San Diego is a unique place to fish saltwater in the Pacific.  The water is calm and warm enough to fish from a kayak at almost any time of the year.  Every season offers a variety of exciting fishing opportunities. Yellowtail (left) are mostly caught during the summer months but there are a few large resident yellowtail that can be caught all year.  This yellowtail was a very late catch in November 2007. It was one of the more exciting fish I’ve ever caught.  I was using only 12# line on a light rod and reel, tied to a blue lucky craft rip bait.  I always have the most fun when my gear is a little too light for the fish on the line.  That makes for a long fight and some drag-burning runs.

Bonita (right) are available at almost any time of the year. Ryan caught this respectable bonita on the same rip bait that caught the yellowtail.  Most bonita are small, about a pound, but are probably the hardest-fighting fish for their size around.  They can get much larger on occasion. Bonita travel in schools and can be easily caught when a school is located.  The point Loma area is a good place to look for schools of bonita. They will bite anything that looks flashy in the water. 

I have caught very few halibut (left) in the open ocean, but there are plenty of fishermen that target them there.  I am most often targeting calico bass (right) using swim baits. This is a very nice calico (4-5 #) but on occasion they can get much larger than that.  Sand bass, ling cod, and rock fish can also be caught fishing close to the bottom.  Bottom fishing is usually best in the fall and winter months.