San Diego’s Apollo lands 26 bluefin on improving night bite
Apollo’s two-day San Diego run produced 26 bluefin, including fish to 150 pounds, as the bite improved after sunset and turned into a true night program.
Apollo came back from a two-day San Diego run with 26 bluefin tuna, and the number that matters most is not just the count. Several fish topped 100 pounds, with some to 150, which puts this trip squarely in meat-fish territory and tells anglers the run is producing more than school-size casuals.
The trip started at the bank, where the crew picked up yellowtail and a little rockfish, then slid back to the hot spot and found the bluefin bite sharpening after dark. That progression matters because it shows the fishing was not static. The Apollo crew saw the tuna respond as the day faded, with some fish coming on the kite before the bluefin switched on the jigs once the sun went down.
For the next San Diego run, that is the clearest signal in the report. Heavy fish and a turning night bite mean tackle needs to match the grade, with enough backbone for 100-plus-pound bluefin and enough confidence in the dark to keep a jig moving cleanly when the window opens. With 10 anglers aboard, the boat finished with a strong catch rate and a manageable rail, the kind of trip that rewards preparation more than luck.
The Apollo was not alone. Seaforth Sportfishing’s June 22 recap showed the boat back with 26 bluefin, 1 yellowtail, 3 bonito, 2 barracuda, 25 rockfish, and 40 reds. The same update had the Polaris Supreme at 54 bluefin and 14 yellowtail, including a 200-pounder, while the Aztec posted 18 bluefin up to 175 pounds, along with 36 yellowtail, 20 bonito, and 100 reds. That kind of fleet-wide spread points to a real offshore window, not just a one-boat spike.
The broader management picture matches the action. NOAA Fisheries says Pacific bluefin tuna are no longer considered overfished or subject to overfishing, and the 2025-2026 U.S. commercial catch limit is 1,872.85 metric tons, nearly 80 percent higher than the prior biennial limit. In the California EEZ, recreational anglers may keep no more than two bluefin per trip, so the emphasis on the next run is quality, not volume. The Apollo’s improving night bite fits that picture well: San Diego bluefin are still in the game, and the best fishing is happening when daylight gives way to the dark.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
