Skip to content
Fish City
Bullet tuna studio illustration: small torpedo-shaped body, dark blue back with wavy oblique lines, silver belly and a widely separated pair of dorsal fins, against a dark background.
All Species

Bullet Tuna

Auxis rochei

Updated · Published

Landing NowBait size – About 20 in long (FishBase lists 50 cm fork length)

Bullet tuna are small, fast and easy to find in warm years. They are rarely kept for the table, but Fish City counted 11,108 of them across 10 Southern California cities in the 90 days to October 8, 2026, led by Dana Point (4,649) and San Diego (2,362). They also make a respected bait for marlin and big tuna.

Illustration: Fish City

Where Bullet Tuna is biting this week

Over the last 7 days (through October 10, 2026), California boats reported 1,341 bullet tuna. Most came from Davey's Locker (25%), Dana Wharf Sportfishing (24%), and Seaforth Sportfishing (15%).

Newport Beach fish counts →Dana Point fish counts →San Diego fish counts →Oxnard fish counts →San Pedro fish counts →Long Beach fish counts →Marina Del Rey fish counts →All California fish counts →

What size are bullet tuna?

Bullet tuna are small. FishBase lists a maximum of about 20 in (50 cm fork length). Most caught off San Diego are bait size.

Where do you find bullet tuna in SoCal?

Boiling at the surface in warm water: near the 9 and 14 Mile Banks, off La Jolla, and at the east end of Catalina, from late summer. They also show up in overnight trip counts.

Is there a bag limit for bullet tuna?

No species-specific limit. The general finfish rule applies: 20 finfish per day, no more than 10 of one species (14 CCR 27.60).

About Bullet Tuna

Bullet tuna are the small end of the tuna family: a fat torpedo body, wavy or slanting dark markings on the back, and two dorsal fins set well apart. They school in warm water and show up in numbers in some years.

In San Diego they are a late-summer fish. Reports from July through September 2026 put them boiling off La Jolla, around the 9 and 14 Mile Banks, and mixed into overnight trip counts. For most anglers they are a bycatch or a bait fish.

Bullet Tuna vs Frigate Mackerel

There are two species, bullet tuna (Auxis rochei) and frigate mackerel (Auxis thazard), and anglers call both "bullet tuna." The common tip on the forums is that wavy markings on the back mean frigate and slanting ones mean bullet, but even photos get argued about. Treat the page as covering both. Neither has the belly stripes of a skipjack.

How to Catch

Look for the boil. Birds working over a school are the signal. One angler caught them by casting a 40 gram lure into a boil, another used a small bass popper on visible fish.

Troll small gear. Daisy chains, jet heads with 4 in skirts and cedar plugs all caught fish in 2026.

Keep a few for bait. Locals say bullets make a good live or cut bait for marlin, big tuna, wahoo, dorado and sharks. Live ones can be slow-trolled in place of a dead mackerel.

Eating Profile

Bullet tuna meat is dark and strong. Most anglers keep them for bait, not the table. If you want to eat one, bleed it and ice it right away.

Common Mistakes

  • Using heavy gear. A small fish on a big outfit is no fun. Cast light.
  • Waiting too long. The boils come and go quickly. Be ready with a rod rigged.
  • Not icing the fish. The meat spoils fast. Ice or use as bait immediately.

When They Show Up

  • Jan to Jun: Few if any fish locally.
  • Jul to Sep: The window in 2026 and in other warm years. Reports start in late July.
  • Oct to Dec: Still being counted in early October (470 fish on Oct 7, 2026).

Fishing out of the area? See San Diego charters, Oceanside charters and Dana Point charters. Related fish: Skipjack Tuna and Bonito.

Where to Catch Bullet Tuna in California

  • Surface boils and diving birds in warm water off San Diego, including near the 9 Mile Bank
  • The 14 Mile Bank, where one angler trolled about 15 in a day in early September 2026
  • A few miles off La Jolla, where a bullet came on a cedar plug in late August 2026
  • East end of Catalina Island, where fish boiled in late August 2021
  • Counted at Dana Point, San Diego and Oceanside landings, mixed in with yellowfin and skipjack on overnight trips (Fish City counts, 90 days to October 8, 2026; H&M Landing counts list them too)

Conditions & Habitat

Water Temp

Warm water. One angler logged 72°F on a bird-and-boil bite, another 74°F near the 9 Mile Bank.

Typical Depth

Surface schools. Anglers find them boiling or under birds.

Diet

Small fish, especially anchovies, plus squid and crustacean larvae (FishBase)

How to Catch Bullet Tuna

Techniques

  • Cast a small lure or a surface popper into a visible boil. A small green bass popper worked on fish at the surface in late September 2026
  • Troll small daisy chains, jet heads with 4 in skirts, or a cedar plug through a school
  • Watch for diving birds, then cast a 40 gram metal lure into the boil
  • Keep fish for bait: live on a slow troll, or as chunks and folded fillets for dorado and marlin

Lures & Baits

  • Small daisy chains and jet heads with 4 in skirts
  • Cedar plugs
  • 40 gram metal jigs
  • Small surface poppers

Line & Leader

Light spinning gear with a short leader makes the most of a small fish. Anglers have also landed them on trolled lures with whatever outfit is already out.

Rod & Reel Combos

  • Light spinning outfit for casting into boils

Regulations

California has no bullet tuna-specific limit in the CDFW ocean regulations. The general finfish rule applies: 20 finfish per day in combination, no more than 10 of any one species (14 CCR 27.60; CDFW 2026 regulations). Overnight and multi-day trips that fish Mexican waters follow Mexican rules and need a Mexican fishing license; Mexican limits are commonly described as 10 fish a day with no more than 5 of one species. Check current CDFW and CONAPESCA rules before your trip.

As of — CDFW source

When boats actually landed it

Not enough data yet — too few reported trips to show a reliable catch pattern.

Did You Know?

Bullet tuna and frigate mackerel are so alike that anglers lump them together. Both are in the genus Auxis, and local anglers treat them as prime marlin bait.

Over the last 7 days (through October 10, 2026), California boats reported 1,341 bullet tuna.

Updated

Each boat reports its own catch at its California landing — Fish City compiles those reports daily. How our data works

Top Boats (last 7 days)

BoatLandingFish
FreelanceDavey's Locker257
Speed TwinChannel Islands Sportfishing145
Sum FunDana Wharf Sportfishing102
Sea WatchSeaforth Sportfishing101
Dana PrideDana Wharf Sportfishing100
Pursuit22nd Street Landing88

Where Bullet Tuna Are Being Caught

California landings with the most reported catches in the last 7 days.

Catch Trend (last 7 days)

Daily reported catches across California.

7 days ago SteadyNow

See live counts & set bite alerts

The website shows recent counts. Get real-time updates and biting intel in the app.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Book a Bullet Tuna Charter

Find charter boats targeting Bullet Tuna at these California landings:

San Diego
Oceanside
Dana Point

Frequently Asked Questions

Not really. The meat is dark and strongly flavored, and anglers who catch them mostly use them as bait. One local poster called them no good to eat.

Sources

Ready to Find the Bite?

Get the app California anglers use for real-time fish counts, reports, and charter data.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Free — no subscription required