Here's something you might be interested in.
Fish report: First bluefin of the season for the Polaris Supreme
Plus Catfish Opener at Santee Lakes and Day at the Docks 2025
Map for 2025 Day at the Docks
Dock Totals 3/30 – 4/5: 1055 anglers aboard 39 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 14 bocaccio, 2 calico bass, 7 halibut (5 released), 151 lingcod, 2773 rockfish, 86 sand bass, 60 sanddab, 334 sculpin, 6 sheephead, 785 whitefish, and 8 yellowtail.
Saltwater: As of April 1, rockfish are back on the menu for SoCal anglers, which explains the jump in both rockfish caught and number of anglers. As the first half of the rockfish season will be in 300 feet or less, the local half-day boats are able to get on them close to home. This gives anglers a less expensive option for getting out on the water; plus, they'll have much better odds for loading the freezer without having to drop as deep as they will in the latter half of the season, when the allowable depth will be between 300 and 600 feet.
A couple nice rockfish caught aboard the Dolphin on a local half-day run as the season kicks off on the shallow side of 300 feet.
This is the first week of 2025 that we're seeing over 1000 anglers. The Dolphin, Premier, Daily Double and the rest of the short-run fleet should see much more traffic through spring and into summer. And the opening of rockfish should give a break to sand bass and sculpin — the pressure on those species has been heavy during the January-March rockfish closure.
Those bluefin everyone keeps seeing off the northern Baja coast? Well, the Polaris Supreme took a shot at them during a 3-day outing, and is catching them as I am writing, with 29 fish on board so far, ranging from 20-40 pounds. The boat had just begun their 2025 schedule of 2- and 3-day runs back-to-back after being offline for seasonal maintenance. They do have some openings for a couple of their April trips, but book them fast, as the boat is mostly booked through the summer. (Some folks do cancel after booking a trip months in advance, so it is good to always check.) Given their success, I am sure there will be many more boats hitting that offshore area from outside of Ensenada south toward Colonet this week.
First bluefin of the season scored by anglers aboard the Polaris Supreme off the northern Baja coast.
Besides the bluefin down the coast and local rockfish, there has been some spotty yellowtail action at the Coronado Islands when weather allows. A little further south, pangeros running out of San Quintin have been getting good yellowtail action on surface irons, along with excellent rockfish and lingcod fishing down deep. Long range boats on 10- to 16-day runs are still doing very well on larger yellowfin tuna and wahoo off southern Baja outside of Bahia Magdalena, while anglers fishing on the Sea of Cortez side have been doing very well on yellowtail, pargo, cabrilla, and sierra mackerel.
The Port of San Diego's Day at the Docks — the event that officially kicks off sportfishing season here in San Diego — will be this coming Sunday, April 13 from 9am to 5pm. Since its inception in 1979, Day at the Docks has primarily focused on introducing the public to the San Diego sportfishing fleet and the various organizations, businesses, and enterprises that both support and are supported by recreational fishing in the San Diego area. Tackle, marine art, and food vendors will be set up at the landing parking lots in Point Loma and along the bayside walkway that runs from the America’s Cup Harbor, past the commercial fleet docks and fish markets at Driscoll’s Wharf and on to Shelter Island.
Activities include fishing seminars, the Kid’s Fishing Adventure, open houses on boats, catch and cook demonstrations, casting competitions, raffles, live music, boat tours, live music, and much more. The Day at the Docks is free to enter. Parking is limited at the event venue, but free public parking is available on Shelter Island, with free round-trip shuttle service running from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm to and from the event.
Freshwater: After receiving their last stock of trout just this past week, Santee Lakes will be holding their Catfish Opener this weekend, April 12 and 13 from 6 am to 7 pm. Some 3000 pounds of healthy channel catfish will be stocked for the event on Friday in Lakes 2,3,4, and 6. Derby prizes include Igloo coolers, fishing tackle, and certificates for campground stays. There will be black signs posted around the lakes with instructions for entering the derby. Fishing licenses are required at Santee Lakes; folks can obtain those and park permits at the General Store. Whether you're at the beach, bay, lake, or offshore, they’re out there so go out and get ‘em!
Here's something you might be interested in.
