Bite Index weekly summary. Click here to view the in-depth version online.
THE VERDICT: GO ✅ 10/10 | Bluefin Are Here
The offshore season just showed up early.
Polaris Supreme: 92 bluefin + 3 dorado
Pacific Voyager: 56 bluefin + 21 yellowtail
That’s 148 bluefin in two days.
Rockfish are still wide open in Week 3.
Premier: 8.9 F/A (fish per angler) Tuesday
Chubasco II: 8.9 F/A Wednesday
Conditions are clean. Bite is active across every category.
Weekend Score: 10/10 🟢
WEEKEND CONDITIONS AT A GLANCE
Saturday 4/18
Sunday 4/19
Wind: Variable <10 kt
Seas: 3–4 ft
Swell: 14–15s
Conditions: 🟢 9/10 both days
Water Temp: ~65.1°F
Moon: Waxing Crescent (1.6% → 6.0%)
NOAA PZZ750 | San Mateo Point to Mexican Border, out 30nm | Buoy 46086
WHY THIS WEEKEND WORKS
Conditions are as clean as San Diego gets, and the offshore bite just opened.
Variable winds under 10 knots. 3–4 ft seas. Long period swell.
Five straight weekends like this. Every boat runs comfortably.
The moon just flipped.
New moon passed Thursday. This weekend starts the waxing crescent.
Tidal movement is rebuilding from its lowest point. Feeding activity should increase as the week goes on.
Solunar windows are weak this weekend. Don’t rely on them.
Translation:
Rockfish → go. They’re not moon-dependent.
Yellowtail + pelagics → find bait, cover water.
Next week → stronger feeding windows as the moon builds.
WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
The bluefin are the story.
Two straight days of heavy counts from 2-day boats. Fish are staging on the southern offshore banks. Bait is holding them there.
The dorado matter more than they look.
Translation:
→ If dorado show again next week, offshore is about to get very good, very fast.
They usually need ~68°F. We’re at ~65°F.
We’ll know next week.
Rockfish are still stacked.
Three straight weeks of 8–9 F/A across multiple boats.
That’s not normal for Week 3.
BAROMETRIC SIGNAL | ⚪ STABLE
Pressure: 30.00 inHg
No movement over 12 hours
No pressure signal this week.
Stable pressure favors consistent feeding, not explosive bites.
Translation:
Rockfish → steady, reliable
Offshore → bait + water temp matter more than pressure
THIS WEEK'S FLEET COUNTS
Tuesday, April 14
Premier (H&M): 125 rockfish - 8.9 F/A
Daily Double: 85 rockfish - 7.7 F/A
New Seaforth: 111 rockfish - 6.2 F/A
Pacific Voyager: 56 bluefin + 21 yellowtail
Takeaway: ~56 bluefin, ~30 yellowtail
Wednesday, April 15
Chubasco II: 160 rockfish - 8.9 F/A
Polaris Supreme: 92 bluefin + 3 dorado
Mission Belle: 26 yellowtail - 2.4 F/A
Vendetta 2: 29 yellowtail - 1.9 F/A
Takeaway: ~92 bluefin, ~87 yellowtail, 3 dorado
WHAT'S BITING: SPORT BOATS
Bluefin Tuna
This is the move right now.
2-day trips are producing.
Translation:
If you can go offshore, go.
Rockfish
Still the most reliable option. Half-day AM trips producing best.
Translation:
Easiest way to get on fish this weekend.
Yellowtail
Consistent at the Coronados. Not peak numbers, but steady.
Translation:
Full-day trip + put in time = results.
Dorado
Only 3 fish. Still early.
Translation:
Watch this closely next week.
WHAT'S BITING: PRIVATE BOATERS
Structure (100–250 ft)
La Jolla, Del Mar, Torrey, Coronados - all producing.
→ Launch early. Fish the AM window.
Coronado Islands
Yellowtail along kelp and structure.
→ Cover water. Don’t sit.
Offshore banks
Bluefin signal is there.
→ Not a casual run. Check weather and range.
Kelp lines
Birds = bait = fish.
→ Yellowtail, bonito, possible dorado scouts.
Bottom line:
Saturday morning is green for everything.
SOLUNAR PICKS
Saturday AM: ⭐⭐
Sunday AM: ⭐⭐
Windows are weak.
Translation:
Don’t wait for a “perfect time.” Just go.
Next week is better.
BOAT PICKS
1. Premier (H&M) – 1/2 Day AM
Most consistent rockfish boat right now.
→ If you want numbers, this is it.
2. Polaris Supreme – 2-Day
92 bluefin + dorado.
→ Best offshore shot.
3. Mission Belle – Full Day
Most consistent yellowtail boat this month.
→ Best Islands play.
THE DATA ANGLE
148 bluefin in two days.
That’s early for San Diego.
Typical season ramps May–July. This is ahead of schedule.
Bait concentration is driving an early push on the southern banks.
Translation:
→ If bait holds, the bluefin bite sticks.
One week = signal.
Two weeks = pattern.
Next week confirms it.
The dorado are the wildcard.
They shouldn’t be here yet at 65°F.
If they show again next week, that means:
- warm water is pushing in
- the season could accelerate early
That has downstream impact on:
- yellowfin
- bluefin consistency
- overall offshore quality
Rockfish tell a different story.
Three straight weeks of high production across multiple boats.
Normally, pressure reduces counts by now.
That hasn’t happened.
Read:
Fish density is higher than normal.
We likely get another 2–3 weeks before it drops off.
BOTTOM LINE
This is the kind of weekend you don’t skip.
Conditions are clean.
Bluefin just opened offshore.
Rockfish are still wide open.
All three rarely line up.
Want easy fish → go rockfish
Want a shot offshore → book a 2-day
Want yellowtail → full-day Islands trip
Solunar doesn’t matter much right now.
This bite is running on conditions + bait.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT WEEK
Bluefin → does it hold?
Dorado → scouts or real push?
Water temp → watch for +2–3° move
Yellowtail → improves mid-week
Rockfish → does Week 4 finally slow?
IN THE TACKLE BOX
Fish City - fishcity.app
A free mobile app built specifically for Southern California offshore anglers. Pulls together real-time weather, fish counts, community reports, boat availability, and AI-driven fishing predictions in one place.
I don’t have any affiliation with Fish City, but it looks like it would be worth having on your phone if you fish San Diego regularly. Free on iOS and Android.
ONE QUICK THING
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Send this to a buddy or reply and set me straight.
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The Bite Index publishes every Thursday. Built on marine weather data, offshore buoy readings, fleet fish counts, and our own in-depth fishing data analysis.