and 2 bluefin tuna.

 

The best places for surface fishing have been the South Kelp Ridge, the area inside of the north end of South Island and the Middle Grounds. Also productive has been the Lighthouse at the south tip of South Island and the Ribbon Kelp along the middle part of the lee side of South Island. If you want to try for a halibut, a productive zone has been drifting the sandy bottom areas along the lee side of South Island.

 

Try surface iron, yo-yo iron and flylined, slow trolled or dropper loop fished sardines for the yellowtail. Surface iron and sardines would also being good choices for barracuda. When available, anchovies have been great baits for the calico bass. Good choices for surface iron for barracuda and yellowtail include Salas 7X lights and Tady 45’s in blue and white, sardine or mint colors.

 

The bottom fishing remains very good around Los Coronado Islands and the best areas for the mixed bag bottom fishing have been to the northwest, north and northeast of North Island in 25 to 60 fathoms. Also productive has been the rockfish fishing on the Mexico side of the border at the lower end of the 9 Mile Bank.

 

As an ongoing reminder, Southern California anglers need to take note that between July 1 and September 30 that the take of “Nearshore” rockfish species, “Shelf” rockfish species, “Slope” rockfish species and lingcod may not be taken seaward of the 50 Fathom Rockfish Conservation Area Boundary Line. The 50 Fathom Rockfish Conservation Area Boundary Line is a series of connected waypoints as defined in Federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart C). You can view the specifics of the regulations regarding this seasonal closure in detail at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website at wildlife.ca.gov.

 

The fishing along the San Diego County coast has been good for a mix of calico bass, sand bass, rockfish, sculpin, barracuda, sheephead, sculpin and an occasional halibut, white seabass or yellowtail.

 

The Imperial Beach area is still producing good numbers of sand bass but it has become more hit or miss in getting into a hot bite. The Point Loma Kelp Beds have been good for calico bass along with an occasional yellowtail, halibut or white seabass. Look for kelp bed areas where you find your warmest and cleanest water with a downhill current flow. Some of the more reliable areas for finding good conditions and good fishing have been the Lab, Green Tank, Point Loma College and the Roundhouse at Sunset Cliffs.

 

La Jolla has been good for calico bass, a few barracuda, and a chance at a yellowtail or white seabass. There has been a chance at finding some squid available to catch for bait at night off Pacific Beach and off the upper end of La Jolla and there have been a few white seabass biting at night on the live squid. The best chances at finding yellowtail have been fishing off the upper end of La Jolla and around the outskirts of the MLPA closure area at the lower end of La Jolla.

 

Productive baits for yellowtail have been sardines, mackerel and squid. In addition to the live baits, yellowtail and barracuda have also been biting on surface iron with good choices for surface iron including Tady 45 and Salas 7X light jigs in blue and white, mint and sardine colors.

 

Going further up the San Diego County coast, Captain Joe Cacciola of Sea Star with Sea Star Sportfishing and the Oceanside Sea Center reports that there has been good fishing for a mix of calico bass, sand bass, rockfish, sculpin, sheephead and whitefish along with a chance at a bonus halibut while fishing kelp bed and hard bottom areas off Del Mar, Solana Beach, Leucadia and South Carlsbad.

 

There have been a few halibut biting along the San Diego County coast. Productive halibut areas include San Diego Bay, Mission Bay, the sandy bottom next to the structure of the Imperial Beach Pipeline, the sandy bottom areas adjacent to hard bottom spots outside of the Imperial Beach Pier, the sandy bottom adjacent to the Yukon Shipwreck, the sandy bottom adjacent to the sunken NEL Tower off Mission Beach, South Ponto Beach, the sandy bottom next to the Buccaneer Pipeline and the sandy bottom next to the artificial reefs off of Oceanside.

 

The summer fishing season is racing by and I hope you can take advantage of this great time of year and the fishing opportunities it can offer by getting out on the water and doing as much fishing as possible. Savor the season! Keep on fishing and I hope to see you out on the water sometime soon!

 

    Bob Vanian is the voice, writer and researcher of the San Diego-based internet fish report service called 976-Bite which can be found at www.976bite.com. Vanian also provides anglers with a personal fish report service over the telephone at (619) 226-8218. He always welcomes your fish reports at that same phone number or at bob976bite@aol.com.