Kids fishing at 2015 Day at the Docks

Every spring the Day at the Docks takes over the sportfishing landings at Scott and Emerald streets in Point Loma. In the normal migration patterns, this is usually the slow time of year, especially for pelagic species; the tunas, yellowtail, white seabass normally do not come near our waters until late spring, and the larger glamour fish, like marlin or mahimahi (dorado), don’t show north of the border until mid to late summer.

That has not been the case the past few years. We’ve had fishing nearly year-round on yellowtail Half-day boats have been chasing tuna within sight of Point Loma. A blue marlin was caught from a bass boat within 10 miles of downtown. A 45-pound yellowtail was caught from Mission Beach jetty.

This year, due to a predicted cooler trend as the effects of the strong El Niño fades, the migratory species, the pelagics, are seemingly holding to their recent patterns as the old patterns return. The yellowtail have continued to bite, bluefin tuna are already in our local waters within one-day range, and white seabass are stacking up at Catalina and San Clemente Islands. The kelp beds that have been stunted by warm water are already coming back.

The docks celebration on Sunday, April 9, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., will feature open houses aboard boats; fishing and boating seminars; kids fishing area; cooking demos by local chefs, fish fillet demos, live music, contests for casting and knot tying, a captains' dunk tank, and three-dollar boat rides around San Diego Bay.