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San Diego Deep Sea Anglers Coming Home With Hefty Tuna Catches..

If you fish but think the only time you may catch 50 oto 60 pounds of of tuna stewks in one outing  is in your dreams. You’re wrong

the waning weeks of summer has seen record setting tuna catches by the party boat fleets here in San Diego.

Many of the all-day boats have tied up at the end of the day with mixed limits of yellowfin tuna, yellowtail and Dorado(aka Mahi mahi) caught not 100 miles offshore, but close enough to the San Diego Coast tha even the three quarter day boats are occassionally tying into tasty tuna schools..

The all day party boats have the tuna schools dialed in, so fishermen spend less time taking boat excursions and more time getting and keeping their lines and live bait wet.

two of my favorite party boats, the Malhini and the Producer, berthed at H&M Landing in San Diego Bay with onw tuna per rod and almost one dorado per fisherman.

H&m’s fleet catch for September 14 was: 9 boats, 214 anglers: 577 Yellowfin Tuna, 509 Yellowtail, 121 Dorado, 108 Bluefin Tuna, 90 Skipjack Tuna, 38 Bonito, 15 Barracuda, 12 Calico Bass, 2 Wahoo, 1 Sand Bass

the reason una party boats have been doing so well, this late in the season is the exceptionally. warm sea temperatures and abundant schools of bait here on the Southern California coast the favorable conditions are not limited to San Diego and [party boats based further north and fishing Catalina and San Clemente Island are also reporting exceptionally large catch numbers.

While the H&M party boat fleet has been posting red hot daily catches, the Point Loma Fleet-- further down San Diego harbor appears to be on track for a record year. for example, it’s 9/14 catch report lists 942 Yellowfin Tuna, 671 Yellowtail, 185 Calico Bass, 178 Dorado, 108 Bonito, 108 Bluefin Tuna, 95 Skipjack Tuna, 82 Rockfish, 15 Barracuda, 4 Barred Sand Bass, 3 Wahoo, 1 Sheephead, 1 Sand Bass for 350 anglers on 17 boats.

Given current catch rates, some anglers are going back to their cars with 80 pounds or more of fish.

The price of deep sea fishing out of SanDiego starts at about $45 for a half-day trip fishing the edges of the kelp beds, or  beyond and tops out at aroundand goes to $250 for overnight trips. Longer trips are more expensive. the fee for most trips includes Mexican offshore fishing permits and tackle can be rented on the boats for the fishing gear challenged.

To view daily catch reports go to to:http://www.sportfishingreport.com/pages/landingdetail.php?landing_id=23.

with a strong EL Nino predicted, the tuna could remain near off shore for several more months.

So,  grab your gear and sea sickness  patches. It’s tuna time.-- tight lines and bloody decks,Jim Forbes on 09/14/2015.

 

Early Summer And It's Still Tuna Time Off the San Diego Coast

Down here on the San Diego coast going out tuna fishing usually involves an overnight ride, nestled in a bunk listening to the big throbbing marine diesels. But  not this year, and not now.

For the last eight weeks the tuna fishing off San Diego and the entire San Diego coast has been the best in my memory, with three-quarter day boats returning to their berths with grinning anglers toting gunny sacks of skipjack, yellowfin tuna, plus large yellowtail, wahoo and the occasional bluefin tuna.

It’s hard not to over hype the 2014 summer tuna run off the Southern California coast. It’s just been insane.

Open any saltwater fisherman’s freezer around here and you’re likely to find scores of pounds of tuna steaks, destined for the backyard grill.

I grew up reading San Diego catch reports in the Los Angeles Times and in Western Outdoor News.  As soon as I read that most boats were reporting  one or two yellowtail per rod, I’d throw my fishing tackle in my car and whiz down to San Diego.

Today i live only about 35 miles from my favorite boats, down at H&M Landing and finance my appx. $100 per trip fishing hobby, out of my mad money savings account. TO save  money, I go out on weekday boats, since weekend trips cost up to $310 on some of the sport fishing vessels that work out of San Diego harbor.

