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Articles by Michel Murciano

Articles by Michel Murciano

Explore blog posts by Michel Murciano on the Melton Tackle blog, featuring expert fishing tips, techniques, gear insights, and angler advice.
Angler holding a large, bright orange rockfish with spiny fins aboard a boat. Text reads: “GOING DEEP: New rockfish & groundfish regulations provide opportunities for Southern California anglers.”
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Going Deep: New Rockfish & Groundfish Regulations Provide Opportunities For Southern California Anglers

In 2023 all depths will be open to targeting Rockfish and Groundfish, so ensure you are well-versed with depth restriction dates for the SoCal management area.

Person holding a large bright orange rockfish with spiny fins in front of ocean water. Bold text beside the fish reads “2023 Rockfish Season Opener Need to Know.”
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2023 Rockfish Season Opener Need To Know

In 2023, significant changes to the restrictions & regulations for targeting Rockfish in California, providing great fishing potential for experts and novices.

Bright sunset over calm ocean with low dark clouds and golden-yellow sky, silhouetted fishing boat visible on the distant horizon. Bold white text reads: “Gearing Up For Long Range.”
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Gearing Up For Long Range

If you’re looking to tangle with yellowfin tuna, a Long-Range trip will be next on your list, with San Diego housing the largest Long-Range fleet in the world.

Man in black shirt and cap casts a fishing rod into the ocean under a clear blue sky, with distant landmass in the background. Text reads: “Wintertime Yellowtail On Artificials”.
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Wintertime Yellowtail on Artificials

Wintertime fishing in Southern California is a secret society. Yet the fishing can be quite good due to aggregations of bait fish due to upwelling. Because each one of these species during this time of year takes a little bit of specializing, we’ll be focusing on targeting wintertime yellowtail.

"RIGGING UP FOR WAHOO" white text over a close-up of a wahoo lying on a boat deck, showing a blue-and-purple hard lure rigged at the mouth with leader attached.
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Rigging Up for Wahoo

Among the thousands of shapes and forms found in the ocean, the wahoo stands out at the top of the list for its ferocious design. Its unmistakable appearance is perfectly tailored for speed, with a pointed nose, slender elongated body, and oversized tail, all of which liken it to a missile. While speed is the most notable attribute, it’s what it’s equipped with within its jaw that makes this species a formidable opponent. Wahoo are equipped with some of the most amazing denture structures in the animal kingdom. Its teeth are pointed and have serrated sides, which the lower and upper jaw fit perfectly into for a precise cutting tool, much like a pair of scissors. All these factors and more are why targeting wahoo is a specialized approach to angling.

Overhead view of a boat in deep blue ocean deploying a kite fishing setup, with a white fishing kite flying at a distance. Text reads: “RIGGING SETUP FOR WEST COAST BLUEFIN KITE FISHING”.
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Rigging Setup For West Coast Bluefin Kite Fishing

The most exciting way to fish for Pacific Bluefin Tuna in the Southern California Bight is with the application of a kite. If presented accurately and skillfully, you may have the opportunity to see one of these strikes, which will be a life-changing experience.

Man inflating large white balloon on boat deck; second view shows balloon rigged with square kite marked "SFE" above ocean; third view shows two men celebrating catch of large tuna on boat floor.
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Methods and Techniques for Tackling Bluefin Tuna

The Bluefin Tuna is arguably one of the most sought-after gamefish in the angling community. Regardless of where fishermen target this gamefish, the passion and pursuit seem equivalent, and fishermen tend to be addicted to this fishery.