BY MERIT McCREA
SAN DIEGO — Despite winter’s first blast having already significantly cooled coastal waters the offshore bite south of the border remains intact. There’s been a bit of a shift late in the week so Sunday saw the fleet spread a little deeper south. But most of the week there were boat limits of yellowfin landed. There were yellowtail too.
That bite continued to be all about finding that lucky kelp.
The big bluefin out in the cup between the outer banks continued to show, but bites continued to be a lot harder to get since the big winds two weeks ago. Most of what was seen was that 130- to 180-pound class stuff, according to Danny Wade of H&M Landing.
Tackle tips from Heather Ferrari of H&M remained the same for the Mexican waters kelp paddy bite. It’s 20- or 25-pound class tackle for those ‘tails and tuna on kelps. However, when it chews those fish will bite a lot heavier tackle at times.
Live bait was best as usual for this bite. Saturday the word was yellowtail were vicious, grabbing baits before tuna had a shot.
For H&M’s fleet, Saturday saw both their overnight boats, the Old Glory and the Mustang, pull full limits of yellowtail plus a couple lingering dorado.
For the week their total was 1,280 yellows and 580 yellowfin. The top trip was perhaps Wednesday when 30 anglers aboard the Old Glory packed on 50 yellowtail, 134 yellowfin tuna and 7 dorado, which maxed their Mexican limits for the trip.
Ferrari said the Mustang will be running 2- and 3-day trips targeting the bluefin, the Relentless is on 1.75-days while the Old Glory and Grande remain on overnight and full-day runs also.
Over at Point Loma Sportfishing the fleet continued to tackle those bluefin out west. The Game Changer came back from a 2-day with their 6 anglers having tamed 9 bluefin.
Of the 4 bluefin brought in aboard the El Capitan Sunday morning, one hit the scales at 140 pounds and another tipped it at 156.
At press time the T-bird was on a 2-day and had limits of yellowfin plus 20 dorado their first day.
Out of Fisherman’s Landing Sunday saw the Pacific Queen dock from their 1.5-day with 14 bluefin with 5 topping 140 pounds, one at 200.
The Tomahawk had 4 from 150 to 190. All came on the sinker rigs on live sardines deep. Friday the Condor had 4 trophy bluefin, one at 175 pounds and 3 at 180.
Out of Seaforth the San Diego was back from a full-day stopping on kelps offshore. They found biters on 3 of them and totaled 161 yellowtail for their 34 fishing.
The Pacifica was also on the schedule as was the Tribute, tackling limits of yellowtail down south or trying for bluefin on 1.5-day and longer runs.
As for the local trips, coastal cods were the target and half-day results were up to the 3/4-limit mark on the cods.
