Bite is Locked In |The Bite Index | May 21, 2026

The yellowtail bite hasn't stopped. The San Diego posted 35 or more yellowtail every single day this week -- seven consecutive days, peak of 95 on Thursday. Mission Belle went 135 yellowtail on 30 anglers on Friday -- the best yellowtail-per-angler day any Coronados boat has posted all season.

On top of that, May 17 was the most productive bluefin tuna day of the year. Islander and Pacific Queen both posted 168 BFT on 28 anglers -- 6.0 fish per angler, on the same day, almost certainly on the same fish. Polaris Supreme went 144 BFT on 24 anglers the next day. The offshore zone isn't slowing down.

And then there are the barracuda. Dolphin (Fisherman's Landing) posted 103 on May 15 and 104 on May 19. The nearshore surge that was "building" in Issue #09 has arrived.

Conditions are a straight 9/10 all weekend. Nine consecutive clean weekends. The solunar windows land at 6:30 AM and 7:13 AM on Saturday and Sunday -- both Underfoot Majors that align directly with first-light arrivals on the grounds. Nothing about this weekend argues for staying on the dock.

Weekend Score: 9/10 🟢

Seven days. The San Diego never went below 35 yellowtail once.

That number matters because it's not a peak -- it's a floor. The post-Full Moon collapse that produced zero yellowtail on May 4 is three weeks behind us. The recovery that Issue #08 predicted and Issue #09 confirmed has now run long enough to call it a sustained resident bite, not a cycle. Surface temps at the Coronados are holding 65-67°F. The fish aren't there because conditions briefly aligned. They're there because conditions have stayed aligned.

The week's full range: 35 (May 11 and May 19), 36 (May 16), 54 (May 15), 59 (May 18 and May 20), 64 (May 14), 95 (May 17). That trajectory isn't random. The building numbers through mid-week, particularly the May 17 peak, track exactly with the First Quarter moon building tidal differentials through the week. The sustained floor suggests a stable resident population. The peak on May 17 suggests the bite responds to lunar timing -- which is the predictable layer on top of the baseline.

Mission Belle added the most striking data point. On Friday May 15, it came back with 135 yellowtail on 30 anglers -- 4.5 fish per angler. That's not just the best yellowtail day of the season. It's the kind of number that takes an unusual combination of locating, conditions, and fish density to produce.

The bite is locked in. The question heading into this weekend is whether the First Quarter lunar peak extends it or temporarily disrupts it.

Offshore Mexico -- HOT (5/5)
May 17 was the most productive bluefin day of the 2026 season. Islander and Pacific Queen both posted 168 BFT on 28 anglers -- 6.0 F/A on two separate boats, same zone, same day. Pacific Voyager followed the same day with 108 BFT and 59 yellowtail on 18 anglers -- a mixed-bag trip that signals the BFT and YT thermal windows are overlapping offshore. Polaris Supreme logged 144 BFT on 24 anglers on May 18, and Pacific Queen went 138 BFT on 23 anglers (6.0 F/A) again on May 20. Offshore water is now reading 66.4°F on Buoy 46086 -- up from last week. Zone is active and the water keeps warming.

Coronado Islands -- HOT (5/5)
Seven straight days of 35+ yellowtail on the San Diego, with a peak of 95 on May 17. Mission Belle opened the week with 84 yellowtail on 19 anglers (4.4 F/A) on Thursday, then 135 on 30 anglers (4.5 F/A) on Friday. Grande contributed 62 YT on 25 anglers on May 17. Barracuda are mixing in -- San Diego posted 46 barracuda alongside 64 yellowtail on May 14, and 12 barracuda with 35 yellowtail on May 19. The islands are fishing as well as any point in this season.

La Jolla / Nearshore -- GOOD (4/5)
The barracuda story is here. Dolphin (Fisherman's Landing) posted 103 barracuda on May 15 and 104 barracuda on May 19 -- back-to-back 100+ days in the 1/2 Day AM and PM format. Calico bass remain extremely productive at the half-day boats: New Seaforth Twilight posted 173 calico on May 16, Dolphin PM went 187 calico on May 18, New Seaforth PM hit 173 again on May 19. WSB have also continued to show -- Dolphin ran 2 in the AM and 1 in the PM on May 18.

San Clemente Island -- GOOD (3/5)
Quality yellowtail and calico available island-wide. Less fleet data this week as most boats are prioritizing the Coronados or running long for BFT, but the island is a solid mid-range option for private boaters who want to run 55 miles and work a full menu.

Salsipuedes / Ensenada -- FAIR (3/5)
Scattered yellowtail south of the border for private boaters passing through on the way to the BFT zone. Not a primary destination this weekend.

Dana Point / Oceanside -- SLOW (2/5)
No significant pelagic action reported from the north end. Bottom fishing available.

