Halibut are turning on

Weekly Fish Report

½ Day - ¾ Day: The local ½ day boats are producing rockfish, calico bass and sculpin, with a few yellowtail in the mix. The ¾ day boats have shifted outside of the Coronado Islands due to the new requirement for all anglers to have a passport in Mexican waters within 12 miles of shore, even if leaving from the U.S. on a sportboat. The landings are giving folks time to comply and are fishing for the bluefin and yellowfin tuna that have been caught within 20 miles of Point Loma in US waters.

1 Day to 2.5 Day: The overnight to 2.5 day trips out of San Diego are concentrating on the offshore banks and the northern Baja coast for yellowtail, rockfish and lingcod. The halibut have turned on a bit, two large fish over 40 lbs were reported this week from San Quintin Bay and Cedros Island.

May 24-30 San Diego Dock Totals: 3,041 anglers aboard 119 boats caught 6 halibut, 114 sanddab, 42 sand bass, 225 sculpin, 50 sheephead, 493 calico bass, 126 whitefish, 3,642 rockfish, 33 lingcod, 205 bonito, 7 barracuda, 135 mackerel, 1 dorado, 1 opah, 813 yellowtail, 153 yellowfin tuna and 152 bluefin tuna.

Fresh water: Drop-shots and plastics are working well on the bass feeding along the shoreline and suspended off points. Catfish are biting steadily on mackerel and night crawlers and several large redear sunfish have been caught from most area lakes.

Whale Report: There is a lot of fry, krill and pelagic crab along the coast and on the offshore banks this year creating good opportunity for sighting a wide range of marine mammals for those venturing out on the water. Fin whales and big blue whales are being sighted occasionally along with large pods of dolphin. One local watch boat approached what they first thought were dolphin in a feeding frenzy only to find 60 lb-class bluefin tuna leaping out of the water.

Trout Plants: None scheduled this week

Catfish Plants: 06/05/15 Santee Lakes (1000)