I’ve fished enough to have some strong opinions about what defines a great sportfishing experience. It goes without saying that a skipper who csn put his boat on fish is highest on my list of qualifications. Experienced deck hands who take the time to coach young passengers on how to catch tuna and other game fish is also very high on my list.

This summer my two favorite boats are The Producer and the TOP Gun 80  berthed at  H&M Landing.

I have yet to have a bad experience on the Producer. It’s skipper finds fish and its deckhands are courteous and patient. the only other thing I could ask for is an on-board galley that makes great chow. The Producer’s galley hits that mark, nicely.

So, while the sun still thinks it’s still mid-summer and the water temps here in San Diego are above 70 degrees, think about hitting the docks and booking a three-quarter day trip on any of the boats at H&M Landing.

I know where I’ll be tomorrow, wearing my nifty scopolamine patches behind my ears and fishing for tuna.Tight Lines--Jim Forbes on September 7, 2014.

 

Sea Temps Rise in San Diego; I Plot to Catch More Tuna in 2014

Like a lot of Southern California fishermen, I bookmark web sites that post ocean temperatures and tide information. In particular I look at ocean temps  for the Coronado Islands off Tijuana \, the La Jolla Pier and other beaches. When the water temp gets above 65 degrees I go shopping for new fishing line, terminal gear and the various totems I think I need in my sun damaged tackle box to ensure productive fishing trips.

Growing up here, I came to associate San Diego ocean fishing with two specific species of tasty tuna family members; Yellowtail and yellowfin.

I’ve chased yellow tail schools from the Coronado Islands, north to Catalina.But most frequently, I’ve caught them using live bait near any of the many kelp forests that dot the Southern California coastline. When I think of yellowtail, I automatically imagine the thrum of a tight line coming off my beloved Penn reel and my rod tip bent as a 15-pound fish starts to run.

Yellowtail hang out in schools, so if you get hit once you stand an excellent chance of another hook up as soon as you can get a fresh bait in the water.

I have a ritual for yellowtail fishing that begins with honing a razor sharp point on my hook and carefully selecting fat active anchovies for bait..laggardly bait get a trip to the seabed where I hope they’re gobbled up by sweet meat cabazon, the infrequent lingcod or my one of my two other favorite California game fish; sanddabs and California halibut.

Going out tuna fishing on a long range boat I something I try to do once or twice a year, particularly in late summer when the albacore schools arrive.

Boatless yellowtail fishermen can get to the yellowtail schools for about $100 on party boats such as the Malhini which is based at SeaForth Landing in the San Diego bay. All of the San Diego based boats offer rod and reel rentals. A California fishing license is required for all trips in California waters. one-day licenses are offered on the boats.

Overnight and two-day Tuna fishing trips are also available on boats out of San Diego harbor. the cost of an overnight steam to the tuna grounds and back is begins at about $300 and all of the long range boats offer troopship-like berths  for up to 50 passengers.

Unless you own fishing gear capable of fighting and bringing a 50-100 pound yellowfin alongside the boat, it’s best to rent your gear on the boat. Most all of the boats have experienced deck hands who will help you land your fish and make sure you have a good time on the water.

All of the offshore fishing boats have fully stocked galleys and if you go out of San Diego don’t hesitate to order a tasty barracuda burger.

You don’t need to take an eight-hour or longer boat ride to catch dinner  from the Southern California shoreline. In fact, there are numerous spots  where you can spend as much time as you want alone with your fishing rod and your dreams.high on my list are the entrances to the several lagoons here in north San Diego County, plus Las Pulgas Beach, which adjoins Camp Pendleton on the west side of the I-5 freeway. I regularly fish several of these spots and often come home with mixed catches of sweet tasting surfperch, California halibut and yummy sand dabs.

If you want to fish the lagoons in San Diego County you need to fish from designated areas since most of the lagoons are now protected wetlands. If you have questions about where to fish the lagoons, you can call the California Department of Fish Game’s San Diego office, or ask any of the volunteers you see leading hikes.When in doubt, ask!

A valid California fishing license is required for surf fishing and  bring your own bait.--Tight lines! Jim Forbes on 06/01/2014.