Offshore water temperature ticked up again. Buoy 46086 (San Clemente Basin, roughly 55 miles offshore) is reading 66.4°F as of this morning -- up from 65.9-66.2°F last week. The warming trend that's been running 2-3 weeks ahead of a typical year continues.

The BFT zone has shifted position multiple times this week. The core action that was concentrated in the 31°44-32°12N corridor last week appears to have spread slightly, with boats working different sections on different days. The mixed-bag trips -- Pacific Voyager posting both 108 BFT and 59 yellowtail on May 17, Pacific Queen doing 168 BFT and 32 yellowtail the same day -- suggest the BFT and YT thermal windows are overlapping in the mid-range zone, somewhere between the Coronados and the main offshore bank. That is an unusual convergence. Private boaters making the overnight run should be looking for the temperature break in the 65.5-66.5°F corridor and checking the meter for bait before committing to a drift.

Tactic notes: spreader bars and MadMacs on the surface remain the daytime bluefin call. Knife jigs and flylined sardines on 25-30 lb fluorocarbon at night. The overnight bite has been consistent all week across multiple boats.

The marlin presence reported last week in the same zone is worth noting -- that temperature and bait concentration draws multiple pelagic species simultaneously. Keep an eye on the surface for any fin or boil activity beyond the BFT sign.

Forecast: Excellent all weekend. Nine consecutive clean weekends.

Source: NOAA PZZ750, San Mateo Pt to Mexican Border, out 30nm.

No advisories, no significant swell events, no wind events forecast through Monday.

Barometric Pressure: Stable. No strong signal this week.

SST:

Three things point in the same direction.

1. The yellowtail bite has a floor now, not just a peak. Seven consecutive days without dropping below 35 fish tells you the water conditions are stable and fish are resident. That kind of sustained floor doesn't evaporate in 24 hours. The First Quarter moon building this weekend brings increasing tidal differentials -- which in the historical Coronados pattern tends to amplify, not disrupt, a bite that's already running.

2. The BFT zone just had its best week of the season. Two boats hit 168 fish on 28 anglers on the same day. Polaris Supreme followed with 144/24. Pacific Queen hit 138/23 again on Wednesday. Three of the five highest single-trip BFT numbers of the 2026 season came in the last seven days. The fish haven't moved out of the zone. The overnight runs are producing.

3. A third story is running nearshore. The barracuda surge brings a genuine option for anglers who don't want to run offshore or commit to a full-day trip. Dolphin's back-to-back 100+ barracuda days are not a fluke -- the barra are here in numbers, stacked in the same kelp beds that have been producing triple-digit calico counts all week. A half-day boat can post a three-species day (barracuda, calico bass, bonito) right now without crossing the 20-mile mark.

Weekend of May 23-24, 2026 -- San Diego

Waxing Crescent into First Quarter (Saturday 48% / Sunday 59%).

The picks: Saturday dawn and Sunday morning.

Both days have their primary Major window in the early morning, produced by the moon's underfoot position -- the gravitational pull from the opposite side of the earth is still a full Major solunar event. Saturday's 6:30-8:30 AM window lands directly at first light, right as sport boats that departed the night before are arriving on the grounds. Sunday's 7:13-9:13 AM window covers the full first hour of sunrise fishing.

The evening windows (6:30-8:30 PM Saturday, 7:13-9:13 PM Sunday) fall after sunset but are prime time for private boaters already offshore transitioning into the overnight drift. The bluefin overnight bite has been the consistent producer all week -- those windows add a solunar push to an already productive time slot.

As the moon moves toward First Quarter through the weekend, tidal differentials increase. In the standard lunar fishing pattern, rising tidal energy amplifies bites that are already running. The Coronados yellowtail bite heading into Sunday should carry an extra push from the growing moon phase.

The offshore BFT call. 84 BFT on 23 anglers on Wednesday (3.65 F/A), 144 BFT on 24 anglers (6.0 F/A) the week prior. The zone is producing and the boat is the most consistent multi-day BFT operator in the fleet. If the 100+ lb class fish are the target, the 2-day or 3-day format on this boat is the call.

The Coronados yellowtail call. Seven straight days of 35+ fish, with a peak of 95 on May 17. The San Diego has been the most consistent single-day boat at the islands all season -- when the bite is this locked in, this is the boat that shows it first and shows it most reliably. The First Quarter moon building through Sunday should keep the bite elevated into the weekend.

The nearshore barracuda call. 103 barracuda on May 15, 104 on May 19 -- two of the biggest nearshore barra days of the season back to back. Multiple trip formats available (half-day AM, PM, twilight) at an accessible price point. Calico bass and bonito mixing in. This is the boat to put an angler on who wants fast action without a long run or an early departure time.

BLUEFIN TUNA

YELLOWTAIL -- CORONADOS

NEARSHORE

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.

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