Long-range boats score on larger yellowfin tuna

A few cows weigh in at 290 pounds

Author

By Daniel Powell

Publish Date

Nov. 27, 2016

Inshore: Rockfish, rockfish, rockfish. Lobster. That’s the story for the local half and ¾ day boats in the San Diego area. The surface fishing and summer pelagic aren’t all gone, but it feels that way on some days. There are a few white seabass lurking around off the kelp edges, though the dock reports don’t reflect it, private boaters and kayakers are finding one or two along with an occasional yellowtail from the La Jolla area down to the Coronados. Some nice-sized halibut have been caught from the sandy ‘slots’ between the reefs off the kelp beds in 40-60 feet of water, while calico bass continue to bite well on the high tide. Sheephead are a sure bet with a little shrimp for bait and whitefish are also showing well and biting squid strips on the dropper-loop..

Outside: Other than the good bluefin tuna bite on the Cortez/Tanner Bank area about 50 miles west of San Clemente Island, the overnight to 3-day trips are targeting the Baja coast for small-grade yellowtail and lots of rockfish. Those longer trips making it down to Cedros Island and points south are catching large yellowfin tuna, wahoo and good sized yellowtail. A lot of the tuna in the mid-peninsula nearshore high spotsare in the 60-120 pound range and the yellowtail are in the 30-40 pound range. Further down toward the ridge and south of Cabo San Lucas and across to the Puerto Vallarta area, San Diego-based long range boats on ten day and longer trips are getting a good mix of larger yellowfin tuna in the 200 pound plus range with a few cows pushing 290 pounds.