The San Diego Forecasts are provided/reviewed/editted by Captain Conway Bowman, of Bowman Bluewater Guides and Outfitters. BBBGO operates out of Dana Landing in Mission Bay, and offers a range of guided fly fishing trips in the San Diego Area, including offshore, nearshore, bay, beach and freshwater bass. Contact Capt. Bowman at conwayxbowman@gmail.com, or (619)822-6256

Spring (March - May)

Fishing starts to improve in the Spring, as water temperatures warm. More bonito and barracuda show up, and the kelp bass become more active as well. Halibut move inshore to spawn, and yellowtail and white seabass will continue to be caught along the La Jolla Canyon area. More puddlers will be found as well, so keep a sharp lookout. Many times you can find puddlers by looking for scattered birds dipping and hovering a few feet over the water.

Further south, bonito, yellowtail and other migratory fish will start showing up in force on the Rockpile in Mexican waters, as well as the Coronado Islands by April.

Offshore, we'll start to see some smaller yellowtail appear on kelp paddies floating off the coast. Bluefin tuna and/or albacore will also start showing up in the sport boat fish counts. While albies will eat flies readily at times, no one has figured out how to consistently catch our bluefin tuna on a fly. Sharking will also start picking up in force.

Summer (June - August)

Summer is peak fishing season for us. Starting in June, the yellowtail become much more prevalent along the coast and the Coronados, and just about all of our favorite species get much more active in warm waters. Expect the bonito, barracuda, and bass to be eager biters when you find them. In July and August we typically see major spawning activity for Sand Bass in the "Flats" off Imperial Beach and Tijuana, and off San Onofre and Oceanside. Some of these guys will weigh 4 - 8 lbs, and are a good target for the fly.

Offshore, more and more fish - both yellowtail and tuna - will appear on the kelp paddies. You'll also find fish roaming the open water along current breaks. By late July, when the water is really warm, look for Dorado (mahi-mahi) to start showing up. The early-summer fish can be notoriously finicky eaters, even for the bait fishermen, but can be enticed to take a fly. Yellowfin tuna and Skipjack tuna will make a strong showing if they are not intercepted by the commercial netters in Mexico, and the occasional bigeye tuna will be caught by the gear guys. In July and August, striped marlin will show up.

Sharking will continue full speed, with opportunties to sight-cast for big makos on calm mornings. And we do get some monsters out here: in 2006, Captain Dave Trimble of Bowman Bluewater Guides and Outfitters guided angler Brendan Mason to a mako in excess of 11 feet and an estimated 600lbs.

Fall (September - November)

As water temperatures wind down, fishing will slow. Bonito, barracuda and bass will continue to be active until the water really cools off in late November and December. But look for yellowtail counts close to shore to drop a lot.

Offshore, fishing becomes much more erratic as the water cools. If the temps stay up, you can have great fishing all the way into October, but in general, expect the fishing to taper off by late September. The tunas will disappear first, and eventually the yellowtail will follow, but if you work hard enough, you should be able to find a kelp paddie or two that are loaded with fish. These late-season yellowtail will often be "firecrackers" under 10lbs, but still loads of fun on a fly rod.

Winter (December - February)

 

Winter marks a general slowdown in fishing around San Diego. There will be some good bonito and barracuda fishing, with fish potentially ranging into double digits. Look for them along the La Jolla Canyon, Point Loma, the Coronados, and possibly the 9 Mile Bank. When the weather and water warm a bit, look for calico bass to be active in the kelp beds. Scattered large white seabass will also be lurking along the edge of the kelp where the water reaches 60 - 120' in depth. Shark fishing will be slow.

Yellowtail will make periodic appearances, but they will be mostly deep (as in 200+ feet deep), fast moving fish that do not present many opportunities for fly fishermen. However, keep a fly rod handy, as they will occasionally bust bait on the surface, or be found "puddling" (sipping in small bait, much like a nymphing trout).

In the last few years, the giant Humboldt squid have arrived in the January timeframe, and offer some great sport to people fishing at night. With the proper boat lighting and weather conditions, it is possible to catch these guys on fly gear, and they make excellent eating.

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