THE VERDICT: 9/10 ✅ | THE YELLOWTAIL ERUPTION
The San Diego came back Wednesday with 159 yellowtail on 34 anglers. That is 4.7 fish per angler at the Coronado Islands - the highest yellowtail ratio the fleet has posted all season. Grande added 75 that same day on 35 anglers.
Bluefin are still running offshore. Three 2-day boats returned Tuesday with a combined 167, including New Lo-An's 49 fish with 100-pound class fish noted in the mix. The offshore bite didn't disappear. It just got company.
Full Moon arrived May 1. This weekend sits on the waning gibbous at 99.3% Saturday and 96.9% Sunday - the largest tidal differentials of the season. For yellowtail specifically, the post-full moon transition produces some of the most aggressive surface feeding windows of the spring.
Barometer: 29.94 inHg, stable. Seven consecutive clean weekends.
Weekend Score: 9/10 🟢
WEEKEND CONDITIONS AT A GLANCE
Saturday 5/2 | Sunday 5/3 | |
|---|---|---|
Wind | Variable <10 kt | Variable <10 kt |
Seas | 3-4 ft | 3-4 ft |
Swell Period | 12-13s | 12-13s |
Conditions Score | 9/10 | 9/10 |
Water Temp (offshore) | ~65°F+ | ~65°F+ |
Moon | Waning Gibbous 99.3% | Waning Gibbous 96.9% |
NOAA PZZ750 | San Mateo Point to Mexican Border, out 30nm | Buoy 46086 | Baro: 29.94 inHg (stable)
WHY THIS WEEKEND WORKS
Three things define this weekend: a yellowtail bite that just shifted into overdrive, a full moon peak producing the largest tidal differentials of the spring, and seven consecutive weeks of clean conditions.
San Diego posted 159 yellowtail on 34 anglers Wednesday - 4.7 F/A at the Coronado Islands, the highest ratio the fleet has posted this season. Grande added 75 on 35 anglers the same day. Monday both boats were in the 39-40 range; Tuesday saw Grande at 47. Then Wednesday exploded. The pre-full moon tidal buildup triggered a sustained surface bite at the islands, and the post-full moon differentials this weekend are even larger.
Full Moon peaked May 1. Saturday and Sunday sit at 99.3% and 96.9% - maximum tidal swing of the season. Yellowtail are especially responsive to these conditions. Prime feeding windows shift later: expect midday-to-early-afternoon to be the premium time on both days.
Bluefin are still offshore. Pacific Voyager returned Tuesday with 66 on 17 anglers, Polaris Supreme with 52 on 24. New Lo-An posted 49 from Point Loma with 100-pound class fish noted. The 2-day format out of Seaforth remains the path to consistent offshore production.
BAROMETRIC SIGNAL | ⚪ STABLE
Current pressure at KSAN: 29.94 inHg
12-hour change: -0.09 inHg
Seven straight stable weeks. No pressure signal. This weekend runs on tides and biology - the post-full moon differentials and the fish are your indicators, not the barometer.
THIS WEEK’S FLEET COUNTS
Data reflects the most recent full reporting days at time of publish. Pulled Thursday.