Embrace Your Inner Steinbeck-- Sea of Cortez Fishing in Loreto, Baja Sur

Every year about this time, my mind wanders as waiting for schools of tasty yellowtail to swim north from the warm coast of Baja California.

If the fish won’t come to me, I think about going to the fish. And one of the best fisheries in North America isn’t very far from me, it’s just south of the Border with Mexico in Loreto, Baja Sur, Mexico. It’s hard not to have grown up in Southern California and not know about the fishing in Baja and the sleepy Mission village of Loreto on the Sea of Cortez.

Loreto isn’t Cabo San Luis or Mazatlan, it’s a nice safe little town that in my lifetime has developed a reputation as the place to go for  limits of yellowtail, pargo nd other snappers, ‘cudas, trigger fish or mackerel family members that will spool or fry your reel. Yes the fishing in Baja’s Sea of Cortez is really that good.

The first time I ever lost a reel full of expensive line and fried a reel was in Loreto. It was a life-altering experience that forged my bond with this town. I was young and didn’t understand that there are times when a used $25 fishing reel and cheap hooks are sometimes completely inadequate. I know better now

A big yellowtail inshore at Loreto taught me that lesson.

Getting to Loreto is now as easy a booking a flight on Alaska Airlines out of Los Angeles International. Alaska now offers two 737 flights a day to Loreto. It’s a short 90 minute hop down Baja from LAX to this fishing paradise. Hotel accommodations range anywhere from about $(US)55 a night for a basic room in a nice hotel to $(US) 100 a night for an upscale establishment. Don’t fret catching El Tourista in Loreto. The food is fresh and  tasty.

Every hotel in Loreto is capable of getting you on a panga from the beach out to the fishing grounds. Panga fishing is synonymous with the Loreto experience. Pangasfa are open boats so be sure to bring your sunscreen and a hat. In all the years I’ve fished Loreto; I’ve never been skunked or come back to the beach with fewer than four nice fish.

But while Loreto has a well-deserved reputation as a fishing destination, it’s also flat out beautiful and the site of marine ecological preserve and one of the oldest and prettiest  California missions, Mision de Nuestra Senora de Loreto Concho.

Loreto is full of surprises, one of which I made hiking up a stream coming down from the brown hills to the west of the town. My mellow was harshed when I saw two foot-long trout jump from a pool chasing an afternoon hatch. Trout in Baja? Si, all things are possible here.

If you go to Loreto and stay more than three days you need a visa, which is available for $24 from any Republic of Mexico consulate or embassy. In addition, a valid US passport is required for travel in an out of Mexico.

If you’re nervous about airline baggage fees, fishing tackle and gear can be rented in Mexico. More information on traveling to Loreto can be found at http://www.mexinsider.com/loreto-tourist-information.html.

Don’t forget to bring your camera, sketch pad and embrace your inner Steinbeck on the Sea of Cortez. Tight lines. Jim Forbes on April 1, 2012.

 

 

 

be still my heart, a nice loreto tasty fish

It's Early Spring and the Halibut are Here on the So Cal Coast-- Time to Spool up And Get a Line Wet

An unusually early spring, plus a sale on good fishing line has left me thinking that it’s time to get my 2012 fishing license, buy new fishing  line, plus other tackle and keen the tips of my stainless steel fishing hooks.

Although San Diego is known for its inshore yellowtail and overnight trips to the tuna grounds, it also supports a decent California halibut sport fishery. And I love catching flatties.

Halibut fishing is one of the most enjoyable things I do out on the coast. It doesn’t take a graduate degree in marine biology to target and catch California halibut. But it helps if you take a little time to understand where, when and why halibut appear.

I begin my yearly quest for flatties by driving up and down the coast. What I’m looking for are sandy beaches with kelp close to shore. My idea of an ideal beach is one where I can cast to within 20 feet of the kelp and count on a sandy bottom.

