New Season Record. Then the Yellowfin Answered |The Bite Index | July 30, 2026

Legend came home Wednesday July 22 with 174 bluefin tuna. New 2026 season record -- tops Pacific Queen's 142 from July 6. Pacific Queen was there Wednesday too, with 132. Tomahawk posted 92 (grades up to 220 lbs). Islander returned Thursday with 144. Pegasus came in Friday with 114. Five boats, four days, five individual trips over 100 BFT -- and then the species composition shifted. By Tuesday July 28, Horizon put up 134 yellowfin + 130 yellowtail + 24 dorado on a 2-day trip with 25 anglers. Voyager ran 11 anglers and got 97 yellowfin the same day. New Lo-An had signaled the rotation as early as July 24 with 91 yellowfin. Meanwhile the Coronado Islands caught fire into the Full Moon -- the San Diego boated 86 yellowtail on a Full Day CI trip on Tuesday, the best single-day CI count of the year on a day-trip boat. Full Moon arrived yesterday (July 29). Offshore water is 73°F. Conditions are 9/10 all weekend. The bite is rotating to yellowfin and dorado -- and the Coronados are surging in sync.

Weekend Score: 9/10 🟢

Wednesday July 22 started with a new number on the board.

Legend returned from a 3-day trip with 174 bluefin tuna on 29 anglers -- the new 2026 season record, surpassing Pacific Queen's 142-fish mark from July 6. Pacific Queen was also back Wednesday with 132 BFT on 24 anglers. Tomahawk brought in 92 (up to 220 lbs) on a 2.5-day. Three boats, 398 combined BFT on a single Wednesday.

It didn't stop. Islander returned Thursday July 23 with 144 BFT and 37 yellowtail on 24 anglers -- 6.0 fish per angler, the highest F/A of the week. Pegasus was back Friday with 114 BFT on 19 anglers. Poseidon and Horizon filled in the mid-tier. Through the first three days of the week, the fleet had put up five individual trips over 100 BFT.

Then Tuesday happened differently.

Horizon returned from a 2-day with 134 yellowfin tuna, 130 yellowtail, and 24 dorado on 25 anglers -- the most species-diverse haul of the 2026 season. Voyager ran 11 anglers on a 2-day and pulled 97 yellowfin the same day. Pacific Queen went 33 YFT + 29 dorado + 25 yellowtail on a 1.5-day run. Apollo mixed 9 YFT with 15 BFT and 32 yellowtail. The zone had rotated.

The earliest signal came from New Lo-An on July 24: 91 yellowfin + 22 yellowtail + 51 skipjack on 25 anglers -- the week's first definitive YFT score, and the sign that the warm-water species were stacking in fishable numbers.

Running underneath all of it: the Coronado Islands caught fire into the Full Moon. Mission Belle posted 56 yellowtail (July 22), then 51 twice more (July 25, July 26). Excalibur ran a 2.5-day and came home with 103 yellowtail. And the San Diego -- which had been quietly delivering 24-40 yellowtail each day through last week -- came back Tuesday July 28 with 86 yellows on a Full Day trip with 37 anglers. That's 2.3 F/A on a format that rarely sees numbers like that. The CI bite is peaking.

Water temp: Buoy 46086 is reading 73°F offshore. That's the warmest of the 2026 season and explains everything about the YFT and dorado showing up in force.

Offshore BFT -- EXCEPTIONAL early week, tapering by close (4/5)
The week opened with the best 72-hour BFT stretch of the year: Legend 174, Pacific Queen 132, Tomahawk 92, Islander 144, Pegasus 114. Then the BFT counts per boat dropped sharply by late week -- Tomahawk returned Tuesday with 26, Pegasus 16, Apollo 15 -- not because the fish left, but because the fleet split. Some boats stayed on BFT, others chased the YFT zone pulling boats further offshore or south. Polaris Supreme (69 BFT) and Pacific Voyager (67 BFT) were still finding solid 3-day BFT counts on Monday July 27. The school hasn't moved -- the fleet did.