Monday, April 27
Boat | Landing | Anglers | Trip | Top Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphin | Fisherman's | 12 | 1/2 Day PM | 90 Rockfish |
Grande | H&M | 23 | Full Day Coronado | 40 Yellowtail - 1.7 F/A |
Malthini | H&M | 14 | 3/4 Day | 77 Rockfish + 39 Whitefish |
Patriot (SD) | H&M | 8 | 1.5 Day | 13 Bluefin Tuna |
Premier | H&M | 14 | 1/2 Day AM | 129 Rockfish - 9.2 F/A |
Mission Belle | Point Loma | 19 | Full Day Coronado | 15 Yellowtail |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 11 | 1/2 Day PM | 3 Barracuda + 8 Bonito + 4 Calico Bass |
San Diego | Seaforth | 34 | Full Day Coronado | 39 Yellowtail - 1.1 F/A |
Fleet totals Mon: ~13 bluefin tuna, ~94 yellowtail, 3 barracuda, 8 bonito
Tuesday, April 28
Boat | Landing | Anglers | Trip | Top Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grande | H&M | 22 | Full Day Coronado | 47 Yellowtail + 6 Rockfish - 2.1 F/A |
New Lo-An | Point Loma | 22 | 2 Day | 49 Bluefin Tuna (up to 100 lbs) |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 29 | 1/2 Day AM | 92 Rockfish + 18 Whitefish - 3.2 F/A |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 23 | 1/2 Day PM | 25 Calico Bass + 1 Yellowtail |
Pacific Voyager | Seaforth | 17 | 2 Day | 66 Bluefin Tuna |
Polaris Supreme | Seaforth | 24 | 2 Day | 52 Bluefin Tuna |
San Diego | Seaforth | 36 | Full Day Coronado | 49 Yellowtail + 20 Barracuda - 1.4 F/A |
Fleet totals Tue: ~167 bluefin tuna, ~97 yellowtail, 20 barracuda
Wednesday, April 29
Boat | Landing | Anglers | Trip | Top Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphin | Fisherman's | 19 | 1/2 Day AM | 46 Rockfish + 6 Sand Bass + 1 Halibut |
Grande | H&M | 35 | Full Day Coronado | 75 Yellowtail - 2.1 F/A |
Patriot (SD) | H&M | 4 | 1/2 Day Twilight | 19 Rockfish + 2 Lingcod |
Southern Cal | Oceanside Sea Center | 27 | 1/2 Day AM | 98 Sculpin + 80 Rockfish - 6.6 F/A |
New Seaforth | Seaforth | 13 | 1/2 Day AM | 47 Rockfish + 26 Vermilion + 1 King Salmon |
San Diego | Seaforth | 34 | Full Day Coronado | 159 Yellowtail - 4.7 F/A |
Fleet totals Wed: ~234 yellowtail, 1 King Salmon (notable)
WHAT’S BITING: SPORT BOATS
Yellowtail at Coronado: The story of the week. San Diego posted 159 on 34 anglers Wednesday - 4.7 F/A, the highest ratio the fleet has posted this season. Grande added 75 on 35 anglers. Monday both boats were in the 39-40 range; Tuesday Grande at 47. Then Wednesday jumped. Expect this to hold or strengthen this weekend as post-full moon differentials run at maximum.
Bluefin Tuna: Three boats, 167 fish Tuesday - New Lo-An (49, with 100-lb class fish), Pacific Voyager (66), Polaris Supreme (52). The 2-day format from Seaforth and Point Loma remains the path to consistent offshore production.
Barracuda: Showed twice - 3 on New Seaforth PM Monday nearshore, 20 on San Diego's full-day Coronado run Tuesday. A barracuda count on a Coronado trip is a meaningful step beyond last week's nearshore sighting.
Rockfish: Premier posted 9.2 F/A Monday. Southern Cal (Oceanside) hit 6.6 F/A Wednesday. Half-day AM boats continue finding fish.
Bonito: 8 fish on New Seaforth PM Monday - first confirmed bonito of the season.
King Salmon: 1 fish on New Seaforth Wednesday. Rarely appears in San Diego counts. One fish, not a pattern.
Yellowfin Tuna: Zero confirmed reports this week. Last week's 21 across three boats was significant. See the Data Angle.
WHAT’S BITING: PRIVATE BOATERS
Coronado Islands: The call for this weekend. San Diego and Grande posting 75-159 YT per day. Work kelp edges and rocky structure along the north end of the islands. Surface iron and live bait both producing.
Offshore banks: 2-day fleet consistently finding bluefin. New Lo-An's 100-lb fish worth noting if running to the Trough or 9 Mile. Check temp breaks first.
Nearshore structure: Barracuda establishing on PM nearshore and Coronado runs. Rockfish still on structure at 100-250 ft. Bonito starting to show on surface iron.
Inshore/Kelp: Calico bass on PM trips (25 on New Seaforth Tuesday). Halibut worth targeting on sandy bottom near structure.
SOLUNAR PICKS: BEST WINDOWS THIS WEEKEND
Day | Peak Window | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, May 2 | 6:00 AM - 8:00 AM | ⭐⭐⭐ | Minor window - good for early lines-in |
Saturday, May 2 | 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Major window - moon near meridian, max tidal differential |
Sunday, May 3 | 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM | ⭐⭐⭐ | Minor window |
Sunday, May 3 | 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Best window of the weekend - 96.9% illumination |
Post-full moon shifts peak windows later. The AM windows are solid for getting lines in early, but the primary bite is likely midday to mid-afternoon. Plan to fish hard through the 12:30-2:30 transition window both days.
