THE VERDICT: GO ✅ 10/10 | The Offshore Season Just Exploded
Polaris Supreme returned Tuesday with 144 bluefin tuna, 114 yellowtail, 4 yellowfin tuna, and a dorado on a single 3-day trip.
Yellowfin tuna on three separate boats in the same week. Dorado on two boats. Barracuda showing nearshore. The offshore season did not ease into gear -- it kicked the door down.
Conditions this weekend are identical to the last five: clean, light, and ready to fish. The moon is waxing gibbous at 65% Saturday and 75% Sunday, approaching full moon May 1. Solunar windows are at their strongest point of the season.
Weekend Score: 10/10 🟢
WEEKEND CONDITIONS AT A GLANCE
Saturday 4/25 | Sunday 4/26 | |
|---|---|---|
Wind | Variable <10 kt | Variable <10 kt |
Seas | 3-4 ft | 3-4 ft |
Swell Period | 13-15s | 12-14s |
Conditions Score | 9/10 | 9/10 |
Water Temp (offshore) | ~65°F+ | ~65°F+ |
Moon | Waxing Gibbous 65.1% | Waxing Gibbous 74.9% |
NOAA PZZ750 | San Mateo Point to Mexican Border, out 30nm | Buoy 46086 | Baro: 30.04 inHg (stable)
WHY THIS WEEKEND WORKS
Three things are aligned this weekend that rarely coincide: clean conditions, a pre-full moon solunar peak, and an offshore bite confirmed across multiple boats and species.
The conditions need no explanation at this point. Six weeks of variable winds under 10 knots and 3-4 foot seas. Every boat runs comfortable from every landing.
The lunar setup is the best of the season. At 65% Saturday and 75% Sunday, the waxing gibbous produces the strongest tidal differentials and most reliable feeding windows of the month. Sunday is the better solunar day. Full moon arrives May 1, so the windows only get stronger next week.
The offshore story is what sets this weekend apart from the previous five. Last week we called 148 bluefin across two trips an early signal. This week, three boats returned with a combined 234 bluefin tuna -- plus 21 yellowfin tuna, which are the number that matters. Yellowfin typically need 68°F+ water to establish in Southern California. The coastal buoy reads 65°F. The species the fleet is bringing back points to offshore water running significantly warmer than what nearshore sensors capture, likely a warm water eddy that has pushed north ahead of schedule.
Barracuda confirming nearshore on Tuesday's PM trips -- 20 released, 3 kept -- adds to the picture. The water is warming, and the fish are responding across every level of the water column.
BAROMETRIC SIGNAL | ⚪ STABLE
Current pressure at KSAN: 30.04 inHg
12-hour change: -0.04 inHg
Six consecutive stable weeks. No pressure signal -- fishing this weekend runs on biology and the moon, not baro.
THIS WEEK'S FLEET COUNTS
Data reflects the most recent full reporting days at time of publish. Pulled Thursday.
