The fall fishing season has brought some changes with some weather systems recently passing though Southern California that have brought strong winds, light rain and high seas. The weather systems have taken a toll on the water temperature with offshore water temperatures falling into the 64 to 66 degree range. The water temperature has been cooling but the good news is that there are still bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, yellowtail and swordfish around and biting in the cooler water.
At last report the bluefin tuna fishing was on the decline out at the Tanner Bank and with the recent poor weather, no boats have been out there fishing bluefin in recent days until today. Today there are a couple of sportboats out at the Tanner Bank and the Cortes Bank that have found some bonito biting at the Cortes Bank and some 15 to 18 pound bluefin and a few yellowtail biting at the Tanner Bank.
The water at the Tanner Bank was reported to be 64.5 to 65 degrees and this is the water temperature where the bluefin were biting. At last word at mid-day one of the boats had caught 10 bluefin and 4 yellowtail and the other boat had caught 3 or 4 bluefin. Both boats were still fishing at the time of those reports. They are finding bluefin and yellowtail activity in 15 to 21 fathoms while anchored near the Tanner Bank high spot and have also found some bluefin activity in 40 fathoms from sonar marks found to the northwest of the high spot at the Tanner Bank. The bluefin are running from 15 to 18 pounds and the report is that using light 20 to 30 pound test line is helping anglers get bites from the bluefin on flylined sardines.
Closer to San Diego there has also been an occasional bluefin caught by boats fishing some of the offshore banks below and outside of Los Coronado Islands such as the Upper Hidden Bank, the Lower Hidden Bank, the Double 220 Bank and the 1010 Trench. There was a recent noteworthy catch reported by a private boater Skipper who was fishing at the 1010 Trench where they caught 2 of the 150 pound class bluefin tuna and 1 yellowfin tuna.
There have also been a few yellowfin tuna biting at some of the same offshore banks listed in the paragraph above but the better yellowfin fishing has been found down between 120 and 150 miles from Point Loma in the area out to the southwest of San Martin Island. There has also been a chance at finding some yellowfin out to the west and southwest of Punta Colnett. The waters outside of Punta Colnett and San Martin Island have produced some good sized yellowfin that have ranged in size to 90-plus pounds.
Recent yellowfin tuna fish counts from Fisherman’s Landing start with Condor that returned from a 2 day trip that saw 25 anglers catch 60 yellowfin tuna that went to 90 pounds. Fisherman’s Landing also had Pacific Queen out on a 1.5 day trip that saw 34 anglers catch 15 yellowfin tuna. Pacific Dawn out of Fisherman’s Landing also returned from a 2 day trip that had 18 anglers catch 1 yellowtail and 14 yellowfin tuna. The yellowfin on Pacific Dawn ranged in size to 75 pounds.
The striped marlin fishing has slowed down and it has been well over a week since I have heard a report about someone finding some marlin activity. The last areas where marlin activity was reported were off Church Rock at the East End of Catalina, at the 312 Spot and in the area of the 178 Spot that is located near the upper end of the 9 Mile Bank.
Up until the recent cooling of the water down into the middle 60’s there had been good fishing for swordfish using the deep drop method at the upper end of the 9 Mile Bank and the nearby 178 Spot. There are still a few swordfish biting in this zone but the bite is not as good as it was before the water cooled. Some boats have also been finding a bit of deep drop swordfish activity out at the Ridge between the 182 Spot and the 181 Spot as well as in the area between the Ridge and San Clemente Island. Other areas being fished for swordfish via the deep drop method have been the coastal drop-offs outside of Newport Beach, Dana Point, Oceanside and Carlsbad.
The surface fishing at Los Coronado Islands has been slowing but there is still some yellowtail activity to be found to go with good fishing for rockfish, reds, whitefish and lingcod. The most recent sportboat fish count was from San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing that had 21 anglers out on a full day trip catch, 8 yellowtail, 2 lingcod, 1 sheephead, 45 rockfish and 17 reds.
The best yellowtail fishing tends to be during the morning hours using yo-yo iron while drifting over meter marks or sonar marks found in the region of the Rockpile. There is also occasional yellowtail activity being found along the weather side of North Island. Good choices for yo-yo iron include Salas 6X jigs in blue and white, blue and chrome and scrambled egg colors.
The bottom fishing around Los Coronado Islands remains very good 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 a reminder, Southern California anglers need to take note that between October 1 and December 31 that the take of “Nearshore” rockfish, cabezon and greenling is prohibited and these may not be possessed. In addition, “Shelf” and “Slope” Rockfish and lingcod cannot be taken shoreward 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, reds, sculpin, whitefish and sheephead along with a chance at a bonus halibut or yellowtail. Most of the fish are being caught at hard bottom and structure areas with the fishing at the kelp beds proper slowing down.
The best areas for fishing the reds and rockfish have been the 9 Mile Bank (while fishing on the United States side of the Mexico border), Del Mar, Leucadia, South Carlsbad, Box Canyon and the 14 Mile Bank.
The Imperial Beach area is producing a lot of sculpin at the Imperial Beach Pipeline and there have been some sand bass and an occasional halibut biting in 30 to 45 feet of water in the area outside of the Imperial Beach Pier. What has been more consistent for sand bass has been the hard bottom to the north and northwest of Buoy #3 at Point Loma.
La Jolla continues to provide the best chance at a coastal yellowtail but the recent yellowtail fishing has been slow. Try the outskirts of the MLPA closure zone at the lower end of La Jolla and the area to the west of the Hotel at the upper end of La Jolla.
Productive baits for yellowtail have been sardines and mackerel. In addition to the live baits, yellowtail have bit 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.
In north San Diego County waters, Captain Joe Cacciola of Sea Star with Sea Star Sportfishing and the Oceanside Sea Center reports that there has been good mixed bag fishing for bass, rockfish, sculpin, sheephead and whitefish at hard bottom and structure areas off Del Mar, Solana Beach, Leucadia, South Carlsbad and Box Canyon.
A few halibut have been biting along the San Diego County coast and one of the better areas has been outside of the Imperial Beach Pier in 30 to 45 feet of water. Other areas that might be worth a try include the sandy bottom next to the structure of the Yukon Shipwreck off Mission Beach and the sandy bottom next to the structure of the sunken NEL Tower off Mission Beach. Going further north, look for a chance at finding some halibut activity in the area below the MLPA closure zone at the lower end of La Jolla. In north San Diego County waters, areas that might be likely to produce a halibut include South Ponto Beach, the sandy bottom next to the structure of the Buccaneer Pipeline and the sandy bottom next to the structure of the artificial reefs outside of Oceanside.
Even though the weather and water temperature are changing as we get deeper into the fall season there are still fish around and biting that are more often than not associated with the warmer weather months. I hope you take advantage of the fall fishing season before these fish make a move to warmer waters for the winter! 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 [email protected].