Fish report: First bluefin of the season for the Polaris Supreme
Plus Catfish Opener at Santee Lakes and Day at the Docks 2025
Fish report: First bluefin of the season for the Polaris Supreme
Plus Catfish Opener at Santee Lakes and Day at the Docks 2025
Map for 2025 Day at the Docks
Dock Totals 3/30 – 4/5: 1055 anglers aboard 39 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 14 bocaccio, 2 calico bass, 7 halibut (5 released), 151 lingcod, 2773 rockfish, 86 sand bass, 60 sanddab, 334 sculpin, 6 sheephead, 785 whitefish, and 8 yellowtail.
Saltwater: As of April 1, rockfish are back on the menu for SoCal anglers, which explains the jump in both rockfish caught and number of anglers. As the first half of the rockfish season will be in 300 feet or less, the local half-day boats are able to get on them close to home. This gives anglers a less expensive option for getting out on the water; plus, they'll have much better odds for loading the freezer without having to drop as deep as they will in the latter half of the season, when the allowable depth will be between 300 and 600 feet.
A couple nice rockfish caught aboard the Dolphin on a local half-day run as the season kicks off on the shallow side of 300 feet.
This is the first week of 2025 that we're seeing over 1000 anglers. The Dolphin, Premier, Daily Double and the rest of the short-run fleet should see much more traffic through spring and into summer. And the opening of rockfish should give a break to sand bass and sculpin — the pressure on those species has been heavy during the January-March rockfish closure.
Those bluefin everyone keeps seeing off the northern Baja coast? Well, the Polaris Supreme took a shot at them during a 3-day outing, and is catching them as I am writing, with 29 fish on board so far, ranging from 20-40 pounds. The boat had just begun their 2025 schedule of 2- and 3-day runs back-to-back after being offline for seasonal maintenance. They do have some openings for a couple of their April trips, but book them fast, as the boat is mostly booked through the summer. (Some folks do cancel after booking a trip months in advance, so it is good to always check.) Given their success, I am sure there will be many more boats hitting that offshore area from outside of Ensenada south toward Colonet this week.
First bluefin of the season scored by anglers aboard the Polaris Supreme off the northern Baja coast.
Besides the bluefin down the coast and local rockfish, there has been some spotty yellowtail action at the Coronado Islands when weather allows. A little further south, pangeros running out of San Quintin have been getting good yellowtail action on surface irons, along with excellent rockfish and lingcod fishing down deep. Long range boats on 10- to 16-day runs are still doing very well on larger yellowfin tuna and wahoo off southern Baja outside of Bahia Magdalena, while anglers fishing on the Sea of Cortez side have been doing very well on yellowtail, pargo, cabrilla, and sierra mackerel.
The Port of San Diego's Day at the Docks — the event that officially kicks off sportfishing season here in San Diego — will be this coming Sunday, April 13 from 9am to 5pm. Since its inception in 1979, Day at the Docks has primarily focused on introducing the public to the San Diego sportfishing fleet and the various organizations, businesses, and enterprises that both support and are supported by recreational fishing in the San Diego area. Tackle, marine art, and food vendors will be set up at the landing parking lots in Point Loma and along the bayside walkway that runs from the America’s Cup Harbor, past the commercial fleet docks and fish markets at Driscoll’s Wharf and on to Shelter Island.
Activities include fishing seminars, the Kid’s Fishing Adventure, open houses on boats, catch and cook demonstrations, casting competitions, raffles, live music, boat tours, live music, and much more. The Day at the Docks is free to enter. Parking is limited at the event venue, but free public parking is available on Shelter Island, with free round-trip shuttle service running from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm to and from the event.
Freshwater: After receiving their last stock of trout just this past week, Santee Lakes will be holding their Catfish Opener this weekend, April 12 and 13 from 6 am to 7 pm. Some 3000 pounds of healthy channel catfish will be stocked for the event on Friday in Lakes 2,3,4, and 6. Derby prizes include Igloo coolers, fishing tackle, and certificates for campground stays. There will be black signs posted around the lakes with instructions for entering the derby. Fishing licenses are required at Santee Lakes; folks can obtain those and park permits at the General Store. Whether you're at the beach, bay, lake, or offshore, they’re out there so go out and get ‘em!
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