Tuesday, April 21
Boat | Landing | Anglers | Trip | Top Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Southern Cal | Oceanside | 15 | 1/2 Day AM | 50 Rockfish -- 3.3 F/A |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 25 | 1/2 Day AM | 120 Rockfish -- 4.8 F/A |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 28 | 1/2 Day PM | 3 Barracuda + 20 Calico Bass + 4 Bonito |
Sea Watch | Seaforth | 13 | 3/4 Day | 56 Rockfish + 26 Vermilion -- 6.3 F/A |
Mission Belle | Point Loma | 31 | Full Day Coronado | 61 Yellowtail -- 2.0 F/A |
San Diego | Seaforth | 36 | Full Day Coronado | 108 Yellowtail + 16 Calico Bass -- 3.0 F/A |
Tribute | Seaforth | 19 | 1.5 Day | 38 Bluefin Tuna + 5 Yellowfin Tuna + 1 Dorado |
Polaris Supreme | Seaforth | 24 | 3-Day | 144 Bluefin Tuna + 114 Yellowtail + 4 Yellowfin Tuna + 1 Dorado |
Fleet totals Tue: 182 bluefin tuna, 283 yellowtail, 9 yellowfin tuna, 2 dorado
Wednesday, April 22
Boat | Landing | Anglers | Trip | Top Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphin | Fisherman's | 21 | 1/2 Day AM | 45 Rockfish + 4 Halibut |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 19 | 1/2 Day AM | 54 Rockfish -- 2.8 F/A |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 18 | 1/2 Day PM | 51 Calico Bass |
Mission Belle | Point Loma | 27 | Full Day Coronado | 70 Yellowtail -- 2.6 F/A |
San Diego | Seaforth | 36 | Full Day Coronado | 88 Yellowtail -- 2.4 F/A |
Pacific Voyager | Seaforth | 13 | 2-Day | 52 Bluefin Tuna + 12 Yellowfin Tuna + 37 Yellowtail |
Fleet totals Wed: 52 bluefin tuna, 195 yellowtail, 12 yellowfin tuna
WHAT'S BITING: SPORT BOATS
Bluefin Tuna: Three boats, 234 fish across two reporting days -- Polaris Supreme (144), Tribute (38), Pacific Voyager (52). These are multi-day accumulations, but the volume is real. If you can commit to a 1.5 to 3-day departure out of Seaforth this weekend, the offshore bite is as strong as it has been all spring.
Yellowfin Tuna: Polaris Supreme (4), Tribute (5), Pacific Voyager (12). Three boats across two separate trip types all reporting yellowfin. Late April yellowfin in San Diego is not a normal occurrence -- more on this in the Data Angle.
Yellowtail at Coronado: The most reliable option for day-trippers. San Diego posted 108 Tuesday (3.0 F/A) and 88 Wednesday (2.4 F/A). Mission Belle at 61 and 70 across the same days. Consistent production with no overnight commitment required.
Dorado: Polaris Supreme (1) and Tribute (1) on Tuesday, one week after the first sighting. Two boats, two reports -- the signal is holding.
Barracuda: 3 kept, 20 released on New Seaforth PM Tuesday. Late April sightings nearshore are ahead of schedule and consistent with the broader warm water picture.
Calico Bass: Showing across multiple trips -- San Diego (16, Tue), New Seaforth PM (20 + 50 released, Wed), Sea Watch (5, Tue). The bass bite is picking up on PM trips as temps warm.
Rockfish: Moderating after four weeks of exceptional production. Sea Watch's 3/4-day trip posted 6.3 F/A and New Seaforth AM hit 4.8 F/A on Tuesday -- fish are still there. Wednesday's half-day numbers (2.8 F/A) suggest the 8-9 F/A days of weeks 1-3 are behind us.
WHAT'S BITING: PRIVATE BOATERS
Offshore banks (San Diego Trough, 9 Mile, 43): The 2 and 3-day fleet is finding bluefin and yellowfin on the southern offshore banks. If you have the range, this is the weekend for it.
Coronado Islands: Mission Belle and San Diego are landing 61-108 yellowtail per day. Work kelp edges and rocky structure along the north end of the islands.
Nearshore structure (100-250 ft): Rockfish still producing, just at lower rates than earlier in the season. Sea Watch and New Seaforth AM are the bellwether boats for tracking the trend.
Kelp lines: Barracuda and calico bass showing on PM trips. Surface iron and swimbaits. Halibut worth targeting nearshore -- Dolphin picked up 4 on Wednesday's half-day AM.
SOLUNAR PICKS
Day | Peak Window | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, Apr 25 | 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Waxing Gibbous 65%, strong tidal differentials |
Saturday, Apr 25 | 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM | ⭐⭐⭐ | Midday minor window |
Sunday, Apr 26 | 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM | ⭐⭐⭐⭐-⭐ | 75% illumination, best window of the weekend |
Sunday, Apr 26 | 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM | ⭐⭐⭐-⭐ | Afternoon minor window, strengthening toward full moon |
The best solunar weekend of the season so far. Sunday morning is the premium window -- time your lines-in before 7:00 AM and fish hard through 9:00. Full moon May 1 means the windows keep strengthening all week.
