November is Bringing Bluefin, Yellowfin and Swordfish!

The month of November has already seen the first northern weather system move through Southern California and it brought strong winds, high seas and a bit of rain. The result was a about a 3 degree drop in the water temperature that brought water temperatures down into the 63-to-65-degree range. The great news is that after the storm boats got back out onto the water and found bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna and swordfish biting despite the drop in the water temperature.

What will be interesting is to see what happens to the water conditions and the fishing from this point forward as another northern storm front is forecasted to be arriving tonight and bring with it more strong winds, rain and high seas. Time will tell if this upcoming storm will drop the water temperature enough to send the warm water pelagic species away in search of warmer waters for the winter months.

For the time being, the bluefin tuna fishing remains very good with fish up into the 250-plus pound range remaining a possibility out by San Clemente Island. Productive areas have been the 381 Spot, the 81 Fathom Spot, the 86 Fathom Spot and the 57 Fathom Spot. Recent days have also seen some bluefin biting 2 to 4 miles inside of the eastern and the middle part of San Clemente Island.

More good news on the bluefin front is that there have been bluefin to 150 pounds biting at banks within 25 miles of Point Loma at areas such as the 178 Spot, the 9 Mile Bank, the Coronado Canyon, 2 to 5 miles inside of the 224 Spot and 2 to 8 miles from northwest over to southwest of North Island.

There was a private boater Skipper who was fishing a recent single handed solo trip that reported catching his limit of 2 bluefin tuna out to the southwest of the lower end of the 9 Mile Bank. His second fish was a jumbo 150 pound bluefin that bit on a black and purple spreader bar rig that was being trolled at 6 knots. It was a great challenge and feat to not only catch that 150 pound bluefin while fishing single handed but to then be able to get it up into the boat! What a fine catch!

The yellowfin tuna bite has been on the general decline but there are still yellowfin tuna around and biting as the past weekend saw yellowfin being caught around porpoise, from blind trolling strikes and from spots of breaking fish by boats fishing spots within 25 miles of Point Loma. Specific productive areas were in the region of the 178 Spot, the 9 Mile Bank, the Coronado Canyon, the area 2 to 8 miles westerly of North Island, the 224 Spot, and the 302 Spot.

A recent private boater report was of going 3 for 5 on 25 to 50-plus pound yellowfin tuna from the area out to the southwest of the lower end of the 9 Mile Bank.  All their yellowfin were hooked around porpoise and they were all hooked by getting ahead of the porpoise school and shutting down the boat and drifting with sardines. They were able to stay with the porpoise for 6 miles and were hooking yellowfin all along the way starting at 14 miles 215 degrees from Point Loma on out to 19 miles 225 degrees from Point Loma.

There have been a lot of boats deep drop fishing for swordfish and there are occasional bites and hookups reported. Fisherman’s Landing recently reported having Freeman 34 (SD) out fishing a full day trip with 2 anglers who caught a 170 pound swordfish. Some of the top deep drop swordfish areas have been 3 to 8 miles off Newport Beach, the 152 Spot off the East End of Catalina, the 178 Spot, the dropoff outside of the upper end of the 9 Mile Bank and the dropoff outside of the middle part of the 9 Mile Bank.

The recent fishing around Los Coronado Islands has been good for a mix of bonito, reds, rockfish, lingcod, whitefish and a chance at a yellowtail. The two most recent fish counts start with Malihini out of H&M Landing that had 17 anglers on a full day trip catch 79 whitefish, 15 bonito, 11 sculpin, 4 sheephead, 32 rockfish and 16 lingcod. San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing got into some yellowtail and had 30 anglers on a full day trip catch 105 rockfish, 1 bonito, 3 yellowtail, 11 sheephead, 3 lingcod, 59 whitefish and 58 reds.

Recent reports are that the water temperature around Los Coronado Islands has dropped down to the 62 to 64 degree range and looking for areas where you find your warmest water is a good way to try and locate yellowtail. Look for yellowtail activity along the weather side of North Island, the Middle Grounds, the South Kelp Ridge and the Rockpile. Bonito have been biting at the Middle Grounds, Pukey Point at North Island, the lee side of South Island and the Rockpile.

Productive areas for the assorted bottom fish species are the hard bottom to the north and northwest of North Island, the lee side of North Island, the South Kelp Ridge and the Rockpile. Fishing these areas in the 25 to 50 fathom depths has been a good range. Hard bottom areas to the east of the Rockpile are reported to have been good for lingcod.

The water temperature along the San Diego County coast has dropped down to the low to mid 60’s in most areas but the coastal fishing remains good for a mix of calico bass, sand bass, bonito, sculpin, whitefish, reds, rockfish and an occasional bonus lingcod. There has not been much to report in the way of recent yellowtail or halibut activity.

Bonito have been providing the best coastal surface fishing with the Whistler Buoy at Point Loma, the Point Loma Kelp Beds and the La Jolla Kelp Beds being the best areas for bonito that have been running from 1.5 to 5 pounds. The yellowtail fishing has been slow but the best chance at catching a yellowtail continues to be at the upper end of La Jolla.

Good areas for the assorted bottom fish species along the San Diego County coast listed from the south to the north have been the International Reef, the Imperial Beach Pipeline, the Whistler Buoy at Point Loma, the Dropoff at Point Loma, the Green Tank, Point Loma College, Sunset Cliffs, the 270, the upper end of La Jolla, Del Mar, Leucadia, Carlsbad and Box Canyon.

Halibut fishing continues to be slow but if you want to give it a try, areas that have produced a few halibut along the San Diego County Coast in recent weeks have been Imperial Beach, the Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego Bay, the sandy bottom next to the structure of the sunken NEL Tower off Mission Beach, the sandy bottom next to the structure of the Yukon shipwreck outside of Mission Beach, South Ponto Beach, the sandy bottom next to the Buccaneer Pipeline and the sandy bottom next to the artificial reefs off Oceanside.

It is getting late in the fishing season and it will be interesting to see what happens with the fishing after the upcoming storm. Old Man Winter eventually wins out every year and sends the warm water fish away for the cold weather months. It is just a matter of time as to when that will happen this year. I hope you can go out and enjoy whatever fishing might be going on be it for warm water pelagic species or for some winter time bottom fishing. Keep on fishing and I hope to see you out on the water!

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.