Searcher is 43 years old today. All the boats are in port for a brief period. Most will be departing, a couple on the last long trips of the season and the rest on the first shorter excursions into much closer waters over the next two or three weeks. Skippers are reporting sign of tuna and yellowtail on offshore kelps and in warmer waters to the south, so prospects for those look good, including bluefin. Little sign so far of the elusive albacore, but that could change in an instant.

For the local fleet, trips of one day or less are getting decent fishing on bottomfish and barracuda. The yellowtail bite yoyos from pretty good to just fair fishing on a day-to-day basis. The bass bite for both calico and sand bass is looking better, but still hasn't busted wide open. Fisherman's Landing half-day trips have been releasing large numbers of short calico bass, a sign of better things to come. With a large number of anglers expected on nearby waters this weekend, we may see improved angling soon.