Southern California three-day charter lands bluefin tuna and yellowtail
Southern California’s Zombie Tuna 3-day charter came back with bluefin, yellowtail and a dorado after a night bite on 50- to 100-pound fish.
Independence Sportfishing’s Western State Metals Roofing/Zombie Tuna 3-Day trip returned with bluefin tuna, yellowtail and a dorado after reaching the bluefin grounds before dark and putting together a solid night on 50- to 100-pound fish. The boat then worked south in search of kelps and added more yellowtail, giving the annual trip with The Rubios a mixed box that reflected exactly what Southern California summer offshore fishing is producing when crews hit the right zone.
That combination matters because it shows a charter can still justify the time, fuel and gear spread needed for a three-day run. The bluefin came first in open water, then the move south turned into a kelp search that paid off with yellowtail and the dorado, a pattern that keeps a multi-day booking productive even when the bite shifts from bluewater to structure. It was not pitched as a trophy-only haul. It was a working trip that stayed flexible and kept catching.
The timing lines up with the broader late-June push along the coast. Dock totals for June 26 at H&M Landing in San Diego included 11 bluefin tuna up to 120 pounds, while Dana Wharf posted 31 yellowtail and Newport Landing had 9 yellowtail. 976-TUNA’s June 29 counts also showed Southern California landings still putting fish on the deck, with bluefin, yellowtail, bonito and rockfish mixed into the totals. In other words, the Independence trip was not an isolated hit. It fit a regionwide pattern where boats from San Diego to Orange County were finding enough life to keep summer trips worth the run.
The window is a familiar one for Southern California crews. Mid-to-late June has long been one of the strongest pelagic stretches of the season, when bluefin push into longer-range water as temperatures rise and bait stacks up, while yellowtail usually sits near its peak from June through August. For the Rubios’ annual trip, the payoff came from getting to the bluefin grounds before dark, then staying ready to slide south when the kelps lit up, which is exactly how a three-day charter turns a long run into a productive box.
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