Big-Game Gains Continue Off San Diego as Bight Water Warms

What's next

Both CO-OPS stations point to the next high tide arriving mid-morning, close to 10:20 local time, giving boats a workable early window before afternoon wind typically builds. With the moon waning toward its next quarter, tidal swings should ease off the recent spring-tide highs over the next few days, generally favorable for boat handling around structure.

If the warmer read at station 9410170 holds through the weekend, the offshore action Western Outdoor News — Saltwater describes should keep extending toward the Channel Islands. Surf anglers should temper expectations from the warm water alone. Surf Fishing in So Cal notes that warmer temperatures don't uniformly help the surf bite, since the effect depends heavily on species and which stretch of beach is being fished.

Context

Late September in the LA Bight and Channel Islands typically sits in the tail end of the warm-water season, with big-game action offshore still active before the fall cool-down pushes fish farther south and deeper. This year has been unusual for shore-bound anglers: per Surf Fishing in So Cal, El Niño conditions have made this one of the roughest surf seasons in over a decade along the San Diego coast. The offshore picture looks closer to on-schedule, with the Bight continuing to produce large fish well into fall.