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Late Summer Swells and Tunas Biting on the California Coast
Published 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your California Pacific Coastal Fishing Report for Friday, September 12, 2025.
We’re rolling into the last stretch of summer, and the Pacific has been generous after the mild pass of Hurricane Lorena off Baja. That system brought some gentle rain but, according to Tailhunter Sportfishing in La Paz, it left the waters surprisingly calm and quick to settle—excellent news for us all. Southern California saw typical late-summer temps, pushing the mid-90s, but real-feel is sticky—count on high humidity if you’re headed out. Tides today are on the mellow side: low at 2:13 AM, high peaking at 7:47 AM, with a second low at 1:58 PM and a solid evening high around 8:49 PM, as reported by Tide-Forecast.com. Plan your fishing around those changing tides, especially sunset at 7:18 PM, as water movement has been prime for the evening bite.
Fish activity this week has been lively. For offshore chasers, bluefin and yellowfin tuna continue to be the big draw. Fisherman’s Landing put up numbers with 94 bluefin for 23 anglers on the Pacific Queen and a fair catch of yellowfin from Mavrik Sportfishing—not massive hauls, but enough to keep reels screaming. Inshore, rockfish and sheepshead are reliable as ever, with the Dolphin boats grabbing limits on their half-day runs and tossing in a few sand bass and Calico bass for variety. I also got word of a rare sailfish catch and release on a northbound tuna trip—always exciting to see atypical pelagics mixed in.
As for tackle, the phrase of the week is: match your bait, match your conditions. Out deep for tuna, anglers are having success with live sardines, flat-fall jigs in blue and glow, and glow-in-the-dark knife jigs overnight. For yellowtail around the islands and kelp beds, yo-yo irons in scrambled egg or mint, plus surface irons, have been the ticket—don’t skip the live mackerel if you can net some before heading out.
If you’re fishing rockfish near the coast, stick with squid strips, shrimp bits, or small plastics in motor oil and root beer colors. Sheepshead can’t resist shrimp or crab on a dropper loop. Calico bass are still eager on weedless swimbaits in green and brown, especially with a little current working along the kelp lines.
Speaking of hotspots, the tried-and-true Catalina Island remains stellar for mixed bags, especially late in the day with the incoming tide. San Diego's local kelp beds—check out the areas just outside Point Loma and the Mission Bay jetties—are loaded up with both rockfish and bass. If you want to go farther, The Coronado Islands are still producing good yellowtail runs on the Mission Belle, with occasional bonus barracuda and bonito.
Anglers itching for the upcoming spiny lobster season—mark your calendars, as the 2025 opener is September 26th at 6:00 p.m., per The Log. Get your lobster report card and tackle ready. Oily baits like mackerel are your best bet for hoop netters after dark—just make sure you’re squared away with the latest regulations.
Don’t forget, safety first: hydrate, pack extra ice, mind the surf and swell, and check local regulations before you launch.
That’s the latest from your local waters—thanks for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe for the freshest conditions, tips, and hotspot alerts. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
We’re rolling into the last stretch of summer, and the Pacific has been generous after the mild pass of Hurricane Lorena off Baja. That system brought some gentle rain but, according to Tailhunter Sportfishing in La Paz, it left the waters surprisingly calm and quick to settle—excellent news for us all. Southern California saw typical late-summer temps, pushing the mid-90s, but real-feel is sticky—count on high humidity if you’re headed out. Tides today are on the mellow side: low at 2:13 AM, high peaking at 7:47 AM, with a second low at 1:58 PM and a solid evening high around 8:49 PM, as reported by Tide-Forecast.com. Plan your fishing around those changing tides, especially sunset at 7:18 PM, as water movement has been prime for the evening bite.
Fish activity this week has been lively. For offshore chasers, bluefin and yellowfin tuna continue to be the big draw. Fisherman’s Landing put up numbers with 94 bluefin for 23 anglers on the Pacific Queen and a fair catch of yellowfin from Mavrik Sportfishing—not massive hauls, but enough to keep reels screaming. Inshore, rockfish and sheepshead are reliable as ever, with the Dolphin boats grabbing limits on their half-day runs and tossing in a few sand bass and Calico bass for variety. I also got word of a rare sailfish catch and release on a northbound tuna trip—always exciting to see atypical pelagics mixed in.
As for tackle, the phrase of the week is: match your bait, match your conditions. Out deep for tuna, anglers are having success with live sardines, flat-fall jigs in blue and glow, and glow-in-the-dark knife jigs overnight. For yellowtail around the islands and kelp beds, yo-yo irons in scrambled egg or mint, plus surface irons, have been the ticket—don’t skip the live mackerel if you can net some before heading out.
If you’re fishing rockfish near the coast, stick with squid strips, shrimp bits, or small plastics in motor oil and root beer colors. Sheepshead can’t resist shrimp or crab on a dropper loop. Calico bass are still eager on weedless swimbaits in green and brown, especially with a little current working along the kelp lines.
Speaking of hotspots, the tried-and-true Catalina Island remains stellar for mixed bags, especially late in the day with the incoming tide. San Diego's local kelp beds—check out the areas just outside Point Loma and the Mission Bay jetties—are loaded up with both rockfish and bass. If you want to go farther, The Coronado Islands are still producing good yellowtail runs on the Mission Belle, with occasional bonus barracuda and bonito.
Anglers itching for the upcoming spiny lobster season—mark your calendars, as the 2025 opener is September 26th at 6:00 p.m., per The Log. Get your lobster report card and tackle ready. Oily baits like mackerel are your best bet for hoop netters after dark—just make sure you’re squared away with the latest regulations.
Don’t forget, safety first: hydrate, pack extra ice, mind the surf and swell, and check local regulations before you launch.
That’s the latest from your local waters—thanks for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe for the freshest conditions, tips, and hotspot alerts. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.