Grande Sportfishing, H&M Landing

Good quality yellowtail are beginning to show within one-day range.

Dock Totals 6/18– 6/24: 3785 anglers aboard 150 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 345 barracuda, 1127 bluefin tuna (up to 175 pounds), 24 bocaccio, 715 bonito, 228 calico bass, 1 halibut, 21 lingcod, 1 perch, 6391 rockfish, 42 sand bass, 186 sanddab, 86 sculpin, 38 sheephead, 1 white croaker, 517 whitefish, 1 white seabass, 33 yellowfin tuna, and 198 yellowtail.

Saltwater: A blustery exit of spring and beginning of summer kept some of the fleet closer to home, which explains the drop in the bluefin and yellowtail counts this past week, even though more anglers rode an equal number of trips. Otherwise, when on them, bluefin and yellowtail fishing has improved. Bluefin have been biting more in the daylight hours and are moving up in the water column, allowing for more fish caught on fly-lined baits, while deep jigging is still getting the job done on those fish holding deeper. Yellowtail are beginning to show well along the Baja coast from Cedros Island north to off the Coronado Islands, where we should see more showing in the counts for extended ½-day to full-day trips. Bonito, sand bass, and barracuda were more prevalent, which is also due to more localized and coastal fishing and warming water.

Yellowfin tuna have been sliding into the banks closer to home, which, with 33 in the counts after just 1 two weeks ago and 4 the following week, is a good sign that summer is here. Warmer water is pushing in, bringing with it more variety for offshore anglers, and dorado should soon follow. Bluefin tuna have begun to show south off of San Quintin at the 240 Bank about 15-to-20 miles off the coast, so whether driving down and riding out of a local operation or by sportfishing vessel out of San Diego, options are improving. Though it has been an extraordinarily windy spring in the San Quintin area, fishing from the beach has been the best I have experienced since first coming here in 2015.

On Saturday, June 24, I headed out early to beat the wind, and barely did so. Still, there are stretches of beach where you can get the NNW wind at your back, which helps keep the sand out of your upwind ear. The good news is that thanks to the wind, it has been far less “buggy” — flies and mosquitoes are unable to pester in the gale. Still, the perch action has been fantastic since last fall, and even on a slow day, I have done well. The perch are large on average; I weighed a five-fish limit that came in at just under nine pounds, with the largest barred surf perch pushing 2.5 pounds and the rest around or just under 2 pounds. I also caught one middling 19-inch California corbina and sighted several others picking at sand crabs on the low tide cut. Though the wind has kept the kayak fishing opportunities few so far this year, the surf has offered a nice alternative to paddling out. I guess San Quintin is living up to its nickname this year. “Polvo” is the Spanish for “powder” or “dust,” and to the locals, San Quintin is often called “San Polvin.”

Fishing from the beach has been steadily improving in San Diego County, with corbina and surf perch biting very well, especially early in the day. This is the time of year when folks targeting sharks, including threshers, leopards, and shovelnose sand sharks, begin finding more success from boats or shore. An important addition to the shark fishing regulations was posted by CDFW on the first of the year, due to the increased sightings of great white sharks along the coast, though it hasn’t been widely reported. (Actually, it is a bit hard to find as I had to search it out when trying to answer a question.) As great white sharks are protected at the state and federal level, it is illegal to target them even for catch and release fishing. But there was a gray area “loophole” — many anglers over the years have caught and released great whites when targeting other species, and citations for catching one, though it is technically illegal, have been very few. Anyhow, here is the language of the amendment:

“Effective January 1, 2023, AB 2109 amended Fish and Game Code Section 5517 regarding taking of white shark. The newly amended section reads as follows: 5517. Taking of white shark (a) Except as authorized by a permit issued pursuant to Section 1002, or as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 8599, it is unlawful to do any of the following (The above along with (1) and (2) below were the existing regulations, the amended portion begins at (3)): (1) Take any white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). (2) Use any shark bait, shark lure, or shark chum to attract any white shark. (3) Place any shark bait, shark lure, or shark chum into the water within one nautical mile of any shoreline, pier, or jetty when a white shark is either visible or known to be present. (4) Place any shark bait, shark lure, or shark chum into the water for the purpose of viewing any shark when a white shark is visible or known to be present. (b) For purposes of this section, “shark bait, shark lure, or shark chum” means any natural or manufactured product or device used to attract sharks by the sense of taste, smell, or sight, including, but not limited to, blood, fish, or other material upon which sharks may feed, and surface or underwater decoys.” This amendment can be found here.

So, if targeting sharks from pier, beach, or boat, keep in mind that CDFW officers may cite you if great whites have been recently spotted within one mile of where you are fishing.

They’re out there, so get out and get ‘em!