San Diego’s summer offshore season is ramping up, with yellowtail building on the local kelp and banks, the first big bluefin tuna showing offshore, and calico bass and bonito filling in the inshore action. The sportboat fleet is finding fish, and the bluefin bite has anglers excited. A strong week on the Southern California coast.
What’s Hitting
Yellowtail are building on the kelp paddies, banks, and around the Coronado Islands. The first bluefin tuna are showing offshore and have the fleet running, and bluefin can run large early in the season. Calico bass and sand bass are biting on the kelp and structure, bonito are around, and the first dorado and yellowfin are not far off as the water warms.
Where to Find Them
Yellowtail are on the local kelp paddies, the banks, and around the Coronado Islands. Bluefin are offshore on the banks and in the warmer water — look for breezing fish, meter marks, and kelp paddies holding bait. Calico and sand bass are on the kelp beds and structure inshore. Bonito are around the bait. The sportboats are running offshore for the tuna.
Tides & Conditions
The yellowtail and tuna bite keys on finding bait, kelp paddies, and meter marks. Bluefin can be finicky and often bite best at first light and in low-light windows. Inshore, calicos chew the kelp on moving water. Water is warming and the offshore temperature breaks are setting up. Conditions have been good for the long runs — watch the wind for the offshore trips. The offshore temperature breaks are setting up nicely, and the calm-morning forecasts have the fleet making the long runs to the bluefin grounds.
Tackle & Tactics
Yellowtail eat surface iron, yo-yo jigs, and live bait (sardines and mackerel) around the kelp and structure. Bluefin require finesse — light fluoro, small hooks, flat-fall jigs, and the sinker rig, plus patience and stealth on the breezing fish. Calicos want swimbaits and plastics on the kelp. Match your gear to the size of the bluefin, which can be big.
This Week’s Tip
For the early bluefin, stealth and finesse win. These fish are line-shy and spooky — fish the lightest fluorocarbon you can get away with, use a small hook on a fly-lined sardine or a flat-fall jig, and approach breezing schools quietly without running right over them. The boats that ease into casting range and make a quiet presentation are the ones that hook up.