Bluefin have been consistently spotted and caught by local anglers while fishing within 15 miles of the Santa CruzHarbor. Having Bluefin Tuna here locally is not unheard of but it is also not common. The last time we had a nice showing was the year 2000.
Early September, a boat hailing from Monterey trolled into several. Bluefin anglers continue efforts to stay on top of these elusive fish and have been catching them on a regular basis. The canyon edges west/southwest of the Santa CruzHarbor have been productive with depths ranging from 300 to 2000 feet of water. Most of the Bluefin have been caught trolling or drifting live bait on the surface or clipped to a downrigger with a line release at 50 to 100 feet down. The canyon edges have water breaks where cooler water meets warm water and forms a prolific edge of water hosting plankton and baitfish.
The Bluefin have ranged in size from 30 to 80 pounds — the larger fish have been tougher to catch. They are very line-shy and wary of boat traffic; one must use stealthy tactics to catch one of these prized tunas. Most anglers use a 30 to 40 pound “fluorocarbon” line that is hard for the fish to see while using live mackerel for bait. Some anglers favor circle hooks that will hook the fish in the corner of the mouth and have less chance of the fish chewing through the line. The odds of catching a Bluefin are not great, as some anglers may spend five days per fish and others catch one or two on a single outing.
The regulations for Bluefin have become stricter with a two fish per day maximum catch per angler. Bluefin range on the West Coast is from southern Baja to as far north as Southeast Alaska. They are usually found along the coast of Baja and southern California. This year’s unusually warm water has brought them north. The albacore were so far north this season we had no significant catches in central California this season. At this point it appears as if the Bluefin may be here a few more weeks depending on water temps and a source of feed.
If you crave an albacore dinner, I have the solution. The 38th Annual Albacore Dinner will be November 7th at the CastrovilleCommunity Center. It will be a fund raiser for Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. The dinner has a great selection of raffle prizes and delicious food. Tickets can be purchased at the door starting at 6:00 pm. I hope to see you there.
n Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 20 years. Contact him at ca************@ya***.com.
