BY MERIT McCREA
SAN DIEGO – Offshore bluefin fishing has hit prime-time with fish to be found throughout the Bight. It’s now the Captain’s choice as to which direction to run. There were 100 to 200 pounders spotted splashing a few miles beyond the backside of Catalina Island, some spotted south of Santa Rosa Island, a fair amount of fleet effort in the deep basin between Catalina, SBI, Nick, and SCI, fish seen closer to the front side of San Clemente Island and the Mackerel Bank, more new fish including a greater number of “school sized” bluefin have pushed north to near the inner Butterfly and according to the crews on the party boats, foamers with fish biting the surface lures, poppers etc.
The spread of fish extends down below the border of course, and as is typical, the newer arrivals include more 25- to 40-pound class fish in the mix. And, these fish are a bit more willing to bite during the daytime, perhaps just a bit more catchable on the line-class that any bluefin is willing to bite during daylight hours.
That is kind of born out by the fact the big fish do bite during the day too, just not a fly-lined sardine on a 4/0 hook and 80 needed to land one. It takes trolling the spreader bar or fishing the kite to obscure the heavy gear needed to land one.
The 6-pack and private boaters fishing the bigger fish that are in the northern Bight have continued to hook fish that way, while the partyboat anglers are focusing on the deep jigging at night when targeting the larger 70- to almost 200-pound class fish.
A heavier but smaller jig, like a knife, flatfall, bomb, sinker makes quickly getting into the strike zone and holding there a bit easier. So does fishing braided line marked at 100-foot intervals like Izorline’s MC braid.
Skippers call the depths of the school, often 200 to 450 feet under the hull and knowing how much line you have out and watching the angle helps keep the jig where it needs to be, as anglers drop and wind through the schools hoping to catch the attention of a willing and curious quarry.
Recent 1-day dock counts have topped 1,400 bluefin. Running south to southwest from Point Loma finds the fish at their closest approach to San Diego, and within easy 1-day range. However, there are overnight boats for ports all the way up to San Pedro – 22nd Street Landing, that are running tuna targeting trips and connecting.
For anglers heading offshore for bluefin tuna, there are also a fair number of kelp paddy yellowtail being encountered. The bait has been a mix of large anchovies with a few sardines in recent weeks and some trips have left the dock with almost all anchovy in the tanks.
With this in mind, in addition to the 40- to 100-pound class tackle, it’s a good idea to add some smaller circle and J-hooks, some small pinch-on/twist-on sinkers and a solid 20- to 30-pound stick. If you’re a jig tosser, the long rod too.
In other offshore action there are long range trips fishing the Baja offshore banks with continued great success. The bulk of the catch continued to be 40- to 80-pound yellowfin tuna and 20- to 40-pound yellowtail plus a few wahoo now too.
At this writing this writer is aboard the boat Searcher, southbound on an 8 dayer. Interestingly a lot of the live bait that was loaded this morning was 8- to 9-inch sardines.
