Across North America, you'll find regions that have their bread-and-butter gamefish. The Northeast has Striped Bass, the Southeast has Cobia, the Gulf has Redfish, the Northwest has Salmon, and for us in the Southwest, our bread-and-butter target species would have to be Yellowtail.
Around the world, jigging has been a key tactic to target gamefish. While the rest of the world has been hot on this technique for decades, it's just starting to gain popularity here in Southern California in recent years. Tackle manufacturers and Bait & Tackle Shops now see the opportunity and are coming to the table with specialized heavy gear to pursue our local Bluefin Tuna fishery.
Bluefin Tuna is arguably the most valued fish in the world. From an angler's standpoint, they’re the ultimate gamefish, reaching over 1,000 pounds, capable of long runs, having never-ending battles, and applicable to a number of presentations and fishing techniques.
Many anglers put most of their efforts into planning, locating, presenting, and hooking the fish, but what happens after this? Are you ready to land that fish?
Hands down, some of the most fun you can have as a Southern California angler is fishing kelp paddies. The process is exciting, from hunting down the floating paddy, setting up your drift, discovering its jugged with gamefish and life, and finally getting into a wide-open bite.
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.
In 2023, significant changes to the restrictions & regulations for targeting Rockfish in California, providing great fishing potential for experts and novices.
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.
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.
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.
