How to catch Pacific yellowtail

Pacific yellowtail feed in 60–76°F water and bite best at 64–72°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 2 waters.

60 pts · trophy at 40"Feeds 60–76°FBest 64–72°FIn season nowArtificial reefLedge / hard bottomMarker / buoyOther

About

The California yellowtail: a hard-pulling jack that runs for the kelp and the rocks the second it's hooked — the fish of the islands, the Coronados and the kelp paddies. Not the Florida yellowtail snapper.

How to fish it

Fly-line live bait at the kelp edges and island high spots, throw surface iron at the boils, and stop on every kelp paddy offshore.

What it eats

live sardine and anchovysurface iron and yo-yo ironlive squid

Live bait for it

SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.

Sardines (Pacific)Collar- or nose-hooked on a 1/0 to 3/0 hook and fly-lined for yellowtail, white seabass and calico bass; a sinker a few feet up to get it under the bait ball.

Anchovies (Pacific)Nose- or collar-hooked on a #4 to 1/0 hook and fly-lined with no weight, or on a dropper loop; a dozen tossed over the side as chum keeps the bass and bonito up.

What to fish it with

the sizes that fish it

Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon

Hook4/0–8/0

Braid50–100 lb

The rule

not confirmed here

Rules differ by state — check CDFW before you keep one.

The current rule →

Where it is, month by month

PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving

Pacific

Southern California Bight

Central Coast & San Francisco Bay

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