Offshore YFT / Dorado -- EXPLOSIVE, ascending (5/5)
This is the lead story heading into the weekend. New Lo-An fired the first warning shot July 24 (91 YFT). By Tuesday July 28, Horizon (134 YFT + 130 YT + 24 Dor) and Voyager (97 YFT) confirmed the zone is dialed in. Pacific Queen added 33 YFT + 29 dorado on a 1.5-day. At 73°F offshore, you're in the middle of peak yellowfin and dorado temperature. This is what late July is supposed to produce -- and 2026 is delivering.

Coronado Islands / Near-Offshore YT -- BEST OF THE SEASON (4/5)
Mission Belle posted 51 yellowtail or better three times this week (56 on July 22, 51 on July 25, 51 on July 26). Excalibur's 2.5-day returned 103 yellowtail. And the San Diego posted 86 on a single Full Day CI run Tuesday -- the highest single-day count logged by a day-trip boat this season. Full Moon timing drove that number. The CI is in its best stretch since early June and the post-Full Moon waning gibbous weekend should keep it going.

La Jolla / Nearshore -- STEADY, barracuda added (3/5)
Calico bass counts remained strong through the week: Premier AM and PM posting 70-110 calico multiple days, Sea Watch 106 calico (July 27), Dolphin consistently in the 40-60 range. New addition this week: barracuda. Dolphin logged 104 barracuda on a Full Day run on July 26. Vendetta 2 posted 100 barracuda on a 3/4-day the same day. New Seaforth Twilight hit 42 barracuda July 27. The 'cuda are running and the nearshore fleet is into them.

Full Moon was yesterday. The weekend runs waning gibbous at 92% Saturday and 85% Sunday -- and the solunar pattern that comes with it is loaded for overnight boats.

The Overhead Major falls in the dead of night both nights: 1:58 AM -- 3:58 AM Saturday and 2:41 AM -- 4:41 AM Sunday. That's the window when yellowfin and BFT are most likely to be feeding on the surface or in the upper water column -- exactly when a 2-day or overnight boat is drifting through the zone. The fleet that ran Tuesday night and got 134 yellowfin was fishing this window pattern, one day before the Full Moon peak.

Day-trip anglers get the Underfoot Major in the afternoon: 2:19 PM -- 4:19 PM Saturday and 3:03 PM -- 5:03 PM Sunday. That afternoon window is ideal for Coronado Islands yellowtail -- plan to be on the kelp or rocky structure during those two hours. The San Diego's 86-fish day on Tuesday didn't happen by accident.

For the BFT/YFT private boater: run overnight if you can. The 73°F water and pre-dawn solunar major create the same setup that's been producing 90-134 YFT on the sport boat fleet. If a dawn-only run is all you have, the Moonset Minor (8:23-9:23 AM Saturday, 9:22-10:22 AM Sunday) gives you a secondary window around mid-morning as you approach the zone.

On target: look for the temperature break between 72-73°F blue water and the greener 68-69°F zone. YFT are holding in the warm water, dorado near the color edge. The BFT have been in both zones.

Forecast: Excellent across the board.

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

Barometric Pressure: 29.960 inHg, stable (⚪). 3h change: +0.030 inHg, 12h change: +0.020 inHg. No disruption to the bite in either direction.

SST (Buoy 46086 offshore -- NOAA NDBC): 73.0°F -- warmest reading of the 2026 season. Peak dorado and yellowfin temperature. Water has climbed approximately 4-5°F since the last newsletter three weeks ago.

1. The YFT zone is active and documented. Three boats topped 90 yellowfin on Tuesday July 28 alone -- Horizon 134, Voyager 97, Pacific Queen 33 (on a 1.5-day). That's not a fluke; that's a stacked zone. The sport boat fleet knows where it is.

