Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Stocking stuffer for San Diego anglers — all-around good fishing!

Calico and sand bass are both doable in their winter realms

Juvenile grouper from the courtesy dock at the Molino Viejo, San Quintin. - Image by Daniel Powell
Juvenile grouper from the courtesy dock at the Molino Viejo, San Quintin.

Dock Totals

Dec 17 – Dec 20: 709 anglers aboard 37 boats out of San Diego landings this past week (4 days) caught 246 bluefin tuna, 398 yellowtail, 54 calico bass, 16 sand bass, 1694 rockfish, 9 lingcod, 6 bonito, 61 whitefish, 101 sheephead, 45 sanddab, 3 halibut, and 5 spiny lobster.

Saltwater: Given the holiday season, it’s a bit short, as is the count, but it seems about equivalent to the first four days during the week previous. Those that made it out on the briny with one of San Diego’s finest (one of the vessels in the world’s largest live-bait sportfishing fleet) caught their share of targeted species. That’s the story. Yellowtail and bluefin tuna continue to prowl north of the border in the mid- and upper-water column near offshore high spots up toward San Clemente Island, while down low and tight to the bottom on near and offshore banks the rockfish, lingcod, and sheephead (along with good numbers of whitefish) continue to bite well.

Calico and sand bass are both doable in their winter realms if you can catch the current right, but the big seasonal swings make planning a bass excursion an important part of chance of success. Try for the ebbing swings at the top or bottom, and pick days that aren’t a large range. Fortunately, for those wanting to score some winter bass in the bay or kelp, there are offsetting days to the big tide swings with several hours of slack. That should bode well for those targeting halibut in the bay and sandy stretches between the inshore reefs outside of the jetties.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Here in San Quintin, those big high tides get the juvenile grouper going, and if you think firing up some spotties and sandies to 3 or 4 pounds is fun, try dock fishing some juvenile broomtail and gulf groupers. True, protected in the U.S., but here just 180 miles south of the South Bay there’s a north bay full of them. I have caught several dozen juvenile gulf and broomtail grouper to 6 pounds while bass fishing, and though my conservationist gene usually releases the fish, I have kept a few. It’s legal here, and by the way I know several people that have been catching and keeping every one they catch and the fish are still thick. Thus, I justify a sumptuous grouper filet wrapped in greens and baked dinner every so often. Happy holidays!

Top boats of the week:

Dec 17 – 28 anglers caught their limit of 56 bluefin tuna aboard a Pacific Queen 1.5 day trip.

Dec 18 – The New Lo-An called in with 32 yellowtail and limits of 44 bluefin tuna for the 22 anglers aboard their 1.5 day trip.

Dec 19 – The Sea Watch’s 13 anglers aboard a ½-day run caught a good mix, with 4 sand bass, 58 rockfish, 12 whitefish, and 7 sheephead in the gunnysacks upon their return to the dock. Again, the Pacific Queen strikes – their count: 15 anglers, 54 yellowtail, and limits of 30 bluefin tuna in the hold on an overnight run.

Dec 20 – 22 anglers aboard the Condor overnight run caught limits of 44 bluefin tuna.

Fish Plants:

Dec 28 - Poway, trout (1500)

Dec 29 – Santee Lakes, trout (TBD)

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Undocumented workers break for Trump in 2024

Illegals Vote for Felon
Next Article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Juvenile grouper from the courtesy dock at the Molino Viejo, San Quintin. - Image by Daniel Powell
Juvenile grouper from the courtesy dock at the Molino Viejo, San Quintin.

Dock Totals

Dec 17 – Dec 20: 709 anglers aboard 37 boats out of San Diego landings this past week (4 days) caught 246 bluefin tuna, 398 yellowtail, 54 calico bass, 16 sand bass, 1694 rockfish, 9 lingcod, 6 bonito, 61 whitefish, 101 sheephead, 45 sanddab, 3 halibut, and 5 spiny lobster.

Saltwater: Given the holiday season, it’s a bit short, as is the count, but it seems about equivalent to the first four days during the week previous. Those that made it out on the briny with one of San Diego’s finest (one of the vessels in the world’s largest live-bait sportfishing fleet) caught their share of targeted species. That’s the story. Yellowtail and bluefin tuna continue to prowl north of the border in the mid- and upper-water column near offshore high spots up toward San Clemente Island, while down low and tight to the bottom on near and offshore banks the rockfish, lingcod, and sheephead (along with good numbers of whitefish) continue to bite well.

Calico and sand bass are both doable in their winter realms if you can catch the current right, but the big seasonal swings make planning a bass excursion an important part of chance of success. Try for the ebbing swings at the top or bottom, and pick days that aren’t a large range. Fortunately, for those wanting to score some winter bass in the bay or kelp, there are offsetting days to the big tide swings with several hours of slack. That should bode well for those targeting halibut in the bay and sandy stretches between the inshore reefs outside of the jetties.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Here in San Quintin, those big high tides get the juvenile grouper going, and if you think firing up some spotties and sandies to 3 or 4 pounds is fun, try dock fishing some juvenile broomtail and gulf groupers. True, protected in the U.S., but here just 180 miles south of the South Bay there’s a north bay full of them. I have caught several dozen juvenile gulf and broomtail grouper to 6 pounds while bass fishing, and though my conservationist gene usually releases the fish, I have kept a few. It’s legal here, and by the way I know several people that have been catching and keeping every one they catch and the fish are still thick. Thus, I justify a sumptuous grouper filet wrapped in greens and baked dinner every so often. Happy holidays!

Top boats of the week:

Dec 17 – 28 anglers caught their limit of 56 bluefin tuna aboard a Pacific Queen 1.5 day trip.

Dec 18 – The New Lo-An called in with 32 yellowtail and limits of 44 bluefin tuna for the 22 anglers aboard their 1.5 day trip.

Dec 19 – The Sea Watch’s 13 anglers aboard a ½-day run caught a good mix, with 4 sand bass, 58 rockfish, 12 whitefish, and 7 sheephead in the gunnysacks upon their return to the dock. Again, the Pacific Queen strikes – their count: 15 anglers, 54 yellowtail, and limits of 30 bluefin tuna in the hold on an overnight run.

Dec 20 – 22 anglers aboard the Condor overnight run caught limits of 44 bluefin tuna.

Fish Plants:

Dec 28 - Poway, trout (1500)

Dec 29 – Santee Lakes, trout (TBD)

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

NORTH COUNTY’S BEST PERSONAL TRAINER: NICOLE HANSULT HELPING YOU FEEL STRONG, CONFIDENT, AND VIBRANT AT ANY AGE

Next Article

In-n-Out alters iconic symbol to reflect “modern-day California”

Keep Palm and Carry On?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader