The Three Marlin
For the full playbook on the fish most San Diego anglers catch, read our striped marlin guide. This page is the big picture: which marlin you will run into, when, and how the boats find them.
Striped marlin are the Southern California marlin. When warm water pushes up from Mexico in summer and fall, they follow the bait onto the offshore banks. They are the fish most San Diego marlin reports are about, usually 100 to 200 lbs, and they jump like crazy. Striped marlin guide.
Blue marlin are bigger, heavier fish that live in warmer water. They show up off San Diego now and then in warm years, usually on multi-day trips, and are more common down the Baja coast. A blue is a fish of a lifetime for a lot of local anglers.
Black marlin are rare this far north. They are mostly a Baja fish, and they can get very big. The stiff pectoral fins that stick straight out are the giveaway.
Where the Boats Go
Marlin off Southern California are a warm-water story. In a warm year, striped marlin spread out across the offshore banks south and west of San Diego, and in strong years they push up toward Orange County and Los Angeles. Boats look for temperature breaks, current edges and bait, and a lot of fish get spotted on the surface before anyone hooks up.
When local water is cool, the long-range fleet runs south down the Baja coast where marlin are more dependable, along with wahoo, yellowfin and dorado. That is also where blue and black marlin become a real possibility. See our wahoo guide for what else those trips catch.
How They Are Fished
Most marlin are found by trolling. The boat drags a spread of skirted lures at 6 to 8 knots, and when a fish comes up behind the spread, the crew calls it.
The bait and switch is how a lot of fish get hooked: raise the fish on a hookless teaser, pull the teaser away, and pitch a live mackerel in front of it. On a circle hook, let the fish eat and turn. Do not swing; just come tight by reeling.
On a regular tuna trip, the move is simpler. Keep a live mackerel rigged and ready, and if a marlin shows up tailing or chasing bait near the boat, get the bait in front of it fast.
The Release Ethic
Most marlin caught on San Diego boats go back in the water, and most crews would rather it that way. California allows one marlin per angler, so keeping one is legal, but a healthy release is the norm.
A good release is quick: keep the fish in the water, use a circle hook so it is hooked in the jaw, and have the crew cut the leader close or pull the hook if it comes easily. Take your photo with the fish in the water and let it swim. Marlin cannot be sold under federal law.
Month-by-Month
- Jan to Jun: Not marlin time off Southern California. Long-range trips far south can still find them.
- Jul: In warm years, the first striped marlin show up offshore.
- Aug to Oct: Best window off San Diego in warm years. Blue marlin possible on multi-day trips.
- Nov: Tapering off as the water cools. Long-range boats keep finding fish down the Baja coast.
- Dec: Local season is over.