It’s taken about seven years to assemble what I think is an ideal halibut outfit: the basis of which is a nine-foot, two-piece,  rod with a medium tip, and a medium and a decent size spinning reel loaded with good 8 to 12 pound test monofilament. I make sure that the guides of my rod are clean, which helps me cast farther. Trial and error on the San Diego coast has taught me to always use wire leaders and very sharp hooks.

I use one-ounce pyramid sinkers and tie my wire leaders about one foot above the weight. From sandy beaches, I try to fish at slack water following the morning hide tide, and I use a six-foot sand spike to keep my line out of the surf. One of the shortcomings of fishing here in San Diego is the near absence of live bait such a anchovies in tackle stores. So I’ve learned to be content with frozen ‘chovies. I change bait frequently.

Besides, I think it’s good karma to give my unused bait at the end of the day to the gulls.

There are a couple of under fished halibut spots on the Orange and San Diego County coasts. One of my favorites is sandy beach on the coast in Torrey Pines near the Hilton, and Las Pulgas Beach at Camp Pendleton. Further up the coast, the north end of Crystal Cove State Beach is another productive spot to try your luck.

If you’re Driving Southbound to San Diego on I-5, I have another suggestion; look for lagoons that open to the Pacific then figure out how to get to the sandy beaches near the rail road trestles that span the lagoon openings. There are four such places between San Diego and San Clemente and they are the only spots on the southern coast where I and other fishermen have consistently caught strings of flatties. The thing about inlet fishing is: you want to try to get your gear just beyond the outflow channels and keeping your rig in place may require a heavy sinker.

It’s spring the halibut are inshore, plus they’re hungry, so string up with good line, use wire leaders and keep your hooks sharp. The minimum overall size limit for California halibut is 22 inches and the daily bag limit is five fish (south of Monterey County). A valid CA sport fishing license is required. Tight lines—Jim Forbes on 02/25/2012.

 

 

Spooling up for 2011 Halibut Fishing-- Its Spring and the Flatties are Hungry and Horny

 
 

There are few things I like more than halibut fishing and Spring is when halibut here on the Southern California coast  are hungry and horny.
On a good day,Brown flatties  test your skill, and fishing tackle. On a bad day they test your patience and sometimes make you wish you’d taken up golf.My approach to halibut fishing is that of an experienced observational angler.
I cheat: I mark the locations on a map of the southern California coast where I've caught them in the past, and I note weather, water and tides on the map. That map lives in a plastic bag in my smelly tackle box.
Over the last eight years I've managed to routinely get decent legal California Halibut into my boat  and developed an appreciation for making sure I use the right terminal tackle when I’m stalking flatties.
The quickest way for me to reevaluate golf as a substitute hobby for fishing is when: I’m looking at 25 yards of expensive monofilament disappearing into the surf line, get a hit, start smoothly cranking, feel the fish  begin to fight, get it close enough to the shore (to see that it’s a legal sized, 24-inch,fish) and have the line go slack.
Oops. I forgot to use wire leader-- something I do at least once every couple of years.
My love of halibut fishing was fueled early in my youth by seeing 36-inch or larger halibut caught by family members.There are few species here in Southern California that fight like a flatty, or which taste as good.
And there still here, if you know where to fish and don’ forget to use the right bait or lure and always remember to use wire leader as part of your terminal tackle.
One of my favorite places to fish for halibut is aboard Camp Pendleton at Red Beach and Crystal Cove, in Orange County, south of Newport Beach offf the Pacific Coast Highway (“PCH”).
Camp Pendleton’s Las Pulgas (aka “Red”) Beach is under utilized and is a pristine halibut fishery. It’s also one of the prettiest camping areas in California.. It’s inner tidal zone is sandy with just enough structure to make your basic ambush feeding flatty very happy.   
The trick here is to get your bait or lure just beyond or in the surfline. I heave one and half ounce surf lead with four feet of leader connected to a whole shank-hooked anchovy. No bait is available at this  beach , so bring your own. I've had as much success in the last three years throwing a green and white spoon with a number two hook as I have had with bait  Also,  every flatty I’ve caught here or up the coast at Crystal Cove State park, has been on slack water right before an ebb flow in about ten feet of water.
Red beach is part of Camp Pendleton. to reach it take the Las Pulgas Road off ramp off of I-5 between Oceanside and San Clemency , CA) .
For more information on or camping permits for Las Pulgas beach call  the Camp Pendleton Duty Game Warden at (760) 725-3586 NO EARLIER THAN 1730 (5:30 P.M.) THURSDAY prior to a weekend to determine if the beaches are “open” for camping.  The Duty Game Warden is the ONLY individual who has the correct up-to-date information on whether the beach is open or closed.  Military policemen at entrance gates do not have this information.   Bee aware that beach areas may be restricted or closed at anytime due to military training requirements.  Therefore, campers are advised to phone the Duty Warden prior to leaving their residence in order to get the most up-to-date information
Warning; if you’re fishing Red beach in limited visibility and hear what sounds like one or more DC10’a and heavy machinery, reel in quickly and find a place nearby where you’re easily seen. This beach is often used by the Marines to practice amphibious assaults so it’s not uncommon to see giant air cushion or tracked landing craft lumbering ashore here. If you’re asked to leave by members of the Marine Shore Party. do so using the exit paths shown.
 
