The year 2018's run of bluefin tuna and offshore kelp paddie
yellowtail has rolled right into year 2019 as there are bluefin tuna
being seen and biting in spots in an area ranging from the oil rigs in
the Catalina Channel on down to the area of Carlsbad Canyon. You can now
add skipjack to the list of what is biting in the new year as it is
Friday morning, Jan. 4, 2019 and a couple of Skippers have reported
catching skipjack to 12 pounds while trolling the offshore waters off
Camp Pendleton.
The region of the oil rigs in the Catalina Channel has produced some
bluefin action and there has also been bluefin action reported from the
offshore waters outside of Newport Harbor and Crystal Cove. Further
south, an area where some bluefin have been biting has been while
fishing offshore waters between Oceanside and the Carlsbad Canyon. Other
areas where bluefin have been reported seen during the past week or so
have been the offshore waters off Solana Beach, the 9 Mile Bank and
around the Ridge below the 181 Spot.
Kelp paddie
yellowtail have been biting in an area ranging from Box Canyon on down
to the offshore waters outside of Leucadia. Most of the bluefin action
along the coast has been found within 3 to 7 miles of the coastline and
the kelp paddie yellowtail activity has been coming from paddies found
between 3 and 12 miles off the coast.
This
morning, a private boater Skipper reported catching a 55-pound bluefin
while drifting a sardine over some meter marks found outside of south
Oceanside and there has been some other bluefin action found in an area
ranging from this same area on down to the Carlsbad Canyon. On Thursday,
the upper edge of the Carlsbad Canyon was a hotspot with several
bluefin being caught by stopping on spots of foaming fish, breaking fish
and puddling fish and drifting with sardines.
The kelp paddie yellowtail have ranged in size from very small throwback
sized fish up to around 12 pounds. This morning a private boater
Skipper who was fishing outside of Box Canyon reported catching 7 of the
"keeper" sized yellowtail from a large kelp paddie that he found while
fishing about 10 miles off the coast.
No reports
about marlin lately, but with the 62 to 63+ degree water that is still
around in some offshore areas it would not surprise if there were still a
few marlin around.
There has not been much news
coming from the Coronado Islands lately but the few reports have been of
a mix of bonito, yellowtail, reds and assorted rockfish biting. The Malihini
out of H&M Landing fished the Coronados on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018
and had a fish count of 25 anglers on a full day trip catching 200
rockfish, 35 reds, 5 calico bass, 1 sand bass, 1 sheephead, 3 lingcod,
18 bonito and 1 yellowtail. The San Diego
out of Seaforth Sportfishing fished the Coronados on Sunday, Dec. 30,
2018 and had a fish count of 27 anglers catching 100 reds, 33 bonito and
34 yellowtail.
The best chances at finding
surface fishing action around the Coronados have been while fishing off
the weather side of North Island and at the Middle Grounds. Good areas
for rockfish have been at the South Kelp Ridge while fishing in 25 to 40
fathoms of water and at the hard bottom areas to the north and
northwest of North Island while fishing in 35 to 45 fathoms of water.
Anglers fishing on the United States side of the Mexico border need to
keep in mind that the annual 2 month rockfish/groundfish closure went
into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. Anglers seeking to fish for the
rockfish/groundfish species effected by the closure need to go to
Mexican waters to fish for those species during the closure period.
The fishing along the San Diego area coast is providing a mix of sand
bass, calico bass and sculpin and has also been producing a few halibut
and bonito. There are occasional sightings of yellowtail and anglers are
hopeful that a winter time yellowtail bite might develop some time
soon.
Hard bottom and structure areas have been
best for the bass and sculpin and the best areas for a chance at finding
bonito action have been while fishing outside of Imperial Beach, by the
Whistler Buoy at Point Loma, outside of the Green Tank at Point Loma,
outside of Point Loma College and outside of the upper end of La Jolla.
On Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, there was a private boater who found good
fishing for 6- to 10-pound bonito while fishing a short way above the
Mexico border off Imperial Beach. At the time of his report he had
caught 7 of the large bonito and was still fishing. He was finding the
bonito action on trolled Rapalas.
There have been
a few halibut biting in coastal areas. Some productive halibut areas
include the sandy bottom near the Aliso Pipeline off South Laguna Beach,
the sandy bottom off South Ponto Beach, the sandy bottom next to the
structure of the sunken NEL Tower located outside of Mission Beach, the
sandy bottom next to the structure of the Yukon Shipwreck located
outside of Mission Beach, San Diego Bay and while fishing sandy bottom
areas outside of the Imperial Beach Pier.
* * *
It is my goal to provide you timely and accurate information in these
reports containing news from right off the water. If you require more
details that include the specific location of where significant catches
have been made, I refer you to the daily Member’s Reports at www.976bite.com
. Those Member’s Reports contain additional specifics that include
latitude and longitude coordinates and other descriptive references
about where and how fish are being caught. Make the most efficient use
of your precious time on the water with the use of timely and accurate
information.
• • • • •
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