Offshore Tuna Blitz, Inshore Bass Bonanza - Your Pacific Coast Fishing Report for August 22, 2025

Artificial Lure here with your California Pacific Coast fishing report for August 22, 2025.

Sunrise kicked off at 6:26AM and anglers are enjoying a long summer day with sunset set at 7:50PM. Up and down the coast, the weather is prime—clear skies, mild temps in the mid-70s, and a gentle marine layer early that’s burning off fast. Tides are shifting quick today: high tide at 4:01AM, low tide at 10:05AM, another high at 3:48PM, then dropping again after dark. Surf is gentle in most major beach zones, and the high tidal coefficient means strong tidal movement—expect currents to stir things up and push bait closer inshore.

The bite is on! The past few nights have seen outstanding action offshore, with the Pacific Queen coming back into San Diego Harbor loaded with 77 Bluefin Tuna and a bonus Yellowtail from a three-day run. Multiple boats—like the Tradition, Liberty, and Constitution—are reporting heavy Bluefin counts, some pushing the 140-pound mark. Yellowtail are mixing in, with solid numbers at the Coronado Islands and Catalina, while closer to shore the Calico Bass are stacking up in weed beds and structure, especially on half-day trips. The Dolphin reported 250 Calico Bass released just yesterday, plus Barracuda and Rockfish really coming on strong[1][5][7].

Northern and Central California are also thriving. Groundfishing just got a big regulatory boost: as of mid-August, emergency changes mean way fewer depth restrictions north of Point Conception. That opens up all-depth angling for prized rockfish, lingcod, cabezon, and greenling—the most open it's been in years, so boats are filling limits fast. Crappie have hit 15 inches around the North Coast, and late-summer trout in Twin Lake are running big[3][9].

If you’re fishing coastal, now’s the time to target Calico and Sand Bass early or late in the day, especially around kelp edges. Anglers pitching small jigs, swimbaits, or plastic grubs are connecting, while those slow trolling sardines and anchovies near the reefs are getting Rockfish, Reds, and Sculpin. Your best bet for plastics: stick with natural patterns for clear water, and go bright or white if it’s churned up.

For offshore hot spots, San Clemente Island and the 43 Fathom Spot south of Catalina are producing epic Bluefin bites at night. Coronado Islands remain the Southern California hub for steady Yellowtail and wide-open surface action on the flyline baits. In SoCal, the consensus is clear: start with live sardines or mackerel flylined, swap to sinker rigs midday, and keep your night setup ready for dropping jigs when the tuna sound deep.

Up in the Bay Area, the California Delta is a bass factory—Largemouth and Smallmouth are hitting sunfish, shad, and crayfish presentations all month. Big Break, Bethel Island, and Rio Vista stand out for bank and boat access. For lures, the Strike King Mini-King 1/8 oz. spinnerbait is perfect for targeting juvenile bass or panfish in shallow pockets, and plenty of Northern locals swear by it for summer bites with ultra-light gear. For bigger game, shallow diving plugs and chrome spoons are too good to pass up[4][8].

A couple local sure things for today:
- Catalina Island (East End): Calico Bass and Barracuda on plastics and live bait.
- Coronado Islands: Yellowtail and Bluefin action on sardines and poppers.
- Monterey Bay: Rockfish and Lingcod at the 50-fathom boundary, limits coming easy this week.
- California Delta (Big Break and Rio Vista): Largemouth and Striped Bass crushing jigs and live shad.

Remember, with tides peaking midday and again late afternoon, plan your moves—fish structure and drop-offs on the incoming, and edges of reefs on the outgoing. Tidal coefficients are high today, so expect baitfish to move and target predators to follow.

That’s it for your Pacific Coast report this Friday. Thanks for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe for...