Crystal Cove crystal cove map-- is where I really learned to enjoy surf fishing as a kid, is my other favorite halibut fishery. you need to bring your own bait.this California state park has everything a growing halibut wants: basic structure, sandy bottom and a surplus of tasty bait; including surf perch. Crystal cove is also the location of my biggest ever California Halibut sighting. While snorkeling just beyond the surf I noticed an irregular shape nestled down on the sand. I suspect the fish was 42 to 48 inches long and at least 45 pounds. i deeply regretted not having a spear with me. Snorkeling any beach where you intend to fish regularly for Halibut is a great idea because it lets you visualize the bottom and examine the fishery.
There are a couple of other great halibut fisheries on the Southern California coast. Highest on my list are Zuma beach in Malibu and the small sandy beaches between Oceanside and Carlsbad.
So don’t wait for the warm summer sun. It’s almost Spring so re-spool your reels with good medium weight monofilament, sharpen your hooks and don’t forget your wire leader and a pair fishing pliers. It’s halibut time on the Southern California coast--Jim ”Gone Fishing” Forbes- on 02/21/2011.

Here They Come, Finnig up the Kelp-- Hey, Hey It's the Yellowtail off San Diego Now

From this morning's Ocean Fishing Catch Report in the San Diego Union Tribune:

Pt. Loma Sportfishing, H&M Landing, Fisherman's Landing: 19 anglers, two three-quarter day boats: 6 yellowtail, 12 calico bass, 7 barracuda

It's the beginning of the yellowtail season in San Diego.  grab your gear,buy a half scoop from either of the Everingham Brothers' Bait barges and head out to the kelp beds. My bet: the yellowtail catch soars over this weekend.

Off to the kep forest this afternoon--Jim Forbes 05/13/2009

Spring Time and the halibut Are Right Here Off Southern California

Warm mornings here in San Diego inspre me to get ready for the 2009 salt water fishing season.  Although newspaper fishing reports show that the majority of the early season catch are still limited to rock fish and the infrequent ling cod, experience has taught me that it’s about time to start fishing for halibut.

Hooking a 10-pound or larger halibut is a lot of fun.  They’re strong swimmers, and capable of turning a simple cast with a live anchovy on a two- point drop weight into an experience you’ll remember for the rest of the season. And, no one turns down free fresh halibut steaks.

A basic understanding of what type of bottom halibut prefer can turn a stop and drop boat trip into a productive day of halibut fishing. Halibut seem to prefer sandy bottoms and feed on changing tides. Three very productive halibut fisheries are right here in Southern California, off the San Diego and Orange County coasts.

In San Diego County, I’ve had considerable success fishing just off the inlet that connects a series of lagoons near Carlsbad and Del Mar with the Pacific Ocean.

Another good place to find keeper flatties is between the inshore kelp beds and the beach at the Torrey Pines Hilton.

