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Stories by Daniel Powell

Another great piolero tournament in San Quintin

Dock Totals 9/8– 9/14: 3686 anglers aboard 165 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 2002 bluefin tuna (up to 200 pounds), 2936 bonito, 1 cabezon, 2604 calico …

September 15, 2024
Cool water, lots of bluefin, and nice ‘buts

Dock Totals 9/1– 9/7: 4027 anglers aboard 161 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 15 barracuda, 3498 bluefin tuna (up to 220 pounds), 1 blue perch, 77 …

September 8, 2024
Jig Strike goes down near Cortez Bank – Could it have been a ‘dreaded deadhead’?

Dock Totals 8/25– 8/31: 4052 anglers aboard 181 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 299 barracuda, 2799 bluefin tuna (up to 201 pounds), 72 bocaccio, 1488 bonito, …

September 1, 2024
Full moon phases, hurricanes, and big tide swings – friend or foe?

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, …

August 25, 2024
New boat in the fleet at Fisherman’s

Dock Totals 8/11– 8/17: 4740 anglers aboard 207 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 369 barracuda, 4779 bluefin tuna (up to 150 pounds), 272 bonito, 2 cabezon, …

August 18, 2024
Marlin provides long ‘sleigh ride’ for kayak angler out of Dana Point

Dock Totals 8/4– 8/10: 4903 anglers aboard 200 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1 albacore, 115 barracuda, 2 black seabass (released), 2940 bluefin tuna (up to …

August 11, 2024
Albacore caught mixed in with bluefin

Dock Totals 7/28– 8/3: 4868 anglers aboard 199 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 613 barracuda, 3 black seabass (released), 2201 bluefin tuna (up to 240 pounds), …

August 4, 2024
Full moon blues, hot yellows, and hefty halibut

Dock Totals 7/21– 7/27: 4659 anglers aboard 193 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 174 barracuda, 446 bluefin tuna (up to 220 pounds), 9 bonito, 3 cabezon, …

July 28, 2024
Outstanding yellowtail and halibut action along the Baja coast

Dock Totals 7/14– 7/20: 4675 anglers aboard 195 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 40 barracuda, 1045 bluefin tuna (up to 220 pounds), 3 bonito, 3 cabezon, …

July 21, 2024
Yellowfin and dorado show, yellowtail numbers jump, and bluefin continue to chew at night

Dock Totals 7/7– 7/13: 4704 anglers aboard 186 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 25 barracuda, 1880 bluefin tuna (up to 260 pounds), 421 bonito, 3 cabezon, …

July 14, 2024
Hot week of fishing – big bonito, big bluefin, and lots of calico bass

Dock Totals 6/30 – 7/6: 4591 anglers aboard 164 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 51 barracuda, 1954 bluefin tuna (up to 228 pounds), 3 bocaccio, 365 …

July 7, 2024
Using the rail on big fish - yes or no?

Dock Totals 6/23– 6/29: 3355 anglers aboard 137 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 16 barracuda, 1550 bluefin tuna (up to 250 pounds), 357 bonito, 3257 calico …

June 30, 2024
Bluefin tuna biting well day and night

Dock Totals 6/16– 6/22: 3116 anglers aboard 132 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 14 barracuda, 1862 bluefin tuna (up to 90 pounds), 939 bonito, 2501 calico …

June 23, 2024
Spiny mole crabs can be great bait for larger surf perch

Dock Totals 6/9– 6/15: 3280 anglers aboard 139 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 4 barracuda, 1539 bluefin tuna (up to 244 pounds), 85 bocaccio, 154 bonito, …

June 16, 2024
San Diego area lakes are the most productive for bass

Dock Totals 6/2– 6/8: 2563 anglers aboard 111 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 7 barracuda, 1077 bluefin tuna (up to 225 pounds), 102 bonito, 1 cabezon, …

June 9, 2024
Bluefin Tuna and a Side of Rockfish

Dock Totals 5/26– 6/1: 2676 anglers aboard 107 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 3 barracuda, 530 bluefin tuna (up to 235 pounds), 478 bonito, 1 cabezon, …

June 2, 2024
A rattlensake’s rattle is a warning

Recently, a much-shared Facebook post by the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary about a study conducted by their rattlesnake expert Cale Morris caught my attention. Morris used a boot and pant leg on a stick to tread …

May 30, 2024
Tips for staying safe when camping in Baja

Given the recent tragic event south of Ensenada at a popular surf spot near Puerto Santo Tomas, there has been quite a bit of rhetoric flying in the press and on social media about camping …

May 29, 2024
The Independence finds big yellowtail down south

Dock Totals 5/19– 5/25: 2012 anglers aboard 85 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1 black seabass (released), 597 bluefin tuna (up to 240 pounds), 8 bocaccio, …

May 26, 2024
Bluefin are biting in the dark – ‘Social Fishtancing’ during covid

Dock Totals 5/12– 5/18: 1639 anglers aboard 69 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1025 bluefin tuna (up to 220 pounds), 208 bocaccio, 418 bonito, 555 calico …

May 19, 2024
CDC puts up border wall against dogs traveling north

Due to Mexico’s sweeping rabies campaign and free vaccination program, they have been officially rabies-free since 2019, and the last two cases of dog-to-human transfer occurred in 2006.I have travelled across the border dozens of …

Bluefin bite continues to improve as inshore fishing heats up.

