(left): Quality long range wahoo fishing down south at Alijos Rocks for anglers on the Red Rooster III
(right): Captain Juan Cook beating the heat while fishing the cool water trend with a nice average ‘slug’ San Martin Island calico bass

Dock Totals 8/18– 8/24: 4329 anglers aboard 188 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 82 barracuda, 1747 bluefin tuna (up to 190 pounds), 85 bonito, 1 cabezon, 2323 calico bass, 1 dorado, 10 halibut, 4 lingcod, 1 opah, 600 rockfish, 318 sand bass, 38 sculpin, 160 sheephead, 1 skipjack tuna, 1 soupfin shark, 1 striped marlin, 15 triggerfish, 223 whitefish, 20 white seabass, 9 yellowfin tuna, and 3307 yellowtail.

Saltwater: Numbers of anglers, trips, and most species dropped this past week during somewhat normal full moon phase-type fishing. Bluefin tuna have been biting well out around the Cortez and Tanner banks along with some yellowtail in the mix. Yellowtail, white seabass, and calico bass have been consistent for boats working the coast into Mexican waters off northern Baja, while long range trips to Alijos Rocks and the Hurricane Bank have been catching wahoo and yellowfin tuna in typical late-summer, long-range action on 8-day plus trips down south.

There are still some bluefin outside from the Corner south, but that bite has slowed and is more offshore paddy yellowtail, some yellowfin, few dorado so far, and even an odd skipjack. Pangeros working inside along the coastal kelp and around the Coronado Islands south to Isla San Martin have been whacking white seabass, calico bass, yellowtail, and halibut. Given the cool Pacific onshore and how hot it has been inland and in the southwest U.S., this is a great time to visit the cool water trend from Ensenada down to San Quintin. Inshore fisheries are heating up, and when conditions allow, offshore runs to the banks can be very productive for tuna.

In a year where several marlin have been caught off California north to Dana Point, one would think we’d see more dorado. Their scarcity might be more due to weather patterns, as we have yet to see a storm form off Mexico and turn north along Baja rather than just spin off to the west. As of this writing, there have not been any swell events in Baja Sur thus far, but it is still early in the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Hone is causing a fuss, skirting south of the Big Island; Gilma is halfway to Hawaii and expected to downgrade; while in her wake but far west offshore, a larger system is forming with a 90 percent chance of becoming a major storm named Hector. 

Hector, like his siblings, will keep heading west-northwest and have no effect on our fishery off southern California and Baja. Last year’s H storm, Hilary, spun north along Baja, driving warm water and pelagic species along with her. Though she remained mostly offshore, Hilary grew into a category 4 storm after grazing the tip of the Vizcaino Peninsula and Cedros Island. She then was downgraded to a tropical storm before making landfall in San Quintin. 

In spite of much scoffing at the warnings for a named storm hitting Southern California, Hilary caused a lot of damage in Baja and southwestern states in the US. Three lives were lost, and flood damage was extensive in northern Baja California. In the U.S., Arizona alone suffered an estimated 900 million dollars. This time last year on ½- to 3-day boats, there were over a thousand dorado and several hundred yellowfin caught each week in August. Also this time last year, there were fewer white seabass, barracuda, and other cooler water species that we see more of in spring and early summer. 

Hurricanes help heat up the fishing, and, though dangerous, we can use the occasional northbound storm, preferably offshore and otherwise gentle to all things human. A bit of churning can be good for a fishery. Surfers, too, are probably chomping at the bit for a nice south swell. We do not look forward to storms for their often-devastating effects, but we look for the positives when the storms eventually come.

Hurricanes aside, full moon phases also affect fishing on the beach. Catching the right spot in the steep tide swings can often make a difference, with access to holes normally hard to reach for shore anglers on the low end, and foraging fish coming in close on the high end. When the lulls going into a low or high tide line up with sunrise or sunset, especially, it seems to get real good — at least in my experience. 

Often, the fast part of an incoming or outgoing tide seems to dampen the bite, due to surging currents. But then again, as with rip tides and finding a slot alongside, eddies can produce when it is otherwise slow due to rough conditions. Still, normally — whether fishing from the beach, boat, or kayak — I try to target a window during the four hours or so leading into and during the peak or valley of a high or low tide. When the tide begins rushing in or out, I’m normally done fishing — unless I know of some eddies worth checking. 

When fishing the kayak, I plan my launches to use the tide swing to get to spots to fish, then the reverse flow to get back to the launch. Especially when fishing in bays or traveling in or out through narrow channels at bay mouths, the current can be your friend or your enemy. If your timing is poor and you end up battling current (and/or wind) both ways, it can make what could have been a great day into a long and grueling one.