Up on the Orange County Coast, the northern edge of the state park at Crystal Cove is a noteworthy halibut fishery, and it’s possible to catch  keeper halibuts there from the beach.

Spring time and halibut fishing is the perfect combination to kick off a new fishing season, I’ll be out this week, just as soon as I load up my reel with new line and buy some new wire leaders. Tight lines—Jim Forbes 03/19/2009.

Watching the Sea Temps Rise-- Waiting on the 2009 Yelllowtail Run, Along with The Seals.

As Spring daytime temps slowly inch upward, I spend a couple of minutes a day logged on to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s buoy weather and sea temp network, checking sea states and temperatures for San Diego. It’s a past time that leaves me hopeful enough to get my boat ready for the coming offshore yellowtail and tuna season— still several months away given low sea temps.

Growing up in east Los Angeles County, fishing San Diego waters was an occasional thing. I’d spend Thursday mornings looking over the Los Angeles Times Sport Fishing Reports drooling over stats showing high catch rates on all-day or overnight boats with light passenger loads. Occasionally, I’d arrange to take acouple of vacation days and head down to San Diego

to get a birth on an overnight albacore trip. I was seldom disappointed. And, I developed a taste for fresh smoked albacore.

Now, I live in San Diego and I’m much smarter about when and under what conditions I go fishing.  More importantly, I also have my own boat and I now understand that if the sea temps are right around 70 degrees ,the bait fish are fining around the kelp beds that stretch from Ocean Beach to Torrey Pines, it’s time to hook the boat up, check to make sure the gas tank is filled and the drain plug firmly seated and get out on the water.

One of the big joys in my life, is trolling up the kelp beds and seeing my rod tip fly downward, and hearing the line go zipping off my line. There’s nothing quite like a the sensation of a tasty yellow tail screeching three or four yards of monofilament from your reel as you work the fish closer to the side of your boat. And as you manfully fight the fish in, you sometimes feel unseen eyes watching.

Then just as you reach down with your net, you senses are overwhelmed by  blast of warm fishy smelling breath and watch a five-foot seal or even larger sea lion grab your fish and take off.I swear a little when it happens but end up smiling. The idea of a cunning predator that knows its lunch is but minutes away as it hides under my boat is just part of the mystique of San Diego offshore fishing.

The sea tamps need to come up about 18 degrees, and according to the fishing reports, the yellowtail schools are still about 120 miles south of me off the Baja California coast. But soon they’ll be here and when they are, my outboard will be tuned, I’ll have new 15-pound test on my favorite rod and reel and I’ll be out there in my Panga, catching yellowtail for the local pinipeds.—Jim Forbes 03/08/2009.

Oh the Karma !; Failed Ying Yang Tie Dyes and Sartorial Elegance-- at the Bait Barge

Tie-dying doesn’t always yield success and great looking clothing. Sometimes, it takes several tries to tie a pattern correctly and then guess what colors to use.

Case in point: the supposedly simple Ying yang pattern, which starts out as two opposite small swirls offset from each other. I had great plans for this pattern until this evening when –after setting for 24 hours—I washed my shirts.

My first attempt was a yellow red ying yang combo. Wrong choice. I ended up with a yellow top and a red bottom with a barely discernable red swirl pattern.

Looking at the finished shirts, I can see where I need to make tighter swirls and learn to carefully follow the folds,  and only dye about one half of the swirled circles. I also think I’ll use a resist agent to separate the patterns on the next bunch of two shirts I dye.  Come to think of it, a plain white barrier between the ying and yang would like nice.

Finally, my choice of colors for this pattern are wrong,  I shouldn’t use dark primary or compounded colors, but instead go for somewhat vibrant (but color wheel opposite) pastels.

The nice thing about my hobby is that it’s less expensive than golf, somewhat rewarding, and your failures are just as wearable as your successes. No one cares, however, when you warp and tie off at the San Diego Bay bait barge here. Beside, the fish don’t care that the pattern of your tie dyed t-shirt isn’t precisely executed.  The seagulls at the barge, do notice the colors and scream their encouragement as they dive bomb your boat with fresh poop.—Jim Forbes on 02/12/2008.