This week off San Diego the offshore water is where the whole season lives. Warm water has pushed up the line, the kelp paddies are holding fish, and the bluefin are still available for boats willing to put in the time and run. Late August is peak season here — the multi-day fleet is booked, the private boats are running, and the only real limiting factor is how far you are willing to go.
What’s Hitting
Bluefin tuna remain the headline on the offshore banks, with a wide range of sizes and the usual pattern of night-time and gray-light windows producing best. Dorado are on the kelp paddies in good numbers, and yellowfin are mixed in on the warmer water. Yellowtail are holding at the Coronado Islands and on the hard structure inshore. Calico bass are on the kelp lines and the boiler rock, and inshore anglers are getting halibut on the sand.
Where to Find Them
The offshore banks — the 302, the 43 and the Tanner and Cortes area for longer runs — have been the bluefin water. Look for meter marks and foamers at gray light. Kelp paddies anywhere in 300 to 1,000 feet of water are worth stopping on for dorado; the ones with a lot of growth hold the most fish. Yellowtail are at the Coronados and on the ridges south of Point Loma. Calicos are on the La Jolla and Point Loma kelp, and halibut are on the sand edges in the bay and along the beaches.
Tides & Conditions
Tidal range is moderate this week off the waxing moon, which matters more inshore than offshore. Offshore water temperature is running in the upper 60s to low 70s with warmer breaks farther out. Morning conditions have been light with the afternoon wind filling from the west — the offshore runs are best started very early. Fog has been a factor on some mornings inside the islands. Swell has been modest.
Tackle & Tactics
For bluefin, come prepared with a range: a 30- to 40-pound flylined sardine outfit, a heavier 60- to 100-pound setup for the bigger fish, and a jig stick with a knife jig for the deep meter marks. Fluorocarbon leaders and small hooks matter enormously on picky fish. For dorado on the paddies, a 20- to 25-pound outfit with a flylined sardine is all you need — approach the paddy quietly and cast past it. Yellowtail want a heavy jig or a live mackerel fished near the bottom on 40-pound gear.
Local Intel This Week
The Shelter Island launch ramp is the main public launch and handles trailers well, the Dana Landing ramp serves Mission Bay, and the Chula Vista ramp gives access to the south bay. Landing boats out of Point Loma and Fisherman’s Landing are running everything from half-day to multi-day trips. Fish are concentrating on floating structure and temperature breaks offshore, and on hard structure inshore. If you are fishing Mexican waters at the Coronados or beyond, a Mexican fishing license is required for every angler; check current California DFW and Mexican regulations before keeping any fish.
This Week’s Tip
On a kelp paddy, the first cast is everything. Shut down well up-current and let the boat drift to the paddy rather than idling right up on it. Dorado will come out to a bait fifty feet from the kelp — but only if the boat has not already pushed them under it.
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