I'm getting the itch to cross yellowtail off my "catch life list" so I'm in the beginning stages of developing my game plan but I have a few questions to increase my odds of catching.....
What is the best time of year to target yellowtail? And where?
What size spinning reel is idle? What size rod to match the reel?
Thanks for taking the time to help me out
Pj
There's some around the Channel Islands but it's hit and miss. Boats in San Diego run 1.5-2 day trips to Clooney that are pretty consistent for some yellowtail Other landings are getting them here and there tooin so cal
Not a spinning reel guy so can't help you there. A 4/0 size reel with 40lb and a 7-8' rod should get the job done. They don't call them yellowtail specials for nothing.
CA yellowtail can be a year around fishery. Winter and early spring usually means "home guard" YT. These are larger fish 25-40 lbs or bigger. This time of year most local boats are targeting rockfish so locating the YT is harder but the payoff is worth it when you find some biters. Spring and early summer is the time for "firecracker" YT. WFO bites on smaller fish 5-15 lbs are very common so smaller gear is used to fish them. Summer and fall is the time for the nice sized "mossbacks" 20-30 lb fish with larger models in the mix.
I like targeting the summer and fall fish because if the YT are not biting the tuna may be. Their normally around in good numbers and the overnight boats out of So Cal have can have good to outstanding catch rates. Landings from San Pedro to San Diego are in the prime areas. The overnight boats have the options of fishing San Clemente or even San Barbara islands or looking off shore for kelp paddy fish. The landings south of Orange County, where I live, have the option of heading into Mexican waters if needed.
I don't use spinners either but I like fishing a 7' rod and reel combo that can handle 10-12 lbs of drag, with the reel having a moderate to fast retrieve. These setups allow you to fish bait and the yoyo iron very well which are the most common ways of targeting YT.
I went out Monday to San Clemente and went 3 for 4 on YT in the 25-30 lb class but sadly the BFT tuna didn't want to bite for us, only 5 caught on the boat and not one for me, but the the tuna were there.
Although you can find and catch Yellowtail Jacks (jack family carangidae, as opposed to rockfish family sebastes, or snapper, etc.) year around off Southern California, they are a migratory species. Some of the bigger local, non-straying fish are referred to as 'homeguard' or 'mossbacks'. The species are considered a "warm water" species, so migratory schools move north from off Baja as the SoCal waters warm with the summer days.
CDFW maintains liberal size and take limits for Yellowtail because they are prolific spawners and not currently in danger of being over-fished. Yellowtail are a mainstay for the SoCal party boat fleet. A one hour bite on a school of decent-sized yellowtail can turn a 3-day trip of misery into what many would consider a successful, memorable trip, and reason for a return trip on that same party boat.
And yes, you can use 15-40# spinning gear. But if there are tuna around, you may want to have your heavier conventional gear handy. Yellowtail are good at heading to the rocks or kelp paddy if you don't get their heads turned quickly enough. If you are well-tuned in spinning gear, you know that the cost ratio of comparable quality between spinning reels compared to conventional gear is about 4 or 5 to 1. So buying quality heavy duty spinning gear will be really costly if you don't have a use for it back home.
Thank you everyone for the information! I'm gonna start getting my yellowtail game plan together for next summer...
I got something out of this too. When I used to live in SD, I always wanted to go fishing for yellowtail but was never able to make it happen. I was preoccupied with other things at that point in my life. Since then, I've wanted to go back really badly.
Can you target these fish from a kayak?
If you are experienced at fishing in the ocean from an ocean kayak fishing platform, the answer is absolutely yes. Kayakers commonly fish the kelp lines in SoCal for bass, barracuda, white sea bass, and yellowtail. This year, more kayakers are going out farther to target the YFT schools, as well as bigger YT.
Compact live bait systems have been developed to enable the use of live bait, as well as surface and yoyo irons and jigs.
I have a lot of experience kayaking in the ocean. How far out do you have to go?
What kind of live bait system? I have a live well on the back of my kayak but it really only works well with small baits. I put a bunch of live mackerel in there and they die.
