I really like my job being a San Diego Bay Guide. It’s always a thrill having folks from out of town see the beauty and wonder of fishing San Diego Bay. It’s especially cool watching the young anglers get hooked up.  

When I first talked to David about this trip, and he told me his 8 year old son Connor would be coming along, I was all jazzed. I knew that the Mackerel were running, and that always makes for a fun day. David and Connor do come over from their Arizona digs from time to time, and although they have fished the bay before, I was more than happy to show a different side of San Diego Bay to these two fine fishermen.  

We got rockin’ right away when Connor caught a Sand Bass on the first cast. It took no time at all for other Sand Bass in our area to get a whiff of the Gulp! baits that we dropping. We were rockin’ and rolling on the Sand Bass there for quite awhile, and I was so right about the Mackerel. They were thick. Almost too thick, in fact. There were loads of perfect 3-6” top smelt (my favorite Halibut bait), but we could not catch them. Every time we dropped a Sabiki on them, the Mackerel got to it first. That’s when Connor laid it to them. I mean if you want to get Mackerel out of the way, I know just the 8 year old to call. He was like the Mackerel Vacuum. The Mackinator! We did manage a Lizard Fish or two and some 5” Mackerel.  

As soon as the tide slacked off we were off to one of my favorite Halibut spots. David did catch a couple of small flat fish, and Connor and I shared some Sand Bass that ate the Lizards before the Halibut could get to them.