san diego fish report

SIGNS OF THE SPRING FISHING SEASON ARE ARRIVING AHEAD OF SPRING!

By Bob Vanian of 976Bite.com

• The first day of spring is March 20, 2023, and as this report is being written it is about a week ahead of the official arrival of spring. As I am preparing this report, I am happy to be able to tell you that signs of the spring fishing season that lies ahead are already taking place out on the water with catches of quality sized yellowtail being made aboard full day trips to fish Los Coronado Islands.

News Briefs

From page 5 diversity of hatchery winter-run, as well as juvenile salmon collection system evaluation for re-introducing this species in the McCloud River above the Shasta Dam. Other projects will restore hydrologic function to floodplain habitat in the Sierra Nevada and monitor drought conditions for Chinook and coho salmon in the Scott River in Siskiyou County.

Wildlife Corridor – Fish Passage

Wildlife corridors are essential to providing fish and wildlife room to roam or, in this case, swim. CDFW awarded more than $6.5 million to three fish passage projects that will modify bridges and remove other barriers to fish passage in northern and central California.

• Seaforth Sportfishing and Fisherman’s Landing report that the yellowtail they have been catching at Los Coronado Islands have been in the 15-to-25-pound range. The best day of yellowtail fishing saw San Diego out of Seaforth Sportfishing fish a full day trip with 27 anglers who caught 33 yellowtail, 15 rockfish and 80 whitefish. That same day also saw Liberty out of Fisherman’s Landing have 29 anglers on a full day trip catch 12 yellowtail, 55 whitefish, 2 lingcod and 50 whitefish.

Beavers, or Something Like Them

Approximately $1.2 million was awarded to the Regents of UC Davis to work toward incorporating beaver dam analogs in the restoration of wetlands and mountain meadows. Learn more about the awarded projects.

Next Steps

These projects will soon commence work. These awards are part of a new

• Yo-yo iron has been working best for the yellowtail with dropper loop fished sardines also producing some hookups. Good choices for yo-yo iron include Salas 6X, Salas 7X and Salas 6X Jr. jigs in blue and white, sardine and scrambled egg colors. Most of the yellowtail activity has been found while working sonar marks found on the warm water side of a temperature break off the weather side of North Island. The cooler water has been down around 56.5 degrees and the warmer water had been up around 58.5 degrees.

• The bottom fishing around Los Coronado Islands has also been good for a mix of reds, salmon grouper, an assortment of rockfish effort to support critical restoration statewide with $200 million in new funding for multi-benefit ecosystem restoration and protection projects under Drought, Climate, and Nature Based Solutions Initiatives. and an occasional lingcod. Best areas for the mixed bag bottom fishing have been to the northwest and north of North Island in 30 to 60 fathoms.

CDFW will announce additional awards throughout March, emphasizing a strategic approach to rebuild salmon and other species by removing barriers to migration, improving water management and quality, restoring core salmon strongholds, taking substantial steps to modernize older infrastructure for salmon-friendly results, and other actions.

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.