BOAT PICKS THIS WEEKEND
1. San Diego | Full Day Coronado (Seaforth Landing)
159 yellowtail on 34 anglers Wednesday: 4.7 F/A. The best single-day yellowtail ratio the fleet has posted this season. If you want to be on the water for the post-full moon YT peak, this is the boat.
seaforthlanding.com
2. Grande | Full Day Coronado (H&M Landing)
75 Wednesday (2.1 F/A), 47 Tuesday (2.1 F/A), 40 Monday (1.7 F/A). Consistent Coronado production from Mission Bay - different landing than Seaforth, comparable island access.
hmlanding.com
3. Pacific Voyager | 2 Day (Seaforth Landing)
66 bluefin on 17 anglers on the most recent run. Best F/A of the 2-day bluefin fleet this week.
seaforthlanding.com
THE DATA ANGLE
Zero yellowfin tuna this week. That deserves direct acknowledgment.
Last week’s issue flagged 21 YFT across three boats as an early signal worth watching. We said that if a fourth boat reported yellowfin the following week, the pattern would be confirmed. Instead: zero. No YFT across any of the 2-day returns.
Three possible explanations. First, the warm water eddy that likely produced last week's YFT may have shifted or contracted - eddies move, and a warm patch that pushed north ahead of schedule can retract just as quickly. Second, the 2-day boats this week may have fished tighter to established bluefin marks rather than pushing into the eddy zone. Third, last week's 21 YFT was always a one-week anomaly.
The tell will be next week's 2-day returns. If the boats push south and come back empty on YFT, the eddy signal has faded. If they find them again, the pattern is real.
The counterweight is everything else: yellowtail at 4.7 F/A, barracuda on two trips including a Coronado full-day run, first bonito of the season Monday. The biological picture remains one of warm, active, diversifying water. The YFT and dorado stories may have paused, not ended.
Watch the 2-day boats next week. They are the leading indicator for everything worth knowing about the offshore season.
BOTTOM LINE
9/10 - the Coronado yellowtail alone makes this a go. San Diego's 159-fish Wednesday is the best yellowtail ratio of the season. Post-full moon tidal differentials hit their peak Saturday and Sunday. Conditions are clean for the seventh consecutive week.
For day-trippers, San Diego (Seaforth) and Grande (H&M) are the clear Coronado picks. For offshore anglers, the 2-day bluefin bite continues. Fish Sunday for the strongest solunar window of the weekend.
Post-full moon means prime windows come later. Fish your AM departure, but plan to be on fish hard through 1:30-3:30 PM Sunday. That is your window.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT WEEK
Yellowfin tuna: The biggest question heading into May. Did the warm eddy retract? Next week's 2-day returns are the data point.
Dorado: Zero this week after two isolated reports the week prior. Watch for next confirmed sighting.
Yellowtail trend: Will 4.7 F/A hold? If the post-full moon phase produces another big YT day, the Coronado bite is here for weeks.
Bonito establishing: First confirmed reports this week. A second week on multiple boats confirms the warm-up has reached nearshore.
Rockfish Week 6: Premier at 9.2 F/A Monday is still exceptional. How far does the depletion curve run?
King Salmon: One fish logged. Worth flagging if a second report comes in.
IN THE TACKLE BOX
Tools and resources worth knowing about. We highlight one each issue.
NOAA Tides and Currents - tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov
With full moon producing the largest tidal differentials of the spring, knowing your exact tide schedule is as important as your solunar windows. NOAA's tides tool lets you pull precise predictions for any coastal station, including San Diego Bay (Station 9410170). Free, official, downloadable as PDF for your chart bag.
This weekend's tidal swings at 99%+ illumination affect where fish stack on structure, when baitfish move along kelp edges, and how aggressively pelagics feed at the islands. The solunar table above tells you the feeding windows - NOAA Tides tells you the mechanics behind them.
The Bite Index publishes every Thursday. Built on marine weather data, offshore buoy readings, fleet fish counts, and our own barometric pressure analysis.