Dana Wharf Fish Report: Dorado Still On Top

Every week, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching provides the Dana Point and San Clemente Times a report on the week’s fishing from Captain Brian Woolley, in addition to the weekly fish count.

Here is Captain Woolley’s report for the past week’s action:

Another solid week here. Great water temperatures along the coast helped a bit with the half-day fishing. There’s still a mix of calico bass and some sand bass. Bottom rigs with dropper loops and sliding egg-sinker rigs were the go-to half-day setups. 

Offshore on our three-quarter and all-day trips, it continues to be the dorado fishing that’s filling the boats. Kelp paddies and open-water schools have been found and stopping the boat. There was a tremendous amount of fish in our zone this week. We did see some anchovy push into the areas we have been fishing. The dorado have been feeding on it, so our counts did reflect a bit of a slowdown, as the fish just weren’t in bite mode. But we had plenty of great opportunities at this fish. We have boats back out there today (Sunday, Sept. 11) after taking Friday and Saturday off let the weather pass through. So, TBD at the end of the day how that shakes out.

The overnight and 6-Pac fleet was fishing this mahi too, and depending on the group or trip, there has been some bluefin in their counts, as they fish that stuff up west of Clemente.  Mixed grade on that bluefin with 20 to 60-pound fish and some nice ones over 200 pounds as well. 

Here are the latest fish counts from Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching:

Sept. 15 – 6 boats, 141 anglers: 484 dorado, 6 bluefin tuna, 2 yellowtail, 22 calico bass, 5 barracuda, 3 bonito, 3 sand bass, 2 sheephead, 75 bass released

Sept. 14 – 6 boats, 135 anglers: 1 bluefin tuna, 110 dorado, 1 bonito, 9 calico bass, 2 sand bass, 70 bass released

Sept. 13 – 7 boats, 142 anglers: 26 bluefin tuna, 2 yellowfin tuna, 139 dorado, 10 yellowtail, 33 bonito, 13 calico bass, 9 sand bass, 2 sculpin, 12 white fish, 10 rockfish, 142 bass released

Sept. 12 – 7 boats, 139 anglers: 718 dorado, 2 striped marlin

Sept. 11 – 8 boats, 198 anglers: 171 dorado, 12 sand bass, 10 calico bass, 1 halibut, 226 bass released