Lobster season off to a good start

Inshore: The first week of lobster season has been good for the hoop-netters along the jetties and inshore reefs with some getting a legal bug for every five released shorts. A few larger units over two pounds have come over the rail for those giving it a shot from the piers in San Diego Bay. The fishing has been a bit mixed with a couple slow days bracketed by some really good days. There are lots of bonito around and schools of smaller yellowtail sometimes biting so good that many smaller jacks were released. The Coronado Islands are producing quality calico bass in the kelp for those anglers targeting them, though most trips are still focusing on the yellowtail and occasional yellowfin tuna within ¾ day range.

Outside: The wahoo fishing is really good right now along the Baja coast south of Cedros Island down to Cabo, especially off Asuncion and Mag Bay for those five- to eight-day trips going the distance. The yellowfin tuna this year are mostly smallish, in contrast to the very large 60- to 120-pound bluefin that have been showing occasionally in the 1 to 5 day counts. Most of the local tuna action is still overnight to 2.5 day range with smaller yellowfin from 12-25 pounds and an occasional school of 25 pound skipjack tuna. Rockfish, whitefish and lingcod are biting very well on the inshore banks from the 9 mile down to San Quintin for the anglers targeting them.

10/2 – 10/8 Dock Totals: 3116 anglers aboard 167 boats out of San Diego landings this past week caught 653 dorado, 32 bluefin tuna, 2,553 yellowfin tuna, 40 skipjack tuna, 6,542 yellowtail, 274 calico bass, 44 sand bass, 3,421 rockfish, 7 lingcod, 1,993 bonito, 5 barracuda, 114 sheephead, 216 whitefish, 5 rubberlip seaperch, 33 mackerel, 1 striped marlin, 5 halibut, 7 red rock crab and 72 California spiny lobster.

Fish Plants: Santee Lakes, 10/14 catfish, (1,000)