El Niño 2026

NOAA has confirmed that El Niño is in effect and will continue to build stronger as the year progresses. Looking forward through the summer we are expecting waters to continue to stay warm through the fall, and even into winter months. The water currently off Dana Point is in the range of 71-75 degrees with even warmer waters pushing up from bellow. The yellowfin tuna are beginning to settle into our zone on the dolphin. It is my prediction that more are coming, with reports from further south of black skipjack in the mix. Once these fish settle into our zone further, expect to be catching them on the troll in dolphin and even local kelps out of Dana Point. There’s been an influx of dorado into the zone, with some kelps holding upwards of 50+ fish in a school. It’s not just kelp patty fishing out there either right now. Blind jig strikes and fish working under turns has all played a part in our local fishing. As of now the best option for a successful trip is 9-12 hours on the water. We will keep the 7hr minimum on offshore trips.

The bait situation has been pretty tuff this year for the whole SoCal bight. Be prepared to have to “make bait” in the morning on trips. For this reason I would advise to book a trip departure time of no later than 6am with 5am being better. This will give us time to put 20 or so mackerel in our bait tanks, giving us the ammo needed to target these fish properly.

Any questions please do not hesitate to reach out via phone call or text directly to me.

(949)636-1927

-Captain Daniel