(left): World record holder Donna Pascoe with her massive 907-pound Pacific bluefin tuna. Yes, this is the same species that we catch off the west coast.
(right): A slow first night of hooping on the Alicia did produce this large spiny lobster with a total of four lobster kept and 35 rock crab. The Alicia will be running hoop trips through the season.

Dock Totals 9/22– 9/28: 3558 anglers aboard 157 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 2777 bluefin tuna (up to 90 pounds), 133 bocaccio, 974 bonito, 1 cabezon, 471 calico bass, 7 halibut, 40 lingcod, 2 mako shark, 37 rock crab, 2821 rockfish, 148 sand bass, 1489 sculpin, 206 sheephead, 4 spiny lobster (14 released), 1 striped marlin, 1144 whitefish, 6 yellowfin tuna, and 110 yellowtail.

Saltwater: While out on a 3-Day run with 27 anglers aboard last Sunday, the Legend reported one striped marlin caught along with 88 bluefin tuna and 5 yellowtail. That makes 5 stripers caught (two released) in an eight-day period by the full day to three-day fleet. Certainly not a common occurrence so close to San Diego, but not much about this season seems common in our ever-changing fisheries. 

Bluefin are continuing to bite well, with some still showing off Ensenada and the Coronado Islands, while the bulk of those caught have been out past San Clemente Island. That bite is now centering on the area northwest of the Tanner and Cortez banks, making for a long 120-mile boat ride to get to them. These fish are still within range of 1.5-day runs, and though the top end of the size of these fish has halved to just under 100-pounds, many anglers are getting their limit of two, and without too many 200-pounders around, there have been fewer lost fish. Still, it is best to be prepared, so recommended tackle includes a 25 to 30-pound flyline rod for the smaller surface feeders in daylight hours, a 60 to 80-pound sinker rig for up and down fishing with jigs, and an 80 to 100-pound rail rod setup especially for the nighttime bite on the larger units. 

Yellowtail numbers dropped dramatically as did the yellowfin tuna bite that briefly erupted off Ensenada, signaling the end of the summer pelagic fishing with turn toward rockfish season. Note that from October 1 through December 31, shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod can only be taken in water deeper than the 50-fathom line. 

So the pelagic season is shifting, other than the endothermic bluefin, that is. Bluefin tuna can handle sharper temperature changes and cooler water, and given their years-long migration patterns, they are always out there off northern Baja and California. While most other species come and go seasonally, bluefin migrate over every year from the Sea of Japan and stay up to five years until around 300-pounds. They then return to their spawning grounds in the western Pacific and do not come back to this side of the ocean after their first spawn but instead remain across the ‘pond’ where they range from Japan to New Zealand, where they often mix in with southern bluefin. 

An interesting aside on that is any southern bluefin tuna submitted as a line class or overall world record to the International Gamefish Association (IGFA) must be DNA tested to assure it is not a Pacific bluefin. Pacific bluefin grow to nearly one-thousand pounds, whereas southern get to about half that. Yes, the bluefin we are catching off California are all pre-spawn juveniles or young adults. They have the largest range of all tunas and can handle water as cold as 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Their endothermic system allows them the ability to dive quickly to depths exceeding 1,800 feet, which adds to their fighting strength as most other species would have a heart attack from the rapid decline in water temperature through the water column. 

The world record Pacific bluefin tuna is 907-pounds, caught off New Zealand by Donna Pascoe in 2014. The California state record bluefin tuna is 395-pounds, 6-ounces, caught in 2021 off Tanner Bank by Lloyd Sparks. As Pacific bluefin (often called ‘northern Pacific bluefin) are from one stock and one spawning area, the great discrepancy in size of those two records points to their pre and post spawn ranges. Given they need very warm water to spawn, it is highly unlikely we will see any caught near the weight of Donna Pascoe’s record. 

The three species of bluefin tuna are nearly identical in appearance (thus the DNA test needed for a record southern), though they range greatly in size. Atlantic bluefin can reach over 1,500-pounds, with the world record all-tackle fish weighing 1,495-pounds, caught in 1978 off the coast of Nova Scotia by Ken Fraser, and the record southern bluefin weighed in at 369-pounds, 4-ounces, was caught off the coast of Tartha, Australia by angler Phil Body in 2009. So, when out on a boat out of San Diego and a four-gaff 300-pounder is being hoisted through the gate, just know that is a pre-spawn young adult and about 600-pounds shy of a Pacific bluefin’s potential size.

It's getting buggy out there. Several reports from kayakers and boaters have shown a good start to the season over the weekend. Although they caught mostly rock crab and only 4 bugs on their first trip, the Alicia found some large ones in the mix. As the Jig Strike went down off the Cortez Bank last month and was the only other open party boat that would run hoop trips, folks might want to book early as the nightly trips by the Alicia are selling out fast. These trips run from 6pm to 11pm and cost $105. Whether the beach, bay, lake, or offshore, they’re out there so go out and get ‘em!