san diego fish report

BLUEFIN TUNA AND YELLOWFIN TUNA BITES SURGE WITH THE WARMING WATER!

By Bob Vanian of 976Bite.com

• To date, the 2023 Southern California fishing season has had cooler water than in recent years, but the past week has seen water temperatures increase to where there are currently areas with water temperatures that are as warm as 71.5 degrees.

• What has been exciting for offshore anglers is that the recent warming of the water has been accompanied by an increase in the numbers of yellowfin tuna biting offshore and has also coincided with a few dorado arriving in offshore waters. Coastal and island anglers have also enjoyed improved fishing for some of the near-shore species in step with the warming of the water.

• In offshore waters the good fishing for bluefin tuna continues and there is now a chance at more variety in a day of offshore fishing with the increase in yellowfin tuna and dorado activity.

• There are two main areas that are producing most of the tuna. The more northern sector is producing good catches of what are mostly 40 to 180-plus pound bluefin tuna and an occasional yellowfin tuna in spots ranging from the deep water outside of the back side of Catalina, out to the waters above the West End of San Clemente Island and from that area on up to the Osborn Bank. Specific productive spots within that zone have been the 499 Spot, Snail Bank, the deep water outside of the Farnsworth Bank, the area to the southwest of the West End of Catalina, the area to the east of the Osborn Bank and the area out to the west-northwest of the West End of San Clemente Island. A recent 2 day trip aboard Condor out of Fisherman’s Landing saw 31 anglers catch 65 bluefin tuna that ranged in size to 183 pounds.

• The more southern bluefin sector is producing good numbers of 20 to 40 pound bluefin along with a few bigger bluefin to 100-plus pounds. This area is also producing good numbers of 15 to 40 pound yellowfin tuna along with an occasional dorado. Productive areas in the southern sector have been around some of the offshore banks below and outside of Los Coronado Islands such as the 371 Bank, 425 Bank, 101 Spot and 475 Knuckle. The area around and about the 425 Bank has been the best in recent days.

• Bluefin have been biting both day and night with the night time hours often providing the best fishing. Flylined sardines, sinker rigged sardines, kite fished flying fish, knife jigs, trolled Nomad Madmac jigs and slow trolled sardines have been productive for bluefin. Yellowfin have been biting on sardines fished around kelp paddies, porpoise schools, bluefin stops, yellowfin trolling stops and spots of working tern birds. Cedar plugs have been reported to be working well on the troll for the yellowfin. Most of the dorado activity has been found around kelp paddies and the few dorado that have been hooked have been caught on sardines.

• The recent warming of the water has seemingly lit a fire under the surface fishing at Los Coronado Islands with very good mixed bag fishing being reported for yellowtail, barracuda, calico bass and assortment of bottom fish species. Mission Belle out of Point Loma Sportfishing fished a recent trip to Los Coronado Islands and had 26 anglers on a full day trip catch 27 yellowtail, 70 barracuda, 40 whitefish, 17 sculpin, 12 rockfish, 9 calico bass and 2 lingcod.

• The Middle Grounds, Pukey Point and the north end of South Island have been the best areas for the surface fishing around Los Coronado Islands with the South

Kelp, Rockpile and the Lighthouse at the south tip of South Island also producing some surface fishing action.

• Sardines and surface iron have been working well for barracuda and yellowtail with yo-yo iron also being worth a try for the deeper water yellows off North Island.

Full story will be found online. 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.

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