Dana Wharf yellowtail bounce back as calicos and jumbo bonito pile on

This is not the shorter Log Dana Wharf note already on the desk. Capt. Brian Woolley’s Sept. 11, 2026 Dana Point Times filing is the full Labor Day week recap from Dana Wharf Sportfishing. Yellowtail bounced back from the prior week’s slower pace on hard-bottom spots and fish moving in the mud. Mixed grade: 5- to 10-pound fish up to units over 30 pounds. Flylined live bait produced the best, with surface iron, dropper loops, and hard jerkbaits also connecting.

Water that had boiled at 78–79°F cooled into a more seasonal 72–75°F, and calicos jumped on live baits meant for yellowtail. Jumbo bonito to 10 pounds ripped the boats on the troll and sonar schools — flashy sniper-style jigs on those stops — with smaller bullet tuna and a few skipjack mixed in. Yellowfin and dorado were mostly random blind jig strikes offshore.

Sample dock days from the same recap: Sept. 7, nine boats / 305 anglers for 40 yellowtail, 875 bonito, and 130 bullet tuna; Sept. 6, nine boats / 150 anglers for 234 yellowfin and 124 yellowtail.

Photo: Dana Wharf Sportfishing via Dana Point Times (Ben Morana yellowtail on Sum Fun).

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Dana Point Times — Dana Wharf Fish Report: Labor Day Weekend Fishing Produces a Big Splash (Capt. Brian Woolley, Sept. 11, 2026).