BOAT PICKS THIS WEEKEND
1. Polaris Supreme | 3-Day (Seaforth Landing)
144 bluefin, 114 yellowtail, 4 yellowfin, 1 dorado on 24 anglers this week. The best single-trip count of the season by a wide margin. If you can go overnight, this is the boat.
seaforthlanding.com
2. San Diego | Full Day Coronado (Seaforth Landing)
108 Tuesday, 88 Wednesday on 36 anglers both days. Consistent Coronado Islands production at 2.4-3.0 F/A with no overnight commitment.
seaforthlanding.com
3. Mission Belle | Full Day Coronado (Point Loma Sportfishing)
61 Tuesday, 70 Wednesday on 27-31 anglers -- better F/A than the San Diego. The most consistently efficient yellowtail boat in the fleet through April.
pointlomasportfishing.com
THE DATA ANGLE
21 yellowfin tuna across three boats in two days. That is the number that matters this week.
Bluefin tuna in late April is unusual but not unheard of in San Diego. They have been showing for two weeks and the bite has only grown. But yellowfin in late April is a different story entirely. These fish peak in Southern California in August and September. An April yellowfin sighting makes long-range captains take notice.
The most likely explanation is a warm water eddy -- a rotating pool of warmer surface water that has pushed north ahead of schedule. Eddies are invisible to coastal buoys, which read near-surface temps close to shore. The 2 and 3-day boats are fishing a different thermal environment than what Buoy 46086 captures. The species they are returning with -- bluefin, yellowfin, dorado, plus the nearshore barracuda signal -- points to offshore water running 3-5 degrees warmer than the buoy reads.
If that eddy holds or expands, this could be the setup for the best offshore season San Diego has had in years. One more week of yellowfin and dorado reports and the anecdotal signal becomes a confirmed pattern.
The rockfish story is the counterpoint. Four weeks of 4-9 F/A have settled into 2.8-4.8 F/A this week. The depletion curve has arrived -- not a disaster, just the normal progression. The season is doing what it is supposed to do: starting on structure and moving offshore.
BOTTOM LINE
10/10 -- the best setup of the season. Clean conditions, the strongest solunar windows of the year so far, and an offshore bite producing bluefin, yellowfin, dorado, and barracuda in the same week. For day-trippers, Mission Belle and San Diego are the Coronado picks. For anyone who can go overnight, Polaris Supreme is the boat of the season right now.
Sunday morning, 7:00-9:00 AM, waxing gibbous at 75%. Lines in before sunrise. That is your window.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT WEEK
Yellowfin trend: Three boats this week. If a fourth reports next week, it is a confirmed pattern and a significant story for San Diego fishing.
Full moon May 1: The strongest solunar setup of the spring arrives next weekend. Yellowtail and pelagic feeding windows will be at maximum intensity.
Dorado expansion: Two isolated reports so far. If dorado show on more boats next week, the warm water push is real and ahead of schedule.
Barracuda establishing: Showed on a PM trip nearshore. If they appear on AM trips next week, the warm water has reached the coast.
Rockfish week 5: Will counts stabilize in the 3-5 F/A range or continue sliding? Sea Watch and New Seaforth AM are the boats to watch.
IN THE TACKLE BOX
Tools and resources worth knowing about.
Fish Dope -- fishdope.com
If this week's offshore report has you thinking about running the 9 Mile Bank or the banks offshore, Fish Dope is the tool serious private boaters use to find the fish before they burn the fuel. It combines sea surface temperature charts, chlorophyll concentration maps, spotter plane GPS coordinates, and live VHF radio archives from offshore captains into one platform. HD bathymetry maps and fishing boundary overlays included.
$199/year -- less than one tank of fuel for most offshore boats. With bluefin and yellowfin showing early, it pays for itself fast.
I don’t have any affiliation with Fish Dope, but it would be worth having if you fish San Diego regularly.
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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.