When is the best  time to go
Long Range Fishing?

     My first answer is when the fish are biting. I know this answer is not much help but look at the questions. There are many variables that are not addressed in such a general question. Let us first discuss the what fish you want to catch.

First - Yellowtail: try the from June to September. The main factor as with all pelagic fish is finding the correct water temperatures. Yellowtails prefer the 60 to 70 degree water.

Second - Dorado: try August to October. If you can get on a fall long range trip that is usually the best way to catch quality size dorado (15lbs. +). The local fleet of Southern California does get its share of Dorado during an El Nino year but it can be a hit and miss affair during normal years.

Third - Tuna: If you want to catch Yellowfin, Bluefin, Bigeye and Albacore the best place to be is on a 3 to 5 day summer trip. Short trips can produce good scores but the extra days allows you more time to find that school that will cooperate.

If you want the big tuna, 100 lbs. plus, try the late fall and winter trips on a Long Range vessel. There trips to the Revilla-gigeddos Islands are your best change to get on of these big tunas.

Finally - wahoo: My favorite fish. Wahoo are probably the toughest fish to predict when they will  be someplace. But here are a few common trends. Fall long Range trips and Long trips to the Revilla-gigeddos Islands. To get the best scores on wahoo you want to be the first boat to fish an area when the wahoo move in.

If your main concern is rough weather:I have taken long range trips for almost 20 years and I still would not try to predict when would be the best time to go based on weather. The weather is usually calmer in the fall and rough during the winter. Spring and summer months is a roll of the dice. If you are prone to seasickness I would start with a late summer or early fall 3 to 5 day trip, that way if the weather turns bad you will not be on the boat for a long time. For those of you local anglers who fish out here (Gulf of the Farallones) the weather is usually calmer down south. You will also be fishing on larger vessel if you go on a long range trip, 90 footer or larger.

This should clear up a few of your questions on when is the best time to go. A little reminder on how long of a trip you should go, as long as you can.  With more days you can try different areas, target different fish and not be rushed. If you have any questions you can e-mail me at onorods  and I will try to help you plan your next trip.