Better weather and biting bluefin

June 21, 2021

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Screen Shot 2021-06-21 at 3.14.04 PM — STEVE CARSON of Carlsbad landed this nice 115-pound bluefin tuna during a 2.5-day trip aboard the Vagabond out of Point Loma Sportfishing. A 170-gram Williamson Kensaki Jig did the trick.

BY MERIT McCREA

SAN DIEGO — Over the weekend, bluefin catches climbed as the primary area moved to within just 30 miles of Point Loma. The grade remained all-time with fish from 30 to over 200 pounds, with the bulk of the catch above 50, and a quarter or so over 100 pounds.

Tackle techniques for the larger fish switched from Flat-Fall and knife-type irons on 80- to sinker rigs on 60-pound tackle. There were some fly-line bites too, fishing lighter line when a school of daylight biting “smaller” fish was stopped.

Capt. Markus Medak of the New Lo-An at Point Loma Sportfishing posted, “We started our trip off with a bang, hooking a round of 80- to 150-pound bluefin. As is usual, not all of the hook-ups turned into tally marks on our fish count, but after a few missed opportunities we scratched away on quality bluefin throughout most of the day. By quitting time we ended up with 30 bluefin, the majority of which were 40 to 60 pounds with a half dozen standouts from 80 to 150.”

A PAIR OF grumpy sand bass for Davina Salerno aboard the Dolphin out of Fisherman’s Landing.

It was an incredible weekend.

Local fishing was all about the surface fishing bite with bass a big part of the picture, especially sand bass. With 29 anglers aboard, the Daily Double put 70 keeper sand bass and 8 more calico on deck on the a.m. run. The Point Loma, with 17 fishing found calico instead, 52 plus a few other fish too.
The New Seaforth’s Saturday evening twilight connected with almost 80 keeper calicos.

Up out of Oceanside Harbor, the primary producers were the bottom grabbers on local 3/4-day runs. The Chubasco II turned in rockfish limits for 10 Friday. Local bass bit too but most were released it seems. The Southern Cal put back 60 calico keeping 5 for 12 anglers Sunday afternoon on half-day.

Helgren’s Oceanside Sportfishing did not post their catches this past week.