Dana Wharf Fish Report: Dorado Fishing Remains White Hot

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:

Good week with nice weather for the most part.

Half-day boats were fishing bass along some stretches off San Clemente and up through Dana Point.  There was some action on the live baits. Fly-lined sardines got bites, but the best action came off the rubber lures like the smaller three-inch swim baits and the five-inch fluke-style baits. Lures that were small like an anchovy fished well. There were some nice sheephead on the dropper loop setups as well.

Three-quarter-day trips were still kind of a dual target type of deal. Mornings were spent out off the beach looking for kelp fishing dorado, and in the afternoons, boats came in on the beach fishing bass. It’s the same deal as the half-day on the bass with it being on the tougher side but still getting some shots. 

As far the offshore scene goes, it’s been a great opportunity. All-day trips were out fishing this dorado. Certainly, if you’re the first to roll on a kelp in the morning, you stand a great chance of catching a few fish, but the better biting fish has been off the kelps. Some of these schools of fish have been massive.

We’ve caught fish on breezers and legit foamers of dorado this week. We will continue to fish this as long as we’re seeing it and it remains in our range.

The Clemente had a kelp on Sunday, Aug. 21, for 109 dorado and two yellowtails. The San Mateo fished the same kelp for 38 more dorado. 

There were some more yellowtail shots for the Fury fishing San Clemente Island. Fly-lined sardines and surface iron caught this stuff, which ranged in size from 12 to 28 pounds of good grade and plenty of bass fishing as the alternative. 

Finally, for our small boat fleet wanting the bluefin, they’ve been making the necessary run early in the week to make their catches but sounding like some fish showing a little closer over the last two days so hopefully that’s an option as well.

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

Aug. 23 – 6 boats, 147 anglers: 66 dorado, 6 yellowtail, 66 whitefish, 61 calico bass, 5 sheephead, 5 bonito, 1 sculpin, 1 barracuda, 94 bass released

Aug. 22 – 5 boats, 89 anglers: 250 dorado

Aug. 21 – 11 boats, 306 anglers: 174 dorado, 33 yellowtail, 101 calico bass, 28 whitefish, 18 bonito, 12 sand bass, 11 barracuda, 8 sculpin, 5 sheephead, 1 rockfish, 193 bass released

Aug. 20 – 11 boats, 238 anglers: 32 dorado, 18 yellowtail, 56 calico bass, 55 rockfish, 42 vermilion rockfish, 28 whitefish, 15 bocaccio, 15 barracuda, 8 sculpin, 4 treefish, 4 sheephead, 3 sand bass, 258 bass released

Aug. 19 – 7 boats, 170 anglers: 24 dorado, 3 bluefin tuna, 96 calico bass, 51 barracuda, 24 rockfish, 18 bocaccio, 17 whitefish, 5 sand bass, 5 sculpin, 4 sheephead, 3 treefish, 2 bonito, 157 bass released

Aug. 18 – 8 boats, 178 anglers: 21 dorado, 20 yellowtail, 12 yellowfin croaker, 54 calico bass, 13 sand bass, 14 sculpin, 1 sheephead, 3 white fish, 3 barracuda, 16 bonito, 195 bass released