I see reports from guys catching yellowtail at La Jolla on mackeral and jigs from kayaks. If you're in San Diego that would be a good place to try
Quote from: Swami805 on November 06, 2017, 08:40:21 PM
I see reports from guys catching yellowtail at La Jolla on mackeral and jigs from kayaks. If you're in San Diego that would be a good place to try
Thanks for the info. Next time I'm in town, I will definitely bring my kayak with me.
West coast kayak tour is next on my bucket list.
This thread has morphed a bit but I will add a little about yak fishing in So Cal.
First I have never fished of a kayak so take this for what it is worth. There are many areas where people do fish with their yaks here, some of them very close to shore. The kicker is finding a place where you can park, launch and return safely/legally from and still be close enough to reach good fishing zones without paddling for miles both in and out to the places where you want to fish. A 2-3 foot swell here in So Cal, which is pretty normal on flatter days will mean 4-6 foot breaking sets along beaches. So some homework should be done first on launching and fishing areas close enough where you feel comfortable going out to.
I have been asked many times why I don't own or fish from kayak's here and it is because of the above. It looks like great fun to me and something I would enjoy very much so maybe I'm missing something? I don't know but how some people look at fishing here like your a very bad person for even doing it and will fight tooth and nail to stop you from this sport. So personal water craft and not just motorized type vehicles, launching, fishing and just plain fun on the water are becoming harder and harder to find here in So Cal.
Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread. I'll post this last comment and then we can get back on topic.
I have a love hate relationship with kayak fishing. It's great in the sense that you can travel and still get into decent water. It's also really enjoyable once you are out there. Sun in your face, getting exercise, catching fish. The downside is exactly what you mentioned, having to find good launch spots/parking. Also, you have to carry all that weight. Honestly, it can be a pain. A kayak will never be a substitute for a boat.
Sounds like southern CA to me, lol. Traffic, no parking, and more traffic. The truth is that the grass isn't always greener. Parking is actually worse in New England. I actually know people that deliberately park illegally and split the ticket/towing fee between 4 guys just to go fishing. Literally every township up here is resident stick parking only....... There is no way around it.
Quote from: Swami805 on November 06, 2017, 08:40:21 PM
I see reports from guys catching yellowtail at La Jolla on mackeral and jigs from kayaks. If you're in San Diego that would be a good place to try
I live one long distance away from La Jolla but know they catch very good Yellowtail there from Yacks. It is within easy paddling reach.
Here where I am guys with kayaks have trebled in number the past two years and have collectively become a very inconsiderate bunch in my mind, but that's another story. They easily paddle 6/7 miles to get to fish here and then troll up and down as well and your backside gets very sore from sitting in that craft.....not for me thank you. ;)
Do they catch yellowtail in LA through San Diego in April?
The water has been warmer than normal the last few years so it's been almost year round. If the water stays warm which is big if maybe. Spring here gets alot of wind that causes up-welling and that usually is when the water is coolest. You never know if the last few years are any indication. In San Diego this time of year they run 1.5- 2 day trips to Colonet and they get some there or just rockfish. Right now rockfish is closed in Ca so they go down to Mexico. The 3/4 day boats have been getting some in San Diego but they're not very big and it's hit and miss. Just watch the fish reports online for April and see.
They seem to pop up in spring sometimes on squid nests when fishing for white seabass too. Catalina island can be good for that.
If had had to pick a month April would be at the bottom of the list but no telling. It's been a strange few years.
Unfortunately, you just missed some wide open yellowtail fishing in San Diego. From Late December to to early January the half day boats where catching 100+ yellows during the morning sessions. The bite shut off after that last storm.
From what I've read here and a few other places it seems April is about the worst month to target yellowtail so I guess I'll wait until the fall to increase my chances of catching a yellowtail..... Maybe I'll just go lingcod and rockfish fishing in April
PJ, Don't forget salmon fishing in April. Some offer rockfish/salmon combo trips.
Steve
Quote from: pjstevko on January 19, 2018, 03:51:59 AM
From what I've read here and a few other places it seems April is about the worst month to target yellowtail so I guess I'll wait until the fall to increase my chances of catching a yellowtail..... Maybe I'll just go lingcod and rockfish fishing in April
April is prime time for yellowtail down in southern Baja...East Cape, La Paz, Loreto.
My son with one in May of '17. Caught off south San Clemente down by where the Nixon Western White House was located.