Dock Totals 5/5– 5/11: 1461 anglers aboard 71 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1 barracuda, 584 bluefin tuna (up to 200 pounds), 70 bocaccio, 243 calico …

May 12, 2024
Bluefin on and off again

Dock Totals 4/28 – 5/4: 1364 anglers aboard 58 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 37 barracuda, 295 bluefin tuna (up to 188 pounds), 262 calico bass, …

May 5, 2024
A 70-mile walk on San Diego beaches and other ways we'd spend our summer vacation

A walk on the (whole) beachA San Diego summer, with all the time in the world, brings up one challenge I’ve tried before and failed to complete: walking our entire 70-mile stretch of Pacific Ocean …

May 1, 2024
Bluefin still there but stubborn – dolphin halibut derby results

Dock Totals 4/21 – 4/27: 1110 anglers aboard 51 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 25 bluefin tuna, 16 bocaccio, 9 bonito, 7 calico bass, 29 halibut, …

April 28, 2024
Bluefin are back – Dolphin scores on San Diego Bay – halibut, and corvina too

Dock Totals 4/14 – 4/20: 976 anglers aboard 42 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1 barracuda, 3 bluefin tuna, 27 bocaccio, 61 bonito, 7 calico bass, …

April 21, 2024
Bluefin still Missing In Action – Grunion for Bait during Observation Only? - Yellowtail Limits a Short Drive South

Dock Totals 3/31 – 4/6: 922 anglers aboard 39 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 81 bocaccio, 2 calico bass, 14 lingcod, 4598 rockfish, 37 sand bass, …

April 14, 2024
Bluefin disappear but should soon return – Good yellowtail bite down south

Dock Totals 3/31 – 4/6: 889 anglers aboard 36 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 65 bocaccio, 1 calico bass, 20 halibut, 6 lingcod, 4098 rockfish, 90 …

April 7, 2024
Rockfish regulation changes adopted for the season opener – Dolphin halibut derby

Dock Totals 3/24 – 3/30: 729 anglers aboard 39 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 94 bluefin tuna (up to 180-pounds), 40 bocaccio, 16 calico bass, 9 …

March 31, 2024
2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

Dock Totals 3/17 – 3/23: 1003 anglers aboard 44 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 172 bluefin tuna (up to 160-pounds), 23 calico bass, 29 halibut, 92 …

March 24, 2024
Mid-range fleet scoring bluefin limits off Ensenada

Dock Totals 3/10 – 3/16: 903 anglers aboard 40 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 24 bluefin tuna, 13 calico bass, 6 halibut, 24 lingcod, 11 lobster …

March 17, 2024
Super Cow Fishing on the Red Rooster III – Home Guard Yellowtail Caught by Angler on Half-Day

Dock Totals 3/3 – 3/9: 641 anglers aboard 35 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 24 bluefin tuna, 10 bonito, 25 calico bass, 6 halibut, 48 lobster …

March 10, 2024
Bluefin continue to show within 1.5-day range with good signs going forward

Dock Totals 2/25 – 3/2: 481 anglers aboard 23 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 9 bluefin tuna, 8 bonito, 14 calico bass, 1 halibut, 70 lingcod, …

March 3, 2024
Huge amberjack caught near La Paz – Want good corbina and spotfin action away from the perch? Go south.

Dock Totals 2/18 – 2/24: 509 anglers aboard 24 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 7 bluefin tuna, 9 bonito, 24 calico bass, 27 lingcod, 45 lobster …

February 25, 2024
Ride or drive, Baja fishing within a few hours of San Diego is great.

Dock Totals 2/11 – 2/17: 465 anglers aboard 23 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 9 bonito, 33 calico bass, 17 lingcod, 3 halibut, 9 perch, 185 …

February 18, 2024
Bluefin tuna thick off the coast of Baja

Dock Totals 1/28 – 2/3: 325 anglers aboard 15 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 27 calico bass, 34 perch, 275 sand bass, 128 sculpin, 4 triggerfish, …

February 4, 2024
The cows are on the chew down south

Dock Totals 1/21 – 1/27: 286 anglers aboard 15 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1 cabezon, 13 calico bass, 1 lingcod, 18 lobster (46 released), 12 …

January 28, 2024
It’s all about that bass

Dock Totals 1/14 – 1/20: 478 anglers aboard 22 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 40 calico bass, 21 lingcod, 20 lobster (24 released), 54 perch, 89 …

January 21, 2024
Pygmy in peril

My trusty canine sidekick Flash Gordon and I were heading up the beach twoard the point after a rain squall to check out the fishing on the third day of the new year. I’d heard …

40-pound homeguard yellow boated on a half-day run

Dock Totals 1/7 – 1/13: 229 anglers aboard 13 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 60 bonito, 7 calico bass, 3 croaker, 2 halibut, 1 lingcod, 29 …

January 14, 2024
Nightime wahoo bite for the Intrepid

Dock Totals 12/30 – 1/6: 568 anglers aboard 33 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 151 bonito, 58 calico bass, 1 lingcod, 129 lobster (251 released), 28 …

January 7, 2024

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