California Yellowtail

Oceans & Range: Eastern Pacific Ocean — from Southern California south to the tip of Baja California and throughout the Gulf of California. Primarily a Southern California and Baja California sport fish with major concentrations around the Channel Islands, Coronado Islands, and throughout Baja's Pacific coast and the Sea of Cortez.

Preferred Water Temperature: 60°F–72°F. Follow warm water intrusions north along the California coast in summer. Concentrate around kelp beds, rocky reefs, underwater pinnacles, and offshore islands. The Southern California kelp forest is prime Yellowtail habitat.

Size & Weight: Typical sport catch is 10–25 lbs. Trophy "barn door" fish exceed 40 lbs. World record: 79 lbs 4 oz. A sleek, powerful fish with a distinctive yellow lateral stripe and forked yellow tail — one of the premier West Coast sport fish.

Best Lures: Yo-Yo style surface iron jigs (Tady 45, Salas 6X, Salas 7X) are the iconic Southern California technique — dropped deep then cranked fast to the surface. Swimbaits fished slowly near kelp produce large fish. Topwater poppers and pencil baits produce surface strikes during boils. Casting iron into feeding schools is explosive sport.

Best Baits: Live mackerel are the top bait by far — fly-lined on a circle hook near kelp or rocky structure. Live sardines produce consistent action. Live squid are excellent especially at night. Flylined live anchovies work when other bait is unavailable. Dead rigged mackerel on a sliding sinker rig produce from the bottom.

Eastern Pacific Ocean — from Southern California south to the tip of Baja California and throughout the Gulf of California. Primarily a Southern California and Baja California sport fish with major concentrations around the Channel Islands, Coronado Islands, and throughout Baja's Pacific coast and the Sea of Cortez.

California Yellowtail are pelagic fish that inhabit both coastal and offshore waters along the Pacific coast of North America, from the Baja California Peninsula to as far north as Washington State. They can be found in a variety of habitats, such as rocky reefs, kelp beds, and open water around offshore islands. Yellowtail are known for their preference for warm water, and often move closer to shore during the summer months when water temperatures rise. They are also known to school around submerged structures such as wrecks, oil rigs, and buoys. These fish are highly prized by recreational anglers for their hard-fighting nature and delicious meat.

60°F–72°F. Follow warm water intrusions north along the California coast in summer. Concentrate around kelp beds, rocky reefs, underwater pinnacles, and offshore islands. The Southern California kelp forest is prime Yellowtail habitat.

Best Lures: Yo-Yo style surface iron jigs (Tady 45, Salas 6X, Salas 7X) are the iconic Southern California technique — dropped deep then cranked fast to the surface. Swimbaits fished slowly near kelp produce large fish. Topwater poppers and pencil baits produce surface strikes during boils. Casting iron into feeding schools is explosive sport. Best Baits: Live mackerel are the top bait by far — fly-lined on a circle hook near kelp or rocky structure. Live sardines produce consistent action. Live squid are excellent especially at night. Flylined live anchovies work when other bait is unavailable. Dead rigged mackerel on a sliding sinker rig produce from the bottom.

13 fishing locations where you can catch California Yellowtail

Typical sport catch is 10–25 lbs. Trophy "barn door" fish exceed 40 lbs. World record: 79 lbs 4 oz. A sleek, powerful fish with a distinctive yellow lateral stripe and forked yellow tail — one of the premier West Coast sport fish.

2 official records on file for California Yellowtail