You can get your fish on big time - reeling in yellowtail and rockfish - in springtime from San Diego's shores.

Read on to learn about the hot spots for spring deep sea fishing from San Diego!

You can catch fish off San Diego's coastline this time of year, but your best bet for nabbing sizable pelagic fish is by heading south to the Mexican Coronado Islands. This group of islands, about 15-20 miles from San Diego, are home to giant schools of local yellowtail and delicious rockfish.

The islands are heavily protected by the Mexican government. Three permits are needed to fish the islands and the area is regularly patrolled by authorities who don't hesitate to kick out parties in non-compliance of permits and regulations.

To fish the Coronado Islands, you'll need:

1. A Mexican fishing licenses
   
2. Biosphere bracelets
   
3. FNM Visas
   

The good news is that if you book a Coronado Islands trip with us, we take care of the Biosphere and FNM permits that are hard to come by. Anglers are simply responsible for Mexican/USA fishing licenses. It's a 10-12 hour trip, leaving at 6am and returning around 6pm aboard our butter-smooth, lightning-quick Boston Whaler.

You can learn more about this trip and other trip options at our Charter Packages page.

If you're all about scoring local yellowtail in the spring, then the islands are the way to go. They are about the only game in town - like by hundreds of miles - this time of year.

Fishing yellowtail among the Coronado Islands in spring can be challenging; the water is cold and the angeling specialized. But it can make for memorable hauls loaded with fat yellowtail.

During the spring, schools of yellowtail are found deep down at about 100 to 300 feet. We locate them with the boat's sonar and then use a heavy iron jig (JRI 66) in all types of colors.

This technique really works if you have your jig ready to go. Once the boat goes over the school, there may only be a couple seconds to drop the jig. We drop that jig far down, nearly to the bottom. Then we wind up super quick so that it attracts the interest of the fish and they attack the jig.

Persistence is key here. We'll use this method throughout the day, locating as many schools as we can. The goal is to come back only when we have hit our limit!

You're also likely to take home rockfish when fishing the Coronado Islands in spring. These fish consistently get high culinary marks for their exceptional taste. They can be tricky to get on the line, but once you do, they aren't much for fighters.

Fortunately, getting rockfish to bite hasn't been a problem for our guests. Our version of the dropper loop technique has proven to be a tried and true way to snag local rockfish.

What we do is hook a sardine on the upper hook and a squid to the lower hook. Simply put, the rockfish go nuts for this. Non-commercial anglers can only legally use two hooks for rockfish, but this limitation really isn't a problem when we use our dropper loop technique.

Ready to take the bite?

We're booking trips to Coronado Islands now for spring deep sea fishing trips. We get in and out of San Diego to the islands in a flash on our speedy Boston Whaler. Trips are limited to four guests for a catered experience.

What's more, Captain Dan has been fishing his whole life and has the skills to help you nab the gills. Find out why we are the fastest growing deep sea fishing charter in San Diego today by giving us a call and booking your next fishing adventure with us!