Tribute Sport-fishing

Happy angler with bluefin tuna caught on the final 2022 trip aboard the Tribute.

Dock Totals 12/25 – 1/7: 1108 anglers aboard 45 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past two weeks caught 10 bluefin tuna, 24 bocaccio, 2 bonito, 1 black seabass (released), 49 calico bass, 30 halfmoon, 4 lingcod, 47 spiny lobster (98 released), 1725 rockfish, 126 sand bass, 51 sanddab, 460 sculpin, 89 sheephead, 4 spider crab, 2 triggerfish, and 394 whitefish.

Saltwater: Despite the holiday season and a couple of back-to-back storms, the fleet still managed to get out and get some fishing done. All indications are that bluefin tuna will still be out there as seas settle and boats are able to venture to the grounds and find them. The areas 120 miles west near the Tanner Bank and the offshore high spots 30 to 60 miles off the northern stretch of the Baja coast is where the tuna have been biting. I expect to see the numbers rise again for the 1.5- to 3-day boats as we ease into 2023, weather permitting.

Along with the normal Christmas and New Year’s lull, there were several days over the past couple weeks that kept even the local ½-day trips from heading out. A major winter storm sliding down the west coast during the first week of the year kept all San Diego-based boats in their slips January 3rd through 5th. That said, anglers fishing the bays between the rain and blows found decent spotted bay bass and halibut action, while those who usually pound the beaches had to basically sit it out due to high surf.

The good news about that high surf is that, once it has settled, there will be new cuts and holes to explore. As with sand dunes, the ocean bottom is always changing. Fish aren’t as susceptible to the roiled water as we humans; when the big waves churn out crabs, worms, baby clams, and other prey that lives in the swash zones between the tides, surf perch and corbina will tend to feed on them just outside of the break as they are displaced and washed out in the rips. As the surf settles behind the storms to a workable situation for anglers, often, fishing from the beach, jetties, or piers can be very good.

As rockfish fishing is closed in California waters until March first, ½-day boats are offering extended trips into Mexican waters along with local trips that are targeting mostly sand bass, calico bass, and halibut. 1.5-day to 3-day trips should be doable for mostly rockfish and bluefin tuna, depending, and there is always a possibility of a yellowtail or two once out by the islands or down the coast toward the banks off Ensenada to San Quintin. All in all, for the “slow” time of year, fishing has been pretty good — when the weather allows.

Another bonus for San Diegans who love fresh fish is that, even when the weather is rough, our commercial fleet continues to provide. A trip to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market on any Saturday can result in a plethora of fresh-caught seafood, while Tommy Gomes’ new Tunaville Market and Grocery, just a short distance down Regatta Walk from the landings on Harbor Drive, offers not only fresh fillets, but some really tasty in-house creations, such as dry-aged bigeye tuna, and sausages Tommy makes out of various species, including thresher shark. Tommy Gomes, also known as “Tommy the Fishmonger,” has been a fixture in the San Diego commercial fishing industry for decades.

A descendant of a Portuguese tuna fishing family that has been in San Diego since 1892, Tommy worked at sea for nearly 30 years before moving to processing, cutting fish at Catalina Offshore Products, where he worked another 16 years. While there (from the Tunaville website), “he evolved into the role of fishmonger and public spokesperson, established its retail fish market, and founded Collaboration Kitchen, a nonprofit dinner series focused on seafood education. He also played a key role in a grant-funded initiative aimed at increasing the value of San Diego’s local fisheries. His pioneering approach to opah, specifically, helped grow consumer demand for several edible parts of the fish that historically were discarded.” If you love fresh fish and San Diego fishing history, a stop to visit with Tommy at Tunaville is a must.

As it is now snowbird season, there is always Baja and spectacular winter fishing for the long-range fleet. Boats heading out for 8 days or longer are reporting epic fishing for wahoo, grouper, and yellowfin tuna off the southern end of the peninsula. The Constitution has moved south to work the season out of Bahia Magdalena; anglers can fly down, enjoy the warm climes, and save the long boat ride. Their trips fill up quick, so anyone interested better book soon.

San Diego is Americas finest fishing city, even now in the cold depths of winter and during, at least by recent patterns, a wetter-than-normal season. From the offshore banks to the east county lakes, there are always options for anglers and lovers of fresh seafood.

Our fishing photo contest has ended for the season, and I enjoyed all the great photos and anecdotes received. I wish I could have given every entrant a prize. I would like to thank all who sent in photos, and especially Catherine Miller at the San Diego Sportfishing Council for her tireless support of San Diego’s fleet, and for providing passes to the winners. Thank you!

Tight lines and Have a fishtacular 2023! They’re out there, so go get ‘em!

Notable catches:

12/28 – 10 hoop-netters caught 46 spiny lobster aboard the Alicia ½-day twilight lobster trip. 36 of the 47 lobster caught were released.

12/29 – The Dolphin afternoon ½-day run returned to the dock with 1 sheephead, 2 calico bass, 8 sand bass, 10 rockfish, and 39 sculpin for 12 anglers.

12/ 31 – The Tribute ended the year on a high note, with 115 rockfish, 50 whitefish, 4 lingcod, 13 sheephead, and 10 bluefin tuna caught by 29 anglers aboard their final 1.5-day trip of 2022.

1/7 – Fine hoop-netting after the storm for 8 anglers aboard the Jig Strike twilight run who caught 38 spiny lobster and 4 spider crab. 27 of the 38 lobsters were released.

Fish Plants: 1/9 - Lake Wohlford, trout (1,500), 1/12 – Lake Poway, trout (1,500), 1/14 - Santee Lakes, trout (2,500 lbs. for Trout Re-Opener Lakes 4, 5, 6, 7).