2. Offshore water hit 73°F. That's the warmest of the season and the sweet spot for yellowfin and dorado. The species composition on July 28 vs July 22 tells the story: BFT dominated early week when the water was a degree or two cooler; YFT and dorado took over as the warm mass held and pushed north.

3. Full Moon was yesterday -- the overnight solunar major is prime. The Overhead Major runs 2-4 AM both nights. Overnight and 2-day boats fishing through Saturday and Sunday night are right in that window. This is exactly when yellowfin and BFT feed hardest in warm water -- and the boats that stayed overnight on Tuesday verified it with 90-134 YFT.

4. Coronados yellowtail are in their best stretch of the summer. The San Diego's 86-fish Full Day CI run on Tuesday is the highest single-day count of the year for a day-trip boat. Mission Belle has posted 51+ three times in six days. The post-Full Moon afternoon underfoot major (2:19-4:19 PM Saturday, 3:03-5:03 PM Sunday) lands squarely in peak CI yellowtail fishing hours.

5. 9/10 conditions, baro stable, 14-16s swell period. Light winds under 10 knots, long-period swell making 3-4 feet comfortable, no pressure event incoming. The offshore run is flat and fishable.

Weekend of August 1-2, 2026 -- San Diego

Full Moon was yesterday July 29. The weekend runs waning gibbous -- 92% illumination Saturday, 85% Sunday. The primary solunar windows shift to pre-dawn (Overhead Major) and mid-afternoon (Underfoot Major). The overnight boats are the primary beneficiaries this weekend.

The picks: overnight 1:58--3:58 AM Saturday, 2:41--4:41 AM Sunday for offshore; 2:19--4:19 PM Saturday, 3:03--5:03 PM Sunday for Coronados.

The pattern has been consistent all summer: windows shift by approximately 45 minutes per day. The progression from Issue #19's midday windows (10:22 AM and 11:14 AM) through the Full Moon to this weekend's overnight and afternoon windows is exactly what the lunar cycle predicts. For CI day-trip anglers, the afternoon underfoot major is increasingly your strongest window as the moon wanes -- the 2-5 PM slot is prime for an August weekend yellowtail bite at the islands.

The week's best trip and the YFT zone pick. Horizon just returned Tuesday with 134 yellowfin + 130 yellowtail + 24 dorado on 25 anglers -- the most diverse haul of the season. A 2-day trip departing Thursday or Friday puts them through the overnight Overhead Major (2-4 AM Saturday) while the zone is still live and the water holds at 73°F. The YFT weren't a fluke -- Voyager and Pacific Queen confirmed the zone the same day. If Horizon runs again this weekend, the setup is the same as Tuesday's.

The CI yellowtail pick. 86 yellowtail on a Full Day trip on Tuesday July 28 is the highest single-day count of the year for a day-trip format. The post-Full Moon pattern says CI yellowtail stay active through the waning gibbous weekend -- especially in the afternoon underfoot major window (2:19-4:19 PM Saturday). The San Diego has also been consistently running 31-40 yellowtail even on quieter days. This is the best bet for a weekend CI trip.

The consistent CI pick. Three 50+ yellowtail trips in six days: 56 (July 22), 51 (July 25), 51 (July 26). While the San Diego had the single-day headline, Mission Belle has been the most reliable CI performer over the course of the week. Afternoon departure or staying into the underfoot major window is the move.

BLUEFIN TUNA -- NEW SEASON RECORD

YELLOWFIN TUNA + DORADO MIXED -- THE PIVOT

CORONADO ISLANDS + NEAR-OFFSHORE YELLOWTAIL

NEARSHORE / BARRACUDA + CALICO

Horizon tops 100 yellowfin tuna this trip.
They just boated 134 YFT + 130 YT + 24 Dor on July 28 -- the best mixed haul of the season. Water is 73°F, the YFT zone is confirmed across three boats on the same day, and the overnight solunar major (1:58--3:58 AM Saturday) lands right in their fishing window. Zone is dialed in. They go again.

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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