Bluefin, yellowfin, yellowtail, barracuda and Calico bass provide anglers with lots of options

SAN DIEGO–The calendar tells us that summer arrived on June 20 and the beginning of summer has been offering saltwater anglers lots of fine choices that include bluefin, yellowfin, yellowtail, barracuda, bonito and calico bass. There is good fun net to target be it offshore, at the Islands or along the coast.

The offshore trawl dirts straying from the irrigates off San Diego on down to the sprays outside of San Martin Island have been creating 20 to 200 -plus pound bluefin tuna and 12 – to 60 -pound yellowfin tuna to go with some 10 – to 20 -pound yellowtail and a few dorado. The better days of fishing have been highlighted by near restraint to limit numbers of bluefin tuna but the bite has been off from those levels the past couple of days.

The best areas in recent days ought to have while fishing the region to the southwest of the 43 Fathom Spot, the field of the 1000 see furrow set between the San Salvador Knoll and the 390 Bank, the Lower Hidden Bank, the Upper 500 Bank, the 385 Spot outside of Ensenada, the offshore irrigates outside of Punta Colnett and the offshore sprays outside of San Martin Island. More neighbourhood offshore banks within 30 miles or so of Point Loma such as the 182 Spot, 9 Mile Bank, 224 Spot, 302 Spot, 425 Bank and 371 Bank are producing fair fish with an periodic tuna being caught along with a few yellowtail that have been biting around some of the kelp paddies.

Bluefin tuna have been biting on kite fished drifted frozen flying fish, kite trolled Yummy Flyers, flylined and sinker fished sardines and Flat Fall jigs. Meter tags and sonar tags lead to most of the bluefin action with yellowfin get caught from rhythm tags, sonar commemorates, kelp paddies, porpoise schools and trolling strikes. Flylined sardines ought to have best for the yellowfin with Rapalas, cedar plugs and featherings likewise raising the periodic yellowfin trolling strikes.

The offshore yellowtail have been biting around kelp paddies and have been astonishingly delightful sized fish with a good percentage being up in the 15 – to 20 -pound range. Most of the dorado have been observed around kelp paddies and have been in the 5- to 12 -pound range.

Los Coronado Islands have been a hotspot and have been providing very good mixed bag fishing for yellowtail, calico bass, barracuda, bonito and rockfish. Some of the very best sportboat catches have included near restriction to restriction catches of yellowtail. The best region has been fishing blots inside of South Island in an area straddle from the Ribbon Kelp in the lee of South Island on down to the South Kelp and the South Kelp Ridge below South Island. Today there are reports of yellowtail gnaw at the Rockpile as well.

The yellowtail around Los Coronado Islands ought to have 12 – to 25 -pound fish and have been biting on flylined sardines, sardines fished on a dropper loop-the-loop rig, gradual trolled sardines, face cast-iron and yo-yo iron. Slow trolled sardines and flylined drifted sardines tend to be working best for private boaters.

Private boater John Carroll of Huachinango fished a recent morning junket to Los Coronado Islands and reported finding very good mixed bag fishing for yellowtail, calico bass and barracuda while fishing the Ribbon Kelp in the lee of South Island and at the 5 Minute Kelp that is located below and inside of the south tip of South Island. Carroll had 2 friends aboard who were novice anglers and they fished until midday, had lots of action and caught 4 yellowtail along with a good number of barracuda and calico bass. Carroll was busy assisting his friends during the trip and he had a great time in helping his patrons and considering them catch their first ever yellowtail. He said that the yellowtail morsel was kind enough to where 3 knowledge anglers could have caught their limits of yellowtail in a couple of hours of fishing.

The yellowtail they boated were 12 – to 16 -pound fish and he said they had some lost hookups on fish that were up more than 20 pounds. They were coming part while slow trolling sardines consuming sizing 1 hookings and fluorocarbon supervisors that were as ponderous as 30 -pound test.

Private boater Bill Parker of Cabo fished a recent errand to Los Coronado Islands and are of the view that he and a friend grab 7 of the 18 to 25 -pound yellowtail before saying fairly was enough and leaving the biting yellowtail to go fish for calico bass. Parker reported encountering the red-hot yellowtail war while fishing the 5 Minute Kelp area situated below and inside of the south tip of South Island.

The yellows were piercing for them on sluggish trolled sardines and Parker said they went bit best while sluggish trolling into the wind at a very slow idle quicken. They increased the number of yellowtail chews they were getting once they plummeted down to using 20 – or 25 -pound test fluorocarbon presidents and size 2 or length 4 live enticement hooks.

Parker said after leaving the hot yellowtail bite they found very good calico bass net. Parker and his friend caught and secreted several large calicoes while fishing sardines at discerns around South Island and the Middle Grounds.

The fishing along the San Diego area coast has been very good for a mix of calico bass, barracuda and rockfish together with an occasional bonus halibut, lily-white sea bass or yellowtail.

One of the most wonderful arenas for the coastal fishing is at the Point Loma Kelp Beds which have been raise good numbers of calico bass along with some disturbances of barracuda action and an periodic yellowtail or white sea bass. There ought to have calicoes and barracuda biting right along the edges of the kelp berths but the best barracuda action has been found by locating distinguishes of working tern birds outside of the kelp beds.

The kelp bunked calico bass and barracuda any steps had been saw over a large area at distinguishes wandering from the Point Loma Lighthouse kelp all the way up to the kelp off Hill Street at Sunset Cliffs. A key to feel the best kelp bunked fishing has been to locate kelp bunked areas where you know the cleanest and warmest spray working in partnership with a downhill current overflow. Some of the best spheres have been the Point Loma Lighthouse, the 5 Tanks, Green Tank and Point Loma College.

Look for the barracuda under wielding tern fowls out in the 12 to 30 fathom magnitudes in an area straddling from the Whistler Buoy at Point Loma on up to Hill Street at Sunset Cliffs. The appearances of barracuda under the tern birds have been hit or miss but when situated, sardines and face iron have been working well.

The fishing at La Jolla has improved and has been requiring a mixture of calico bass, barracuda and rockfish. There ought to have occasional schools of yellowtail find up working on the surface outside of Torrey Pines and there has also been a chance at catching a lily-white seabass incidental to trying for a yellowtail.

Imperial Beach has been producing an periodic halibut for ships floating areas outside of the Imperial Beach Pier in the 40 – to 80 -foot penetrations. Ships fishing outside of Mission Beach have also been catching an occasional halibut while wandering the sandy freighter around the structure of the sunken NEL Tower or such structures of the Yukon shipwreck.

The late early summer season is here and anglers “ve got a lot” of good alternatives make their own choices be it targeting tuna, yellowtail and dorado offshore or yellowtail, barracuda, bonito, calico bass and halibut at the local Islands or along the coast. I hope and pray that you continue to stay healthful, safe and sound. Keep on fishing and delight be safe! I hope to see you out on the sea sometime soon.

Bob Vanian is the voice, columnist and researcher of the San Diego-based internet fish report service called 976 -Bite which can be found at www. 976 bite.com. Vanian also provides anglers with a personal fish report service over the telephone at 619 -2 26 -8 218. He always welcomes your fish reports at that same telephone number or at bob9 76 burn @aol. com.

https://www.fishrapnews.com/features/bluefin-yellowfin-yellowtail-barracuda-and-calico-bass-provide-anglers-with-lots-of-options/